WorldWideScience

Sample records for systems intec-066 intec-067

  1. Summary of Waste Calcination at INTEC

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    O' Brien, Barry Henry; Newby, Bill Joe

    2000-10-01

    Fluidized-bed calcination at the Idaho Nuclear Technologies and Engineering Center (INTEC, formally called the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant) has been used to solidify acidic metal nitrate fuel reprocessing and incidental wastes wastes since 1961. A summary of waste calcination in full-scale and pilot plant calciners has been compiled for future reference. It contains feed compositions and operating conditions for all the processing campaigns for the original Waste Calcining Facility (WCF), the New Waste Calcining Facility (NWCF) started up in 1982, and numerous small scale pilot plant tests for various feed types. This summary provides a historical record of calcination at INTEC, and will be useful for evaluating calcinability of future wastes.

  2. [Web and Automotive] shift into high gear on the Web - Intecs and ISTI-CNR position paper

    OpenAIRE

    Mambrini, Raffaella; Cordiviola, Elena; Magrini, Massimo; Martinelli, Massimo; Moroni, Davide; Pieri, Gabriele; Salvetti, Ovidio

    2012-01-01

    Intecs is an italian large enterprise privately held that operates in the following domains: aerospace, defense, transportation, telecommunications. One of the most relevant activity for Intecs is the design and development of smart systems, based on the M2M paradigm, from the sensors to the application software passing through the communication middleware, applied to the automotive and mobility markets. Intecs is active both in industrial partnerships and in national and international R&D pr...

  3. Record of Decision Tank Farm Soil and INTEC Groundwater

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    L. S. Cahn

    2007-05-01

    This decision document presents the selected remedy for Operable Unit (OU) 3-14 tank farm soil and groundwater at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC), which is located on the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Site. The tank farm was initially evaluated in the OU 3-13 Record of Decision (ROD), and it was determined that additional information was needed to make a final decision. Additional information has been obtained on the nature and extent of contamination in the tank farm and on the impact of groundwater. The selected remedy was chosen in accordance with the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Liability and Compensation Act of 1980 (CERCLA) (42 USC 9601 et seq.), as amended by the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 (Public Law 99-499) and the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (40 CFR 300). The selected remedy is intended to be the final action for tank far soil and groundwater at INTEC.

  4. INTEC CPP-603 Basin Water Treatment System Closure: Process Design

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kimmitt, Raymond Rodney; Faultersack, Wendell Gale; Foster, Jonathan Kay; Berry, Stephen Michael

    2002-09-01

    This document describes the engineering activities that have been completed in support of the closure plan for the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) CPP-603 Basin Water Treatment System. This effort includes detailed assessments of methods and equipment for performing work in four areas: 1. A cold (nonradioactive) mockup system for testing equipment and procedures for vessel cleanout and vessel demolition. 2. Cleanout of process vessels to meet standards identified in the closure plan. 3. Dismantlement and removal of vessels, should it not be possible to clean them to required standards in the closure plan. 4. Cleanout or removal of pipelines and pumps associated with the CPP-603 basin water treatment system. Cleanout standards for the pipes will be the same as those used for the process vessels.

  5. Record of Decision for Tank Farm Soil and INTEC Groundwater, Operable Unit 3-14

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    L. S. Cahn

    2007-05-16

    This decision document presents the selected remedy for Operable Unit (OU) 3-14 tank farm soil and groundwater at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC), which is located on the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Site. The tank farm was initially evaluated in the OU 3-13 Record of Decision (ROD), and it was determined that additional information was needed to make a final decision. Additional information has been obtained on the nature and extent of contamination in the tank farm and on the impact to groundwater. The selected remedy was chosen in accordance with the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Liability and Compensation Act of 1980 (CERCLA) (42 USC 9601 et seq.), as amended by the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 (Public Law 99-499) and the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (40 CFR 300). The selected remedy is intended to be the final action for tank farm soil and groundwater at INTEC. The response action selected in this ROD is necessary to protect the public health, welfare, or the environment from actual or threatened releases of hazardous substances into the environment. Such a release or threat of release may present an imminent and substantial endangerment to public health, welfare, or the environment. The remedial actions selected in this ROD are designed to reduce the potential threats to human health and the environment to acceptable levels. In addition, DOE-ID, EPA, and DEQ (the Agencies) have determined that no action is necessary under CERCLA to protect public health, welfare, or the environment at 16 sites located outside the tank farm boundary. The purposes of the selected remedy are to (1) contain contaminated soil as the radionuclides decay in place, (2) isolate current and future workers and biological receptors from contact with contaminated soil, and (3) restore the portion of Snake River Plain Aquifer contaminated by INTEC releases to Idaho Ground Water Quality

  6. HWMA/RCRA Closure Plan for the Fluorinel Dissolution Process Makeup and Cooling and Heating Systems Voluntary Consent Order SITE-TANK-005 Action Plan Tank Systems INTEC-066, INTEC-067, INTEC-068, and INTEC-072

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    M.E. Davis

    2007-01-01

    This Hazardous Waste Management Act/Resource Conservation and Recovery Act closure plan for the fluorinel dissolution process makeup and cooling and heating systems located in the Fluorinel Dissolution Process and Fuel Storage Facility (CPP-666), Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center, Idaho National Laboratory Site, was developed to meet milestones established under the Voluntary Consent Order. The systems to be closed include waste piping associated with the fluorinel dissolution process makeup systems. This closure plan presents the closure performance standards and methods of achieving those standards

  7. HWMA/RCRA Closure Plan for the Fluorinel Dissolution Process Makeup and Cooling and Heating Systems Voluntary Consent Order SITE-TANK-005 Action Plan Tank Systems INTEC-066, INTEC-067, INTEC-068, and INTEC-072

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    M.E. Davis

    2007-05-01

    This Hazardous Waste Management Act/Resource Conservation and Recovery Act closure plan for the fluorinel dissolution process makeup and cooling and heating systems located in the Fluorinel Dissolution Process and Fuel Storage Facility (CPP-666), Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center, Idaho National Laboratory Site, was developed to meet milestones established under the Voluntary Consent Order. The systems to be closed include waste piping associated with the fluorinel dissolution process makeup systems. This closure plan presents the closure performance standards and methods of achieving those standards.

  8. Criticality safety requirements for transporting EBR-II fuel bottles stored at INTEC

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lell, R. M.; Pope, C. L.

    2000-01-01

    Two carrier/shipping cask options are being developed to transport bottles of EBR-II fuel elements stored at INTEC. Some fuel bottles are intact, but some have developed leaks. Reactivity control requirements to maintain subcriticality during the hypothetical transport accident have been examined for both transport options for intact and leaking bottles. Poison rods, poison sleeves, and dummy filler bottles were considered; several possible poison materials and several possible dummy filler materials were studied. The minimum number of poison rods or dummy filler bottles has been determined for each carrier for transport of intact and leaking bottles

  9. Corrosion Evaluation of INTEC Waste Storage Tank WM-182

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dirk, W. J.; Anderson, P. A.

    1999-01-01

    Irradiated nuclear fuel has been stored and reprocessed at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory since 1953 using facilities located at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC). This reprocessing produced radioactive liquid waste which was stored in the Tank Farm. The INTEC Tank Farm consists of eleven vaulted 300,000-gallon underground tanks including Tank WM-182. Tank WM-182 was put into service in 1955, has been filled four times, and has contained aluminum and zirconium fuel reprocessing wastes as well as sodium bearing waste. A program to monitor corrosion in the waste tanks was initiated in 1953 when the first of the eleven Tank Farm tanks was placed in service. Austenitic stainless steel coupons representative of the materials of construction of the tanks are used to monitor internal tank corrosion. This report documents the final inspection of the WM-182 corrosion coupons. Physical examination of the welded corrosion test coupons exposed to the tank bottom conditions of Tank WM-182 revealed very light uniform corrosion. Examination of the external surfaces of the extruded pipe samples showed very light uniform corrosion with slight indications of preferential attack parallel to extrusion marks and start of end grain attack of the cut edges. These indications were only evident when examined under stereo microscope at magnifications of 20X and above. There were no definite indications of localized corrosion, such as cracking, pitting, preferential weld attack, or weld heat affected zone attack on either the welded or extruded coupons. Visual examination of the coupon support cables, where they were not encased in plastic, failed to reveal any indication of liquid-liquid interface attack of any crevice corrosion. Based on the WM-182 coupon evaluations, which have occurred throughout the life of the tank, the metal loss from the tank wall due to uniform corrosion is not expected to exceed 5.5 x 10-1 mil (0.00 055 inch

  10. Dissolution studies with pilot plant and actual INTEC calcines

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Herbst, R.S.; Garn, T.G.

    1999-01-01

    The dissolution of Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) pilot plant calcines was examined to determine solubility of calcine matrix components in acidic media. Two representatives pilot plant calcine types were studied: Zirconia calcine and Zirconia/Sodium calcine. Dissolution of these calcines was evaluated using lower initial concentrations of nitric acid than used in previous tests to decrease the [H+] concentration in the final solutions. Lower [H+] concentrations contribute to more favorable TRUEX/SREX solvent extraction flowsheet performance. Dissolution and analytical results were also obtained for radioactive calcines produced using high sodium feeds blended with non-radioactive Al(NO 3 ) 3 solutions to dilute the sodium concentration and prevent bed agglomeration during the calcination process. Dissolution tests indicated >95 wt.% of the initial calcine mass can be dissolved using the baseline dissolution procedure, with the exception that higher initial nitric acid concentrations are required. The higher initial acid concentration is required for stoichiometric dissolution of the oxides, primarily aluminum oxide. Statistically designed experiments using pilot plant calcine were performed to determine the effect of mixing rate on dissolution efficiency. Mixing rate was determined to provide minimal effects on wt.% dissolution. The acid/calcine ratio and temperature were the predominate variables affecting the wt.% dissolution, a result consistent with previous studies using other similar types of pilot plant calcines

  11. Upgrading from the Dicon Wiring Management system to IntEC at the Gentilly 2 station

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Theoret, P.A.

    1995-01-01

    The General Electric DICON Wiring Management system supplied to HQ during the construction of G2 is currently being replaced by the stand-alone version of the IntEC software developed by AECL. The reasons for replacing DICON and choosing lntEC are discussed. The different aspects of the two year DICON data conversion project are presented with the problems encountered and the means that were taken to resolve the problems. lntEC has shown our DICON data to be considerably more deficient than we had thought. This has increased the cost and the duration of the conversion process. However, correcting the errors during the conversion process provides us with much more accurate data. This should be viewed as an investment in configuration management. Many potential causes of future errors and potentially critical path delays have been removed. We have chosen to document the detailed procedures for the use of lntEC in our plant using a Windows Help File compiler. This also has been found to be extremely useful as a training tool as well as providing on-line help. The DICON data conversion into lntEC will not be completed until 1996. lntEC is not perfect. However, from what we have up to now, we are satisfied with the conviviality and efficiency of lntEC and with AECL's diligence in constantly aspiring in making it a better product. (author)

  12. Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) (formerly ICPP) ash reutilization study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Langenwalter, T.; Pettet, M.; Ochoa, R.; Jensen, S.

    1998-05-01

    Since 1984, the coal-fired plant at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC, formerly Idaho Chemical Processing Plant) has been generating fly ash at a rate of approximately 1,000 tons per year. This ash is hydrated and placed in an ash bury pit near the coal-fired plant. The existing ash bury pit will be full in less than 1 year at its present rate of use. A conceptual design to build a new ash bury pit was completed, and the new pit is estimated to cost $1.7 million. This report evaluates ash reutilization alternatives that propose to eliminate this waste stream and save the $1.7 million required to build a new pit. The alternatives include using ash for landfill day cover, concrete admixture, flowable fill, soil stabilization, waste remediation, and carbon recovery technology. Both physical and chemical testing, under the guidance of the American Society for Testing and Materials, have been performed on ash from the existing pit and from different steps within the facility`s processes. The test results have been evaluated, compared to commercial ash, and are discussed as they relate to reutilization alternatives. This study recommends that the ash be used in flowable fill concrete for Deactivation and Demolition work at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory.

  13. Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) (formerly ICPP) ash reutilization study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Langenwalter, T.; Pettet, M.; Ochoa, R.; Jensen, S.

    1998-05-01

    Since 1984, the coal-fired plant at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC, formerly Idaho Chemical Processing Plant) has been generating fly ash at a rate of approximately 1,000 tons per year. This ash is hydrated and placed in an ash bury pit near the coal-fired plant. The existing ash bury pit will be full in less than 1 year at its present rate of use. A conceptual design to build a new ash bury pit was completed, and the new pit is estimated to cost $1.7 million. This report evaluates ash reutilization alternatives that propose to eliminate this waste stream and save the $1.7 million required to build a new pit. The alternatives include using ash for landfill day cover, concrete admixture, flowable fill, soil stabilization, waste remediation, and carbon recovery technology. Both physical and chemical testing, under the guidance of the American Society for Testing and Materials, have been performed on ash from the existing pit and from different steps within the facility's processes. The test results have been evaluated, compared to commercial ash, and are discussed as they relate to reutilization alternatives. This study recommends that the ash be used in flowable fill concrete for Deactivation and Demolition work at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory

  14. HWMA/RCRA Closure Plan for the Basin Facility Basin Water Treatment System - Voluntary Consent Order NEW-CPP-016 Action Plan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Evans, S. K.

    2007-01-01

    This Hazardous Waste Management Act/Resource Conservation and Recovery Act closure plan for the Basin Water Treatment System located in the Basin Facility (CPP-603), Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC), Idaho National Laboratory Site, was developed to meet future milestones established under the Voluntary Consent Order. The system to be closed includes units and associated ancillary equipment included in the Voluntary Consent Order NEW-CPP-016 Action Plan and Voluntary Consent Order SITE-TANK-005 Tank Systems INTEC-077 and INTEC-078 that were determined to have managed hazardous waste. The Basin Water Treatment System will be closed in accordance with the requirements of the Hazardous Waste Management Act/Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, as implemented by the Idaho Administrative Procedures Act 58.01.05.009 and 40 Code of Federal Regulations 265, to achieve 'clean closure' of the tank system. This closure plan presents the closure performance standards and methods of achieving those standards for the Basin Water Treatment Systems

  15. HWMA/RCRA Closure Plan for the Basin Facility Basin Water Treatment System - Voluntary Consent Order NEW-CPP-016 Action Plan

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Evans, S. K.

    2007-11-07

    This Hazardous Waste Management Act/Resource Conservation and Recovery Act closure plan for the Basin Water Treatment System located in the Basin Facility (CPP-603), Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC), Idaho National Laboratory Site, was developed to meet future milestones established under the Voluntary Consent Order. The system to be closed includes units and associated ancillary equipment included in the Voluntary Consent Order NEW-CPP-016 Action Plan and Voluntary Consent Order SITE-TANK-005 Tank Systems INTEC-077 and INTEC-078 that were determined to have managed hazardous waste. The Basin Water Treatment System will be closed in accordance with the requirements of the Hazardous Waste Management Act/Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, as implemented by the Idaho Administrative Procedures Act 58.01.05.009 and 40 Code of Federal Regulations 265, to achieve "clean closure" of the tank system. This closure plan presents the closure performance standards and methods of achieving those standards for the Basin Water Treatment Systems.

  16. Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center Low-Activity Waste Process Technology Program FY-98 Status Report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Herbst, A.K.; McCray, J.A.; Rogers, A.Z.; Simmons, R.F.; Palethrope, S.J.

    1999-01-01

    The Low-Activity Waste Process Technology Program at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) anticipates that large volumes of low-level/low-activity wastes will need to be grouted prior to near-surface disposal. During fiscal year 1998, three grout formulations were studied for low-activity wastes derived from INTEC liquid sodium-bearing waste. Compressive strength and leach results are presented for phosphate bonding cement, acidic grout, and alkaline grout formulations. In an additional study, grout formulations are recommended for stabilization of the INTEC underground storage tank residual heels

  17. Galvanised for success

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sammut, Dave

    2010-01-01

    A new technology for heavy metals recycling offers the promise of a zero waste alternative to landfill disposal for the Australian galvanising industry. Intec is conducting a commercial trial at a steel galvanising operation in Burnie, Tasmania. Spent pickle liquor is becoming an increasingly expensive waste problem for this industry, landfill availability is decreasing and the long term environmental risks are high. Intec's solution is to recover the iron, zinc and acid as useful products. An ASX-listed Australian technology company, Intec has developed and proven a range of technologies during the past 20 years, primarily for the minerals processing industry.

  18. Iodine-129 in the Snake River Plain Aquifer at and Near the Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho, 2003 and 2007

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bartholomay, Roy C.

    2009-01-01

    From 1953 to 1988, wastewater containing approximately 0.94 curies of iodine-129 (129I) was generated at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) in southeastern Idaho. Almost all of this wastewater was discharged at or near the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) on the INL site. Most of the wastewater was discharged directly into the eastern Snake River Plain aquifer through a deep disposal well until 1984; however, some wastewater also was discharged into unlined infiltration ponds or leaked from distribution systems below the INTEC. In 2003, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy, collected samples for 129I from 36 wells used to monitor the Snake River Plain aquifer, and from one well used to monitor a perched zone at the INTEC. Concentrations of 129I in the aquifer ranged from 0.0000066 +- 0.0000002 to 0.72 +- 0.051 picocuries per liter (pCi/L). Many wells within a 3-mile radius of the INTEC showed decreases of as much as one order of magnitude in concentration from samples collected during 1990-91, and all of the samples had concentrations less than the Environmental Protection Agency's Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) of 1 pCi/L. The average concentration of 129I in 19 wells sampled during both collection periods decreased from 0.975 pCi/L in 1990-91 to 0.249 pCi/L in 2003. These decreases are attributed to the discontinuation of disposal of 129I in wastewater after 1988 and to dilution and dispersion in the aquifer. Although water from wells sampled in 2003 near the INTEC showed decreases in concentrations of 129I compared with data collected in 1990-91, some wells south and east of the Central Facilities Area, near the site boundary, and south of the INL showed slight increases. These slight increases may be related to variable discharge rates of wastewater that eventually moved to these well locations as a mass of water from a particular disposal period. In 2007, the USGS collected samples for

  19. Iodine-129 in the eastern Snake River Plain aquifer at and near the Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho, 2010-12

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bartholomay, Roy C.

    2013-01-01

    From 1953 to 1988, approximately 0.941 curies of iodine-129 (129I) were contained in wastewater generated at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) with almost all of this wastewater discharged at or near the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC). Most of the wastewater containing 129I was discharged directly into the eastern Snake River Plain (ESRP) aquifer through a deep disposal well until 1984; lesser quantities also were discharged into unlined infiltration ponds or leaked from distribution systems below the INTEC. During 2010–12, the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy collected groundwater samples for 129I from 62 wells in the ESRP aquifer to track concentration trends and changes for the carcinogenic radionuclide that has a 15.7 million-year half-life. Concentrations of 129I in the aquifer ranged from 0.0000013±0.0000005 to 1.02±0.04 picocuries per liter (pCi/L), and generally decreased in wells near the INTEC, relative to previous sampling events. The average concentration of 129I in groundwater from 15 wells sampled during four different sample periods decreased from 1.15 pCi/L in 1990–91 to 0.173 pCi/L in 2011–12. All but two wells within a 3-mile radius of the INTEC showed decreases in concentration, and all but one sample had concentrations less than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency maximum contaminant level of 1 pCi/L. These decreases are attributed to the discontinuation of disposal of 129I in wastewater and to dilution and dispersion in the aquifer. The decreases in 129I concentrations, in areas around INTEC where concentrations increased between 2003 and 2007, were attributed to less recharge near INTEC either from less flow in the Big Lost River or from less local snowmelt and anthropogenic sources. Although wells near INTEC sampled in 2011–12 showed decreases in 129I concentrations compared with previously collected data, some wells south and east of the Central Facilities Area

  20. Preoperational Subsurface Conditions at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center Service Wastewater Discharge Facility; TOPICAL

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ansley, Shannon L.

    2002-01-01

    The Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) Service Wastewater Discharge Facility replaces the existing percolation ponds as a disposal facility for the INTEC Service Waste Stream. A preferred alternative for helping decrease water content in the subsurface near INTEC, closure of the existing ponds is required by the INTEC Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) Record of Decision (ROD) for Waste Area Group 3 Operable Unit 3-13 (DOE-ID 1999a). By August 2002, the replacement facility was constructed approximately 2 miles southwest of INTEC, near the Big Lost River channel. Because groundwater beneath the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) is protected under Federal and State of Idaho regulations from degradation due to INEEL activities, preoperational data required by U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Order 5400.1 were collected. These data include preexisting physical, chemical, and biological conditions that could be affected by the discharge; background levels of radioactive and chemical components; pertinent environmental and ecological parameters; and potential pathways for human exposure or environmental impact. This document presents specific data collected in support of DOE Order 5400.1, including: four quarters of groundwater sampling and analysis of chemical and radiological parameters; general facility description; site specific geology, stratigraphy, soils, and hydrology; perched water discussions; and general regulatory requirements. However, in order to avoid duplication of previous information, the reader is directed to other referenced publications for more detailed information. Documents that are not readily available are compiled in this publication as appendices. These documents include well and borehole completion reports, a perched water evaluation letter report, the draft INEEL Wellhead Protection Program Plan, and the Environmental Checklist

  1. Preoperational Subsurface Conditions at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center Service Waste Disposal Facility

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ansley, Shannon Leigh

    2002-02-01

    The Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) Service Wastewater Discharge Facility replaces the existing percolation ponds as a disposal facility for the INTEC Service Waste Stream. A preferred alternative for helping decrease water content in the subsurface near INTEC, closure of the existing ponds is required by the INTEC Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) Record of Decision (ROD) for Waste Area Group 3 Operable Unit 3-13 (DOE-ID 1999a). By August 2002, the replacement facility was constructed approximately 2 miles southwest of INTEC, near the Big Lost River channel. Because groundwater beneath the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) is protected under Federal and State of Idaho regulations from degradation due to INEEL activities, preoperational data required by U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Order 5400.1 were collected. These data include preexisting physical, chemical, and biological conditions that could be affected by the discharge; background levels of radioactive and chemical components; pertinent environmental and ecological parameters; and potential pathways for human exposure or environmental impact. This document presents specific data collected in support of DOE Order 5400.1, including: four quarters of groundwater sampling and analysis of chemical and radiological parameters; general facility description; site specific geology, stratigraphy, soils, and hydrology; perched water discussions; and general regulatory requirements. However, in order to avoid duplication of previous information, the reader is directed to other referenced publications for more detailed information. Documents that are not readily available are compiled in this publication as appendices. These documents include well and borehole completion reports, a perched water evaluation letter report, the draft INEEL Wellhead Protection Program Plan, and the Environmental Checklist.

  2. Preoperational Subsurface Conditions at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center Service Wastewater Discharge Facility

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ansley, Shannon L.

    2002-01-01

    The Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) Service Wastewater Discharge Facility replaces the existing percolation ponds as a disposal facility for the INTEC Service Waste Stream. A preferred alternative for helping decrease water content in the subsurface near INTEC, closure of the existing ponds is required by the INTEC Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) Record of Decision (ROD) for Waste Area Group 3 Operable Unit 3-13 (DOE-ID 1999a). By August 2002, the replacement facility was constructed approximately 2 miles southwest of INTEC, near the Big Lost River channel. Because groundwater beneath the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) is protected under Federal and State of Idaho regulations from degradation due to INEEL activities, preoperational data required by U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Order 5400.1 were collected. These data include preexisting physical, chemical, and biological conditions that could be affected by the discharge; background levels of radioactive and chemical components; pertinent environmental and ecological parameters; and potential pathways for human exposure or environmental impact. This document presents specific data collected in support of DOE Order 5400.1, including: four quarters of groundwater sampling and analysis of chemical and radiological parameters; general facility description; site specific geology, stratigraphy, soils, and hydrology; perched water discussions; and general regulatory requirements. However, in order to avoid duplication of previous information, the reader is directed to other referenced publications for more detailed information. Documents that are not readily available are compiled in this publication as appendices. These documents include well and borehole completion reports, a perched water evaluation letter report, the draft INEEL Wellhead Protection Program Plan, and the Environmental Checklist

  3. Performance Evaluation of a Novel Chemiluminescence Assay Detecting Treponema Pallidum Antibody as a Syphilis Screening Method.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Qixia; An, Jingna; Rao, Chenli; Wang, Tingting; Li, Dongdong; Feng, Shu; Tao, Chuanmin

    2016-01-01

    Syphilis is a major concern to global public health with increasing incidence. So its screening test should have sufficient sensitivity and specificity. We evaluated the performance of the Lumipulse G TP-N assay detection for syphilis screening and compared it with the InTec ELISA test kit for TP, which is widely used. Samples of several patient groups including 133 clinical and serologically characterized syphilitic sera, 175 samples containing potentially interfering agents, and 2290 unselected samples submitted for routine screening were detected by both the Lumipulse G TP-N assay and the InTec ELISA test kit for TP. Inconsistent samples were confirmed by RecomLine Treponema IgG, IgM immunoblot. Coefficient of variations of the Lumipulseo G TP-N assay at both levels were below 5% and of the InTec ELISA test kit for TP both over 5%. The sensitivity of the Lumipulse G TP-N assay and the InTec ELISA test kit for TP were 100% for all stages of syphilis. The two methods had consistent analytical specificity of 100% (95% CI: 97.21 - 100.00), while the clinical specificity was 100% (95% CI: 99.79 - 100.00) and 99.82% (95% CI: 99.51 - 99.94), respectively. Between them, Spearman's correlation coefficient was 0.455 and kappa value was 0.986. The overall sensitivity and specificity of the Lumipulse G TP-N assay was higher than the InTec ELISA test kit for TP (sensitivity: 100.0 versus 99.5, specificity: 100.0 versus 99.8). The automated Lumipulse G TP-N assay demonstrated excellent diagnostic sensitivity and specificity when evaluated as a screening test for syphilis. Thus, it can be an alternative to the treponemal screening test.

  4. Environmental Sampling FY03 Annual Report - Understanding the Movement of Mercury on the INEEL

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Michael L. Abbott

    2003-01-01

    Environmental mercury measurements were started in Fy-01 at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEEL) to monitor downwind impacts from on-going waste treatment operations at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) and to improve our scientific understanding of mercury fate and transport in this region. This document provides a summary of the sampling done in FY04. Continuous total gaseous mercury (TGM) measurements were made using a Tekran Model 2537A mercury vapor analyzer during October 2002 and from February through July 2003. The equipment was deployed in a self-contained field trailer at the Experimental Field Station (EFS) four kilometers downwind (northeast) of INTEC. Mercury surface-to-air flux measurements were made in October 2002 and from February through May 2003 to better understand the fate of the estimated 1500 kg of mercury emitted from 36 years of calciner operations at INTEC and to improve our scientific understanding of mercury environmental cycling in this region. Flux was measured using an INEEL-designed dynamic flux chamber system with a Tekran automated dual sampling (TADS) unit. Diel flux was positively correlated with solar radiation (r = 0.65), air temperature (r = 0.64), and wind speed (r = 0.38), and a general linear model for flux prediction at the INEEL was developed. Reactive gaseous mercury (RGM) was measured at EFS in July using a Tekran Model 1130 mercury speciation unit. Based on comparisons with other published data around the U.S., mercury air concentrations and surface flux rates directly downwind from INTEC were not distinguishable from remote area (non-industrial) background levels during the monitoring period

  5. Relationships between net primary productivity and stand age for several forest types and their influence on China's carbon balance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Shaoqiang; Zhou, Lei; Chen, Jingming; Ju, Weimin; Feng, Xianfeng; Wu, Weixing

    2011-06-01

    Affected by natural and anthropogenic disturbances such as forest fires, insect-induced mortality and harvesting, forest stand age plays an important role in determining the distribution of carbon pools and fluxes in a variety of forest ecosystems. An improved understanding of the relationship between net primary productivity (NPP) and stand age (i.e., age-related increase and decline in forest productivity) is essential for the simulation and prediction of the global carbon cycle at annual, decadal, centurial, or even longer temporal scales. In this paper, we developed functions describing the relationship between national mean NPP and stand age using stand age information derived from forest inventory data and NPP simulated by the BEPS (Boreal Ecosystem Productivity Simulator) model in 2001. Due to differences in ecobiophysical characteristics of different forest types, NPP-age equations were developed for five typical forest ecosystems in China (deciduous needleleaf forest (DNF), evergreen needleleaf forest in tropic and subtropical zones (ENF-S), deciduous broadleaf forest (DBF), evergreen broadleaf forest (EBF), and mixed broadleaf forest (MBF)). For DNF, ENF-S, EBF, and MBF, changes in NPP with age were well fitted with a common non-linear function, with R(2) values equal to 0.90, 0.75, 0.66, and 0.67, respectively. In contrast, a second order polynomial was best suitable for simulating the change of NPP for DBF, with an R(2) value of 0.79. The timing and magnitude of the maximum NPP varied with forest types. DNF, EBF, and MBF reached the peak NPP at the age of 54, 40, and 32 years, respectively, while the NPP of ENF-S maximizes at the age of 13 years. The highest NPP of DBF appeared at 122 years. NPP was generally lower in older stands with the exception of DBF, and this particular finding runs counter to the paradigm of age-related decline in forest growth. Evaluation based on measurements of NPP and stand age at the plot-level demonstrates the reliability

  6. Reduction of INTEC Analytical Radioactive Liquid Wastes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Johnson, V.J.; Hu, J.S.; Chambers, A.G.

    1999-01-01

    This report details the evaluation of the reduction in radioactive liquid waste from the analytical laboratories sent to the Process Effluent Waste system (deep tanks). The contributors are the Analytical Laboratories Department (ALD), the Waste Operations Department, the laboratories at CPP-637, and natural run off. Other labs were contacted to learn the methods used and if any new technologies had emerged. A waste generation database was made from the current methods in used in the ALD. From this database, methods were targeted to reduce waste. Individuals were contacted on ways to reduce waste. The results are: a new method generating much less waste, several methods being handled differently, some cleaning processes being changed to reduce waste, and changes to reduce chemicals to waste

  7. Calcine Waste Storage at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    M. D. Staiger

    1999-06-01

    A potential option in the program for long-term management of high-level wastes at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC), at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory, calls for retrieving calcine waste and converting it to a more stable and less dispersible form. An inventory of calcine produced during the period December 1963 to May 1999 has been prepared based on calciner run, solids storage facilities operating, and miscellaneous operational information, which gives the range of chemical compositions of calcine waste stored at INTEC. Information researched includes calciner startup data, waste solution analyses and volumes calcined, calciner operating schedules, solids storage bin capacities, calcine storage bin distributor systems, and solids storage bin design and temperature monitoring records. Unique information on calcine solids storage facilities design of potential interest to remote retrieval operators is given.

  8. THOR Bench-Scale Steam Reforming Demonstration

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    D. W. Marshall; N. R. Soelberg; K. M. Shaber

    2003-05-01

    The Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) was home to nuclear fuel reprocessing activities for decades at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory. As a result of the reprocessing activities, INTEC has accumulated approximately one million gallons of acidic, radioactive, sodium-bearing waste (SBW). The purpose of this demonstration was to investigate a reforming technology, offered by THORsm Treatment Technologies, LLC, for treatment of SBW into a "road ready" waste form that would meet the waste acceptance criteria for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). A non-radioactive simulated SBW was used based on the known composition of waste tank WM-180 at INTEC. Rhenium was included as a non-radioactive surrogate for technetium. Data was collected to determine the nature and characteristics of the product, the operability of the technology, the composition of the off-gases, and the fate of key radionuclides (cesium and technetium) and volatile mercury compounds. The product contained a low fraction of elemental carbon residues in the cyclone and filter vessel catches. Mercury was quantitatively stripped from the product but cesium, rhenium (Tc surrogate), and the heavy metals were retained. Nitrates were not detected in the product and NOx destruction exceeded 98%. The demonstration was successful.

  9. THOR Bench-Scale Steam Reforming Demonstration

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Marshall, D.W.; Soelberg, N.R.; Shaber, K.M.

    2003-05-21

    The Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) was home to nuclear fuel reprocessing activities for decades at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory. As a result of the reprocessing activities, INTEC has accumulated approximately one million gallons of acidic, radioactive, sodium-bearing waste (SBW). The purpose of this demonstration was to investigate a reforming technology, offered by THORsm Treatment Technologies, LLC, for treatment of SBW into a ''road ready'' waste form that would meet the waste acceptance criteria for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). A non-radioactive simulated SBW was used based on the known composition of waste tank WM-180 at INTEC. Rhenium was included as a non-radioactive surrogate for technetium. Data was collected to determine the nature and characteristics of the product, the operability of the technology, the composition of the off-gases, and the fate of key radionuclides (cesium and technetium) and volatile mercury compounds. The product contained a low fraction of elemental carbon residues in the cyclone and filter vessel catches. Mercury was quantitatively stripped from the product but cesium, rhenium (Tc surrogate), and the heavy metals were retained. Nitrates were not detected in the product and NOx destruction exceeded 98%. The demonstration was successful.

  10. THOR Bench-Scale Steam Reforming Demonstration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marshall, D.W.; Soelberg, N.R.; Shaber, K.M.

    2003-01-01

    The Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) was home to nuclear fuel reprocessing activities for decades at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory. As a result of the reprocessing activities, INTEC has accumulated approximately one million gallons of acidic, radioactive, sodium-bearing waste (SBW). The purpose of this demonstration was to investigate a reforming technology, offered by THORsm Treatment Technologies, LLC, for treatment of SBW into a ''road ready'' waste form that would meet the waste acceptance criteria for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). A non-radioactive simulated SBW was used based on the known composition of waste tank WM-180 at INTEC. Rhenium was included as a non-radioactive surrogate for technetium. Data was collected to determine the nature and characteristics of the product, the operability of the technology, the composition of the off-gases, and the fate of key radionuclides (cesium and technetium) and volatile mercury compounds. The product contained a low fraction of elemental carbon residues in the cyclone and filter vessel catches. Mercury was quantitatively stripped from the product but cesium, rhenium (Tc surrogate), and the heavy metals were retained. Nitrates were not detected in the product and NOx destruction exceeded 98%. The demonstration was successful

  11. INEEL Radioactive Liquid Waste Reduction Program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Millet, C.B.; Tripp, J.L.; Archibald, K.E.; Lauerhauss, L.; Argyle, M.D.; Demmer, R.L.

    1999-01-01

    Reduction of radioactive liquid waste, much of which is Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) listed, is a high priority at the Idaho National Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC). Major strides in the past five years have lead to significant decreases in generation and subsequent reduction in the overall cost of treatment of these wastes. In 1992, the INTEC, which is part of the Idaho National Environmental and Engineering Laboratory (INEEL), began a program to reduce the generation of radioactive liquid waste (both hazardous and non-hazardous). As part of this program, a Waste Minimization Plan was developed that detailed the various contributing waste streams, and identified methods to eliminate or reduce these waste streams. Reduction goals, which will reduce expected waste generation by 43%, were set for five years as part of this plan. The approval of the plan led to a Waste Minimization Incentive being put in place between the Department of Energy Idaho Office (DOE-ID) and the INEEL operating contractor, Lockheed Martin Idaho Technologies Company (LMITCO). This incentive is worth $5 million dollars from FY-98 through FY-02 if the waste reduction goals are met. In addition, a second plan was prepared to show a path forward to either totally eliminate all radioactive liquid waste generation at INTEC by 2005 or find alternative waste treatment paths. Historically, this waste has been sent to an evaporator system with the bottoms sent to the INTEC Tank Farm. However, this Tank Farm is not RCRA permitted for mixed wastes and a Notice of Non-compliance Consent Order gives dates of 2003 and 2012 for removal of this waste from these tanks. Therefore, alternative treatments are needed for the waste streams. This plan investigated waste elimination opportunities as well as treatment alternatives. The alternatives, and the criteria for ranking these alternatives, were identified through Value Engineering meetings with all of the waste generators. The most

  12. Removal Site Evaluation Report to the C-Reactor Seepage Basins (904-066, -067 and -068G)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Palmer, E.R. [Westinghouse Savannah River Company, AIKEN, SC (United States)

    1997-07-01

    Removal Site Evaluation Reports are prepared in accordance with Section 300.410 of the National Contingency Plan (NCP) and Section X of the Federal Facility Agreement (FFA). The C-Reactor Seepage Basins (904-066G,-067G,-068G) are listed in Appendix C, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)/Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) Units List, of the FFA. The purpose of this investigation is to report information concerning conditions at this unit sufficient to assess the threat (if any) posed to human health and the environment and to determine the need for additional CERCLA action. The scope of the investigation included a review of past survey and investigation data, the files, and a visit to the unit.Through this investigation unacceptable conditions of radioactive contaminant uptake in on-site vegetation were identified. This may have resulted in probable contaminant migration and become introduced into the local ecological food chain. As a result, the SRS will initiate a time critical removal action in accordance with Section 300.415 of the NCP and FFA Section XIV to remove, treat (if required), and dispose of contaminated vegetation from the C-Reactor Seepage Basins. Erosion in the affected areas will be managed by an approved erosion control plan. further remediation of this unit will be conducted in accordance with the FFA.

  13. Removal Site Evaluation Report to the C-Reactor Seepage Basins (904-066, -067 and -068G)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Palmer, E.R.

    1997-07-01

    Removal Site Evaluation Reports are prepared in accordance with Section 300.410 of the National Contingency Plan (NCP) and Section X of the Federal Facility Agreement (FFA). The C-Reactor Seepage Basins (904-066G,-067G,-068G) are listed in Appendix C, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)/Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) Units List, of the FFA. The purpose of this investigation is to report information concerning conditions at this unit sufficient to assess the threat (if any) posed to human health and the environment and to determine the need for additional CERCLA action. The scope of the investigation included a review of past survey and investigation data, the files, and a visit to the unit.Through this investigation unacceptable conditions of radioactive contaminant uptake in on-site vegetation were identified. This may have resulted in probable contaminant migration and become introduced into the local ecological food chain. As a result, the SRS will initiate a time critical removal action in accordance with Section 300.415 of the NCP and FFA Section XIV to remove, treat (if required), and dispose of contaminated vegetation from the C-Reactor Seepage Basins. Erosion in the affected areas will be managed by an approved erosion control plan. further remediation of this unit will be conducted in accordance with the FFA

  14. TWR Bench-Scale Steam Reforming Demonstration

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Marshall, D.W.; Soelberg, N.R.

    2003-05-21

    The Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) was home to nuclear fuel reprocessing activities for decades at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory. As a result of the reprocessing activities, INTEC has accumulated approximately one million gallons of acidic, radioactive, sodium-bearing waste (SBW). The purpose of this demonstration was to investigate a reforming technology, offered by ThermoChem Waste Remediation, LLC, (TWR) for treatment of SBW into a ''road ready'' waste form that would meet the waste acceptance criteria for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). TWR is the licensee of Manufacturing Technology Conservation International (MTCI) steam-reforming technology in the field of radioactive waste treatment. A non-radioactive simulated SBW was used based on the known composition of waste tank WM-180 at INTEC. Rhenium was included as a non-radioactive surrogate for technetium. Data was collected to determine the nature and characteristics of the product, the operability of the technology, the composition of the off-gases, and the fate of key radionuclides (cesium and technetium) and volatile mercury compounds. The product contained a low fraction of elemental carbon residues in the cyclone and filter vessel catches. Mercury was quantitatively stripped from the product but cesium, rhenium (Tc surrogate), and the heavy metals were retained. Nitrate residues were about 400 ppm in the product and NOx destruction exceeded 86%. The demonstration was successful.

  15. TWR Bench-Scale Steam Reforming Demonstration

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    D. W. Marshall; N. R. Soelberg

    2003-05-01

    The Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) was home to nuclear fuel reprocessing activities for decades at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory. As a result of the reprocessing activities, INTEC has accumulated approximately one million gallons of acidic, radioactive, sodium-bearing waste (SBW). The purpose of this demonstration was to investigate a reforming technology, offered by ThermoChem Waste Remediation, LLC, (TWR) for treatment of SBW into a "road ready" waste form that would meet the waste acceptance criteria for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). TWR is the licensee of Manufacturing Technology Conservation International (MTCI) steam-reforming technology in the field of radioactive waste treatment. A non-radioactive simulated SBW was used based on the known composition of waste tank WM-180 at INTEC. Rhenium was included as a non-radioactive surrogate for technetium. Data was collected to determine the nature and characteristics of the product, the operability of the technology, the composition of the off-gases, and the fate of key radionuclides (cesium and technetium) and volatile mercury compounds. The product contained a low fraction of elemental carbon residues in the cyclone and filter vessel catches. Mercury was quantitatively stripped from the product but cesium, rhenium (Tc surrogate), and the heavy metals were retained. Nitrate residues were about 400 ppm in the product and NOx destruction exceeded 86%. The demonstration was successful.

  16. Hydrological effects on carbon cycles of Canada's forests and wetlands

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ju, Weimin; Chen, Jing M.; Black, T. Andrew; Barr, Alan G.; Mccaughey, Harry; Roulet, Nigel T.

    2006-01-01

    The hydrological cycle has significant effects on the terrestrial carbon (C) balance through its controls on photosynthesis and C decomposition. A detailed representation of the water cycle in terrestrial C cycle models is essential for reliable estimates of C budgets. However, it is challenging to accurately describe the spatial and temporal variations of soil water, especially for regional and global applications. Vertical and horizontal movements of soil water should be included. To constrain the hydrology-related uncertainty in modelling the regional C balance, a three-dimensional hydrological module was incorporated into the Integrated Terrestrial Ecosystem Carbon-budget model (InTEC V3.0). We also added an explicit parameterization of wetlands. The inclusion of the hydrological module considerably improved the model's ability to simulate C content and balances in different ecosystems. Compared with measurements at five flux-tower sites, the model captured 85% and 82% of the variations in volumetric soil moisture content in the 0-10 cm and 10-30 cm depths during the growing season and 84% of the interannual variability in the measured C balance. The simulations showed that lateral subsurface water redistribution is a necessary mechanism for simulating water table depth for both poorly drained forest and peatland sites. Nationally, soil C content and their spatial variability are significantly related to drainage class. Poorly drained areas are important C sinks at the regional scale, however, their soil C content and balances are difficult to model and may have been inadequately represented in previous C cycle models. The InTEC V3.0 model predicted an annual net C uptake by Canada's forests and wetlands for the period 1901-1998 of 111.9 Tg C/yr, which is 41.4 Tg C/yr larger than our previous estimate (InTEC V2.0). The increase in the net C uptake occurred mainly in poorly drained regions and resulted from the inclusion of a separate wetland parameterization

  17. NGLW RCRA Storage Study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Waters, R.J.; Ochoa, R.; Fritz, K.D.; Craig, D.W.

    2000-01-01

    The Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory contains radioactive liquid waste in underground storage tanks at the INTEC Tank Farm Facility (TFF). INTEC is currently treating the waste by evaporation to reduce the liquid volume for continued storage, and by calcination to reduce and convert the liquid to a dry waste form for long-term storage in calcine bins. Both treatment methods and activities in support of those treatment operations result in Newly Generated Liquid Waste (NGLW) being sent to TFF. The storage tanks in the TFF are underground, contained in concrete vaults with instrumentation, piping, transfer jets, and managed sumps in case of any liquid accumulation in the vault. The configuration of these tanks is such that Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) regulations apply. The TFF tanks were assessed several years ago with respect to the RCRA regulations and they were found to be deficient. This study considers the configuration of the current tanks and the RCRA deficiencies identified for each. The study identifies four potential methods and proposes a means of correcting the deficiencies. The cost estimates included in the study account for construction cost; construction methods to minimize work exposure to chemical hazards, radioactive contamination, and ionizing radiation hazards; project logistics; and project schedule. The study also estimates the tank volumes benefit associated with each corrective action to support TFF liquid waste management planning

  18. NGLW RCRA Storage Study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    R. J. Waters; R. Ochoa; K. D. Fritz; D. W. Craig

    2000-06-01

    The Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory contains radioactive liquid waste in underground storage tanks at the INTEC Tank Farm Facility (TFF). INTEC is currently treating the waste by evaporation to reduce the liquid volume for continued storage, and by calcination to reduce and convert the liquid to a dry waste form for long-term storage in calcine bins. Both treatment methods and activities in support of those treatment operations result in Newly Generated Liquid Waste (NGLW) being sent to TFF. The storage tanks in the TFF are underground, contained in concrete vaults with instrumentation, piping, transfer jets, and managed sumps in case of any liquid accumulation in the vault. The configuration of these tanks is such that Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) regulations apply. The TFF tanks were assessed several years ago with respect to the RCRA regulations and they were found to be deficient. This study considers the configuration of the current tanks and the RCRA deficiencies identified for each. The study identifies four potential methods and proposes a means of correcting the deficiencies. The cost estimates included in the study account for construction cost; construction methods to minimize work exposure to chemical hazards, radioactive contamination, and ionizing radiation hazards; project logistics; and project schedule. The study also estimates the tank volumes benefit associated with each corrective action to support TFF liquid waste management planning.

  19. Feasibility Study for Vitrification of Sodium-Bearing Waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Quigley, J.J.; Raivo, B.D.; Bates, S.O.; Berry, S.M.; Nishioka, D.N.; Bunnell, P.J.

    2000-01-01

    Treatment of sodium-bearing waste (SBW) at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) within the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory is mandated under a Settlement Agreement between the Department of Energy and the State of Idaho. One of the requirements of the Settlement Agreement is the complete calcination (i.e., treatment) of all SBW by December 31, 2012. One of the proposed options for treatment of SBW is vitrification. This study will examine the viability of SBW vitrification. This study describes the process and facilities to treat the SBW, from beginning waste input from INTEC Tank Farm to the final waste forms. Schedules and cost estimates for construction and operation of a Vitrification Facility are included. The study includes a facility layout with drawings, process description and flow diagrams, and preliminary equipment requirements and layouts

  20. Feasibility Study for Vitrification of Sodium-Bearing Waste

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    J. J. Quigley; B. D. Raivo; S. O. Bates; S. M. Berry; D. N. Nishioka; P. J. Bunnell

    2000-09-01

    Treatment of sodium-bearing waste (SBW) at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) within the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory is mandated under a Settlement Agreement between the Department of Energy and the State of Idaho. One of the requirements of the Settlement Agreement is the complete calcination (i.e., treatment) of all SBW by December 31, 2012. One of the proposed options for treatment of SBW is vitrification. This study will examine the viability of SBW vitrification. This study describes the process and facilities to treat the SBW, from beginning waste input from INTEC Tank Farm to the final waste forms. Schedules and cost estimates for construction and operation of a Vitrification Facility are included. The study includes a facility layout with drawings, process description and flow diagrams, and preliminary equipment requirements and layouts.

  1. Secondary Waste Considerations for Vitrification of Sodium-Bearing Waste at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center FY-2001 Status Report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Herbst, A.K.; Kirkham, R.J.; Losinski, S.J.

    2002-01-01

    The Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) is considering vitrification to process liquid sodium-bearing waste. Preliminary studies were completed to evaluate the potential secondary wastes from the melter off-gas clean up systems. Projected secondary wastes comprise acidic and caustic scrubber solutions, HEPA filters, activated carbon, and ion exchange media. Possible treatment methods, waste forms, and disposal sites are evaluated from radiological and mercury contamination estimates

  2. Secondary Waste Considerations for Vitrification of Sodium-Bearing Waste at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center FY-2001 Status Report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Herbst, A.K.; Kirkham, R.J.; Losinski, S.J.

    2002-09-26

    The Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) is considering vitrification to process liquid sodium-bearing waste. Preliminary studies were completed to evaluate the potential secondary wastes from the melter off-gas clean up systems. Projected secondary wastes comprise acidic and caustic scrubber solutions, HEPA filters, activated carbon, and ion exchange media. Possible treatment methods, waste forms, and disposal sites are evaluated from radiological and mercury contamination estimates.

  3. Secondary Waste Considerations for Vitrification of Sodium-Bearing Waste at the Idaho Nuclear Techology and Engineering Center FY-2001 Status Report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Herbst, Alan Keith; Kirkham, Robert John; Losinski, Sylvester John

    2001-09-01

    The Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) is considering vitrification to process liquid sodium-bearing waste. Preliminary studies were completed to evaluate the potential secondary wastes from the melter off-gas clean up systems. Projected secondary wastes comprise acidic and caustic scrubber solutions, HEPA filters, activated carbon, and ion exchange media. Possible treatment methods, waste forms, and disposal sites are evaluated from radiological and mercury contamination estimates.

  4. Bulletin of Materials Science | Indian Academy of Sciences

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Author Affiliations. Luciano Mengatto1 María I Cabrera1 2 Julio A Luna1. Laboratorio de Química Fina, INTEC – UNL – CONICET, Centro Científico Tecnológico, Ruta Nacional 168 Paraje El Pozo, Santa Fe, Argentina; Since deceased ...

  5. Silicon-Polymer Encapsulation of High-Level Calcine Waste for Transportation or Disposal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Loomis, G.G.; Miller, C.M.; Giansiracusa, J.A.; Kimmel, R.; Prewett, S.V.

    2000-01-01

    This report presents the results of an experimental study investigating the potential uses for silicon-polymer encapsulation of High Level Calcine Waste currently stored within the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL). The study investigated two different applications of silicon polymer encapsulation. One application uses silicon polymer to produce a waste form suitable for disposal at a High Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Facility directly, and the other application encapsulates the calcine material for transportation to an offsite melter for further processing. A simulated waste material from INTEC, called pilot scale calcine, which contained hazardous materials but no radioactive isotopes was used for the study, which was performed at the University of Akron under special arrangement with Orbit Technologies, the originators of the silicon polymer process called Polymer Encapsulation Technology (PET). This document first discusses the PET process, followed by a presentation of past studies involving PET applications to waste problems. Next, the results of an experimental study are presented on encapsulation of the INTEC calcine waste as it applies to transportation or disposal of calcine waste. Results relating to long-term disposal include: (1) a characterization of the pilot calcine waste; (2) Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) testing of an optimum mixture of pilot calcine, polysiloxane and special additives; and, (3) Material Characterization Center testing MCC-1P evaluation of the optimum waste form. Results relating to transportation of the calcine material for a mixture of maximum waste loading include: compressive strength testing, 10-m drop test, melt testing, and a Department of Transportation (DOT) oxidizer test

  6. Optimization of Calcine Blending During Retrieval from Binsets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nelson, Lee Orville; Mohr, Charles Milton; Taylor, Dean Dalton

    2000-01-01

    This report documents a study performed during advanced feasibility studies for the INTEC Technology Development Facility (ITDF). The study was commissioned to provide information about functional requirements for the ITDF related to development of equipment and procedures for retrieving radioactive calcine from binset storage at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL). Calcine will be retrieved prior to treating it for permanent disposal in a national repository for high level waste. The objective this study was to estimate the degree of homogenization of the calcine that might be achieved through optimized retrieval and subsequent blending. Such homogenization has the potential of reducing the costs for treatment of the calcine and for qualifying of the final waste forms for acceptance at the repository. Results from the study indicate that optimized retrieval and blending can reduce the peak concentration variations of key components (Al, Zr, F) in blended batches of retrieved calcine. During un-optimized retrieval these variations are likely to be 81-138% while optimized retrieval can reduce them to the 5-10% range

  7. Review of FY2001 Development Work for Vitrification of Sodium Bearing Waste

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Barnes, C.M.; Taylor, D.D.

    2002-09-09

    Treatment of sodium-bearing waste (SBW) at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) within the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory is mandated by the Settlement Agreement between the Department of Energy and the State of Idaho. This report discusses significant findings from vitrification technology development during 2001 and their impacts on the design basis for SBW vitrification.

  8. Review of FY 2001 Development Work for Vitrification of Sodium Bearing Waste

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Taylor, Dean Dalton; Barnes, Charles Marshall

    2002-09-01

    Treatment of sodium-bearing waste (SBW) at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) within the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory is mandated by the Settlement Agreement between the Department of Energy and the State of Idaho. This report discusses significant findings from vitrification technology development during 2001 and their impacts on the design basis for SBW vitrification.

  9. Review of FY2001 Development Work for Vitrification of Sodium Bearing Waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barnes, C.M.; Taylor, D.D.

    2002-01-01

    Treatment of sodium-bearing waste (SBW) at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) within the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory is mandated by the Settlement Agreement between the Department of Energy and the State of Idaho. This report discusses significant findings from vitrification technology development during 2001 and their impacts on the design basis for SBW vitrification

  10. Screening Level Risk Assessment for the New Waste Calcining Facility

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    M. L. Abbott; K. N. Keck; R. E. Schindler; R. L. VanHorn; N. L. Hampton; M. B. Heiser

    1999-05-01

    This screening level risk assessment evaluates potential adverse human health and ecological impacts resulting from continued operations of the calciner at the New Waste Calcining Facility (NWCF) at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC), Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL). The assessment was conducted in accordance with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) report, Guidance for Performing Screening Level Risk Analyses at Combustion Facilities Burning Hazardous Waste. This screening guidance is intended to give a conservative estimate of the potential risks to determine whether a more refined assessment is warranted. The NWCF uses a fluidized-bed combustor to solidify (calcine) liquid radioactive mixed waste from the INTEC Tank Farm facility. Calciner off volatilized metal species, trace organic compounds, and low-levels of radionuclides. Conservative stack emission rates were calculated based on maximum waste solution feed samples, conservative assumptions for off gas partitioning of metals and organics, stack gas sampling for mercury, and conservative measurements of contaminant removal (decontamination factors) in the off gas treatment system. Stack emissions were modeled using the ISC3 air dispersion model to predict maximum particulate and vapor air concentrations and ground deposition rates. Results demonstrate that NWCF emissions calculated from best-available process knowledge would result in maximum onsite and offsite health and ecological impacts that are less then EPA-established criteria for operation of a combustion facility.

  11. Optimization of Calcine Blending During Retrieval From Binsets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taylor, D.D.; Mohr, C.M.; Nelson, L.O.

    2000-01-01

    This report documents a study performed during advanced feasibility studies for the INTEC Technology Development Facility (ITDF). The study was commissioned to provide information about functional requirements for the ITDF related to development of equipment and procedures for retrieving radioactive calcine from binset storage at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL). Calcine will be retrieved prior to treating it for permanent disposal in a national repository for high level waste. The objective this study was to estimate the degree of homogenization of the calcine that might be achieved through optimized retrieval and subsequent blending. Such homogenization has the potential of reducing the costs for treatment of the calcine and for qualifying of the final waste forms for acceptance at the repository. Results from the study indicate that optimized retrieval and blending can reduce the peak c oncentration variations of key components (Al, Zr, F) in blended batches of retrieved calcine. During un-optimized retrieval these variations are likely to be 81-138% while optimized retrieval can reduce them to the 5-10% range

  12. Optimization of Calcine Blending During Retrieval From Binsets; TOPICAL

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taylor, D.D.; Mohr, C.M.; Nelson, L.O.

    2000-01-01

    This report documents a study performed during advanced feasibility studies for the INTEC Technology Development Facility (ITDF). The study was commissioned to provide information about functional requirements for the ITDF related to development of equipment and procedures for retrieving radioactive calcine from binset storage at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL). Calcine will be retrieved prior to treating it for permanent disposal in a national repository for high level waste. The objective this study was to estimate the degree of homogenization of the calcine that might be achieved through optimized retrieval and subsequent blending. Such homogenization has the potential of reducing the costs for treatment of the calcine and for qualifying of the final waste forms for acceptance at the repository. Results from the study indicate that optimized retrieval and blending can reduce the peak c oncentration variations of key components (Al, Zr, F) in blended batches of retrieved calcine. During un-optimized retrieval these variations are likely to be 81-138% while optimized retrieval can reduce them to the 5-10% range

  13. INTEC High-Level Waste Studies Universal Solvent Extraction Feasibility Study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Banaee, J.; Barnes, C.M.; Battisti, T.; Herrmann, S.; Losinski, S.J.; McBride, S.

    2000-01-01

    This report summarizes a feasibility study that has been conducted on the Universal Solvent Extraction (UNEX) Process for treatment and disposal of 4.3 million liters of INEEL sodium-bearing waste located at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center. This feasibility study covers two scenarios of treatment. The first, the UNEX Process, partitions the Cs/Sr from the SBW and creates remote-handled LLW and contact-handled TRU waste forms. Phase one of this study, covered in the 30% review documents, dealt with defining the processes and defining the major unit operations. The second phase of the project, contained in the 60% review, expanded on the application of the UNEX processes and included facility requirements and definitions. Two facility options were investigated for the UNEX process, resulting in a 2 x 2 matrix of process/facility scenarios as follows: Option A, UNEX at Greenfield Facility, Option B, Modified UNEX at Greenfield Facility, Option C, UNEX at NWCF, th is document, covers life-cycle costs for all options presented along with results and conclusions determined from the study

  14. TRU waste inventory collection and work-off plans for the centralization of TRU waste characterization at INL - on your mark - get set - 9410

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mctaggert, Jerri Lynne; Lott, Sheila; Gadbury, Casey

    2009-01-01

    The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) amended the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Waste Management Program: Treatment and Storage ofTransuranic Waste to centralize transuranic (TRU) waste characterization/certification from fourteen TRU waste sites. This centralization will allow for treatment, characterization and certification ofTRU waste from the fourteen sites, thirteen of which are sites with small quantities ofTRU waste, at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) prior to shipping the waste to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) for disposal. Centralization ofthis TRU waste will avoid the cost ofbuilding treatment, characterization, certification, and shipping capabilities at each ofthe small quantity sites that currently do not have existing facilities. Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project (AMWTP) and Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) will provide centralized shipping facilities, to WIPP, for all ofthe small quantity sites. Hanford, the one large quantity site identified in the ROD, has a large number ofwaste in containers that are overpacked into larger containers which are inefficient for shipment to and disposal at WIPP. The AMWTP at the INL will reduce the volume ofmuch of the CH waste and make it much more efficient to ship and dispose of at WIPP. In addition, the INTEC has a certified remote handled (RH) TRU waste characterization/certification program at INL to disposition TRU waste from the sites identified in the ROD.

  15. An update of hydrologic conditions and distribution of selected constituents in water, eastern Snake River Plain aquifer and perched groundwater zones, Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho, emphasis 2009–11

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davis, Linda C.; Bartholomay, Roy C.; Rattray, Gordon W.

    2013-01-01

    Since 1952, wastewater discharged to infiltration ponds (also called percolation ponds) and disposal wells at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) has affected water quality in the eastern Snake River Plain (ESRP) aquifer and perched groundwater zones underlying the INL. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy, maintains groundwater monitoring networks at the INL to determine hydrologic trends, and to delineate the movement of radiochemical and chemical wastes in the aquifer and in perched groundwater zones. This report presents an analysis of water-level and water-quality data collected from aquifer, multilevel monitoring system (MLMS), and perched groundwater wells in the USGS groundwater monitoring networks during 2009–11. Water in the ESRP aquifer primarily moves through fractures and interflow zones in basalt, generally flows southwestward, and eventually discharges at springs along the Snake River. The aquifer primarily is recharged from infiltration of irrigation water, infiltration of streamflow, groundwater inflow from adjoining mountain drainage basins, and infiltration of precipitation. From March–May 2009 to March–May 2011, water levels in wells generally declined in the northern part of the INL. Water levels generally rose in the central and eastern parts of the INL. Detectable concentrations of radiochemical constituents in water samples from aquifer wells or MLMS equipped wells in the ESRP aquifer at the INL generally decreased or remained constant during 2009–11. Decreases in concentrations were attributed to radioactive decay, changes in waste-disposal methods, and dilution from recharge and underflow. In 2011, concentrations of tritium in groundwater from 50 of 127 aquifer wells were greater than or equal to the reporting level and ranged from 200±60 to 7,000±260 picocuries per liter. Tritium concentrations from one or more discrete zones from four wells equipped with MLMS were greater than or

  16. TRU Waste Inventory Collection and Work-Off Plans for the Centralization of TRU Waste Characterization/Certification at INL - On Your Mark - Get Set

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McTaggart, J.; Lott, S.

    2009-01-01

    The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) amended the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Waste Management Program: Treatment and Storage of Transuranic Waste to centralize transuranic (TRU) waste characterization/certification from fourteen TRU waste sites. This centralization will allow for treatment, characterization and certification of TRU waste from the fourteen sites, thirteen of which are sites with small quantities of TRU waste, at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) prior to shipping the waste to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) for disposal. Centralization of this TRU waste will avoid the cost of building treatment, characterization, certification, and shipping capabilities at each of the small quantity sites that currently do not have existing facilities. Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project (AMWTP) and Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) will provide centralized shipping facilities, to WIPP, for all of the small quantity sites. Hanford, the one large quantity site identified in the ROD, has a large number of waste in containers that are over-packed into larger containers which are inefficient for shipment to and disposal at WIPP. The AMWTP at the INL will reduce the volume of much of the CH waste and make it much more efficient to ship and dispose of at WIPP. In addition, the INTEC has a certified remote handled (RH) TRU waste characterization/certification program at INL to disposition TRU waste from the sites identified in the ROD. (authors)

  17. Software and Hardware Description of the Helicopter Motion Equations for VAX Computers

    Science.gov (United States)

    1989-08-01

    17. COSATI CODES 18 SUBJECT TERMS (Continue on reverse if r:".essary and identify by block number) FIELD GROUP SUB-GROUP human engineering flight eq...global section’s name is HACSEC. d. The name of the disk file opened to map the pages is HACSEC.DAT. VAX FORTRAN common statements are used in all...MOZ(1O) INTEGER*2 ATYPE(10) INTECER*2 AGAT( 10) INTEGER*2 AGRQUP(10) REAL*4 MOUC 10) REAL*4 MOHEAD(10) REAL*4 MOPHI(10) REAL*4 MOTHET(10) GOMMO4N

  18. BLSSpeller: exhaustive comparative discovery of conserved cis-regulatory elements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Witte, Dieter; Van de Velde, Jan; Decap, Dries; Van Bel, Michiel; Audenaert, Pieter; Demeester, Piet; Dhoedt, Bart; Vandepoele, Klaas; Fostier, Jan

    2015-12-01

    The accurate discovery and annotation of regulatory elements remains a challenging problem. The growing number of sequenced genomes creates new opportunities for comparative approaches to motif discovery. Putative binding sites are then considered to be functional if they are conserved in orthologous promoter sequences of multiple related species. Existing methods for comparative motif discovery usually rely on pregenerated multiple sequence alignments, which are difficult to obtain for more diverged species such as plants. As a consequence, misaligned regulatory elements often remain undetected. We present a novel algorithm that supports both alignment-free and alignment-based motif discovery in the promoter sequences of related species. Putative motifs are exhaustively enumerated as words over the IUPAC alphabet and screened for conservation using the branch length score. Additionally, a confidence score is established in a genome-wide fashion. In order to take advantage of a cloud computing infrastructure, the MapReduce programming model is adopted. The method is applied to four monocotyledon plant species and it is shown that high-scoring motifs are significantly enriched for open chromatin regions in Oryza sativa and for transcription factor binding sites inferred through protein-binding microarrays in O.sativa and Zea mays. Furthermore, the method is shown to recover experimentally profiled ga2ox1-like KN1 binding sites in Z.mays. BLSSpeller was written in Java. Source code and manual are available at http://bioinformatics.intec.ugent.be/blsspeller Klaas.Vandepoele@psb.vib-ugent.be or jan.fostier@intec.ugent.be. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press.

  19. Clinical Evaluation of Fully Automated Elecsys® Syphilis Assay for the Detection of Antibodies of Treponema pallidum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Dongdong; An, Jingna; Wang, Tingting; Tao, Chuanmin; Wang, Lanlan

    2016-11-01

    The resurgence of syphilis in recent years has become a serious threat to the public health worldwide, and the serological detection of specific antibodies against Treponema pallidum (TP) remains the most reliable method for laboratory diagnosis of syphilis. The performance of the Elecsys ® Syphilis assay, a brand new electrochemiluminescene immunoassay (ECLIA), was assessed by large amounts of samples in this study. In comparison with InTec assay, the Elecsys ® Syphilis assay was evaluated in 146 preselected samples from patients with syphilis, 1803 clinical routine samples, and 175 preselected samples from specific populations with reportedly increased rates of false-positive syphilis test results. Discrepancy samples must be investigated by Mikrogen Syphilis recomline assay. There was an overall agreement of 99.58% between two assays (Kappa = 0.975). The sensitivity and specificity of the Elecsys ® Syphilis assay were 100.0% (95% CI, 96.8-100.0%) and 99.8% (95% CI, 99.5-100.0%), respectively. The Elecsys syphilis assay displays better sensitivity (100%), specificity (99.8%), PPV (98.7%), and NPV (100%) in 2124 samples enrolled, compared with the InTec assay. Considering the excellent ease of use and automation, high throughput, and its superior sensitivity, especially in primary syphilis, the Elecsys ® Syphilis assay could represent an outstanding choice for screening of syphilis in high-volume laboratories. However, more attention was still needed, or the results must be confirmed by other treponemal immunoassays. The new Elecsys ® Syphilis assay is applied to patients with malignant neoplasm or HIV infection. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  20. Current Status of Non-Electric Applications of Nuclear Energy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shin, Young Joon; Lee, Jun; Lee, Tae Hoon

    2009-05-01

    IAEA Technical Meeting(I3-TM-37394) on 'Non-Electric Applications of Nuclear Energy' has been successfully held from March 3 to 6 in 2009 at KAERI/INTEC. The 24 experts from 12 countries participated in this meeting and provided 17 presentations and their opinions and comments in desalination, hydrogen production, and heat application sessions. All of the participants from 12 countries agreed that nuclear power should be the potential carbon-free energy source to replace crude oil and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the fields of non-electric applications such as desalination, hydrogen production, district heating, and industrial processes applications

  1. Proceedings of the NASTRAN (Tradename) Users’ Colloquium (17th) Held in San Antonio, Texas on 24-28 April 1989

    Science.gov (United States)

    1989-03-01

    11111 w- u EL4 ww L U) Z: 000 wX ?w Q-1 DIwW w: CcLLJ 0 123A mi CF) Vi L’- W rI- ( - Cr) 00 C (U )rui or ) (w 63 (T) 0~ - - I-- ~ 0 r- v-co 0 (U- (r...transient analysis involving uncoupled modal equations, NASTRAN Demonstration Problem No. D12-01-1A (Transient Analysis of a Free One Hundred Cell ... cells which can be rotated through an angle by application of an electrostatic field. The field is generated by electronics intec "al to the chip

  2. 46 CFR 160.066-13 - Technical tests.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 6 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Technical tests. 160.066-13 Section 160.066-13 Shipping....066-13 Technical tests. (a) The following conditions apply to technical tests as described in this... signals are protected by sealed packaging, then the conditioning for the technical tests must be conducted...

  3. Annual INTEC Groundwater Monitoring Report for Group 5 - Snake River Plain Aquifer (2001)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roddy, M.S.

    2002-01-01

    This report describes the monitoring activities conducted and presents the results of groundwater sampling and water-level measurements from October 2000 to September 2001. Groundwater samples were initially collected from 41 wells from the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center and the Central Facilities Area and analyzed for iodine- 129, strontium-90, tritium, gross alpha, gross beta, technetium-99, uranium isotopes, plutonium isotopes, neptunium-237, gamma spectrometry, and mercury. Samples from 41 wells were collected in April and May 2001. Additional sampling was conducted in August 2001 and included in two CFA production wells, the CFA point of compliance for the production wells, one well was previously sampled and five additional monitoring wells. Water-level measurements were taken from in the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center, Central Facilities Area, and the area south of Central Facilities Area to evaluate groundwater flow directions. Water-level measurements indicated groundwater flow to the south-southwest from the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center

  4. Phase 2B experimental design for the INEEL glass composition variation study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Peeler, D.

    2000-01-01

    The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Offices of Science and Technology (through the Tanks Focus Area [TFA]) and Waste Management are sponsoring a partnership among Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL), Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), and the Savannah River Technology Center (SRTC) for a collaborative glass composition variation study (CVS). The purpose of the CVS is to investigate property - composition relationships within a glass-composition region compatible with the expected range of Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) high-activity wastes (HAWs). The CVS has been conducted in phases to allow INEEL, PNNL, and SRTC researchers to adjust the glass composition region of interest as flowsheet options are refined and/or waste-stream compositions become more defined

  5. Implementation of the INEEL safety analyst training standard

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hochhalter, E. E.

    2000-01-01

    The Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) safety analysis units at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) are in the process of implementing the recently issued INEEL Safety Analyst Training Standard (STD-1107). Safety analyst training and qualifications are integral to the development and maintenance of core safety analysis capabilities. The INEEL Safety Analyst Training Standard (STD-1107) was developed directly from EFCOG Training Subgroup draft safety analyst training plan template, but has been adapted to the needs and requirements of the INEEL safety analysis community. The implementation of this Safety Analyst Training Standard is part of the Integrated Safety Management System (ISMS) Phase II Implementation currently underway at the INEEL. The objective of this paper is to discuss (1) the INEEL Safety Analyst Training Standard, (2) the development of the safety analyst individual training plans, (3) the implementation issues encountered during this initial phase of implementation, (4) the solutions developed, and (5) the implementation activities remaining to be completed

  6. Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) Sodium Bearing Waste - Waste Incidental to Reprocessing Determination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jacobson, Victor Levon

    2002-01-01

    U.S. Department of Energy Manual 435.1-1, Radioactive Waste Management, Section I.1.C, requires that all radioactive waste subject to Department of Energy Order 435.1 be managed as high-level radioactive waste, transuranic waste, or low-level radioactive waste. Determining the radiological classification of the sodium-bearing waste currently in the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center Tank Farm Facility inventory is important to its proper treatment and disposition. This report presents the technical basis for making the determination that the sodium-bearing waste is waste incidental to spent fuel reprocessing and should be managed as mixed transuranic waste. This report focuses on the radiological characteristics of the sodium-bearing waste. The report does not address characterization of the nonradiological, hazardous constituents of the waste in accordance with Resource Conservation and Recovery Act requirements

  7. New Waste Calciner High Temperature Operation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Swenson, M.C.

    2000-01-01

    A new Calciner flowsheet has been developed to process the sodium-bearing waste (SBW) in the INTEC Tank Farm. The new flowsheet increases the normal Calciner operating temperature from 500 C to 600 C. At the elevated temperature, sodium in the waste forms stable aluminates, instead of nitrates that melt at calcining temperatures. From March through May 2000, the new high-temperature flowsheet was tested in the New Waste Calcining Facility (NWCF) Calciner. Specific test criteria for various Calciner systems (feed, fuel, quench, off-gas, etc.) were established to evaluate the long-term operability of the high-temperature flowsheet. This report compares in detail the Calciner process data with the test criteria. The Calciner systems met or exceeded all test criteria. The new flowsheet is a visible, long-term method of calcining SBW. Implementation of the flowsheet will significantly increase the calcining rate of SBW and reduce the amount of calcine produced by reducing the amount of chemical additives to the Calciner. This will help meet the future waste processing milestones and regulatory needs such as emptying the Tank Farm

  8. Clinical Pharmacokinetics of IPX066: Evaluation of Dose Proportionality and Effect of Food in Healthy Volunteers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yao, Hsuan-Ming; Hsu, Ann; Gupta, Suneel; Modi, Nishit B

    2016-01-01

    IPX066 is an oral, extended-release capsule formulation of carbidopa-levodopa (CD-LD) available in 4 strengths. The goals of this investigation were to assess the dose proportionality of IPX066 and to study the effects of a high-fat, high-calorie meal and of sprinkling the capsule contents on applesauce on the pharmacokinetics of IPX066 in healthy volunteers. Three open-label studies were conducted. In the first study, subjects received 1 capsule of each IPX066 strength (23.75-95, 36.25-145, 48.75-195, and 61.25-245 mg of CD-LD). In the second study, subjects received 1 and 2 capsules of IPX066 245-mg LD under fasting conditions. In the third study, subjects received 2 capsules of IPX066 245-mg LD under 3 conditions: fasting; following a high-fat, high-calorie breakfast; and with the capsule contents sprinkled on applesauce under fasting conditions. Peak plasma concentrations (Cmax) and systemic exposure (AUCt, AUCinf) for LD and CD increased dose-proportionally over the range of the IPX066 capsule strengths. Comparison of 1 and 2 IPX066 245-mg LD capsules showed dose-proportional pharmacokinetics for Cmax and AUCt. Sprinkling the capsule contents on applesauce did not affect the pharmacokinetics. A high-fat, high-calorie meal delayed the initial increase in LD concentration by approximately 1 to 2 hours, reduced Cmax by 21%, and increased AUCinf by 13% compared with the fasted state. IPX066 shows dose-proportional pharmacokinetics. Sprinkling the capsule contents on applesauce does not affect the pharmacokinetics; a high-fat, high-calorie meal delayed absorption by 1 to 2 hours, slightly reduced Cmax, and slightly increased extent of absorption.

  9. 2005 Annual Operations Report for INTEC Operable Unit 3-13, Group 1, Tank Farm Interim Action

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    D. Shanklin

    2006-01-01

    This annual operations report describes the requirements followed and activities conducted to inspect, monitor, and maintain the items installed during performance of the Waste Area Group 3, Operable Unit 3-13, Group 1, Tank Farm Interim Action, at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center. This report describes inspection and monitoring activities for the surface-sealed areas within the tank farm, concrete-lined ditches and culverts in and around the tank farm, the lift station, and the lined evaporation pond. These activities are intended to assure that the interim action is functioning adequately to meet the objectives stated in the Operable Unit 3-13, Record of Decision for the Group 1, Tank Farm Interim Action, (DOE/ID-10660) and as amended by the agreement to resolve dispute, which was effective in February 2003

  10. 2006 Annual Operations Report for INTEC Operable Unit 3-13, Group 1, Tank Farm Interim Action

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    D. E. Shanklin

    2007-01-01

    This annual operations report describes the requirements followed and activities conducted to inspect, monitor, and maintain the items installed during performance of the Waste Area Group 3, Operable Unit 3-13, Group 1, Tank Farm Interim Action, at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center. This report covers the time period from January 1 through December 31, 2006, and describes inspection and monitoring activities for the surface-sealed areas within the tank farm, concrete-lined ditches and culverts in and around the tank farm, the lift station, and the lined evaporation pond. These activities are intended to assure that the interim action is functioning adequately to meet the objectives stated in the Operable Unit 3-13, Record of Decision for the Group 1, Tank Farm Interim Action (DOE/ID-10660) as described in the Group 1 Remedial Design/Remedial Action Work Plan (DOE/ID-10772)

  11. HIGH LEVEL WASTE TANK CLOSURE PROJECT AT THE IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING AND ENVIRONMENTAL LABORATORY

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Quigley, K.D.; Wessman, D.

    2003-01-01

    The Department of Energy, Idaho Operations Office (DOE-ID) is in the process of closing two underground high-level waste (HLW) storage tanks at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) to meet Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) regulations and Department of Energy orders. Closure of these two tanks is scheduled for 2004 as the first phase in closure of the eleven 1.14 million liter (300,000 gallon) tanks currently in service at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC). The INTEC Tank Farm Facility (TFF) Closure sequence consists of multiple steps to be accomplished through the existing tank riser access points. Currently, the tank risers contain steam and process waste lines associated with the steam jets, corrosion coupons, and liquid level indicators. As necessary, this equipment will be removed from the risers to allow adequate space for closure equipment and activities. The basic tank closure sequence is as follows: Empty the tank to the residual heel using the existing jets; Video and sample the heel; Replace steam jets with new jet at a lower position in the tank, and remove additional material; Flush tank, piping and secondary containment with demineralized water; Video and sample the heel; Evaluate decontamination effectiveness; Displace the residual heel with multiple placements of grout; and Grout piping, vaults and remaining tank volume. Design, development, and deployment of a remotely operated tank cleaning system were completed in June 2002. The system incorporates many commercially available components, which have been adapted for application in cleaning high-level waste tanks. The system is cost-effective since it also utilizes existing waste transfer technology (steam jets), to remove tank heel solids from the tank bottoms during the cleaning operations. Remotely operated directional spray nozzles, automatic rotating wash balls, video monitoring equipment, decontamination spray-rings, and

  12. Termination of Safeguards on ULWBR Material

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ivan R. Thomas; Ernest L. Laible

    2008-01-01

    The Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Environmental Management, has approved the disposition of 31 metric tons of Unirradiated Light Water Breeder Reactor (ULWBR) material in canisters stored within dry wells of the Underground Fuel Storage Facility at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC). This unirradiated material consists primarily of ceramic pellets of thorium oxide in stainless steel cladding, but it also contains 300 kilograms of uranium that is 98 wt% U-233. The ULWBR material was not processed at the INTEC because it was incompatible with prior chemical separation schemes. Other economical recovery options have not been identified, and expressions of interest for consolidating the material with existing projects at other DOE sites have not been received. The U-233 could be used for producing the medical isotope Actinium-225, but the proof-of-principle demonstration and follow-on pilot program have not been developed to the point of requiring production quantities of U-233. Consequently, the selected disposition of the ULWBR material was burial as Low Level Waste at the Nevada Test Site (NTS), which required terminating safeguards controls for the contained Category II quantity of Attractiveness Level D special nuclear material (SNM). The requested termination followed the twelve point evaluation criteria of the Historical Defense Program Discard Guidance and included a security analysis for evaluating the risks of theft, diversion, and radiological sabotage associated with the material. Continuity of knowledge in the book inventory was assured by documenting that the original shipper's measurements accurately reflected the quantities of materials received and that the ULWBR materials had remained under adequate physical protection and had been subject to periodic physical inventories. The method selected for substantiating the book values as the basis for terminating safeguards was the nondestructive assay used during physical

  13. 46 CFR 160.066-7 - Performance requirements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... (3) Being exposed to the Elevated Temperature, Humidity, and Storage Test in § 160.066-13(b). (c... light measuring equipment shall not be slower than 5 seconds per inch; (2) The chart sweep of the light... averaging the readings taken during the burning; and (5) Burn time is to be measured from first light of the...

  14. Light Duty Utility Arm deployment in Tank WM-188

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Patterson, M.W.

    1999-12-01

    The Light Duty Utility Arm (LDUA) was successfully deployed in Tank WM-188 during February and March of 1999 at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) tank farm at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory. Some equipment problems were identified, but most were indicative of any first time activity. Deployment during cold weather imposed additional equipment risks, but in general, equipment response to the winter conditions was better than expected. Three end effectors were demonstrated during the deployment. All performed as expected, although the limited resolution of the Alternating Current Field Measurement end effector cannot absolutely confirm tank integrity, which is necessary for future tank inspections. Four heel samples were taken with the sampler end effector and a broad spectrum of analyses were performed. A detailed inspection of the tank interior was performed with the High Resolution Stereo Video System end effector. The sample information is proving invaluable to the development of new treatment flowsheets and waste forms. It is expected that the LDUA will be deployed for tank inspections through the next several years to support other Notice of Non-Compliance (NON) Consent Order requirements and several other ongoing initiatives.

  15. Light Duty Utility Arm Deployment in Tank WM-188

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Patterson, Michael W

    2000-01-01

    The Light Duty Utility Arm (LDUA) was successfully deployed in Tank WM-188 during February and March of 1999 at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) tank farm at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory. Some equipment problems were identified, but most were indicative of any first time activity. Deployment during cold weather imposed additional equipment risks, but in general, equipment response to the winter conditions was better than expected. Three end effectors were demonstrated during the deployment. All performed as expected, although the limited resolution of the Alternating Current Field Measurement end effector cannot absolutely confirm tank integrity, which is necessary for future tank inspections. Four heel samples were taken with the sampler end effector and a broad spectrum of analyses were performed. A detailed inspection of the tank interior was performed with the High Resolution Stereo Video System end effector. The sample information is proving invaluable to the development of new treatment flowsheets and waste forms. It is expected that the LDUA will be deployed for tank inspections through the next several years to support other Notice of NonCompliance (NON) Consent Order requirements and several other ongoing initiatives.

  16. Light Duty Utility Arm deployment in Tank WM-188

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Patterson, M.

    1999-01-01

    The Light Duty Utility Arm (LDUA) was successfully deployed in Tank WM-188 during February and March of 1999 at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) tank farm at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory. Some equipment problems were identified, but most were indicative of any first time activity. Deployment during cold weather imposed additional equipment risks, but in general, equipment response to the winter conditions was better than expected. Three end effectors were demonstrated during the deployment. All performed as expected, although the limited resolution of the Alternating Current Field Measurement end effector cannot absolutely confirm tank integrity, which is necessary for future tank inspections. Four heel samples were taken with the sampler end effector and a broad spectrum of analyses were performed. A detailed inspection of the tank interior was performed with the High Resolution Stereo Video System end effector. The sample information is proving invaluable to the development of new treatment flowsheets and waste forms. It is expected that the LDUA will be deployed for tank inspections through the next several years to support other Notice of Non-Compliance (NON) Consent Order requirements and several other ongoing initiatives

  17. CsIX/TRU Grout Feasibility Study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    S. J. Losinski; C. M. Barnes; B. K. Grover

    1998-11-01

    A settlement agreement between the Department of Energy (DOE) and the State of Idaho mandates that liquid waste now stored at the Idaho Nuclear Technology Engineering Center (INTEC - formerly the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant, ICPP) will be calcined by the end of year 2012. This study investigates an alternative treatment of the liquid waste that removes undissolved solids (UDS) by filtration and removes cesium by ion exchange followed by cement-based grouting of the remaining liquid into 55-gal drums. Operations are assumed to be from January 2008 through December 2012. The grouted waste will be contact-handled and will be shipped to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in New Mexico for disposal. The small volume of secondary wastes such as the filtered solids and cesium sorbent (resin) would remain in storage at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory for treatment and disposal under another project, with an option to dispose of the filtered solids as a r emote-handled waste at WIPP.

  18. Sodium-Bearing Waste Treatment Alternatives Implementation Study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Charles M. Barnes; James B. Bosley; Clifford W. Olsen

    2004-07-01

    The purpose of this document is to discuss issues related to the implementation of each of the five down-selected INEEL/INTEC radioactive liquid waste (sodium-bearing waste - SBW) treatment alternatives and summarize information in three main areas of concern: process/technical, environmental permitting, and schedule. Major implementation options for each treatment alternative are also identified and briefly discussed. This report may touch upon, but purposely does not address in detail, issues that are programmatic in nature. Examples of these include how the SBW will be classified with respect to the Nuclear Waste Policy Act (NWPA), status of Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) permits and waste storage availability, available funding for implementation, stakeholder issues, and State of Idaho Settlement Agreement milestones. It is assumed in this report that the SBW would be classified as a transuranic (TRU) waste suitable for disposal at WIPP, located in New Mexico, after appropriate treatment to meet transportation requirements and waste acceptance criteria (WAC).

  19. CsIX/TRU Grout Feasibility Study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Losinski, S. J.; Barnes, C. M.; Grover, B. K.

    1998-01-01

    A settlement agreement between the Department of Energy (DOE) and the State of Idaho mandates that liquid waste now stored at the Idaho Nuclear Technology Engineering Center (INTEC - formerly the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant, ICPP) will be calcined by the end of year 2012. This study investigates an alternative treatment of the liquid waste that removes undissolved solids (UDS) by filtration and removes cesium by ion exchange followed by cement-based grouting of the remaining liquid into 55-gal drums. Operations are assumed to be FR-om January 2008 through December 2012. The grouted waste will be contact-handled and will be shipped to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in New Mexico for disposal. The small volume of secondary wastes such as the filtered solids and cesium sorbent (resin) would remain in storage at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory for treatment and disposal under another project, with an option to dispose of the filtered solids as a r emote-handled waste at WIPP

  20. Phase 2 THOR Steam Reforming Tests for Sodium Bearing Waste Treatment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nicholas R. Soelberg

    2004-01-01

    About one million gallons of acidic, hazardous, and radioactive sodium-bearing waste is stored in stainless steel tanks at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC), which is a major operating facility of the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory. Steam reforming is a candidate technology being investigated for converting the waste into a road ready waste form that can be shipped to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico for interment. A steam reforming technology patented by Studsvik, Inc., and licensed to THOR Treatment Technologies has been tested in two phases using a Department of Energy-owned fluidized bed test system located at the Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) Science and Technology Applications Research Center located in Idaho Falls, Idaho. The Phase 1 tests were reported earlier in 2003. The Phase 2 tests are reported here. For Phase 2, the process feed rate, stoichiometry, and chemistry were varied to identify and demonstrate process operation and product characteristics under different operating conditions. Two test series were performed. During the first series, the process chemistry was designed to produce a sodium carbonate product. The second series was designed to produce a more leach-resistant, mineralized sodium aluminosilicate product. The tests also demonstrated the performance of a MACT-compliant off-gas system.

  1. An Update of Hydrologic Conditions and Distribution of Selected Constituents in Water, Snake River Plain Aquifer and Perched-Water Zones, Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho, Emphasis 2002-05

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davis, Linda C.

    2008-01-01

    , radioactive decay, changes in waste-disposal methods, and dilution from recharge and underflow. In October 2005, reportable concentrations of tritium in ground water ranged from 0.51+or-0.12 to 11.5+or-0.6 picocuries per milliliter and the tritium plume extended south-southwestward in the general direction of ground-water flow. Tritium concentrations in water from several wells southwest of the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) decreased or remained constant as they had during 1998-2001, with the exception of well USGS 47, which increased a few picocuries per milliliter. Most wells completed in shallow perched water at the Reactor Technology Complex (RTC) were dry during 2002---05. Tritium concentrations in deep perched water exceeded the reporting level in nine wells at the RTC. The tritium concentration in water from one deep perched water well exceeded the reporting level at the INTEC. Concentrations of strontium-90 in water from 14 of 34 wells sampled during October 2005 exceeded the reporting level. Concentrations ranged from 2.2+or-0.7 to 33.1+or-1.2 picocuries per liter. However, concentrations from most wells remained relatively constant or decreased since 1989. Strontium-90 has not been detected within the eastern Snake River Plain aquifer beneath the RTC partly because of the exclusive use of waste-disposal ponds and lined evaporation ponds rather than the disposal well for radioactive-wastewater disposal at RTC. At the RTC, strontium-90 concentrations in water from six wells completed in deep perched ground water exceeded the reporting level during 2002-05. At the INTEC, the reporting level was exceeded in water from three wells completed in deep perched ground water. During 2002-05, concentrations of plutonium-238, and plutonium-239, -240 (undivided), and americium-241 were less than the reporting level in water samples from all wells sampled at the INL. During 2002-05, concentrations of cesium-137 in water from all wells sa

  2. Feasibility study on the establishment of the IAEA international nuclear university

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, E. J.; Kim, Y. T.; Nam, Y. M. and others

    2002-09-01

    The purpose of this project is to support 2002-2003 the IAEA project D.4.0.2, facilitating education, training and research in nuclear science and related fields, especially for a feasibility study on the establishment of the Agency sponsored International Nuclear University. Through this project, the abstract principle for a feasibility study on the establishment of the Agency sponsored International Nuclear university, which contains the new concepts and its objectives, principles to achieve the objectives, its curriculum outline and operation system, suggested project activities, was developed and submitted to the Agency. The Korean proposal were presented several times at the IAEA meetings and other international meetings related nuclear human resources development for understanding the necessity of a feasibility study on the establishment of the Agency sponsored international nuclear university with Member States. And the Korean proposal included such as the organization of a worldwide network using information and communication technology among Merber States' research institutes and training/education centers, curriculum outline and operation system of the INU will be produced. Also for further cooperation of the IAEA INU project implementation with the Agency, hosting IAEA INIS mirror site, establishment of the RCA region office, establishment of the INTEC at the Korean Atomic Energy Research Institute, and advanced curriculum of nuclear technology linked with NT, BT, ET, IT were made progress as a part of conceptualizing of the IAEA project

  3. Weak ferromagnetism in Re0.67Ca0.33FeO3 (Re=La, Sm, Gd) nanoparticles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Jiangong; Kou Xinli; Qin Yong; He Haiying

    2003-01-01

    Perovskite-type complex ferrite Re 0.67 Ca 0.33 FeO 3 (Re=La, Sm, Gd) nanoparticles of nearly the same particle size were prepared using sol-gel method. The influence of rare-earth ions on weak ferromagnetism in the Re 0.67 Ca 0.33 FeO 3 nanoparticles has been studied. The spontaneous magnetization M s of the Sm 0.67 Ca 0.33 FeO 3 nanoparticles is greater than that of Gd 0.67 Ca 0.33 FeO 3 nanoparticles; and M s of Gd 0.67 Ca 0.33 FeO 3 nanoparticles is greater than that of La 0.67 Ca 0.33 FeO 3 nanoparticles. The ferromagnetic component arising from the Fe sublattice increases with the decreasing rare-earth ionic radii. The magnetization of the rare-earth ions in the Sm 0.67 Ca 0.33 FeO 3 nanoparticles is smaller than that in the Gd 0.67 Ca 0.33 FeO 3 nanoparticles. The influences of the geometric and intrinsic magnetic characters of rare-earth ions as well as the particle size of the nanoparticles on weak ferromagnetism are discussed

  4. ATR Spent Fuel Options Study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Connolly, Michael James; Bean, Thomas E.; Brower, Jeffrey O.; Luke, Dale E.; Patterson, M. W.; Robb, Alan K.; Sindelar, Robert; Smith, Rebecca E.; Tonc, Vincent F.; Tripp, Julia L.; Winston, Philip L.

    2017-01-01

    The Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) is a materials and fuels test nuclear reactor that performs irradiation services for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Nuclear Energy (NE), Naval Reactors, the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), and other research programs. ATR achieved initial criticality in 1967 and is expected to operate in support of needed missions until the year 2050 or beyond. It is anticipated that ATR will generate approximately 105 spent nuclear fuel (SNF) elements per year through the year 2050. Idaho National Laboratory (INL) currently stores 2,008 ATR SNF elements in dry storage, 976 in wet storage, and expects to have 1,000 elements in wet storage before January 2017. A capability gap exists at INL for long-term (greater than the year 2050) management, in compliance with the Idaho Settlement Agreement (ISA), of ATR SNF until a monitored retrievable geological repository is open. INL has significant wet and dry storage capabilities that are owned by the DOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) and operated and managed by Fluor Idaho, which include the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center's (INTEC's) CPP-666, CPP-749, and CPP-603. In addition, INL has other capabilities owned by DOE-NE and operated and managed by Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC (BEA), which are located at the Materials and Fuel Complex (MFC). Additional storage capabilities are located on the INL Site at the Naval Reactors Facility (NRF). Current INL SNF management planning, as defined in the Fluor Idaho contract, shows INTEC dry fuel storage, which is currently used for ATR SNF, will be nearly full after transfer of an additional 1,000 ATR SNF from wet storage. DOE-NE tasked BEA with identifying and analyzing options that have the potential to fulfill this capability gap. BEA assembled a team comprised of SNF management experts from Fluor Idaho, Savannah River Site (SRS), INL/BEA, and the MITRE Corp with an objective of developing and analyzing

  5. Study of coexisting phases in Bi doped La0.67Sr0.33MnO3

    KAUST Repository

    Kambhala, Nagaiah; Chen, Miaoxiang; Li, Peng; Zhang, Xixiang; Rajesh, Desapogu; Bhagyashree, K.S.; Goveas, Lora Rita; Bhat, S.V.; Kumar, P. Anil; Mathieu, Roland; Angappane, S.

    2015-01-01

    We report the remarkable phase separation behaviour in La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 doped with Bi3+ ion at La site. The temperature dependent resistivity and magnetization of La0.67−xBixSr0.33MnO3 (x>0) show the presence of phase separation of ferromagnetic metallic and charge ordered antiferromagnetic insulating phases. Markedly, the field dependant magnetization studies of La0.67−xBixSr0.33MnO3 (x=0.3) show the metamagnetic nature of ferromagnetic metallic state implying the competition of coexisting ferromagnetic metallic and charge ordered antiferromagnetic phases. The electron spin resonance and exchange bias studies of La0.67−xBixSr0.33MnO3 (x=0.4 and 0.5) substantiate the coexistence of ferromagnetic clusters in antiferromagnetic matrix.

  6. Study of coexisting phases in Bi doped La0.67Sr0.33MnO3

    KAUST Repository

    Kambhala, Nagaiah

    2015-12-28

    We report the remarkable phase separation behaviour in La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 doped with Bi3+ ion at La site. The temperature dependent resistivity and magnetization of La0.67−xBixSr0.33MnO3 (x>0) show the presence of phase separation of ferromagnetic metallic and charge ordered antiferromagnetic insulating phases. Markedly, the field dependant magnetization studies of La0.67−xBixSr0.33MnO3 (x=0.3) show the metamagnetic nature of ferromagnetic metallic state implying the competition of coexisting ferromagnetic metallic and charge ordered antiferromagnetic phases. The electron spin resonance and exchange bias studies of La0.67−xBixSr0.33MnO3 (x=0.4 and 0.5) substantiate the coexistence of ferromagnetic clusters in antiferromagnetic matrix.

  7. PossybliCom, a Commercially Viable Personal Navigator for Blind People

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bavaro, M.; Citterico, D.; Dionisio, C.; van Eijck, D.

    2007-08-01

    Disaps vof is a Dutch start-up Company which is born as spin-off from the Italian company Intecs S.p.A.. Disaps is working on a project called PossybliCom, which is the acronym of Positioning System for Blind, and it is developing wearable navigation equipment for visually impaired or in general people withself- localization problems. Other secondary markets could be thought of as well, such as peoplesuffering from Alzheimer or having temporary memory or consciousness losses. Even peoplehaving experienced problems like TIA (Transient Ischemic Attacks) or faints would need a highlyaccessible device knowing always the way home. PossybliCom is a contribution to further enhance these users' confidence in independent travelling by providing them with a more precise description of the surroundings they are in. A business feasibility study demonstrated how, under certain key restrictions on the system architecture,the product has a high potential for disabled people as well as for the others when specialenvironmental conditions apply. Main issues could be easily identified as accessibility, portability, ease of use, fast learning curve. The European Space Agency's business incubation facility ESI in Noordwijk is supporting the start-up project with physical incubation, which includes office space and shared facilities as well as access to services and the know-how of ESA staff. Once part of the business incubation programme, for aperiod of 6 months the company shall demonstrate the market feasibility and produce a detailed workplan for prototyping.

  8. Thermal hysteretic behaviour of La0.67Ca0.33MuO3

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Neves Bez, Henrique; Nielsen, Kaspar Kirstein; Smith, Anders

    2014-01-01

    La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 has been reported for the past years as a possible material for magnetocaloric applications. In this circumstance, hysteresis is unappealing due to losses during the thermal cycles. It is usually related with first-order phase transitions and large magnetocaloric effect....... In this context, we report thermal hysteresis of single phase La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 characterized by heating and cooling procedures of heat capacity in zero field, magnetic susceptibility and magnetic entropy change....

  9. Activity of TDT 067 (Terbinafine in Transfersome) against Agents of Onychomycosis, as Determined by Minimum Inhibitory and Fungicidal Concentrations▿

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghannoum, Mahmoud; Isham, Nancy; Herbert, Jacqueline; Henry, William; Yurdakul, Sam

    2011-01-01

    TDT 067 is a novel carrier-based dosage form (liquid spray) of 15 mg/ml of terbinafine in Transfersome that has been developed to deliver terbinafine to the nail bed to treat onychomycosis. In this study, we report the in vitro activities of TDT 067 against dermatophytes, compared with those of the Transfersome vehicle, naked terbinafine, and commercially available terbinafine (1%) spray. The MICs of TDT 067 and comparators against 25 clinical strains each of Trichophyton rubrum, T. mentagrophytes, and Epidermophyton floccosum were determined according to the CLSI M38–A2 susceptibility method (2008). Minimum fungicidal concentrations (MFCs) were determined by subculturing visibly clear wells from the MIC microtiter plates. TDT 067 demonstrated potent activity against the dermatophyte strains tested, with an MIC range of 0.00003 to 0.015 μg/ml. Overall, TDT 067 MIC50 values (defined as the lowest concentrations to inhibit 50% of the strains tested) were 8-fold and 60-fold lower than those of naked terbinafine and terbinafine spray, respectively. The Transfersome vehicle showed minimal inhibitory activity. TDT 067 demonstrated lower MFC values for T. rubrum and E. floccosum than naked terbinafine and terbinafine spray. TDT 067 has more potent antifungal activity against dermatophytes that cause nail infection than conventional terbinafine preparations. The Transfersome vehicle appears to potentiate the antifungal activity of terbinafine. Clinical investigation of TDT 067 for the topical treatment of onychomycosis is warranted. PMID:21411586

  10. Activity of TDT 067 (terbinafine in Transfersome) against agents of onychomycosis, as determined by minimum inhibitory and fungicidal concentrations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghannoum, Mahmoud; Isham, Nancy; Herbert, Jacqueline; Henry, William; Yurdakul, Sam

    2011-05-01

    TDT 067 is a novel carrier-based dosage form (liquid spray) of 15 mg/ml of terbinafine in Transfersome that has been developed to deliver terbinafine to the nail bed to treat onychomycosis. In this study, we report the in vitro activities of TDT 067 against dermatophytes, compared with those of the Transfersome vehicle, naked terbinafine, and commercially available terbinafine (1%) spray. The MICs of TDT 067 and comparators against 25 clinical strains each of Trichophyton rubrum, T. mentagrophytes, and Epidermophyton floccosum were determined according to the CLSI M38-A2 susceptibility method (2008). Minimum fungicidal concentrations (MFCs) were determined by subculturing visibly clear wells from the MIC microtiter plates. TDT 067 demonstrated potent activity against the dermatophyte strains tested, with an MIC range of 0.00003 to 0.015 μg/ml. Overall, TDT 067 MIC(50) values (defined as the lowest concentrations to inhibit 50% of the strains tested) were 8-fold and 60-fold lower than those of naked terbinafine and terbinafine spray, respectively. The Transfersome vehicle showed minimal inhibitory activity. TDT 067 demonstrated lower MFC values for T. rubrum and E. floccosum than naked terbinafine and terbinafine spray. TDT 067 has more potent antifungal activity against dermatophytes that cause nail infection than conventional terbinafine preparations. The Transfersome vehicle appears to potentiate the antifungal activity of terbinafine. Clinical investigation of TDT 067 for the topical treatment of onychomycosis is warranted.

  11. Análisis de contenido del dominio tecnológico vegetable oil combustion

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Noé PÉREZ-Arreortúa

    Full Text Available La patente es una medida de productividad científico-tecnológica muy utilizada como indicador tecnológico. Sus análisis está enfocado principalmente a recuentos por año, países, titulares e inventores, pero escasean los estudios de patentes considerando la clasificación técnica utilizada y la información contenida en el documento de invención. La presente investigación tiene como objetivo proponer el uso de la clasificación internacional de patentes y el análisis de contenido de determinados campos del documento de patente como unidad de análisis y medida para realizar un estudio patentométrico en el dominio tecnológico vegetable oil combustion. Se utiliza un conjunto de indicadores simples y relacionales, y el software proINTEC para el análisis y representación de los datos. La interpretación de los resultados confirma que la información contenida en las patentes de este dominio es pertinente a los intereses del proyecto que ejecuta el caso de estudio.

  12. Evaluation of the morphological effects of TDT 067 (terbinafine in Transfersome) and conventional terbinafine on dermatophyte hyphae in vitro and in vivo.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghannoum, M; Isham, N; Henry, W; Kroon, H-A; Yurdakul, S

    2012-05-01

    TDT 067 is a novel, carrier-based dosage form of terbinafine in Transfersome (1.5%) formulated for topical delivery of terbinafine to the nail, nail bed, and surrounding tissue. We examined the effects of TDT 067 and conventional terbinafine on the morphology of dermatophytes. Trichophyton rubrum hyphae were exposed to TDT 067 or terbinafine (15 mg/ml) and examined under white light, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Subungual debris from patients treated with TDT 067 in a clinical trial was also examined. Exposure of T. rubrum hyphae to TDT 067 led to rapid and extensive ultrastructural changes. Hyphal distortion was evident as early as 4 h after exposure to TDT 067. After 24 h, there was complete disruption of hyphal structure with few intact hyphae remaining. Exposure to terbinafine resulted in morphological alterations similar to those seen with TDT 067; however, the effects of TDT 067 were more extensive, whereas a portion of hyphae remained intact after 24 h of exposure to terbinafine. Lipid droplets were observed under TEM following 30 min of exposure to TDT 067, which after 24 h had filled the intracellular space. These effects were confirmed in vivo in subungual debris from patients with onychomycosis who received topical treatment with TDT 067. The Transfersome in TDT 067 may potentiate the action of terbinafine by delivering terbinafine more effectively to its site of action inside the fungus. Our in vivo data confirm that TDT 067 can enter fungus in the nail bed of patients with onychomycosis and exert its antifungal effects.

  13. Therapeutic potential of TDT 067 (terbinafine in Transfersome): a carrier-based dosage form of terbinafine for onychomycosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sigurgeirsson, Bárdur; Ghannoum, Mahmoud

    2012-10-01

    Current topical treatments for onychomycosis are unsatisfactory. New topical agents that offer efficacy without the potential adverse effects of oral antifungal therapy would benefit patients with this condition and encourage a greater treatment rate. Currently available topical therapies are reviewed, and new approaches for enhancing delivery of the established antifungal terbinafine through the nail are summarized. We focus on the use of ultra-deformable lipid vesicles to facilitate delivery of terbinafine to the nail and surrounding tissue. TDT 067 (terbinafine in Transfersome) is the only such therapy in development for onychomycosis, and we review published preclinical and clinical studies on this formulation. TDT 067 offers the use of new technology to deliver an established antifungal, terbinafine. Preclinical data suggest that the Transfersome accelerates entry of terbinafine released from TDT 067 into fungi and potentiates its antifungal effects, resulting in enhanced activity, compared with conventional terbinafine. This translated into high rates of mycological cure and evidence of clinical effect in a study of TDT 067 administered twice daily for 12 weeks in patients with onychomycosis. An ongoing Phase-III trial involving more than 700 patients treated for 48 weeks is investigating the efficacy and safety of TDT 067.

  14. Measurement of slice sensitivity profile for a 64-slice spiral CT system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Chuanya; Qin Weichang; Wang Wei; Lu Chuanyou

    2006-01-01

    Objective: To measure and evaluate slice sensitivity profile (SSP) and the full width at half-maximum(FWHM) for a 64-slice spiral CT system. Methods: Using the same CT technique and body mode as those used for clinical CT, delta phantom was scanned with Somatom Sensation 64-slice spiral CT. SSPs and FWHM were measured both with reconstruction slice width of 0.6 mm at pitch=0.50, 0.75, 1.00, 1.25, 1.50 and with reconstruction slice width of 0.6, 1.0, 1.5 mm at pitch=1 respectively. Results: For normal slice width of 0. 6 mm, the measured FWHM, i.e. effective slice width, is 0.67, 0.67, 0.66, 0.69, 0.69 mm at different pitch. All the measured FWHM deviate less than 0.1 mm from the nominal slice width. The measured SSPs are symmetrical, bell-shaped curves without far-reaching tails, and show only slight variations as a function of the spiral pitch. When reconstruction slice width increase, relative SSP become wider. Conclusions: The variation of pitch hardly has effect all on SSP, effective slice width, and z-direction spatial resolution for Sensation 64-slice spiral CT system, which is helpful to optimize CT scanning protocol. (authors)

  15. Magnetic and magnetocaloric properties of spin-glass material DyNi{sub 0.67}Si{sub 1.34}

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chen, X. [The Ames Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011-3020 (United States); College of Physics and Electronic Information Engineering, Neijiang Normal University, Neijiang 641100 (China); Mudryk, Y., E-mail: slavkomk@ameslab.gov [The Ames Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011-3020 (United States); Pathak, A.K.; Feng, W. [The Ames Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011-3020 (United States); Pecharsky, V.K. [The Ames Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011-3020 (United States); Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011-2300 (United States)

    2017-08-15

    Highlights: • Spin-glass state is observed in the DyNi{sub 0.67}Si{sub 1.4} compound. • Random Ni/Si distribution in the AlB{sub 2}-type structure leads to magnetic frustration. • Magnetic frustration affects magnetic field dependence of magnetocaloric effect. - Abstract: Structural, magnetic, and magnetocaloric properties of DyNi{sub 0.67}Si{sub 1.34} were investigated using X-ray powder diffraction, magnetic susceptibility, and magnetization measurements. X-ray powder diffraction pattern shows that DyNi{sub 0.67}Si{sub 1.34} crystallizes in the AlB{sub 2}-type hexagonal structure (space group: P6/mmm, No. 191, a = b = 3.9873(9) Å, and c = 3.9733(1) Å). The compound is a spin-glass with the freezing temperature T{sub G} = 6.2 K. The ac magnetic susceptibility measurements confirm magnetic frustration in DyNi{sub 0.67}Si{sub 1.34}. The maximum value of the magnetic entropy change determined from M(H) data is −16.1 J/kg K at 10.5 K for a field change of 70 kOe.

  16. Untitled

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Total nitrogen in milligrams at the end of ten days in each fias. - - - - - -. ; Nitrogen after i0 day's : Nitrogen Average of gait as: to begin the three. --------|-- i. ss are : 0.67 0.66 ... Asiy Solution 66 0.66 ( 0.66 f. 2. Ashby solution and rice root le y extract . . 0.76 0.84 0-87 0.82 n : 3. Ashby solution and rice root grana & 8 . . 5.24 6.29 ...

  17. Baseline Flowsheet Generation for the Treatment and Disposal of Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory Sodium Bearing Waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barnes, C.M.; Lauerhass, L.; Olson, A.L.; Taylor, D.D.; Valentine, J.H.; Lockie, K.A.

    2002-01-01

    The High-Level Waste (HLW) Program at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) must implement technologies and processes to treat and qualify radioactive wastes located at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) for permanent disposal. This paper describes the approach and accomplishments to date for completing development of a baseline vitrification treatment flowsheet for sodium-bearing waste (SBW), including development of a relational database used to manage the associated process assumptions. A process baseline has been developed that includes process requirements, basis and assumptions, process flow diagrams, a process description, and a mass balance. In the absence of actual process or experimental results, mass and energy balance data for certain process steps are based on assumptions. Identification, documentation, validation, and overall management of the flowsheet assumptions are critical to ensuring an integrated, focused program. The INEEL HLW Program initially used a roadmapping methodology, developed through the INEEL Environmental Management Integration Program, to identify, document, and assess the uncertainty and risk associated with the SBW flowsheet process assumptions. However, the mass balance assumptions, process configuration and requirements should be accessible to all program participants. This need resulted in the creation of a relational database that provides formal documentation and tracking of the programmatic uncertainties related to the SBW flowsheet

  18. Waste-management QA training and motivation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Henderson, J.T.

    1982-01-01

    Early in the development of a QA Program for the Waste Management and Geotechnical Projects Directorate, thought was given to establishing a QA Training Program commensurate with the needs and appropriate to the motivation of a staff of more than 130 scientists and project leaders. These individuals, i.e., researchers rather than hardware designers, had no prior experience with QA programs, and from their perception generally did not believe that such controls had any merit. Therefore, historically proven approaches to QA training had to be quickly modified or totally discarded. For instance, due to the mobility and diversity of backgrounds of personnel at SNL, the QA training program had to accommodate many different levels of QA maturity at any given time. Furthermore, since the application of QA to R and D was continuing to profit from project-specific lessons learned, these improvements in the QA program had to be easily and quickly imparted in the general staff's evolving awareness of QA. A somewhat novel approach to QA training has been developed that draws heavily upon SNL's existing In-Hours Technical Education Courses (INTEC) studio capabilities. This training attempts to accommodate individual staff needs and to ensure the required QA skills and awareness for the diverse types of programs addressed

  19. Valence band electronic structure of Ho-doped La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 using ultra-violet photoemission spectroscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rout, S. K.; Mukharjee, R. N.; Mishra, D. K.; Roul, B. K.; Sekhar, B. R.; Dalai, M. K.

    2017-05-01

    In this manuscript we report the valence band electronic structure of Ho doped La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 using ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy. We compared the density of states of La0.67Ca0.33MnO3, La0.67Ca0.3Ho0.03MnO3 and La0.64Ho0.03Ca0.33MnO3 near the Fermi level at various temperatures. Significant amount of changes have been observed at higher temperatures (220 K and 300 K) where the near Fermi level density of states increases with Ho doping into La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 indicating the enhancement of magnitude of change in metallicity (conductivity).

  20. Study of coexisting phases in Bi doped La{sub 0.67}Sr{sub 0.33}MnO{sub 3}

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kambhala, Nagaiah [Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences, Jalahalli, Bangalore 560013 (India); Chen, Miaoxiang [Advanced Nanofabrication, Imaging and Characterization Core Lab, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 239955 (Saudi Arabia); Li, Peng; Zhang, Xi-xiang [Materials Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 239955 (Saudi Arabia); Rajesh, Desapogu [School of Physics, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad 500046 (India); Bhagyashree, K.S.; Goveas, Lora Rita; Bhat, S.V. [Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012 (India); Kumar, P. Anil; Mathieu, Roland [Department of Engineering Sciences, Uppsala University, SE-751 21 Uppsala (Sweden); Angappane, S., E-mail: angappane@cens.res.in [Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences, Jalahalli, Bangalore 560013 (India)

    2016-05-15

    We report the remarkable phase separation behavior in La{sub 0.67}Sr{sub 0.33}MnO{sub 3} doped with Bi{sup 3+} ion at La site. The temperature dependent resistivity and magnetization of La{sub 0.67−x}Bi{sub x}Sr{sub 0.33}MnO{sub 3} (x>0) show the presence of phase separation of ferromagnetic metallic and charge ordered antiferromagnetic insulating phases. Markedly, the field dependant magnetization studies of La{sub 0.67−x}Bi{sub x}Sr{sub 0.33}MnO{sub 3} (x=0.3) show the metamagnetic nature of ferromagnetic metallic state implying the competition of coexisting ferromagnetic metallic and charge ordered antiferromagnetic phases. The electron spin resonance and exchange bias studies of La{sub 0.67−x}Bi{sub x}Sr{sub 0.33}MnO{sub 3} (x=0.4 and 0.5) substantiate the coexistence of ferromagnetic clusters in antiferromagnetic matrix. - Highlights: • La{sub 0.67−x}Bi{sub x}Sr{sub 0.33}MnO{sub 3} show the transition from rhombohedral to orthorhombic structure. • Resistivity and magnetization for x>0 show phase separation of FMM and AFI phases. • La{sub 0.37}Bi{sub 0.3}Sr{sub 0.33}MnO{sub 3} exhibits a competition of FMM and AFI phases. • Magnetization and ESR illustrate coexisting FM clusters in AFM matrix for x=0.4, 0.5.

  1. Decrease of the Curie temperature in La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 thin films induced by Au capping

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brivio, S.; Cantoni, M.; Petti, D.; Cattoni, A.; Bertacco, R.; Finazzi, M.; Ciccacci, F.; Sidorenko, A.; Allodi, G.; Ghidini, M.; De Renzi, R.

    2007-01-01

    Ferromagnetism of La 0.67 Sr 0.33 MnO 3 is extremely sensitive to external perturbations like substrate-induced strain, charge injection and chemical interactions with neighbour layers. In this paper we discuss the perturbation induced by the presence of a metallic overlayer, typically deposited for electric contacts, in the prototypical case of the Au/La 0.67 Sr 0.33 MnO 3 interface. In particular we found a sizable decrease of the Curie temperature in thin films of La 0.67 Sr 0.33 MnO 3 after gold capping: 65 K for 5 nm thickness of the manganite. Apart from chemical reactions at the interface, charge injection-depletion induced by the difference in the work function between Au and La 0.67 Sr 0.33 MnO 3 could partially explain this phenomenon

  2. Structure and magnetoresistance of La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 films grown coherently on (001)NdGaO3

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bojkov, Yu.A.; Danilov, V.A.; Bojkov, A.Yu.

    2003-01-01

    The (001) La 0.67 Ca 0.33 MnO 3 films, 40-120 nm thick, grown through the method of the laser evaporation on the (001)NdGaO 3 , are studied. The crystalline lattice parameters, measured for the La 0.67 Ca 0.33 MnO 3 film in the substrate plane α parallel = 3.851 A and along the normal to its surface α perpendicular = 3.850 A practically coincide with the parameter of the pseudocubic elementary cell of the neodymium gallate. The elementary cell volume in the La 0.67 Ca 0.33 MnO 3 film was insignificantly lesser than the corresponding value for the stoichiometric voluminous samples. The position of the maximum on the specific resistance dependence on the temperature did not depend on the La 0.67 Ca 0.33 MnO 3 film thickness. The maximum values of the negative magnetoresistance (MR ≅ 0.25, H = 0.4 T) for the La 0.67 Ca 0.33 MnO 3 films were observed at the temperatures of 239-244 K [ru

  3. ANALISIS CITRA GINJAL UNTUK IDENTIFIKASI SEL PIKNOSIS DAN SEL NEKROSIS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ajeng Silvia Puji Lestari, Agus Mulyono

    2012-03-01

    Nilai threshold yang didapatkan dari penelitian ini yaitu 0.66, 0.67, 0.68. Nilai yang paling tepat untuk mencirikan sel piknosis dan nekrosis adalah nilai threshold 0.67, selanjutnya citra hasil threshold ditest dengan aplikasi penghitungan sel dan mendapatkan hasil yang cukup memuaskan yaitu dengan nilai KR (Kesalahan Relatif masing-masing sel (sel piknosis dan sel nekrosis adalah 8.5% dan 9%.

  4. Pigs in sequence space: A 0.66X coverage pig genome survey based on shotgun sequencing

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wernersson, Rasmus; Schierup, M.H.; Jorgensen, F.G.

    2005-01-01

    sequences (0.66X coverage) from the pig genome. The data are hereby released (NCBI Trace repository with center name "SDJVP", and project name "Sino-Danish Pig Genome Project") together with an initial evolutionary analysis. The non-repetitive fraction of the sequences was aligned to the UCSC human...

  5. STAR: FPGA-based software defined satellite transponder

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davalle, Daniele; Cassettari, Riccardo; Saponara, Sergio; Fanucci, Luca; Cucchi, Luca; Bigongiari, Franco; Errico, Walter

    2013-05-01

    This paper presents STAR, a flexible Telemetry, Tracking & Command (TT&C) transponder for Earth Observation (EO) small satellites, developed in collaboration with INTECS and SITAEL companies. With respect to state-of-the-art EO transponders, STAR includes the possibility of scientific data transfer thanks to the 40 Mbps downlink data-rate. This feature represents an important optimization in terms of hardware mass, which is important for EO small satellites. Furthermore, in-flight re-configurability of communication parameters via telecommand is important for in-orbit link optimization, which is especially useful for low orbit satellites where visibility can be as short as few hundreds of seconds. STAR exploits the principles of digital radio to minimize the analog section of the transceiver. 70MHz intermediate frequency (IF) is the interface with an external S/X band radio-frequency front-end. The system is composed of a dedicated configurable high-speed digital signal processing part, the Signal Processor (SP), described in technology-independent VHDL working with a clock frequency of 184.32MHz and a low speed control part, the Control Processor (CP), based on the 32-bit Gaisler LEON3 processor clocked at 32 MHz, with SpaceWire and CAN interfaces. The quantization parameters were fine-tailored to reach a trade-off between hardware complexity and implementation loss which is less than 0.5 dB at BER = 10-5 for the RX chain. The IF ports require 8-bit precision. The system prototype is fitted on the Xilinx Virtex 6 VLX75T-FF484 FPGA of which a space-qualified version has been announced. The total device occupation is 82 %.

  6. Tunnelling anisotropic magnetoresistance at La_0_._6_7Sr_0_._3_3MnO_3-graphene interfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Phillips, L. C.; Yan, W.; Kar-Narayan, S.; Mathur, N. D.; Lombardo, A.; Barbone, M.; Milana, S.; Ferrari, A. C.; Ghidini, M.; Hämäläinen, S. J.; Dijken, S. van

    2016-01-01

    Using ferromagnetic La_0_._6_7Sr_0_._3_3MnO_3 electrodes bridged by single-layer graphene, we observe magnetoresistive changes of ∼32–35 MΩ at 5 K. Magneto-optical Kerr effect microscopy at the same temperature reveals that the magnetoresistance arises from in-plane reorientations of electrode magnetization, evidencing tunnelling anisotropic magnetoresistance at the La_0_._6_7Sr_0_._3_3MnO_3-graphene interfaces. Large resistance switching without spin transport through the non-magnetic channel could be attractive for graphene-based magnetic-sensing applications.

  7. The synthesis and complex anion-vacancy ordered structure of La0.33Sr0.67MnO2.42

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dixon, Edward; Hadermann, Joke; Hayward, Michael A.

    2011-01-01

    The low-temperature topotactic reduction of La 0.33 Sr 0.67 MnO 3 with NaH results in the formation of La 0.33 Sr 0.67 MnO 2.42 . A combination of neutron powder and electron diffraction data show that La 0.33 Sr 0.67 MnO 2.42 adopts a novel anion-vacancy ordered structure with a 6-layer OOTOOT' stacking sequence of the 'octahedral' and tetrahedral layers (Pcmb, a=5.5804(1) A, b=23.4104(7) A, c=11.2441(3) A). A significant concentration of anion vacancies at the anion site, which links neighbouring 'octahedral' layers means that only 25% of the 'octahedral' manganese coordination sites actually have 6-fold MnO 6 coordination, the remainder being MnO 5 square-based pyramidal sites. The chains of cooperatively twisted apex-linked MnO 4 tetrahedra adopt an ordered -L-R-L-R- arrangement within each tetrahedral layer. This is the first published example of a fully refined structure of this type which exhibits such intralayer ordering of the twisted tetrahedral chains. The rationale behind the contrasting structures of La 0.33 Sr 0.67 MnO 2.42 and other previously reported reduced La 1-x Sr x MnO 3-y phases is discussed. - Graphical Abstract: The topotactic reduction of the perovskite phase La 0.33 Sr 0.67 MnO 3 with NaH yields La 0.33 Sr 0.67 MnO 2.42(3) , which adopts a novel anion vacancy ordered structure with a 6-layer OOTOOT' stacking sequence of the 'octahedral' and tetrahedral layers. The anion site that links the neighbouring octahedral layers is partially occupied so only 25% of the 'octahedral' manganese sites actually have 6-fold MnO 6 coordination. Highlights: → Topotactic reduction with NaH to form a mixed valent Mn 2+ /Mn 3+ phase. → Novel layered anion-vacancy ordered structure. → Comparison to related brownmillerite structure types.

  8. Development and Operation of International Nuclear Education/Training Program and HRD Cooperation Network

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, E. J.; Min, B. J.; Han, K. W.

    2006-12-01

    The primary result of the project is the establishment of a concept of International Nuclear R and D Academy that integrates the on-going long term activity for international nuclear education/training and a new activity to establish an international cooperation network for nuclear human resources development. For this, the 2007 WNU Summer Institute was hosted with the establishment of an MOU and subsequent preparations. Also, ANENT was promoted through development of a cyber platform for the ANENT web-portal, hosting the third ANENT Coordination Committee meeting, etc. Then a cooperation with universities in Vietnam was launched resulting in preparation of an MOU for the cooperation. Finally, a relevant system framework was established and required procedures were drafted especially for providing students from developing countries with long term education/training programs (e.g. MS and Ph D. courses). The international nuclear education/training programs have offered 13 courses to 182 people from 43 countries. The overall performance of the courses was evaluated to be outstanding. In parallel, the establishment of an MOU for the cooperation of KOICA-IAEA-KAERI courses to ensure their stable and systematic operation. Also, an effort was made to participate in FNCA. Atopia Hall of the International Nuclear Training and Education Center (INTEC) hosted 477 events (corresponding to 18,521 participants) and Nuri Hall (guesthouse) accommodated 4,616 people in 2006. This shows a steady increase of the use rate since the opening of the center, along with a continuous improvement of the equipment

  9. Development and Operation of International Nuclear Education/Training Program and HRD Cooperation Network

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, E J; Min, B J; Han, K W [and others

    2006-12-15

    The primary result of the project is the establishment of a concept of International Nuclear R and D Academy that integrates the on-going long term activity for international nuclear education/training and a new activity to establish an international cooperation network for nuclear human resources development. For this, the 2007 WNU Summer Institute was hosted with the establishment of an MOU and subsequent preparations. Also, ANENT was promoted through development of a cyber platform for the ANENT web-portal, hosting the third ANENT Coordination Committee meeting, etc. Then a cooperation with universities in Vietnam was launched resulting in preparation of an MOU for the cooperation. Finally, a relevant system framework was established and required procedures were drafted especially for providing students from developing countries with long term education/training programs (e.g. MS and Ph D. courses). The international nuclear education/training programs have offered 13 courses to 182 people from 43 countries. The overall performance of the courses was evaluated to be outstanding. In parallel, the establishment of an MOU for the cooperation of KOICA-IAEA-KAERI courses to ensure their stable and systematic operation. Also, an effort was made to participate in FNCA. Atopia Hall of the International Nuclear Training and Education Center (INTEC) hosted 477 events (corresponding to 18,521 participants) and Nuri Hall (guesthouse) accommodated 4,616 people in 2006. This shows a steady increase of the use rate since the opening of the center, along with a continuous improvement of the equipment.

  10. Spectroscopic properties and laser performance at 1,066 nm of a new laser crystal Nd:GdTaO4

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peng, Fang; Yang, Huajun; Zhang, Qingli; Luo, Jianqiao; Liu, Wenpeng; Sun, Dunlu; Dou, Renqin; Sun, Guihua

    2015-03-01

    A new laser medium Nd3+:GdTaO4 single crystal with high optical quality was grown successfully by the Czochralski method, and its high-efficiency laser operation at 1,066 nm was demonstrated for the first time. The absorption cross section of the crystal at 808 nm is 5.098 × 10-20 cm2, and the full width at half maximum of this absorption band is about 6 nm. Spectral properties are investigated by Judd-Ofelt theory. The stimulated emission cross section at 1,066 nm is 3.9 × 10-19 cm2, and the fluorescence lifetime of 4F3/2 level is 178.4 μs. A diode end-pumped Nd:GdTaO4 laser at 1,066 nm with the maximum output power of 2.5 W is achieved in the continuous-wave mode. The optical-to-optical conversion efficiency and slope efficiency are 34.6 and 36 %, respectively. In addition, the fluorescence branching ratio of 4F3/2 → 4I9/2 transition reaches 44.4 %, indicating that Nd:GdTaO4 may be an efficient laser medium at 920 nm. All the results demonstrate that Nd:GdTaO4 crystal is a good candidate for laser diode-pumped laser material.

  11. Effect of vacancies on the structure and properties of Ga{sub 2}(Se{sub 0.33}Te{sub 0.67}){sub 3}

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Abdul-Jabbar, N. M. [Department of Nuclear Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States); Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States); Materials Department, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106 (United States); Forrest, T. R. [European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, BP 220, F-38043 Grenoble Cedex (France); Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States); Gronsky, R. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States); Bourret-Courchesne, E. D. [Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States); Wirth, B. D. [Department of Nuclear Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States); Department of Nuclear Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996 (United States)

    2015-08-28

    Ga{sub 2}(Se{sub 0.33}Te{sub 0.67}){sub 3} belongs to a family of materials with large intrinsic vacancy concentrations that are being actively studied due to their potential for diverse applications that include thermoelectrics and phase-change memory. In this article, the Ga{sub 2}(Se{sub 0.33}Te{sub 0.67}){sub 3} structure is investigated via synchrotron x-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, and x-ray absorption experiments. Diffraction and microscopy measurements showed that the extent of vacancy ordering in Ga{sub 2}(Se{sub 0.33}Te{sub 0.67}){sub 3} is highly dependent on thermal annealing. It is posited that stoichiometric vacancies play a role in local atomic distortions in Ga{sub 2}(Se{sub 0.33}Te{sub 0.67}){sub 3} (based on the fine structure signals in the collected x-ray absorption spectra). The effect of vacancy ordering on Ga{sub 2}(Se{sub 0.33}Te{sub 0.67}){sub 3} material properties is also examined through band gap and Hall effect measurements, which reveal that the Ga{sub 2}(Se{sub 0.33}Te{sub 0.67}){sub 3} band gap redshifts by ≈0.05 eV as the vacancies order and accompanied by gains in charge carrier mobility. The results serve as an encouraging example of altering material properties via intrinsic structural rearrangement as opposed to extrinsic means, such as doping.

  12. Enhancement of Magnetocaloric Effect in ({ {La}}_{0.67}{ {Ca}}_{0.33}{ {MnO}}_{3})/({ {La}}_{0.7}{ {Ba}}_{0.3}{ {MnO}}_{3}) ( La 0.67 Ca 0.33 MnO 3 ) / ( La 0.7 Ba 0.3 MnO 3 ) Composite

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khelifi, J.; Dhahri, E.; Hlil, E. K.

    2018-03-01

    The composite (La_{0.67}Ca_{0.33}MnO3)/La_{0.7}Ba_{0.3}MnO3) sample was prepared using the conventional solid-state reaction method, and their crystallographic structure was achieved by X-ray diffraction pattern analysis. The magnetic and magnetocaloric effect has been studied by magnetization measurements. Based on the relation: χ ^{-1}(T)∝ (T-T_C^Rand )^{1-λ }, the inverse of susceptibility shows a downturn before T_C indicating the existence of Griffiths phase for the temperature range T_C^Randphase has been obtained from detailed magnetization studies. Furthermore, a large magnetic entropy change is observed in (La_{0.67}Ca_{0.33}MnO3)/(La_{0.7}Ba_{0.3}MnO3) composite which possesses a large MCE characterized by two Δ S_M(T) peaks. It has revealed that the combination of manganite materials with different Curie temperatures is a possible method for enhancement of magnetocaloric effect. To determine the field dependence of the experimental Δ S_M(T), a local exponent n( T, H) can be calculated from the logarithmic derivative of the magnetic entropy change versus field; it is shown that for a multiphase system n evolves with field both at the Curie temperature of the system and at the Curie temperatures of the constituent phases.

  13. 78 FR 76813 - Igor Bobel, Inmate #-67253-066, FCI Loretto, Federal Correctional Institution, P.O. Box 1000...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-12-19

    ... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Bureau of Industry and Security Igor Bobel, Inmate -67253-066, FCI Loretto, Federal Correctional Institution, P.O. Box 1000, Loretto, PA 15940; Order Denying Export Privileges On May... 1000, Loretto, PA 15940, and when acting for or on behalf of Bobel, his representatives, assigns...

  14. Enhancement of Low-field Magnetoresistance in Self-Assembled Epitaxial La0.67Ca0.33MnO3:NiO and La0.67Ca0.33MnO3:Co3O4 Composite Films via Polymer-Assisted Deposition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Meng; Li, Yuling; Jeon, Il; Yi, Qinghua; Zhu, Xuebin; Tang, Xianwu; Wang, Haiyan; Fei, Ling; Sun, Yuping; Deng, Shuguang; Matsuo, Yutaka; Luo, Hongmei; Zou, Guifu

    2016-07-06

    Polymer-assisted deposition method has been used to fabricate self-assembled epitaxial La0.67Ca0.33MnO3:NiO and La0.67Ca0.33MnO3:Co3O4 films on LaAlO3 substrates. Compared to pulsed-laser deposition method, polymer-assisted deposition provides a simpler and lower-cost approach to self-assembled composite films with enhanced low-field magnetoresistance effect. After the addition of NiO or Co3O4, triangular NiO and tetrahedral Co3O4 nanoparticles remain on the surface of La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 films. This results in a dramatic increase in resistivity of the films from 0.0061 Ω•cm to 0.59 Ω•cm and 1.07 Ω•cm, and a decrease in metal-insulator transition temperature from 270 K to 180 K and 172 K by the addition of 10%-NiO and 10%-Co3O4, respectively. Accordingly, the maximum absolute magnetoresistance value is improved from -44.6% to -59.1% and -52.7% by the addition of 10%-NiO and 10%-Co3O4, respectively. The enhanced low-field magnetoresistance property is ascribed to the introduced insulating phase at the grain boundaries. The magnetism is found to be more suppressed for the La0.67Ca0.33MnO3:Co3O4 composite films than the La0.67Ca0.33MnO3:NiO films, which can be attributed to the antiferromagnetic properties of the Co3O4 phase. The solution-processed composite films show enhanced low-field magnetoresistance effect which are crucial in practical applications. We expect our polymer-assisted deposited films paving the pathway in the field of hole-doped perovskites with their intrinsic colossal magnetoresistance.

  15. Tank Closure Progress at the Department of Energy's Idaho National Engineering Laboratory Tank Farm Facility

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Butterworth, St.W.; Shaw, M.R.

    2009-01-01

    Significant progress continued at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Idaho National Laboratory (INL) with the completion of the closure process to empty, clean and close radioactive liquid waste storage tanks at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) Tank Farm Facility (TFF). The TFF includes eleven 1,135.6-kL (300,000-gal) underground stainless steel storage tanks and four smaller, 113.5-kL (30,000-gal) stainless steel tanks, along with tank vaults, interconnecting piping, and ancillary equipment. The TFF tanks had historically been used to store a variety of radioactive liquid waste, including wastes associated with past spent nuclear fuel reprocessing. Four of the large storage tanks remain in use for waste storage while the other seven 1,135.6-kL (300,000-gal) tanks and the four 113.5-kL (30,000-gal) tanks have been emptied of waste, cleaned and filled with grout. Recent issuance of an Amended Record of Decision (ROD) in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act, and a Waste Determination complying with Section 3116 of the Ronald W. Reagan National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2005, allowed commencement of grouting activities on the cleaned tanks. The first three 113.5-kL (30,000-gal) tanks were grouted in the Fall of 2006 and the fourth tank and the seven 1,135.6-kL (300,000-gal) tanks were filled with grout in 2007 to provide long-term stability. During 2008 over seven miles of underground process piping along with associated tank valve boxes and secondary containment systems was stabilized with grout. Lessons learned were compiled and implemented during the closure process and will be utilized on the remaining four 1,135.6-kL (300,000-gal) underground stainless steel storage tanks. Significant progress has been made to clean and close emptied tanks at the INTEC TFF. Between 2002 and 2005, seven of the eleven 1,135.6-kL (300,000-gal) tanks and all four 113.5-kL (30,000-gal) tanks were cleaned and prepared

  16. Underwater Coatings Testing for INEEL Fuel Basin Applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Julia L. Tripp

    2004-01-01

    The Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) is deactivating several fuel storage basins. Airborne contamination is a concern when the sides of the basins are exposed and allowed to dry during water removal. One way of controlling this airborne contamination is to fix the contamination in place while the pool walls are still submerged. There are many underwater coatings available on the market that are used in marine, naval and other applications. A series of tests were run to determine whether the candidate underwater fixatives are easily applied and adhere well to the substrates (pool wall materials) found in INEEL fuel pools. The four pools considered included (1) Test Area North (TAN-607) with epoxy painted concrete walls; (2) Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) (CPP-603) with bare concrete walls; (3) Materials Test Reactor (MTR) Canal with stainless steel lined concrete walls; and (4) Power Burst Facility (PBF-620) with stainless steel lined concrete walls on the bottom and epoxy painted carbon steel lined walls on the upper portions. Therefore, the four materials chosen for testing included bare concrete, epoxy painted concrete, epoxy painted carbon steel, and stainless steel. The typical water temperature of the pools varies from 55 F to 80 F dependent on the pool and the season. These tests were done at room temperature

  17. The properties degradation of exposed GFRP roof

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zainudin, Mohammad; Diharjo, Kuncoro; Kaavessina, Mujtahid; Setyanto, Djoko

    2018-02-01

    There is much consideration of roof selection as a protector of a building against the outside weather, such as lightweight, strong stiff, corrosion resistant and guarantee for the availability of products. Based on these considerations, glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) roof is a roof which can fulfill the requirement. The objective of this research is to investigate the degradation of physical and mechanical properties of GFRP roof exposed in outside weather. This GFRP roof composite was produced using a sheet molding compound (SMC) supplied by PT Intec Persada, Tangerang, Indonesia. There are two kinds GFRP roofs evaluated in this research that are GFRP roof exposed within 7 years and new GFRP roof that has not been exposed. The GFRP roofs were cut manually for preparing the specimens for hardness test, tensile test, SEM and FTIR test. The results show that the GFRP roof exposed within 7 years had the degradation of properties compared to the new GFRP roof. The exposed GFRP roof had lower strength and hardness compared to the new GFRP roof. The SEM observation indicates that exposed GFRP roof had the debonding of fiber on the surface, and in contrast, there are no debonding of fiber in the new GFRP roof surface. It can be recommended that the exposed GFRP roof may be repaired to enhance its performance and can re-increase its properties using the coating.

  18. Tank Farm WM-182 and WM-183 Heel Slurry Samples PSD Results

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Batcheller, T.A.; Huestis, G.M.

    2000-01-01

    Particle size distribution (PSD) analysis of INTEC Tank Farm WM-182 and WM-183 heel slurry samples were performed using a modified Horiba LA-300 PSD analyzer at the RAL facility. There were two types of testing performed: typical PSD analysis, and setting rate testing. Although the heel slurry samples were obtained from two separate vessels, the particle size distribution results were quite similar. The slurry solids were from approximately a minimum particle size of 0.5 mm to a maximum of 230 mm with about 90% of the material between 2-to-133 mm, and the cumulative 50% value at approximately 20 mm. This testing also revealed that high frequency sonication with an ultrasonic element may break-up larger particles in the WM-182 and WM-183 tank from heel slurries. This finding represents useful information regarding ultimate tank heel waste processing. Settling rate testing results were also fairly consistent with material from both vessels in that it appears that most of the mass of solids settle to an agglomerated, yet easily redispersed layer at the bottom. A dispersed and suspended material remained in the ''clear'' layer above the settled layer after about one-half an hour of settling time. This material had a statistical mode of approximately 5 mm and a maximum particle size of 30 mm

  19. Underwater Coatings Testing for INEEL Fuel Basin Applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Julia L. Tripp

    2004-01-01

    The Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) is deactivating several fuel storage basins. Airborne contamination is a concern when the sides of the basins are exposed and allowed to dry during water removal. One way of controlling this airborne contamination is to fix the contamination in place while the pool walls are still submerged. There are many underwater coatings available on the market that are used in marine, naval and other applications. A series of tests were run to determine whether the candidate underwater fixatives are easily applied and adhere well to the substrates (pool wall materials) found in INEEL fuel pools. The four pools considered included (1) Test Area North (TAN-607) with epoxy painted concrete walls; (2) Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) (CPP-603) with bare concrete walls; (3) Materials Test Reactor (MTR) Canal with stainless steel lined concrete walls; and (4) Power Burst Facility (PBF-620) with stainless steel lined concrete walls on the bottom and epoxy painted carbon steel lined walls on the upper portions. Therefore, the four materials chosen for testing included bare concrete, epoxy painted concrete, epoxy painted carbon steel, and stainless steel. The typical water temperature of the pools varies from 55 F to 80 F dependent on the pool and the season. These tests were done at room temperature.

  20. Magneto-caloric and magneto-resistive properties of La0.67Ca0.33-xSrxMnO3

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reves Dinesen, Anders

    2004-08-01

    This thesis presents results of an experimental investigation of magneto-caloric and magneto-resistive properties of a series of polycrystalline Ca- and Sr-doped lanthanum manganites, La 0.67 Ca 0.33-x Sr x MnO 3 (0≤ x ≤ 0.33), with the perovskite structure. The samples consisted of sintered oxide powders prepared the glycine-nitrate combustion technique. The compounds were ferromagnetic and showed a Curie transition in the temperature range 267370 K (T C increased with increasing x). An analysis of the structural properties was carried out by means of x-ray diffraction and the Rietveld technique. The variation of the Ca/Sr ratio was found to cause a transition from orthorhombic to rhombohedral symmetry in the composition range 0.110 0.67 Ca 0.33-x Sr x MnO 3 samples was measured directly and indirectly (by means of magnetization measurements). All the samples showed a magnetocaloric effect in the vicinity of T C . A model for the mag-netocaloric effect based on Weiss mean field theory and classical theories for heat capacities was developed. The model provided reasonable predictions of the magneto-caloric properties of the samples. The compounds with low Sr content showed a magnetocaloric effect comparable to that of Gadolinium, the prototypical working material for magnetic refrigeration at room temperature. A less comprehensive part of the investigation regarded the magneto-resistive properties of the La 0.67 Ca 0.33-x Sr x MnO 3 system. It was found that th polycrystalline nature of the compounds played a decisive role for the magnetotransport properties. Characteristic grain boundary effects, such as a low-field magnetoresistance, which is absent in single-crystalline perovskites, were observed. The low-field effect is usually ascribed to spin-dependent scattering in grain boundaries. Qualitatively the results obtained for the La 0.67 Ca 0.33-x Sr x MnO 3 samples were consistent with this model. The resistivity contribution arising from the presence of

  1. Magnetic effects on the dielectric and polarization properties in BiAlO{sub 3}/La{sub 0.67}Sr{sub 0.33}MnO{sub 3} heterostructure

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhao, Yanan [Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Condensed Matter Structures and Properties, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi' an (China); College of Engineering Management, Shaanxi Radio and Television University, Xi' an (China); Luo, Bingcheng; Chen, Changle; Xing, Hui; Wang, Jianyuan; Jin, Kexin [Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Condensed Matter Structures and Properties, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi' an (China)

    2017-09-15

    BiAlO{sub 3}/La{sub 0.67}Sr{sub 0.33}MnO{sub 3} heterostructure was fabricated on LaAlO{sub 3} (111) substrate by pulsed laser deposition technology. A remarkable magneto-resistivity effect was detected at H = 1 T near the metal-insulator phase transition temperature (T{sub MI}) of La{sub 0.67}Sr{sub 0.33}MnO{sub 3}. The magneto-dielectric constant shows an anomaly near T{sub MI} of La{sub 0.67}Sr{sub 0.33}MnO{sub 3}, whereas the ferroelectric polarization increases under magnetic field and its variation shows the similar anomaly near T{sub MI} of La{sub 0.67}Sr{sub 0.33}MnO{sub 3}, which could be assigned to the important role of the phase transformation of La{sub 0.67}Sr{sub 0.33}MnO{sub 3}. The magnetic moment of the BiAlO{sub 3}/La{sub 0.67}Sr{sub 0.33}MnO{sub 3} heterostructure distinctly arises compared to the single La{sub 0.67}Sr{sub 0.33}MnO{sub 3} layer, probably on account of the spin-orbit coupling effect at the interface, and the relative magnetization variation also shows an anomaly near T{sub MI} of La{sub 0.67}Sr{sub 0.33}MnO{sub 3}. (copyright 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

  2. Influence of the manganese and cobalt content on the electrochemical performance of P2-Na0.67MnxCo1-xO2 cathodes for sodium-ion batteries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hemalatha, K; Jayakumar, M; Prakash, A S

    2018-01-23

    The resurgence of sodium-ion batteries in recent years is due to their potential ability to form intercalation compounds possessing a high specific capacity and energy density comparable to existing lithium systems. To comprehend the role of cobalt substitution in the structure and electrochemical performance of Na 0.67 MnO 2 , the solid solutions of P2-Na 0.67 Mn x Co 1-x O 2 (x = 0.25, 0.5, 0.75) are synthesized and characterized. The XRD-Rietveld analysis revealed that the Co-substitution in Na 0.67 MnO 2 decreases lattice parameters 'a' and 'c' resulting in the contraction of MO 6 octahedra and the enlargement of inter-layer 'd' spacing. XPS indicates that the isovalent cobalt substitution in Na 0.67 MnO 2 results in the partial/complete replacement of Jahn-Teller active trivalent manganese to form low-spin complexes of better structural stability. The Na-ion diffusion coefficient, D Na + , derived from cyclic voltammetry and impedance spectroscopy, confirmed the enhanced mass transport in Co-rich phases compared to Mn-rich phases. Furthermore, higher diffusion coefficient values are observed for Co 3+ /Co 4+ than for their Mn 3+ /Mn 4+ redox processes. In addition, Co-rich phases exhibit a high structural stability and superior capacity retention, whereas Mn-rich phases discharge higher capacities.

  3. Strain dependent magnetocaloric effect in La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 thin-films

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    V. Suresh Kumar

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available The strain dependent magnetocaloric properties of La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 thin films deposited on three different substrates (001 LaAlO3 (LAO, (001 SrTiO3 (STO, and (001 La0.3Sr0.7Al0.65Ta0.35O9 (LSAT have been investigated under low magnetic fields and around magnetic phase transition temperatures. Compared to bulk samples, we observe a remarkable decrease in the ferromagnetic transition temperature that is close to room temperature, closely matched isothermal magnetic entropy change and relative cooling power values in tensile strained La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 films. The epitaxial strain plays a significant role in tuning the peak position of isothermal magnetic entropy change towards room temperature with improved cooling capacity.

  4. NRC Perspectives on Waste Incidental to Reprocessing Consultations and Monitoring - 13398

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    McKenney, Christepher A.; Suber, Gregory F.; Felsher, Harry D.; Mohseni, Aby [U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Mail Stop T8F5, 11545 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852 (United States)

    2013-07-01

    Section 3116 of the Ronald W. Reagan National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005 (NDAA) requires the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to consult with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for certain non-high level waste (HLW) determinations. The NDAA also requires NRC to monitor DOE's disposal actions related to those determinations to assess compliance with NRC regulations in 10 CFR Part 61, Subpart C. The NDAA applies to DOE activities that will remain within the States of South Carolina and Idaho. DOE has chosen to, under DOE Order 435.1, engage in consultation with NRC for similar activities in the State of Washington and New York, however, the NRC has no monitoring responsibilities. In 2007, the NRC developed a draft Final Report for Interim Use entitled, NUREG-1854: NRC Staff Guidance for Activities Related to U.S. Department of Energy Waste Determinations. Since the law was enacted, the DOE and NRC have consulted on three waste determinations within the affected States: (1) the Saltstone Disposal Facility at the Savannah River Site (SRS) within the State of South Carolina in 2005, (2) the INTEC Tank Farm at the Idaho National Laboratory within the State of Idaho in 2006, and (3) the F Tank Farm at SRS in 2011. After the end of consultation and issuance by DOE of the final waste determination, monitoring began at each of these sites, including the development of monitoring plans. In addition to the NDAA sites, DOE has requested NRC consultation support on both individual tanks and the entire C Tank Farm at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in the State of Washington. DOE also requested consultation of waste determinations performed on the melter and related feed tanks at the West Valley site in New York that would be disposed offsite. In the next few years, NRC and DOE will consult on the last of the NDAA waste determinations for a while, the H Tank Farm waste determination at SRS. DOE may identify other activities in the future but

  5. NRC Perspectives on Waste Incidental to Reprocessing Consultations and Monitoring - 13398

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McKenney, Christepher A.; Suber, Gregory F.; Felsher, Harry D.; Mohseni, Aby

    2013-01-01

    Section 3116 of the Ronald W. Reagan National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005 (NDAA) requires the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to consult with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for certain non-high level waste (HLW) determinations. The NDAA also requires NRC to monitor DOE's disposal actions related to those determinations to assess compliance with NRC regulations in 10 CFR Part 61, Subpart C. The NDAA applies to DOE activities that will remain within the States of South Carolina and Idaho. DOE has chosen to, under DOE Order 435.1, engage in consultation with NRC for similar activities in the State of Washington and New York, however, the NRC has no monitoring responsibilities. In 2007, the NRC developed a draft Final Report for Interim Use entitled, NUREG-1854: NRC Staff Guidance for Activities Related to U.S. Department of Energy Waste Determinations. Since the law was enacted, the DOE and NRC have consulted on three waste determinations within the affected States: (1) the Saltstone Disposal Facility at the Savannah River Site (SRS) within the State of South Carolina in 2005, (2) the INTEC Tank Farm at the Idaho National Laboratory within the State of Idaho in 2006, and (3) the F Tank Farm at SRS in 2011. After the end of consultation and issuance by DOE of the final waste determination, monitoring began at each of these sites, including the development of monitoring plans. In addition to the NDAA sites, DOE has requested NRC consultation support on both individual tanks and the entire C Tank Farm at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in the State of Washington. DOE also requested consultation of waste determinations performed on the melter and related feed tanks at the West Valley site in New York that would be disposed offsite. In the next few years, NRC and DOE will consult on the last of the NDAA waste determinations for a while, the H Tank Farm waste determination at SRS. DOE may identify other activities in the future but largely

  6. Nuclear Manpower Training

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Min, B. J.; Han, K. W.; Lee, H. Y. and others

    2006-01-15

    Through the project on nuclear human resources development in 2005, the Nuclear Training Center of KAERI has provided 67 nuclear education and training courses for 3,658 persons from the domestic nuclear related organizations such as Government Agencies, nuclear industries, R and D institutes, universities, and public as well as from IAEA Member States. In addition, 6 students (MS and Ph D.) have taken nuclear technology related courses offered by UST-KAERI. The project has developed 8 programs and 12 courses. They includes programs for IAEA training, bilateral education and training, and in-house training as well as courses dealing with maintenance of nuclear power plants and management of electricity generation, thermal-hydraulics nuclear hydrogen, nuclear safeguards, radiation emergency preparedness and etc. National and international cooperation has been promoted. For ANENT, test operation, data loading and revision of the web-portal have been undertaken. Also the web-portal operation system has been established. For FNCA, NTC has cooperated for the establishment of a model of human resource development and the exchange of information/materials. With WNU, the NTC has made an effort for hosting 2007 WNU Summer Institute. The infrastructure for nuclear education and training has been strengthened. Basic directions for providing the customers with better service, This includes showing kindness to the customer, renovation of the interior of training facilities, and upgrading of web-based management system for learning and using facilities of NTC. Other efforts have resulted in the publication of 25 course materials (10 for international courses and 15 for national courses), and the improvement of education and training equipment. The International Nuclear Training and Education Center (INTEC), which was opened in 2002, has hosted 296 international and domestic events in 2005.

  7. Magnetic properties of amorphous Gd0.67Y0.33

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Loudghiri, E.; Roky, K.; Hassini, A.; Belayachi, A.; Lassri, H.

    2004-01-01

    Amorphous Gd 0.67 Y 0.33 thin film has been prepared by RF sputtering and its magnetic properties have been studied. The magnetization measurements show that the M(T) curves present a maximum at low temperature and that the magnetic saturation is difficult to obtain even for fields up to 150 kOe for M(H) isotherms. This behavior can be attributed to the competing exchange interactions and the random magnetic anisotropy. The thermomagnetization curve is found to obey the Bloch law; the spin wave stiffness constant and the distance between nearest magnetic atoms were calculated from the experimental results. From an analysis of the approach to saturation magnetization, some fundamental parameters have been extracted

  8. Low temperature transport anomaly in Cr substituted (La{sub 0.67}Sr{sub 0.33})MnO{sub 3} manganites

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tank, Tejas M., E-mail: tejas.physics2020@gmail.com [Solid State Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics, Barkatullah University, Bhopal-462 026 (India); Shelke, Vilas [Solid State Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics, Barkatullah University, Bhopal-462 026 (India); Das, Sarmistha; Rana, D.S. [Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Scientific Education and Research, Bhopal-462 023 (India); Thaker, C.M. [M.V.M. Science and Home Science College, Rajkot-360 005 (India); Samatham, S.S.; Ganesan, V. [UGC-DAE Consortium for Scientific Research, Khandwa Road, Indore-452 001 (India); Sanyal, S.P. [Solid State Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics, Barkatullah University, Bhopal-462 026 (India)

    2017-06-15

    Highlights: • The effect of Cr substitution at the Mn-site of La{sub 0.67}Sr{sub 0.33}MnO{sub 3} has been studied. • Electrical and magnetic behaviors correlate with various theoretical models. • First time the low temperature transport anomaly has been explained in terms of e-e scattering phenomenon. • This study shows that FM interaction among Cr{sup 3+} and Mn{sup 3+} is like to the traditional Mn{sup 3+}-O{sup 2−}-Mn{sup 4+} process. - Abstract: The structural, electrical, and magnetic properties of La{sub 0.67}Sr{sub 0.33}Mn{sub 1−x}Cr{sub x}O{sub 3} (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.10) manganites have been studied by substitution of antiferromagnetic trivalent Cr ion at Mn-site. Systematic efforts have been carried out to understand the electrical resistivity behavior in the ferromagnetic metallic and paramagnetic semi-conducting phases of Cr substituted La{sub 0.67}Sr{sub 0.33}Mn{sub 1−x}Cr{sub x}O{sub 3} manganites. Polycrystalline samples show a resistivity minimum at a temperature (T{sub min}) of <40 K in the ferromagnetic metallic phase. T{sub min} shifts to higher temperatures on application of magnetic fields. The appearance of this resistivity minimum was analyzed by fittings the data according to the model that considers e-e scattering caused by enhanced Coulombic interactions. The electrical resistivity data has been best fitted in the metallic and semiconducting regime using various models. Present results suggest that intrinsic magnetic inhomogeneity like Cr{sup 3+} ions in these strongly electron-correlated manganite systems is originating due to the existence of the ferromagnetic interactions.

  9. Proceedings of the FNCA 2005 workshop on application of electron accelerator. EB treatment of wastewater

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yoshii, Fumio; Kume, Tamikazu

    2006-08-01

    'Forum for Nuclear Cooperation in Asia (FNCA) Workshop on Application of Electron Accelerator' was sponsored by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), Japan. The 2005 workshop was jointly organized by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), Korea, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute and Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA). It was held at the International Nuclear Technology and Education Center (INTEC/KAERI), Daejeon, Korea from 14 to 18 November 2005. The Workshop was attended by 32 experts on application of electron accelerator from each of the participating countries, i.e., China (1), Indonesia (1), Korea (18), Malaysia (2), Philippines (1), Thailand (1) and Vietnam (1), and 7 participants from Japan. On the first day, a National Executive Management Seminar on Application of Electron Accelerator was held and attended by 45 participants. Total of 20 papers including Seminar lectures, invited papers on wastewater treatment by electron beam, and country reports on EB irradiation system were presented. The major areas of interest of FNCA member states for cooperation were identified for application of low energy electron accelerator to liquids (natural polymer, wastewater), solids (hydrogel, thin film) and gases (flue gas). Based on the evaluation and proposal from the participating countries, discussions were carried out to re-formulate the work plan of the project on natural polymers and wastewater for three years until FY 2008. It was agreed the FNCA 2006 workshop on EB crosslinking of natural polymers would be held in Malaysia. All manuscripts submitted by every speaker were included in the proceedings. The 18 presented papers are indexed individually. (J.P.N.)

  10. Utilizing Co2+/Co3+ Redox Couple in P2-Layered Na0.66Co0.22Mn0.44Ti0.34O2 Cathode for Sodium-Ion Batteries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Qin-Chao; Hu, Enyuan; Pan, Yang; Xiao, Na; Hong, Fan; Fu, Zheng-Wen; Wu, Xiao-Jing; Bak, Seong-Min; Yang, Xiao-Qing; Zhou, Yong-Ning

    2017-11-01

    Developing sodium-ion batteries for large-scale energy storage applications is facing big challenges of the lack of high-performance cathode materials. Here, a series of new cathode materials Na 0.66 Co x Mn 0.66- x Ti 0.34 O 2 for sodium-ion batteries are designed and synthesized aiming to reduce transition metal-ion ordering, charge ordering, as well as Na + and vacancy ordering. An interesting structure change of Na 0.66 Co x Mn 0.66- x Ti 0.34 O 2 from orthorhombic to hexagonal is revealed when Co content increases from x = 0 to 0.33. In particular, Na 0.66 Co 0.22 Mn 0.44 Ti 0.34 O 2 with a P2-type layered structure delivers a reversible capacity of 120 mAh g -1 at 0.1 C. When the current density increases to 10 C, a reversible capacity of 63.2 mAh g -1 can still be obtained, indicating a promising rate capability. The low valence Co 2+ substitution results in the formation of average Mn 3.7+ valence state in Na 0.66 Co 0.22 Mn 0.44 Ti 0.34 O 2 , effectively suppressing the Mn 3+ -induced Jahn-Teller distortion, and in turn stabilizing the layered structure. X-ray absorption spectroscopy results suggest that the charge compensation of Na 0.66 Co 0.22 Mn 0.44 Ti 0.34 O 2 during charge/discharge is contributed by Co 2.2+ /Co 3+ and Mn 3.3+ /Mn 4+ redox couples. This is the first time that the highly reversible Co 2+ /Co 3+ redox couple is observed in P2-layered cathodes for sodium-ion batteries. This finding may open new approaches to design advanced intercalation-type cathode materials.

  11. Transport properties of Nd0.67Sr0.33Mn0.85Co0.15O3 manganite

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhargav, Abhinav; Tank, Tejas M.; Sanyal, Sankar P.

    2018-05-01

    We have studied the structural and electrical transport properties of Nd0.67Sr0.33Mn0.85Co0.15O3 manganite prepared through conventional solid state reaction technique. The investigation of X-ray diffraction data and rietvield refinement show that the synthesized sample is single phase in nature and crystallizes in orthorhombic perovskite structure with Pbnm space group. The resistivity versus temperature measurement for sample Nd0.67Sr0.33Mn0.85Co0.15O3 was performed in the range 0-300K and at 0T field. The electrical transport mechanism of the sample is analyzed by different theoretical models, for temperatures below and above TP.

  12. Magnetocaloric and magnetoresistive properties of La0.67Ca0.33-xSrxMnO3

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dinesen, Anders Reves

    This thesis presents results of an experimental investigation of magneto-caloric and magnetoresistive properties of a series of polycrystalline Ca- and Sr-doped lanthanum manganites, La0.67Ca0.33-xSrxMnO3 (0=x=0.33 ), with the perovskite structure. The samples consisted of sintered oxide powders...... prepared the glycine-nitrate combustion technique. The compounds were ferromagnetic and showed a Curie transition in the temperature range 267–370 K (TC increased with increasing x). An analysis of the structural properties was carried out by means of x-ray diffraction and the Rietveld technique...... and the Curie temperature. The Mn–O–Mn bonds mediate ferromagnetism and electrical transport in these materials via the double-exchange mechanism. The magnetocaloric effect of the La0.67Ca0.33-xSrxMnO3 samples was measured directly and indirectly (by means of magnetization measurements). All the samples showed...

  13. Measurement of the Elastic Ep Cross Section at Q2 = 0.66, 1.10, 1.51 and 1.65 Gev2

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Yang [College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA (United States)

    2017-08-01

    The nucleon form factors have been investigated by physicists for decades because of their fundamental importance. The world data of the proton magnetic form factor GMp has been focused on Q2 lower than 5 GeV2 and they have large uncertainties at higher Q2. Jefferson Lab experiment E12-07-108 aims to improve the accuracy of the e ? p elastic cross section to better than 2% over a Q2 range of 7 ? 14 GeV2. From 2015 to 2016, the e ? p elastic cross section was measured over a wide range of Q2 from 0.66 ? 12.56 GeV2 at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility in Virginia, USA. An unpolarized electron beam was scattered o? a cryogenic hydrogen target and the scattered electron was detected in the high resolution spectrometers. This thesis focuses on the cross section calculations of the data taken in the spring of 2015, where Q2 = 0.66, 1.10, 1.51 and 1.66 GeV2. At Q2 = 0.66 GeV2, an uncertainty < 3% was achieved and < 5% was achieved for the other three Q2 at the moment. The results were compared with the world data and the good agreement provides confidence for the experimental measurements at higher Q2.

  14. Genotype by environment interaction for carcass traits and intramuscular fat content in heavy Iberian pigs fattened in two different free-range systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Juan M. García Casco

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available Genotype by environment interaction (G×E is a potential source of reduced efficiency in genetic improvement programs in livestock. The objective of the current work consisted of checking the existence of G×E interaction in carcass traits and in intramuscular fat content (IMF in Iberian pigs fattened in two free-range systems. Genetic component and estimated breeding values (EBV of the percentage of hams, shoulders and loins and IMF in loin were obtained from records of 4,348 and 1,818 pigs fattened in campo (C and montanera (M systems, respectively. A multitrait model where the performances of each system are considered as different traits was implemented. Three selection indexes were built with different treatments about the quality trait, two of them based in the optimal trait theory. The Pearson correlation between EBV and indexes and the Spearman correlation between the rankings of progenies of 21 boars fattened in both systems were calculated. Heritability results were different in both systems (h2 range from 0.43 to 0.66 and from 0.24 to 0.33 in C and M system, respectively and genetic correlation of same traits expressed in the two systems also pointed out to a weak G×E interaction (0.64, 0.67 and 0.66 in hams, shoulders and IMF, respectively. Pearson and Spearman correlations were always significantly different to 1. The obtained results advised to consider this G×E interaction in the analysis model of a breeding program focused on free range production system and to include IMF in the index selection assuming an optimum range for this quality trait, in order to avoid negative effects of selection for carcass performances.

  15. Stimulated Emission from InAs (GaAs Monolayers Stacks Embedded in Al0.33Ga0.67As Ective Region

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dusan Pudis

    2002-01-01

    Full Text Available Our study is focused on the optical and electronic properties of InAs (GaAs monolayers embedded in Al0.33GA0.67As barrier layers investigated by temperature dependencies of electroluminescence spectra. The experimental results obtained from low temperature electroluminescence measurements of InAs (GaAs/Al0.33GA0.67As revealed the excellent emission spectra in the visib le range 630-690 nm. The stimulated emission from these structures across their cleavage planes has been observed at low  temperatures what is highly interesting for potential device applications.

  16. Integrated Waste Treatment Unit (IWTU) Input Coal Analyses and Off-Gass Filter (OGF) Content Analyses

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jantzen, Carol M. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL); Missimer, David M. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL); Guenther, Chris P. [National Energy Technology Lab. (NETL), Morgantown, WV (United States); Shekhawat, Dushyant [National Energy Technology Lab. (NETL), Morgantown, WV (United States); VanEssendelft, Dirk T. [National Energy Technology Lab. (NETL), Morgantown, WV (United States); Means, Nicholas C. [AECOM Technology Corp., Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

    2015-04-23

    A full engineering scale Fluidized Bed Steam Reformer (FBSR) system is being used at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) to stabilize acidic Low Activity Waste (LAW) known as Sodium Bearing Waste (SBW). The INTEC facility, known as the Integrated Waste Treatment Unit (IWTU), underwent an Operational Readiness Review (ORR) and a Technology Readiness Assessment (TRA) in March 2014. The IWTU began non-radioactive simulant processing in late 2014 and by January, 2015 ; the IWTU had processed 62,000 gallons of simulant. The facility is currently in a planned outage for inspection of the equipment and will resume processing simulated waste feed before commencing to process 900,000 gallons of radioactive SBW. The SBW acidic waste will be made into a granular FBSR product (carbonate based) for disposal in the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). In the FBSR process calcined coal is used to create a CO2 fugacity to force the waste species to convert to carbonate species. The quality of the coal, which is a feed input, is important because the reactivity, moisture, and volatiles (C,H,N,O, and S) in the coal impact the reactions and control of the mineralizing process in the primary steam reforming vessel, the Denitration and Mineralizing Reformer (DMR). Too much moisture in the coal can require that additional coal be used. However since moisture in the coal is only a small fraction of the moisture from the fluidizing steam this can be self-correcting. If the coal reactivity or heating value is too low then the coal feedrate needs to be adjusted to achieve the desired heat generation. Too little coal and autothermal heat generation in the DMR cannot be sustained and/or the carbon dioxide fugacity will be too low to create the desired carbonate mineral species. Too much coal and excess S and hydroxide species can form. Excess sulfur from coal that (1) is too rich in sulfur or (2) from overfeeding coal can promote wall scale and contribute to corrosion

  17. Nuclear Manpower Training

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Han, K. W.; Lee, H. Y.; Lee, E. J. and others

    2004-12-01

    Through the project on nuclear human resources development in 2004, the Nuclear Training Center of KAERI has provided various nuclear education and training courses for 1,962 persons from the domestic nuclear related organizations such as Government Agencies, nuclear industries, R and D institutes, universities, and public as well as from IAEA Member States. The NTC has developed education programs for master/doctorial course on advanced nuclear engineering in cooperation with the University of Science and Technology which was established in 2003. Additionally, nuclear education programs such as nuclear technical training courses for the promotion of cooperation with member countries, have developed during the project period. The center has also developed and conducted 7 training courses on nuclear related technology. In parallel, the center has produced 20 training materials including textbooks, 3 multi-media education materials, and 56 Video On Demand (VOD) cyber training materials. In order to promote international cooperation for human resources development, the NTC has implemented a sub-project on the establishment of a web-portal including database for the exchange of information and materials within the framework of ANENT. Also, the center has cooperated with FNCA member countries to establish a model of human resources development, as well as with member countries on bilateral cooperation bases to develop training programs. The International Nuclear Training and Education Center (INTEC), which was opened in 2002, has hosted 318 international and domestic events (training courses, conferences, workshops, etc.) during the project period

  18. Understanding Mechanisms of Radiological Contamination

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rick Demmer; John Drake; Ryan James, PhD

    2014-03-01

    Over the last 50 years, the study of radiological contamination and decontamination has expanded significantly. This paper addresses the mechanisms of radiological contamination that have been reported and then discusses which methods have recently been used during performance testing of several different decontamination technologies. About twenty years ago the Idaho Nuclear Technology Engineering Center (INTEC) at the INL began a search for decontamination processes which could minimize secondary waste. In order to test the effectiveness of these decontamination technologies, a new simulated contamination, termed SIMCON, was developed. SIMCON was designed to replicate the types of contamination found on stainless steel, spent fuel processing equipment. Ten years later, the INL began research into methods for simulating urban contamination resulting from a radiological dispersal device (RDD). This work was sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and included the initial development an aqueous application of contaminant to substrate. Since 2007, research sponsored by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has advanced that effort and led to the development of a contamination method that simulates particulate fallout from an Improvised Nuclear Device (IND). The IND method diverges from previous efforts to create tenacious contamination by simulating a reproducible “loose” contamination. Examining these different types of contamination (and subsequent decontamination processes), which have included several different radionuclides and substrates, sheds light on contamination processes that occur throughout the nuclear industry and in the urban environment.

  19. Organic lesion of the brain in persons suffered as a result of the disaster at the Chernobyl NPS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Revenok, A.A.

    1997-01-01

    In general somatic hospital, 215 patients of both sexes at the age from 34 to 55 with diagnosis 'Discircular encephalopathy' were investigated. From this number, 38 people had acute radiation sickness in 1986. On the grounds of the obtained data, it was established that, according to the leading syndromes of disease, they can be divided in such a way: cerebrosthenic (emotionally labile [asthenic]disorders - F 06.6), psychopatho-like (F 06.6 and organic disorders of personality - F 07.0), psychoorganic (F 06.6, F 07.0, organic amnesic syndrome - F 04, dissociative F 06.5 and mild cognitive disorders F 06.7) according to the international classification of diseases ICD - 10

  20. Picosecond energy relaxation in La0.67Ca0.33MnO3

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dorosinets, Vladimir; Richter, Pablo; Mohler, Ernst; Roskos, Hartmut G.; Jakob, Gerhard

    2005-01-01

    Investigating the reflectance response dynamics of La 0.67 Ca 0.33 MnO 3 thin films after excitation by femtosecond laser pulses, we identify for the first time a picosecond relaxation step which only exists below the Curie temperature T C . The relaxation time increases from zero at T C to several picoseconds at low temperatures. The data can be explained with the existence of a magnetization-related effective energy gap, and assuming relaxation between these states to be mediated by a Frohlich-type electron-lattice interaction

  1. Establishment of Oversea HRD Network and Operation of International Nuclear Education/Training Program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, E. J.; Min, B. J.; Han, K. W.

    2008-02-01

    The project deals with establishment of international network for human resources and the development of international nuclear education and training programs. The primary result is the establishment of KAERI International Nuclear R and D Academy as a new activity on cooperation for human resource development and building network. For this purpose, KAERI concluded the MOU with Vietnamese Universities and selected 3 students to provide Master and Ph. D. Courses in 2008. KAERI also held the 3rd World Nuclear University Summer Institute, in which some 150 international nuclear professionals attended for 6 weeks. Also, as part of regional networking, the Asian Network for Education in Nuclear Technology (ANENT) was promoted through development of a cyber platform and accomplishment the first IAEA e-training course. There were 3 kind of development activities for the international cooperation of human resources development. Firstly, the project provided training courses on nuclear energy development for the Egyptian Nuclear personnel under the bilateral cooperation. Secondly, the project published the English textbook and its lecture materials on introduction to nuclear engineering and fundamentals on OPR 1000 system technology. Lastly, the project developed a new KOICA training course on research reactor and radioisotope application technology to expand the KOICA sponsorship from 2008. The international nuclear education/training program had offered 15 courses to 314 people from 52 countries. In parallel, the project developed 11 kinds of lecturer materials and also developed 29 kinds of cyber lecturer materials. The operation of the International Nuclear Training and Education Center (INTEC) has contributed remarkably not only to the effective implementation of education/training activities of this project, but also to the promotion of other domestic and international activities of KAERI and other organizations

  2. Establishment of Oversea HRD Network and Operation of International Nuclear Education/Training Program

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, E. J.; Min, B. J.; Han, K. W. (and others)

    2008-02-15

    The project deals with establishment of international network for human resources and the development of international nuclear education and training programs. The primary result is the establishment of KAERI International Nuclear R and D Academy as a new activity on cooperation for human resource development and building network. For this purpose, KAERI concluded the MOU with Vietnamese Universities and selected 3 students to provide Master and Ph. D. Courses in 2008. KAERI also held the 3rd World Nuclear University Summer Institute, in which some 150 international nuclear professionals attended for 6 weeks. Also, as part of regional networking, the Asian Network for Education in Nuclear Technology (ANENT) was promoted through development of a cyber platform and accomplishment the first IAEA e-training course. There were 3 kind of development activities for the international cooperation of human resources development. Firstly, the project provided training courses on nuclear energy development for the Egyptian Nuclear personnel under the bilateral cooperation. Secondly, the project published the English textbook and its lecture materials on introduction to nuclear engineering and fundamentals on OPR 1000 system technology. Lastly, the project developed a new KOICA training course on research reactor and radioisotope application technology to expand the KOICA sponsorship from 2008. The international nuclear education/training program had offered 15 courses to 314 people from 52 countries. In parallel, the project developed 11 kinds of lecturer materials and also developed 29 kinds of cyber lecturer materials. The operation of the International Nuclear Training and Education Center (INTEC) has contributed remarkably not only to the effective implementation of education/training activities of this project, but also to the promotion of other domestic and international activities of KAERI and other organizations.

  3. Towards 250 m mapping of terrestrial primary productivity over Canada

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gonsamo, A.; Chen, J. M.

    2011-12-01

    Terrestrial ecosystems are an important part of the climate and global change systems. Their role in climate change and in the global carbon cycle is yet to be well understood. Dataset from satellite earth observation, coupled with numerical models provide the unique tools for monitoring the spatial and temporal dynamics of territorial carbon cycle. The Boreal Ecosystems Productivity Simulator (BEPS) is a remote sensing based approach to quantifying the terrestrial carbon cycle by that gross and net primary productivity (GPP and NPP) and terrestrial carbon sinks and sources expressed as net ecosystem productivity (NEP). We have currently implemented a scheme to map the GPP, NPP and NEP at 250 m for first time over Canada using BEPS model. This is supplemented by improved mapping of land cover and leaf area index (LAI) at 250 m over Canada from MODIS satellite dataset. The results from BEPS are compared with MODIS GPP product and further evaluated with estimated LAI from various sources to evaluate if the results capture the trend in amount of photosynthetic biomass distributions. Final evaluation will be to validate both BEPS and MODIS primary productivity estimates over the Fluxnet sites over Canada. The primary evaluation indicate that BEPS GPP estimates capture the over storey LAI variations over Canada very well compared to MODIS GPP estimates. There is a large offset of MODIS GPP, over-estimating the lower GPP value compared to BEPS GPP estimates. These variations will further be validated based on the measured values from the Fluxnet tower measurements over Canadian. The high resolution GPP (NPP) products at 250 m will further be used to scale the outputs between different ecosystem productivity models, in our case the Canadian carbon budget model of Canadian forest sector CBM-CFS) and the Integrated Terrestrial Ecosystem Carbon model (InTEC).

  4. Estereotipos negativos hacia la vejez y su relación con variables sociodemográficas, psicosociales y psicologicas

    OpenAIRE

    Sánchez Palacios, Concepción

    2011-01-01

    Cuestionario de conocimientos sobre el envejecimiento (Palmore, 1988). El nuevo cuestionario de evaluación de estereotipos negativos hacia la vejez elaborado (CENVE), está compuesto por 15 items. En el análisis factorial realizado se han encontrado tres factores: Salud, Motivación y Personalidad, con una varianza explicada para cada uno de los factores de 20,04%, 17,68% y 19,24% y una consistencia interna de 0,67, 0,67 y 0,66 respectivamente. El objetivo del segundo estudio empírico ha c...

  5. Magnetization and ESR studies of La{sub 0.67}(Ca{sub 1−x}Mg{sub x}){sub 0.33}MnO{sub 3} systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sendil Kumar, A., E-mail: sendilphy@gmail.com [School of Physics, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, Telangana, 500 046 (India); Ravinder Reddy, K [School of Engineering Sciences & Technology, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, Telangana, 500 046 (India); Bhatnagar, Anil K. [School of Physics, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, Telangana, 500 046 (India); School of Engineering Sciences & Technology, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, Telangana, 500 046 (India)

    2015-08-05

    Highlights: • Mg substitution reduces the ferromagnetic strength. • Inhomogeneous broadening is due to phase separation. • Griffiths phase existence is probed. - Abstract: Magnetization studies and line shape analysis on Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) spectra of La{sub 0.67}(Ca{sub 1−x}Mg{sub x}){sub 0.33}MnO{sub 3} are carried out. In paramagnetic phase well above T{sub c}, the ESR spectra are single Lorentzian but below and near T{sup ∗}{sub ΔHPP}, (T{sup ∗}{sub ΔHPP} is temperature at which line width is minimum) inhomogeneous broadening with asymmetry in the signal is observed due to phase separation. The resonance field below T{sup ∗}{sub ΔHPP} decreases with decreasing temperature. Above T{sub c} the intensity of the ESR spectra obeys the thermally activated model (Arrhenius behavior). Substitution of Mg weakens the ferromagnetic interaction and evolution of change in lineshape near T{sub c} is an evidence of Griffiths phase (coexistence of paramagnetic and ferromagnetic) in Mg doped LCMO system.

  6. Spring 2009 Semiannual (III.H. and I.U.) Report for the HWMA/RCRA Post-Closure Permit for the INTEC Waste Calcining Facility at the INL Site

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boehmer, Ann M.

    2009-01-01

    The Waste Calcining Facility is located at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center. In 1999, the Waste Calcining Facility was closed under and approved Hazardous Waste Management Act/Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Closure plan. Vessels and spaces were grouted and then covered with a concrete cap. This permit sets forth procedural requirements for groundwater characterization and monitoring, maintenance, and inspections of the Waste Calcining Facility to ensure continued protection of human health and the environment.

  7. Spring 2009 Semiannual (III.H. and I.U.) Report for the HWMA/RCRA Post-Closure Permit for the INTEC Waste Calcining Facility at the INL Site

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Boehmer, Ann M.

    2009-05-31

    The Waste Calcining Facility is located at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center. In 1999, the Waste Calcining Facility was closed under and approved Hazardous Waste Management Act/Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Closure plan. Vessels and spaces were grouted and then covered with a concrete cap. This permit sets forth procedural requirements for groundwater characterization and monitoring, maintenance, and inspections of the Waste Calcining Facility to ensure continued protection of human health and the environment.

  8. Remote Laser Diffraction Particle Size Distribution Analyzer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Batcheller, Thomas Aquinas; Huestis, Gary Michael; Bolton, Steven Michael

    2001-03-01

    In support of a radioactive slurry sampling and physical characterization task, an “off-the-shelf” laser diffraction (classical light scattering) particle size analyzer was utilized for remote particle size distribution (PSD) analysis. Spent nuclear fuel was previously reprocessed at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC—formerly recognized as the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant) which is on DOE’s INEEL site. The acidic, radioactive aqueous raffinate streams from these processes were transferred to 300,000 gallon stainless steel storage vessels located in the INTEC Tank Farm area. Due to the transfer piping configuration in these vessels, complete removal of the liquid can not be achieved. Consequently, a “heel” slurry remains at the bottom of an “emptied” vessel. Particle size distribution characterization of the settled solids in this remaining heel slurry, as well as suspended solids in the tank liquid, is the goal of this remote PSD analyzer task. A Horiba Instruments Inc. Model LA-300 PSD analyzer, which has a 0.1 to 600 micron measurement range, was modified for remote application in a “hot cell” (gamma radiation) environment. This technology provides rapid and simple PSD analysis, especially down in the fine and microscopic particle size regime. Particle size analysis of these radioactive slurries down in this smaller range was not previously achievable—making this technology far superior than the traditional methods used. Successful acquisition of this data, in conjunction with other characterization analyses, provides important information that can be used in the myriad of potential radioactive waste management alternatives.

  9. Computer based plant display and digital control system of Wolsong NPP Tritium Removal Facility

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jung, C.; Smith, B.; Tosello, G.; Grosbois, J. de; Ahn, J.

    2007-01-01

    Text (ST) languages for easy reviewing, documentation, testing, commissioning, and maintenance. As the project was a design collaboration involving a multi-national team of design organizations led by AECL, the control functional requirements for the PCDS come in the form of design input documents from several design authorities. To ensure smooth and efficient integration and consolidation of all the functional requirements for control and monitoring AECL provided two key design guide documents: a design guide for the preparation of design input documents for PDCS, and a plant control philosophy guide. Another innovation on the project included an AECL supplied and in-house developed tool (IntEC) to define and manage I/O signals and cabinet wirings by process system designers. To accommodate the skid-based design process taken for the plant and to save site construction time, AECL introduced preengineered control and field I/O cable marshalling and cross-connection cabinets. This approach reduced scheduling sequence inter-dependencies, permitted flexibility in design, and accommodated late design changes often encountered in a first-of-akind plant design. Finally, to decouple hardware delivery from the software (i.e., application logic) development, AECL developed the PDCS software configuration test-bed. This allowed both activities to proceed in parallel to ensure the schedule was met. (author)

  10. Unbiased Photocatalytic Hydrogen Generation from Pure Water on Stable Ir-treated In 0.33 Ga 0.67 N Nanorods

    KAUST Repository

    Ebaid, Mohamed; Priante, Davide; Liu, Guangyu; Zhao, Chao; Sharizal Alias, Mohd; Buttner, Ulrich; Khee Ng, Tien; Taylor Isimjan, Tayirjan; Idriss, Hicham; Ooi, Boon S.

    2017-01-01

    InGaN-based nanostructures have recently been recognized as promising materials for efficient solar hydrogen generation. This is due to their chemical stability, adjustable optoelectronic properties, suitable band edge alignment, and large surface-to-volume ratio. The inherent high density of surface trapping states and the lack of compatible conductive substrates, however, hindered their use as stable photo-catalysts. We have designed, synthesized and tested an efficient photocatalytic system using stable In0.33Ga0.67N-based nanorods (NRs) grown on an all-metal stack substrate (Ti-Mo) for a better electron transfer process. In addition, we have applied a bifunctional ultrathin thiol-based organic surface treatment using 1,2-ethanedithiol (EDT), in which sulfur atoms protected the surface from oxidation. This treatment has dual functions, it passivates the surface (by the removal of dangling bonds) and creates ligands for linking Ir-metal ions as oxygen evolution centers on top of the semiconductor. This treatment when applied to In0.33Ga0.67N NRs resulted in a photo-catalyst that achieved 3.5% solar-to-hydrogen (STH) efficiency, in pure water (pH~7, buffer solution) under simulated one-sun (AM1.5G) illumination and without electrical bias. Over the tested period, a steady increase of the gas evolution rate was observed from which a turnover frequency of 0.23s-1 was calculated. The novel growth of InGaN-based NRs on a metal as well as the versatile surface functionalization techniques (EDT-Ir) have a high potential for making stable photo-catalysts with adjustable band gaps and band edges to harvest sun light.

  11. Unbiased Photocatalytic Hydrogen Generation from Pure Water on Stable Ir-treated In 0.33 Ga 0.67 N Nanorods

    KAUST Repository

    Ebaid, Mohamed

    2017-05-11

    InGaN-based nanostructures have recently been recognized as promising materials for efficient solar hydrogen generation. This is due to their chemical stability, adjustable optoelectronic properties, suitable band edge alignment, and large surface-to-volume ratio. The inherent high density of surface trapping states and the lack of compatible conductive substrates, however, hindered their use as stable photo-catalysts. We have designed, synthesized and tested an efficient photocatalytic system using stable In0.33Ga0.67N-based nanorods (NRs) grown on an all-metal stack substrate (Ti-Mo) for a better electron transfer process. In addition, we have applied a bifunctional ultrathin thiol-based organic surface treatment using 1,2-ethanedithiol (EDT), in which sulfur atoms protected the surface from oxidation. This treatment has dual functions, it passivates the surface (by the removal of dangling bonds) and creates ligands for linking Ir-metal ions as oxygen evolution centers on top of the semiconductor. This treatment when applied to In0.33Ga0.67N NRs resulted in a photo-catalyst that achieved 3.5% solar-to-hydrogen (STH) efficiency, in pure water (pH~7, buffer solution) under simulated one-sun (AM1.5G) illumination and without electrical bias. Over the tested period, a steady increase of the gas evolution rate was observed from which a turnover frequency of 0.23s-1 was calculated. The novel growth of InGaN-based NRs on a metal as well as the versatile surface functionalization techniques (EDT-Ir) have a high potential for making stable photo-catalysts with adjustable band gaps and band edges to harvest sun light.

  12. Training effect of exchange bias in La0.67Sr0.33MnO3/SrTiO3 superlattice

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhu, S J; Zhao, B R; Xu, B; Zhu, B Y; Cao, L X; Qiu, X G

    2008-01-01

    The training effect of exchange bias has been observed in the superlattice consisting of ferromagnetic La 0.67 Sr 0.33 MnO 3 and non-magnetic SrTiO 3 layers. The exchange field shows an approximately power-law decrease with an increase in the number of hysteresis loop measurements. The vertical shift of the hysteresis loop reveals the existence of the net uncompensated spins at the interface between the La 0.67 Sr 0.33 MnO 3 and the SrTiO 3 layers. The irreversibility of magnetization measurements gives clear evidence that the interfacial spins will be frozen at low temperature. It is suggested that the frozen uncompensated spins at the interface are responsible for the shift of the hysteresis loop and the training effect of exchange bias might be a result of the relaxation process of those interfacial spins when the superlattice is consecutively field-cycled.

  13. EXAFS study of Mn1.28Fe0.67P0.46Si0.54 compound with first-order phase transition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    L, Yingjie; Huliyageqi, B; Haschaolu, W; Song, Zhiqiang; Tegus, O; Nakai, Ikuo

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • We have investigated the Fe and Mn K edge XAFS spectra of the Mn 1.28 Fe 0.67 P 0.46 Si 0.54 compound at 25 K and 295 K. • The site occupation of the Fe and Mn atoms and local structure of Mn 1.28 Fe 0.67 P 0.46 Si 0.54 are determined. • The atomic distances between Fe–Fe in c-plane for the ferromagnetic state are larger than those in the paramagnetic state. - Abstract: The Fe 2 P-type MnFe(P,Si) compounds are investigated by means of magnetic measurements and X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy. Magnetic measurements show that the Mn 1.28 Fe 0.67 P 0.46 Si 0.54 compound undergoes a first-order phase transition at the Curie temperature of 254 K. The Fe K-edge and Mn K-edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectra show that Mn atom mainly located at the 3g sites, while the 3f sites are occupied by Fe atoms and Mn atom randomly. The distances between the Fe atom and its nearest neighbor atoms in a triangle Fe–Mn–Fe change from 2.80 Å at 25 K to 2.74 Å at 300 K. On the other hand, the distances between Fe atom and its second neighbor atoms change from 4.06 Å at 25 K to 4.02 Å at 300 K

  14. The persistence of the magnetocaloric effect in (La1-x)A(x)(0.67)Ba0.33Mn1.05O3-δ

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ancona-Torres, Carlos Eugenio; Pryds, Nini; Kuhn, Luise Theil

    2010-01-01

    Polycrystalline samples of (La1-xAx)0.67Ba0.33Mn1.05O3-δ, with A being a mixture of lanthanides containing 66% La, 22% Nd, 8% Pr and 4% Ce, were prepared by the glycine-nitrate method, with target compositions of x = 0, 0.33, 0.67 and 1. The effect of the mixture of lanthanides on the Curie...... temperature, TC, and the magnetocaloric properties was investigated. The prepared samples are single phase, with space group R-3c. The lattice parameters and average A-site ionic radius, rA decrease linearly with x while the size disorder, as characterized by the variance, σ2, increases from 0.014 to 0...

  15. Pattern and validity of clinical diagnosis of upper gastrointestinal ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    PUD had the highest sensitivity value (0.72) while gastritis had the least (0.04). Specificity ranged from 0.40 for PUD to 1.00 for corrosive oesophagitis. Positive predictive value ranged from 0.29 (oesophageal cancer) to 0.67 (corrosive oesophagitis) and negative predictive value ranged from 0.66 for gastritis to 0.99 for ...

  16. Insights into the Effects of Zinc Doping on Structural Phase Transition of P2-Type Sodium Nickel Manganese Oxide Cathodes for High-Energy Sodium Ion Batteries

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wu, Xuehang; Xu, Gui-Liang; Zhong, Guiming; Gong, Zhengliang; McDonald, Matthew J.; Zheng, Shiyao; Fu, Riqiang; Chen, Zonghai; Amine, Khalil; Yang, Yong

    2016-08-31

    P2-type sodium nickel manganese oxide-based cathode materials with higher energy densities are prime candidates for applications in rechargeable sodium ion batteries. A systematic study combining in situ high energy X-ray diffraction (HEXRD), ex situ Xray absorption fine spectroscopy (XAFS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (SSNMR) techniques was carried out to gain a deep insight into the structural evolution of P2-Na0.66Ni0.33-xZnxMn0.67O2 (x = 0, 0.07) during cycling. In situ HEXRD and ex situ TEM measurements indicate that an irreversible phase transition occurs upon sodium insertion-extraction of Na0.66Ni0.33Mn0.67O2. Zinc doping of this system results in a high structural reversibility. XAFS measurements indicate that both materials are almost completely dependent on the Ni4+/Ni3+/ Ni2+ redox couple to provide charge/discharge capacity. SS-NMR measurements indicate that both reversible and irreversible migration of transition metal ions into the sodium layer occurs in the material at the fully charged state. The irreversible migration of transition metal ions triggers a structural distortion, leading to the observed capacity and voltage fading. Our results allow a new understanding of the importance of improving the stability of transition metal layers.

  17. Magneto-caloric and magneto-resistive properties of La{sub 0.67}Ca{sub 0.33-x}Sr{sub x}MnO{sub 3}

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Reves Dinesen, Anders

    2004-08-01

    This thesis presents results of an experimental investigation of magneto-caloric and magneto-resistive properties of a series of polycrystalline Ca- and Sr-doped lanthanum manganites, La{sub 0.67}Ca{sub 0.33-x}Sr{sub x}MnO{sub 3} (0{<=} x {<=} 0.33), with the perovskite structure. The samples consisted of sintered oxide powders prepared the glycine-nitrate combustion technique. The compounds were ferromagnetic and showed a Curie transition in the temperature range 267370 K (T{sub C} increased with increasing x). An analysis of the structural properties was carried out by means of x-ray diffraction and the Rietveld technique. The variation of the Ca/Sr ratio was found to cause a transition from orthorhombic to rhombohedral symmetry in the composition range 0.110 < x < 0.165. The analysis suggested a strong correlation between structural properties and magnetism, for instance a relationship between the mean MnOMn bond angle and the Curie temperature. The MnOMn bonds mediate ferromagnetism and electrical transport in these materials via the double-exchange mechanism. The magnetocaloric effect of the La{sub 0.67}Ca{sub 0.33-x}Sr{sub x}MnO{sub 3} samples was measured directly and indirectly (by means of magnetization measurements). All the samples showed a magnetocaloric effect in the vicinity of T{sub C}. A model for the mag-netocaloric effect based on Weiss mean field theory and classical theories for heat capacities was developed. The model provided reasonable predictions of the magneto-caloric properties of the samples. The compounds with low Sr content showed a magnetocaloric effect comparable to that of Gadolinium, the prototypical working material for magnetic refrigeration at room temperature. A less comprehensive part of the investigation regarded the magneto-resistive properties of the La{sub 0.67}Ca{sub 0.33-x}Sr{sub x}MnO{sub 3} system. It was found that th polycrystalline nature of the compounds played a decisive role for the magnetotransport properties

  18. Nanosize effects on the magnetic field induced transitions in La0.67−xEuxCa0.33MnO3 perovskite manganite

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Raju, N.; Roja Sree, D.; Reddy, S. Shravan Kumar; Reddy, Ch. Gopal; Reddy, P. Yadagiri; Reddy, K. Rama; Reddy, V. Raghavendra; Reddy Turpu, Goverdhan

    2014-01-01

    The nanosize effects on magnetic field induced transitions in La 0.67−x Eu x Ca 0.33 MnO 3 (x=0.25 and 0.27) system are presented in this paper. The reduction in the particle size of the system shows drastic effects on the electrical transport properties leading to robustness of the charge ordering phenomenon. The metal–insulator transition found in bulk materials at low magnetic fields disappeared in nanoparticles of the same material and a high field induced metal–insulator transition emerged at lower temperatures. These results manifest a strong correlation between the chemical pressures induced by doping of various ions at A-site and nanosize related phenomenon. - Highlights: • Chemical pressure and nanosize effects on electrical transport studies of Eu doped LCMO system are reported. • Decrease in particle size resulted in drastic changes on electrical transport studies. • Metal–insulator transition found in bulk at low magnetic fields disappeared in nanoparticles

  19. Temperature dependence of electroresistance for La0.67Ba0.33MnO3 manganite

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, Rajesh; Gupta, Ajai K.; Kumar, Vijay; Bhalla, G. L.; Khare, Neeraj

    2007-12-01

    The influence of dc biasing current on temperature dependence of resistance of La0.67Ba0.33MnO3 bulk sample is reported. A decrease in the resistance (electroresistance) on the application of higher bias current is observed. The electroresistance is maximum at metal insulator transition temperature (TMI) and decreases when the temperature is either increased or decreased from TMI. A two-phase model is proposed to explain the occurrence of electroresistance. The higher bias current leads to an increase in alignment of spins and thus, in turn, leads to an increase in spin stiffness coefficient and decrease in the resistance at TMI.

  20. Viability of Existing INL Facilities for Dry Storage Cask Handling

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bohachek, Randy; Wallace, Bruce; Winston, Phil; Marschman, Steve

    2013-04-30

    This report evaluates existing capabilities at the INL to determine if a practical and cost effective method could be developed for opening and handling full-sized dry storage casks. The Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) CPP-603, Irradiated Spent Fuel Storage Facility, provides the infrastructure to support handling and examining casks and their contents. Based on a reasonable set of assumptions, it is possible to receive, open, inspect, remove samples, close, and reseal large bolted-lid dry storage casks at the INL. The capability can also be used to open and inspect casks that were last examined at the TAN Hot Shop over ten years ago. The Castor V/21 and REA-2023 casks can provide additional confirmatory information regarding the extended performance of low-burnup (<45 GWD/MTU) used nuclear fuel. Once a dry storage cask is opened inside CPP-603, used fuel retrieved from the cask can be packaged in a shipping cask, and sent to a laboratory for testing. Testing at the INL’s Materials and Fuels Complex (MFC) can occur starting with shipment of samples from CPP-603 over an on-site road, avoiding the need to use public highways. This reduces cost and reduces the risk to the public. The full suite of characterization methods needed to establish the condition of the fuel exists and MFC. Many other testing capabilities also exist at MFC, but when those capabilities are not adequate, samples can be prepared and shipped to other laboratories for testing. This report discusses how the casks would be handled, what work needs to be done to ready the facilities/capabilities, and what the work will cost.

  1. Viability of Existing INL Facilities for Dry Storage Cask Handling

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Randy Bohachek; Charles Park; Bruce Wallace; Phil Winston; Steve Marschman

    2013-04-01

    This report evaluates existing capabilities at the INL to determine if a practical and cost effective method could be developed for opening and handling full-sized dry storage casks. The Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) CPP-603, Irradiated Spent Fuel Storage Facility, provides the infrastructure to support handling and examining casks and their contents. Based on a reasonable set of assumptions, it is possible to receive, open, inspect, remove samples, close, and reseal large bolted-lid dry storage casks at the INL. The capability can also be used to open and inspect casks that were last examined at the TAN Hot Shop over ten years ago. The Castor V/21 and REA-2023 casks can provide additional confirmatory information regarding the extended performance of low-burnup (<45 GWD/MTU) used nuclear fuel. Once a dry storage cask is opened inside CPP-603, used fuel retrieved from the cask can be packaged in a shipping cask, and sent to a laboratory for testing. Testing at the INL’s Materials and Fuels Complex (MFC) can occur starting with shipment of samples from CPP-603 over an on-site road, avoiding the need to use public highways. This reduces cost and reduces the risk to the public. The full suite of characterization methods needed to establish the condition of the fuel exists and MFC. Many other testing capabilities also exist at MFC, but when those capabilities are not adequate, samples can be prepared and shipped to other laboratories for testing. This report discusses how the casks would be handled, what work needs to be done to ready the facilities/capabilities, and what the work will cost.

  2. Interfaz y heterarquía: diseños de interacción locales para la independencia colaborativa descentralizada

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David Maulén De Los Reyes

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available El concepto de tecnologías de la información interface, se usa indistintamente para referirse a situaciones proyectuales vinculadas al diseño. Habitualmente asociado como derivación del manejo de empresas, especialmente desde los años 80. Desde un ángulo opuesto, la susceptibilidad para la independencia colaborativa descentralizada fue aplicada de manera experimental en el proyecto institucional estatal chileno; desde los años 20 a los primeros años 70, consiguiendo a fines de este período diversos avances en el ámbito de la informática que hoy son revalorizados. En este contexto el diseñador alemán Gui Bonsiepe, proveniente de la experiencia de la HfG-Ulm, coordinó el desaparecido Instituto Tecnológico de la Corporación de Fomento (INTEC CORFO, 1968-1973. Es aquí donde de cierta manera reformula el proto infomático concepto de interfaz, sintetizando otras iniciativas de diseño de interacción necesarias de resignificar que pueden dar cuenta de un vacío para una crítica a la economía política del espacio de lo simbólico en la posible excepcionalidad orgánica que habría significado esta conceptualización a escala nacional. Se hace, por tanto, necesario reconstituir las principales variables y modelos precedentes que delimitaron esta susceptibilidad “heterárquica”. Como situación y susceptibilidad específica de enunciación de un concepto fundamental entre tecnologías de la información y comunicación.

  3. Efficient CW diode-pumped Tm, Ho:YLF laser with tunability near 2.067 microns

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mcguckin, B. T.; Menzies, Robert T.

    1992-01-01

    A conversion efficiency of 42 percent and slope efficiency of approximately 60 percent relative to absorbed pump power are reported from a continuous wave diode-pumped Tm, Ho:YLF laser at 2 microns with output power of 84 mW at sub-ambient temperatures. The emission spectrum is etalon tunable over a range of 16/cm centered on 2.067 microns, with fine tuning capability of the transition frequency with crystal temperature at a measured rate of about -0.03/cm-K. The effective emission cross section is measured to be 5 x 10 exp -21 sq cm. These and other aspects of the laser performance are discussed in the context of calculated atmospheric absorption characteristics in this spectral region and potential use in remote sensing applications.

  4. Phase structure and electrochemical properties of La0.67Mg0.33Ni3.0-xCox (x=0.0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75) hydrogen storage alloys

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Dahui; Luo Yongchun; Yan Ruxu; Zhang Faliang; Kang Long

    2006-01-01

    La 0.67 Mg 0.33 Ni 3.0-x Co x (x=0.0, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75) hydrogen storage alloys were prepared by induction melting. Influences of partial substitution of Co for Ni on phase structure and electrochemical properties of La 0.67 Mg 0.33 Ni 3.0 were investigated by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), electron probe X-ray microanalysis (EPMA) and electrochemical measurements. XRD patterns and back scattered electron images show that the alloys were composed of the (La,Mg)Ni 3 phase with the PuNi 3 -type structure and the (La,Mg) 2 Ni 7 phase with the Ce 2 Ni 7 -type structure. The lattice parameters a, c and the unit-cell volumes v vary with the increase of Co content x. The electrochemical measurements show that partial Co substitution for Ni had no influence on the initial activation rate of the alloys. The maximum electrochemical discharge capacity increases firstly then decreases, the high-rate dischargeabilities (HRDs) of La 0.67 Mg 0.33 Ni 3.0-x Co x alloy electrodes increase with the increase of Co content. Moreover, the cycle stabilities of La 0.67 Mg 0.33 Ni 3.0-x Co x is not improved by small quantity replacement Ni by Co except for x=0.75

  5. Giant magnetic entropy change in manganese perovskite La{sub 0.67}Sr{sub 0.16}Ca{sub 0.17}MnO{sub 3} near room temperature

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mohamed, Za, E-mail: zaineb.mohamed24@yahoo.fr [Laboratoire de Physique de la matière condensée et des nanosciences, Faculté des Sciences, 5019, Université de Monastir (Tunisia); Tka, E.; Dhahri, J. [Laboratoire de Physique de la matière condensée et des nanosciences, Faculté des Sciences, 5019, Université de Monastir (Tunisia); Hlil, E.K. [Institut Néel, CNRS et Université Joseph Fourrier, B.P. 166, B.P.W-38042 Grenoble Cedex 9 (France)

    2014-12-05

    Highlights: • La{sub 0.67}Sr{sub 0.16}Ca{sub 0.17}MnO{sub 3} sample was prepared by solid state method. • La{sub 0.67}Sr{sub 0.16}Ca{sub 0.17}MnO{sub 3} crystallizes in a rhombohedral R3{sup ‾}c structure. • The variation of (M) vs. (T) reveals a (FM) to (PM) phase transition around T{sub C}. • The magnetocaloric effect is studied and the |ΔS{sub M}{sup max}| and RCP are determined. - Abstract: Structural, magnetic and magnetocaloric properties of La{sub 0.67}Sr{sub 0.16}Ca{sub 0.17}MnO{sub 3} perovskite have been studied. A solid state reaction method was used in the preparation phase. X-ray diffraction analysis using Rietveld refinement revealed that this sample crystallizes in the distorted rhombohedral system with R3{sup ‾}c space group. The variation of magnetization (M) vs. temperature (T), under an applied magnetic field of 0.05T, revealed a transition from a ferromagnetic (FM) to paramagnetic (PM) phase at around Curie temperature (T{sub C} = 336 K). Using Arrott plots, it was found that the transition is of a second-order. Isothermal measurements of magnetization allow us, through thermodynamic Maxwell relations, to determine the magnetic entropy change (ΔS{sub M}). A large ΔS{sub M} deduced from isothermal magnetization curves, has been observed in our sample with a peak centered around its respective T{sub C}. The maximum of the magnetic entropy change ΔS{sub M}{sup max} in a magnetic field change of 5T is found to be 5.51 J kg{sup −1} K{sup −1} at 335 K. In addition, the compound showed a large relative cooling power (RCP) value of about 234 J/kg while the maximum refrigerant capacity of 174 J/kg was attained at the applied field of 5T. As a result, the studied sample can be considered as a potential material for magnetic refrigeration.

  6. Modification of Electrical Properties of Thin La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 Films by Pulsed Thermocycling

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fiodoras ANISIMOVAS

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available Highly resistive states were formed in nonhomogeneous thin La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 films at 80 K temperature after resistance switching induced by the pulsed thermocycling. Heating up to room temperature does not destroy the resistive states. They demonstrate high values of electroresistance at applied pulsed electric field. It was registered formation of novel highly resistive state by resistance switching at 130 K in Tm region. We suppose that local temperature increase in the film is responsible for the formation of the resistive states in both cases and present a plausible explanation of the obtained results. The method of cyclic nanosecond temperature increase and decrease can be useful for modification of material properties having strongly correlated electron system and of ferroelectrics. Questions of practical realization of proposed method are discussed.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ms.18.3.2427

  7. FTIR spectra of the solid solutions (Na0.88K0.12)VO3, (Na0.5K0.5)VO3, and Na(V0.66P0.34)O3

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Waal, D.; Heyns, A. M.

    1992-03-01

    It is known that three different solid solutions, (Na0.88K0.12)VO3, (Na0.5K0.5)VO3 and Na(V0.66P0.34)O3, form in the (Na,K)(V,P)O3 system. These compounds all have monoclinic crystal structures similar to the pure alkali metal metavanadates containing small cations, e.g. Li+ and Na+ (Space group C2/c). Metavanadates with large cations like K+, Rb+, C+s and NH+4 form orthorhombic crystals, space group Pbcm. All those are structurally related to the silicate pyroxenes. Na(V0.66P0.34)O3 and (Na0.88K0.12)VO3 have the same modified diopside structure as (alpha) - NaVO3 while (Na0.5K0.5)VO3 adopts the true diopside structure. The infrared spectra of the three solid solutions are reported here in comparison with those of (alpha) -NaVO3 and KVO3. The results are also correlated with those obtained in two independent high pressure Raman studies of NH4VO3 and RbVO3 as the introduction of a larger cation like K+ should increase the pressure in the structure.

  8. Orthorhombic-orthorhombic phase transitions in Nd2NiO4+δ (0.067≤δ≤0.224)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ishikawa, Kenji; Metoki, Kenji; Miyamoto, Hiroshi

    2009-01-01

    Variation of the phases of Nd 2 NiO 4+δ with the excess oxygen concentration δ has been examined at room temperature in the range 0.067≤δ≤0.224 using the X-ray powder diffraction technique. The phases observed at room temperature are orthorhombic-I (0.21 2 NiO 4+δ with the excess oxygen concentration. O I : orthorhombic-I; O II : orthorhombic-II; O IV : orthorhombic-IV; T I : quasi-tetragonal-I.

  9. An update of hydrologic conditions and distribution of selected constituents in water, Snake River Plain aquifer, Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho, Emphasis 1999-2001

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davis, Linda C.

    2006-01-01

    Radiochemical and chemical wastewater discharged since 1952 to infiltration ponds, evaporation ponds, and disposal wells at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) has affected water quality in the Snake River Plain aquifer underlying the INL. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy, maintains ground-water monitoring networks at the INL to determine hydrologic trends, and to delineate the movement of radiochemical and chemical wastes in the aquifer. This report presents an analysis of water-level and water-quality data collected from wells in the USGS ground-water monitoring networks during 1999-2001. Water in the Snake River Plain aquifer moves principally through fractures and interflow zones in basalt, generally flows southwestward, and eventually discharges at springs along the Snake River. The aquifer is recharged principally from infiltration of irrigation water, infiltration of streamflow, ground-water inflow from adjoining mountain drainage basins, and infiltration of precipitation. Water levels in wells rose in the northern and west-central parts of the INL by 1 to 3 feet, and declined in the southwestern parts of the INL by up to 4 feet during 1999-2001. Detectable concentrations of radiochemical constituents in water samples from wells in the Snake River Plain aquifer at the INL generally decreased or remained constant during 1999-2001. Decreases in concentrations were attributed to decreased rates of radioactive-waste disposal, radioactive decay, changes in waste-disposal methods, and dilution from recharge. Tritium concentrations in water samples decreased as much as 8.3 picocuries per milliliter (pCi/mL) during 1999-2001, ranging from 0.43?0.14 to 13.6?0.6 pCi/mL in October 2001. Tritium concentrations in five wells near the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) increased a few picocuries per milliliter from October 2000 to October 2001. Strontium-90 concentrations decreased or remained

  10. Impact of lattice strain on the tunnel magnetoresistance in Fe/insulator/Fe and Fe/insulator/La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 magnetic tunnel junctions

    KAUST Repository

    Useinov, Arthur

    2013-08-19

    The objective of this work is to describe the tunnel electron current in single-barrier magnetic tunnel junctions within an approach that goes beyond the single-band transport model. We propose a ballistic multichannel electron transport model that can explain the influence of in-plane lattice strain on the tunnel magnetoresistance as well as the asymmetric voltage behavior. We consider as an example single-crystal magnetic Fe(110) electrodes for Fe/insulator/Fe and Fe/insulator/La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 tunnel junctions, where the electronic band structures of Fe and La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 are derived by ab initio calculations.

  11. Impact of lattice strain on the tunnel magnetoresistance in Fe/insulator/Fe and Fe/insulator/La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 magnetic tunnel junctions

    KAUST Repository

    Useinov, Arthur; Saeed, Yasir; Schwingenschlö gl, Udo; Singh, Nirpendra; Useinov, N.

    2013-01-01

    The objective of this work is to describe the tunnel electron current in single-barrier magnetic tunnel junctions within an approach that goes beyond the single-band transport model. We propose a ballistic multichannel electron transport model that can explain the influence of in-plane lattice strain on the tunnel magnetoresistance as well as the asymmetric voltage behavior. We consider as an example single-crystal magnetic Fe(110) electrodes for Fe/insulator/Fe and Fe/insulator/La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 tunnel junctions, where the electronic band structures of Fe and La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 are derived by ab initio calculations.

  12. Abnormal magnetization and field-induced transition in (La{sub 0.73}Bi{sub 0.27}){sub 0.67}Ca{sub 0.33}MnO{sub 3}

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li Haina; Wu Yuying [Department of Physics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan (China); Yu Hongwei [College of Science, Naval University of Engineering, Wuhan (China); Chen Ziyu [Department of Physics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan (China); Huang Yan; Wang Shaoliang; Li Liang [Wuhan Pulsed High Magnetic Field Center, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan (China); Xia Zhengcai, E-mail: xia9020@hust.edu.c [Wuhan Pulsed High Magnetic Field Center, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan (China)

    2010-09-15

    The magnetic field dependence of magnetization of Bi doped manganites (La{sub 1-x}Bi{sub x}){sub 0.67}Ca{sub 0.33}MnO{sub 3} (x=0.27) was investigated at different temperatures with a pulsed high magnetic field. A metamagnetic transition was observed in the magnetization measurement, which revealed the coexistence of charge ordering (CO) and ferromagnetic (FM) phases. With decreasing magnetic field, the field-induced FM phases remained stable even when the magnetic field decreased to zero. This result suggests that ferromagnetic interactions are enhanced due to the effect of the pulsed high magnetic field, which makes the doped manganites a good system for magnetoresistance materials.

  13. Fall 2010 Semiannual (III.H. and I.U.) Report for the HWMA/RCRA Post Closure Permit for the INTEC Waste Calcining Facility and the CPP 601/627/640 Facility at the INL Site

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Boehmer, Ann

    2010-11-01

    Tanks System Phase 1. These monitoring wells are intended to monitor for the occurrence of contaminants of concern in the perched water beneath and adjacent to the CPP-601/627/640 Landfill. The wells were constructed to satisfy requirements of the HWMA/RCRA Post-Closure Plan for the CPP 601/627/640 Landfill.

  14. Low-field magnetoresistance anisotropy in strained ultrathin Pr0.67Sr0.33MnO3 films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, H.S.; Li, Q.

    1999-01-01

    The authors have studied the anisotropic low-field magnetoresistance (LFMR) in ultrathin Pr 0.67 sr 0.33 MnO 3 (PSMO) films epitaxially grown on LaAlO 3 (LAO), STiO 3 (STO), and NdGaO 3 (NGO) substrates which impose compressive, tensile, and nearly-zero strains in the films. The compressively-strained films show a very large negative LFMR in a perpendicular magnetic field and a much smaller MR in a parallel field, while the tensile-strain films show positive LFMR in a perpendicular field and negative MR in a parallel field. The results are interpreted based on the strain-induced magnetic anisotropy

  15. Fuel Summary Report: Shippingport Light Water Breeder Reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Illum, D.B.; Olson, G.L.; McCardell, R.K.

    1999-01-01

    The Shippingport Light Water Breeder Reactor (LWBR) was a small water cooled, U-233/Th-232 cycle breeder reactor developed by the Pittsburgh Naval Reactors to improve utilization of the nation's nuclear fuel resources in light water reactors. The LWBR was operated at Shippingport Atomic Power Station (APS), which was a Department of Energy (DOE) (formerly Atomic Energy Commission)-owned reactor plant. Shippingport APS was the first large-scale, central-station nuclear power plant in the United States and the first plant of such size in the world operated solely to produce electric power. The Shippingport LWBR was operated successfully from 1977 to 1982 at the APS. During the five years of operation, the LWBR generated more than 29,000 effective full power hours (EFPH) of energy. After final shutdown, the 39 core modules of the LWBR were shipped to the Expended Core Facility (ECF) at Naval Reactors Facility at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL). At ECF, 12 of the 39 modules were dismantled and about 1000 of more than 17,000 rods were removed from the modules of proof-of-breeding and fuel performance testing. Some of the removed rods were kept at ECF, some were sent to Argonne National Laboratory-West (ANL-W) in Idaho and some to ANL-East in Chicago for a variety of physical, chemical and radiological examinations. All rods and rod sections remaining after the experiments were shipped back to ECF, where modules and loose rods were repackaged in liners for dry storage. In a series of shipments, the liners were transported from ECF to Idaho Nuclear Technology Engineering Center (INTEC), formerly the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant (ICPP). The 47 liners containing the fully-rodded and partially-derodded core modules, the loose rods, and the rod scraps, are now stored in underground dry wells at CPP-749

  16. Internacionalización de la educación superior en Costa Rica La experiencia de una maestría de doble titulación de la Universidad Nacional

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arlette Pichardo Muñiz

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Costa Rica ha propiciado la movilidad internacional estudiantil y docente desde hace varias décadas, incluso como sede de programas internacionales de educación superior. El Centro Internacional de Política Económica para el Desarrollo Sostenible (CINPE de la Universidad Nacional (UNA en la actualidad imparte la Maestría en Gerencia del Comercio Internacional (MGCI, en doble titulación con el Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (INTEC, República Dominicana. Esta es la primera de su género en el país –según se conoce hasta la fecha– y, quizás, en Centroamérica, donde una universidad costarricense aporta el currículo y asume el liderazgo académico, incorporando la transculturalidad como valor agregado. El objetivo del artículo es difundir lecciones de esta experiencia que puedan ser útiles para otras iniciativas. En términos generales, los resultados de la sistematización indican que: (1 la inclusión de las dimensiones internacional e intercultural supone, primero, la internacionalización en casa; (2 la creación de condiciones iniciales para escalar peldaños superiores en el proceso de internacionalización, no ocurre de la noche a la mañana; (3 la gestión y gerencia suponen soluciones innovadoras y consensuadas; y (4 hace falta poner la debida atención en la armonización de procedimientos, instrumentos y formularios. Sobre la base de los principales hallazgos se presentan algunas conclusiones, en particular para la discusión de las implicaciones de un programa de esta naturaleza u otros con características similares.

  17. Relationship between neurometabolite derangement and neurocognitive dysfunction in systemic lupus erythematosus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brooks, W M; Jung, R E; Ford, C C; Greinel, E J; Sibbitt, W L

    1999-01-01

    To determine the relationship between neurochemical markers of brain injury and brain dysfunction associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Patients with SLE (n = 12) were studied using magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging at 1.5 Tesla to determine neurochemistry and a neurocognitive testing battery to determine brain dysfunction. N-acetylaspartate (NAA), creatine (Cre), and choline (Cho) concentrations were measured in white (WM) and gray (GM) matter and expressed as the ratios NAA/Cho, NAA/Cre, and Cho/Cre. Neurocognitive testing results were expressed as a composite z score. Disease activity was quantified by SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) and disease injury by Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC)/American College of Rheumatology Damage Index. Neurochemical measures of brain injury were correlated with neurocognitive testing z scores: NAA/Cho in WM (r = 0.77, p = 0.003) and GM (r = 0.67, p = 0.017); WM Cho/Cre also correlated with total z score (r = -0.74, p = 0.006). Neurometabolite ratios and SLICC were correlated: GM NAA/Cho (r = -0.70, p = 0.011 ) and NAA/Cre (r = -0.71, p = 0.01) and WM Cho/Cre (r = 0.66, p = 0.02). Correlations between neurometabolite ratios and SLEDAI did not reach significance. Brain function is closely correlated with brain injury assessed noninvasively by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. This important finding further supports the use of magnetic resonance spectroscopy to evaluate brain injury in SLE.

  18. Tooth mobility among rural dwellers in Midwestern area of Nigeria ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The mean debris, calculus and oral hygiene score among the participants were 1.50±0.65, 1.23±0.65 and 2.71±1.20 respectively. Participants with tooth mobility exhibited higher mean debris [1.69±0.59 versus 1.46±0.66], calculus [1.38±0.67 versus 1.19±0.65] and oral hygiene 3.06±1.19 versus 2.62±1.19] scores.

  19. EXAFS study of Mn{sub 1.28}Fe{sub 0.67}P{sub 0.46}Si{sub 0.54} compound with first-order phase transition

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    L, Yingjie; Huliyageqi, B; Haschaolu, W; Song, Zhiqiang [Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory for Physics and Chemistry of Functional Materials, Physics and Electronic Information College, Inner Mongolia Normal University, Hohhot 010022 (China); Tegus, O, E-mail: tegusph@imnu.edu.cn [Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory for Physics and Chemistry of Functional Materials, Physics and Electronic Information College, Inner Mongolia Normal University, Hohhot 010022 (China); Nakai, Ikuo [Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Tottori University, Tottori 680-8552 (Japan)

    2014-10-15

    Highlights: • We have investigated the Fe and Mn K edge XAFS spectra of the Mn{sub 1.28}Fe{sub 0.67}P{sub 0.46}Si{sub 0.54} compound at 25 K and 295 K. • The site occupation of the Fe and Mn atoms and local structure of Mn{sub 1.28}Fe{sub 0.67}P{sub 0.46}Si{sub 0.54} are determined. • The atomic distances between Fe–Fe in c-plane for the ferromagnetic state are larger than those in the paramagnetic state. - Abstract: The Fe{sub 2}P-type MnFe(P,Si) compounds are investigated by means of magnetic measurements and X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy. Magnetic measurements show that the Mn{sub 1.28}Fe{sub 0.67}P{sub 0.46}Si{sub 0.54} compound undergoes a first-order phase transition at the Curie temperature of 254 K. The Fe K-edge and Mn K-edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectra show that Mn atom mainly located at the 3g sites, while the 3f sites are occupied by Fe atoms and Mn atom randomly. The distances between the Fe atom and its nearest neighbor atoms in a triangle Fe–Mn–Fe change from 2.80 Å at 25 K to 2.74 Å at 300 K. On the other hand, the distances between Fe atom and its second neighbor atoms change from 4.06 Å at 25 K to 4.02 Å at 300 K.

  20. Neutron diffraction study on the magnetic structure of Fe{sub 2}P-based Mn{sub 0.66}Fe{sub 1.29}P{sub 1−x}Si{sub x} melt-spun ribbons

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ou, Z.Q., E-mail: z.ou@tudelft.nl [Fundamental Aspects of Materials and Energy, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Delft University of Technology, Mekelweg 15, 2629 JB Delft (Netherlands); Zhang, L. [Fundamental Aspects of Materials and Energy, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Delft University of Technology, Mekelweg 15, 2629 JB Delft (Netherlands); BASF Nederland B.V., Strijkviertel 67, 3454PK De Meern (Netherlands); Dung, N.H. [Fundamental Aspects of Materials and Energy, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Delft University of Technology, Mekelweg 15, 2629 JB Delft (Netherlands); Eijck, L. van [Neutron and Positron Methods in Materials, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Delft University of Technology, Mekelweg 15, 2629 JB Delft (Netherlands); Mulders, A.M. [University of New South Wales in Canberra, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2600 (Australia); Avdeev, M. [Bragg Institute, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organization (ANSTO), Kirrawee DC NSW 2232 (Australia); Dijk, N.H. van; Brück, E. [Fundamental Aspects of Materials and Energy, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Delft University of Technology, Mekelweg 15, 2629 JB Delft (Netherlands)

    2013-08-15

    We report on the magnetic and structural properties of Mn{sub 0.66}Fe{sub 1.29}P{sub 1−x}Si{sub x} melt-spun ribbons with 0.34≤x≤0.42 that are promising candidates for high-temperature magnetocaloric applications. A magnetic moment of up to 4.57 μ{sub B}/f.u. for x=0.34 indicates high magnetic density in the system, which is certainly advantageous for the magnetocaloric effects. Introducing site disorder at the 3g site by replacing 1/3 of Fe with Mn appears to enhance the magnetic interaction, while the strong magnetoelastic coupling is maintained. This site disorder also shows a stabilizing effect on the hexagonal crystal structure, which is maintained to a high Si content. The moment alignment within the crystallographic unit cell is also affected when the Si content is increased from x=0.34 to 0.42 in the Mn{sub 0.66}Fe{sub 1.29}P{sub 1−x}Si{sub x} compounds as the canting angle with respect to the c-direction increases. - Highlights: • The magnetic structure is determined using neutron diffraction. • A magnetic moment of up to 4.57 μ{sub B}/f.u. is observed. • Alignment of the magnetic moment is canted when varying the Si content. • The 3g site disorder shows a stabilizing effect on the hexagonal crystal structure.

  1. Partial substitution effects on the physical properties of Ba0.67Nd0.22Ti(1-x)SnxO3

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brahem, R.; Rahmouni, H.; Farhat, N.; Costa, L. C.; Khirouni, K.

    2015-12-01

    Perovskite-ceramics Ba0.67Nd0.22Ti(1-x)SnxO3 (BNTSnx) with 0≤ x≤ 0.10 are synthesized by the conventional solid-state reaction. The diffraction peaks are sharp, indicating well crystallized phases. Ritveld analyses of XRD data show that the samples display a clean single phase without traces of secondary phases. The Scanning electron microscopy micrographs show that more dense structure is formed when increasing tin content and all samples show a similar grain habit with a parallelepipedic structure. The analysis of the dielectric properties permits to suggest the presence of diffuse phase transition in the system. The temperature dependence of the permittivity is well described by the modified Curie-Weiss law. Also, a metal-semiconductor transition is observed at around T_{MS}=220 K and 145 K, respectively for x = 0 and 0.05. For x = 0.1, only a semiconductor behavior is observed and T_{MS} is lower than 80 K. In addition, the frequency dependence of conductance is found to obey to the Jonscher universal power law.

  2. Structural, magnetic and magnetocaloric properties of polycrystalline La{sub 0.67}Ba{sub 0.33-x}Zn{sub x}MnO{sub 3} (x = 0.15 and 0.2) manganites

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zaidi, Asma; Mohamed, Z.; Dhahri, J. [University of Monastir, Laboratory of Condensed Matter and Nanosciences, Monastir (Tunisia); Hlil, E.K. [CNRS, University of Joseph Fourier, Institut Neel, Grenoble (France); Alharbi, T.; Zaidi, M. [Majmaah University, College of Science of Zulfi, Al Majmaah (Saudi Arabia)

    2016-04-15

    We report on the structural, magnetic and magnetocaloric properties of manganite La{sub 0.67}Ba{sub 0.33-x}Zn{sub x}MnO{sub 3} (x=0.15 and 0.2). X-ray diffraction studies show that all samples crystallize with the rhombohedral symmetry within the space group R anti 3c. The magnetic and magnetocaloric properties of polycrystalline perovskite were investigated from the measured magnetization data of the samples as a function of the applied magnetic field. The associated magnetic entropy change close to their respective Curie temperature T{sub C} and the relative cooling power (RCP) have been determined. It was found that the maximum change in magnetic entropy of La{sub 0.67}Ba{sub 0.33-x}Zn{sub x}MnO{sub 3} samples reached 3.4 J/kg K at T{sub C}=260 K for a magnetic field of 5 T and RCP=223.77 J/kg. In view of these results, La{sub 0.67}Ba{sub 0.33-x}Zn{sub x}MnO{sub 3} compounds are potential candidates for magnetic refrigeration. (orig.)

  3. Detection of metal stress in boreal forest species using the 0.67-micron chlorophyll absorption band

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singhroy, Vernon H.; Kruse, Fred A.

    1991-01-01

    Several recent studies have shown that a shift of the red-edge inflection near 0.70 micron in vegetation reflectance spectra is an indicator of metal stress, partially attributable to changes in chlorophyll concentration. This 'red-edge shift', however, is difficult to detect and has been reported both toward longer (red) and shorter (blue) wavelengths. Our work demonstrates that direct measurement of the depth and width of the chlorophyll absorption band at 0.67 micron using digital feature extraction and absorption band characterization procedures developed for the analysis of mineral spectra is a more consistent indicator of metal stress. Additionally, the magnitude of these parameters is generally greater than that of the red edge shift and thus should be more amenable to detection and mapping using field and aircraft spectrometers.

  4. Strain-mediated magnetic response in La0.67Sr0.33MnO3/SrTiO3/La0.67Sr0.33MnO3/BaTiO3 structure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Swain, Anupama; Komatsu, Katsuyoshi; Itoh, Mitsuru; Taniyama, Tomoyasu; Gorige, Venkataiah

    2018-05-01

    Electric field controlled magnetism is an exciting area of condensed matter physics to explore the device applications at ultra-low power consumption compared to the conventional current controlled or magnetic field controlled devices. In this study, an attempt was made to demonstrate electric field controlled magnetoresistance (MR) in a tri-layer structure consisting of La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 (LSMO) (40 nm)/SrTiO3 (10 nm)/LSMO (10 nm) grown on a 500-μm-thick BaTiO3 (001) (BTO) single crystal substrate by pulsed laser deposition technique. Epitaxial growth of the trilayer structure was confirmed by x-ray diffraction measurements. Jumps observed in the temperature-dependent magnetization curve at around the structural phase transitions of BTO ensure the strain-mediated magnetoelectric coupling between LSMO and BTO layers. A significant change in MR of this structure in applied electric fields does not show any polarity dependence. The findings are related to the lattice strain-mediated magnetoelectric coupling in ferromagnetic LSMO/ferroelectric BTO heterostructures.

  5. Internal friction evidence of intrinsic inhomogeneity in the paramagnetic region of La0.67Ca0.33MnO3

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ma, Y.Q.; Song, W.H.; Zhao, B.C.; Zhang, R.L.; Yang, J.; Lu, W.J.; Du, J.J.; Sun, Y.P.

    2005-01-01

    We have investigated the optimally doped manganite La 0.67 Ca 0.33 MnO 3 by measurements of the resistivity ρ, magnetization M, Young's modulus E and internal friction Q - 1 . A remarkable peak in the Q - 1 curve is observed in the paramagnetic (PM) region, and it is attributed to the formation of magnetic clusters. Furthermore, this peak is characteristic of thermally activated relaxation. Our observation is discussed combined with the analysis of the electrical transport and magnetic properties in PM region

  6. Consecuencias de la Promulgación de la Ley 1150 de 2007 y del Decreto 066 de 2008 para la selección de ingenieros consultores

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francisco Suárez Montaño

    2008-05-01

    Full Text Available El artículo examina las consecuencias de la Ley 1150 de 2007 y el Decreto de Ley 066 de 2008 para la consultoría en ingeniería en Colombia. Así mismo, llama la atención sobre los beneficios de la legislación reciente. El autor enfatiza las dificultades de la ley, particularmente, el caso del conflicto de intereses, la lista corta y la no exhibición del certificado de disponibilidad presupuestal de las entidades públicas para la contratación de consultoría. El autor concluye con una reflexión acerca del papel de la universidad en los procesos de contratación de consultoría./ This article examines the consequences of the Law 1150 of 2007 and the Decree 066 of 2008 to the engineering consultancy in Colombia. The author also stress the benefits of the recent legislation, but either proposes to a future legislative agenda the difficulties the law has; particularly, the case of conflict of interest, the short list, and the non-production of a certificate of availability budget by the public entities for consultancy contracts. The article concludes with a reflection on the role of the university in engineering consultancy.

  7. Magnetically induced electrical transport and dielectric properties of 3d transition elemental substitution at the Mn-site in Nd0.67Ba0.33MnO3 manganites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sudakshina, B.; Arun, B.; Chandrasekhar, K. Devi; Yang, H. D.; Vasundhara, M.

    2018-05-01

    We have investigated the temperature dependence of electrical transport and dielectric properties along with magnetoresistance and magneto dielectric behavior in Nd0.67Ba0.33Mn0.9TR0.1O3 (TR= Cr, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu) manganites. All the compounds crystallized into an orthorhombic structure with Imma space group. Nd0.67Ba0.33MnO3 shows insulating to metallic behavior at intermediate temperatures, but, with the substitution of transitional elements it shows insulating in nature, down to lowest temperature measured for all the compounds. Dielectric measurement shows the intrinsic behavior of these lossy materials. A large value of magneto resistance is obtained for all the compounds and considerable amount of magneto-dielectric effect is shown for all the substituted compounds at lower temperatures.

  8. Magnetic entropy-change in La0.67-xBixCa0.33MnO3 compound

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Atalay, S.; Kolat, V.S.; Gencer, H.; Adiguzel, H.I.

    2006-01-01

    Bi doped lanthanum manganites with the chemical composition of La 0.67-x Bi x Ca 0.33 MnO 3 (x=0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.2) were prepared by the standard solid-state process. The Curie temperatures were measured to be 267K for x=0, 248K for x=0.05, 244K for x=0.1 and 229K for x=0.2 samples. It was found that the maximum value of the magnetic entropy change |ΔS m | has reached the highest value of 6.08J/kgK at 3T for the composition with x=0.05. Nearly the same maximum entropy change was observed for the x=0 sample. A large decrease in the magnitude of the entropy change was observed for the x=0.2 sample

  9. Giant electroresistance in strained ultrathin La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kwak, In Hae; Shakya, Ambika; Paykar, Ashkan; Lacera Otalora, Hector; Biswas, Amlan

    We investigated the effect of an electric current on the transport properties of microstructured La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 (LSMO) thin films. Pulsed laser deposition was used to grow atomically smooth thin films of LSMO on singly terminated SrTiO3 (STO) substrates. The microstructure pattern was designed to restrict conduction either in the direction or across the unit cell steps on the atomically smooth surfaces. Previous experiments on these thin films had suggested possible phase separation due to charge ordering near the step edges. We will present evidence that this charge ordered state can be modified by an electric current leading to large electroresistance of upto 95% for a 1 µA current which is comparable to magnetoresistance values at 4 T. Interestingly, the electoresistance was large (about 65 %) even at room temperature when the current was applied along the step directions. Our results suggest possible use of ultrathin LSMO films as resistance switching devices at room temperature. NSF-DMR 1410237.

  10. Topology breaking of the vortex in multiferroic Y0.67Lu0.33MnO3

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Qing-Hua; Gu, Lin; Yao, Yuan; Jin, Chang-Qing; Wang, Yan-Guo; Duan, Xiao-Feng; Yu, Ri-Cheng; Tan, Guo-Tai

    2014-01-01

    Although topological defects, such as domain walls (DWs) or vortices, are naturally protected by topological invariance, yet, we discover an exception that the six-state topology of the vortex with Z2 × Z3 symmetry is broken by a partial edge dislocation (PED) in hexagonal Y 0.67 Lu 0.33 MnO 3 , where the topologies of the four-state vortex or closed DWs emerges. Using aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy, we found that the PED plays an important role in changing the phase of translation domain. The PED at the vortex core leads to the formation of the four-state vortex, while the ones at closed DWs connect different types of DWs, both corresponding to continuous phase changes. These results indicate that PEDs can change the topology of translation-related domain vortices and more vortices with even domains can be expected.

  11. Branching ratio for the isoscalar transition 2+, T = 1, 1.95 MeV→0+, T = 1, 0.66 MeV in 22Na

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vermeer, W.J.; Poletti, A.R.

    1982-01-01

    The branching ratio for the isoscalar transition 2 + , T = 1, 1.95 MeV→0 + , T = 1, 0.66 MeV in 22 Na was measured as (0.29+-0.05)% of the total decays of the 1.95MeV level. This, together with the measured mean-life of this level, gives an E2 strength of (16+-5) Wu, in good agreement with the estimate of 18 Wu obtained from the analogue transitions in 22 Ne and 22 Mg assuming a linear relationship between M(E2) and Tsub(z). Upper limits for some weak decay branches in 19 F were also obtained. (author)

  12. High temperature spin-glass-like transition in La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 nanofibers near the Curie point.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Ruie; Yang, Sen; Li, Yitong; Chen, Kaiyun; Jiang, Yun; Fu, Bi; Zhang, Yin; Zhou, Chao; Xu, Minwei; Zhou, Xuan

    2017-06-28

    The glassy transition of superparamagnetic (SPM) (r glass-like (SGL) behavior near the Curie point (T C ), i.e., T 0 = 330 K, in La 0.67 Sr 0.33 MnO 3 (LSMO) nanofibers (NFs) composed of nanoparticles beyond the SPM size (r ≫ r 0 ), resulting in a significant increase of the glass transition temperature. This SGL transition near the T C of bulk LSMO can be explained to be the scenario of locally ordered clusters embedded in a disordered host, in which the assembly of nanoparticles has a magnetic core-shell model driven by surface spin glass. The presence of a surface spin glass of nanoparticles was proved by the Almeida-Thouless line δT f ∝ H 2/3 , exchange bias, and reduced saturation magnetization of the NF system. Composite dynamics were found - that is, both the SPM and the super-spin-glass (SSG) behavior are found in such an NF system. The bifurcation of the zero-field-cooled (ZFC) and field-cooled (FC) magnetization vs. temperature curves at the ZFC peak, and the flatness of FC magnetization involve SSG, while the frequency-dependent ac susceptibility anomaly follows the Vogel-Fulcher law that implies weak dipole interactions of the SPM model. This finding can help us to find a way to search for high temperature spin glass materials.

  13. Comorbidity predicts poor prognosis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma: Development and validation of a predictive score model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guo, Rui; Chen, Xiao-Zhong; Chen, Lei; Jiang, Feng; Tang, Ling-Long; Mao, Yan-Ping; Zhou, Guan-Qun; Li, Wen-Fei; Liu, Li-Zhi; Tian, Li; Lin, Ai-Hua; Ma, Jun

    2015-01-01

    Background and purpose: The impact of comorbidity on prognosis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is poorly characterized. Material and methods: Using the Adult Comorbidity Evaluation-27 (ACE-27) system, we assessed the prognostic value of comorbidity and developed, validated and confirmed a predictive score model in a training set (n = 658), internal validation set (n = 658) and independent set (n = 652) using area under the receiver operating curve analysis. Results: Comorbidity was present in 40.4% of 1968 patients (mild, 30.1%; moderate, 9.1%; severe, 1.2%). Compared to an ACE-27 score ⩽1, patients with an ACE-27 score >1 in the training set had shorter overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) (both P < 0.001), similar results were obtained in the other sets (P < 0.05). In multivariate analysis, ACE-27 score was a significant independent prognostic factor for OS and DFS. The combined risk score model including ACE-27 had superior prognostic value to TNM stage alone in the internal validation set (0.70 vs. 0.66; P = 0.02), independent set (0.73 vs. 0.67; P = 0.002) and all patients (0.71 vs. 0.67; P < 0.001). Conclusions: Comorbidity significantly affects prognosis, especially in stages II and III, and should be incorporated into the TNM staging system for NPC. Assessment of comorbidity may improve outcome prediction and help tailor individualized treatment

  14. Existence of Griffiths phase in La0.67Ca0.33Mn0.93Fe0.07O3

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Joshi, L.; Dayal, V.; Rama, N.; Keshri, S.

    2009-01-01

    Temperature variation of electrical resistivity, AC susceptibility and electron spin resonance measurements are reported for La 0.67 Ca 0.33 Mn 0.93 Fe 0.07 O 3 . The inverse of AC susceptibility shows a downturn with decreasing temperature before T c indicating the existence of Griffiths phase for the temperature range T c ≤ T ≤ T G , where T G is the Griffiths temperature. The ESR results show the existence of FM clusters in the PM region above T c which supports the presence of Griffiths phase. The ESR results also show the existence of inhomogeneous distribution of magnetic phases in the sample. A possible mechanism of the obtained results has been explained.

  15. Effect of B-doping on the structural, magnetotransport and magnetocaloric properties of La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 compounds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kolat, V.S.; Gencer, H.; Gunes, M.; Atalay, S.

    2007-01-01

    In this study, the effect of Mn site substitution of B on the structural, electrical and magnetocaloric properties of manganites was investigated. Polycrystalline manganites with the chemical composition La 0.67 Ca 0.33 Mn 1-x B x O 3 (x = 0, 0.1, 0.2 and 0.3) were prepared by the standard solid-state process. It was found that the magnetisation, the Curie temperature and the maximum value of the magnetic entropy change |ΔS m | decrease with increasing concentration of B

  16. In-plane reversal of the magnetic anisotropy in (110)-oriented LaCoO3/La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 heterostructures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Jing; Yan, Xi; Han, Furong; Zhang, Jine; Liu, Dan; Shen, Baogen; Sun, Jirong

    2018-05-01

    The interface engineering of the complex oxides with strongly coupled degrees of freedom opens a wide space for the exploration of novel effects. La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 is one of the most typical complex oxides used for atomic level material engineering. Herein we reported an in-plane reversal of the magnetic anisotropy in (110)-oriented LaCoO3/La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 (LCO/LSMO) bilayers grown on (110)-oriented LaAlO3 substrates. Fixing the LSMO layer thickness to 8 nm and varying the LCO layer from 0 to 8 nm, totally six bilayers were fabricated. Without the LCO layer, the LSMO film exhibits an easy axis along the [1-10] direction. However, when the thickness of the LCO layer exceeds 1 nm, a signature of spin-reorientation appears; the easy axis turns from the [1-10] to the [001] direction below 225 K. This tendency is continuously enhanced by increasing the LCO. We reveal that lattice strains are different along these two directions. The magnetic anisotropy is not only controlled by lattice strain but also by structural distortion at interface. This work shows the great potential of the interface engineering with differently structured oxides for the exploration of novel functional materials.

  17. Correlation between basalt flows and radiochemical and chemical constituents in selected wells in the southwestern part of the Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bartholomay, Roy C.; Hodges, Mary K. V.; Champion, Duane E.

    2017-12-21

    Wastewater discharged to wells and ponds and wastes buried in shallow pits and trenches at facilities at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) have contributed contaminants to the eastern Snake River Plain (ESRP) aquifer in the southwestern part of the INL. This report describes the correlation between subsurface stratigraphy in the southwestern part of the INL with information on the presence or absence of wastewater constituents to better understand how flow pathways in the aquifer control the movement of wastewater discharged at INL facilities. Paleomagnetic inclination was used to identify subsurface basalt flows based on similar inclination measurements, polarity, and stratigraphic position. Tritium concentrations, along with other chemical information for wells where tritium concentrations were lacking, were used as an indicator of which wells were influenced by wastewater disposal.The basalt lava flows in the upper 150 feet of the ESRP aquifer where wastewater was discharged at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) consisted of the Central Facilities Area (CFA) Buried Vent flow and the AEC Butte flow. At the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) Complex, where wastewater would presumably pond on the surface of the water table, the CFA Buried Vent flow probably occurs as the primary stratigraphic unit present; however, AEC Butte flow also could be present at some of the locations. At the Radioactive Waste Management Complex (RWMC), where contamination from buried wastes would presumably move down through the unsaturated zone and pond on the surface of the water table, the CFA Buried Vent; Late Basal Brunhes; or Early Basal Brunhes basalt flows are the flow unit at or near the water table in different cores.In the wells closer to where wastewater disposal occurred at INTEC and the ATR-Complex, almost all the wells show wastewater influence in the upper part of the ESRP aquifer and wastewater is present in both the CFA Buried Vent flow and AEC Butte

  18. Magnetic domain structures of La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 thin films with different morphologies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lecoeur, P.; Trouilloud, P.L.; Xiao, G.; Gupta, A.; Gong, G.Q.; Li, X.W.

    1997-01-01

    Using a wide-field Kerr microscope, we have studied the magnetic domain structures of epitaxial and polycrystalline La 0.67 Sr 0.33 MnO 3 thin films as well as a film having thermally induced left-angle 110 right-angle microcracks. The epitaxial film on a (001) SrTiO 3 substrate has different magnetic domain behaviors for in-plane fields applied along the left-angle 100 right-angle and left-angle 110 right-angle directions. Magnetic domain orientation and contrast suggest a biaxial magnetic anisotropy with left-angle 110 right-angle easy axes. Defects such as microcracks and grain boundaries have a strong perturbing effect on the local magnetization and can lead to an enhanced and controllable spin-dependent scattering. copyright 1997 American Institute of Physics

  19. Effect of Mn-site vacancies on the magnetic entropy change and the Curie temperature of La0.67Ca0.33Mn1-xO3 perovskite

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Chen, Wei; Nie, L.Y.; Xu, Zhao

    2006-01-01

    Single-phase polycrystalline samples of La0.67Ca0.33Mn1-xO3 (x = 0.00, 0.02, 0.04, 0.06) have been prepared using the sol-gel method. The structure, magnetocaloric properties and the Curie temperature of the samples with different Mn vacancy concentrations have been investigated. The experimental...

  20. The influence of magnetic and electronic inhomogeneities on magnetotransmission and magnetoresistance of La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sukhorukov, Yu.P.; Nosov, A.P.; Loshkareva, N.N.; Mostovshchikova, E.V.; Telegin, A.V.; Favre-Nicolin, E.; Ranno, L.

    2005-01-01

    The optical (absorption of light and magnetotransmission of IR radiation), magnetic, and transport properties of the epitaxial La 0.67 Sr 0.33 MnO 3 films of different thickness grown by laser ablation on the (100) SrTiO 3 and LaAlO 3 substrates were investigated. The effect of magnetotransmission reaches 6% at the temperature of 350 K while magnetoresistance reaches 7.6% at 354 K in a magnetic field of 8 kOe. The factors, which influence the values of magnetotransmission and magnetoresistance of manganite films, are discussed

  1. Hospitalizations for Accidents and Injuries in the U.S. Navy. I. Duty Station Assignment and Duty Status

    Science.gov (United States)

    1985-01-01

    unspecified. . ŗ %.. . . . . . . . . .. . . . Population data, for all male enlisted Navy personnel and for majur duty stations, were compiled from data files...01 aAll male enlisted personnel b nldsonly ship’s company personnel includes only personnel assigned to actual landing forces •’ •,d Significantly...N.S. 102 0.96 2.5. Construction Battalion 28 0.85 N.S. 111 1.05 M.S. Nuclear Cruiser 22 0.67 N.S. 97 0.92 N.S. Pleet Marinie Force 33 1.00 N.S. 71 0.66d

  2. Growth and magnetic structure of La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brown, G.W.; Jia, Q.X.; Peterson, E.J.; Hristova, D.K.; Hundley, M.F.; Thompson, J.D.; Maggiore, C.J.; Tesmer, J.; Hawley, M.E.

    1997-01-01

    Growth of LaMnO 3 films that exhibit colossal magnetoresistance (CMR) has concentrated heavily on Ca doped materials. However, since the 33% Sr doped films are ferromagnetic at room temperature, they are ideal candidates for dual growth-magnetic structure studies using scanned probe techniques. In this study, interest was focused on the relations between growth/processing parameters, film morphology, and electronic/magnetic properties. In addition, films were grown on both LaAlO 3 (LAO) and SrTiO 3 (STO) to examine the results of stress induced by different substrate mismatches. La 0.67 Sr 0.33 MnO 3 (LSMO) was grown using pulsed laser deposition (PLD) at temperatures between 500 C and 800 C. The film microstructure, crystallinity, and magnetic and electrical properties were characterized by room temperature scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), magnetic force microscopy (MFM), x-ray diffraction, and temperature dependent transport and magnetization measurements. The growth trends follow those previously reported for Ca doped films. Grains increase in size with increasing temperature and coalesce into extended layers after annealing. Although topographic contributions complicate interpretation of some MFM data, local magnetic structure observed here is generally associated with film defects

  3. Performance investigation of the Turkish geothermal district heating systems (GDHSs). Paper no. IGEC-1-066

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ozgener, L.; Hepbasli, A.; Dincer, I.

    2005-01-01

    Various energy and exergy modeling techniques have been used by many investigators for energy-utilization assessments to minimize losses and maximize energy savings and hence financial savings. Furthermore, performance indices are employed to detect and to evaluate quantitatively the causes of the thermodynamic imperfection of the process under consideration such as exergy analysis. The present study evaluates the performances of the two geothermal district heating systems (GDHSs) installed in Turkey. The GDHSs considered are the Balcova GDHS in Izmir and Salihli GDHS in Manisa, while the exergetic improvement potential (ExIP) and specific exergy index (SExI) are used for the modeling of the entire systems and their essential components for performance evaluations and comparisons as well as possible energy and exergy efficiency improvements. The SExI is found to be 0.07 and 0.049 for the Balcova and Salihli GDHSs, respectively, representing that Balcova and Salihli geothermal fields fall into the medium and low quality geothermal resources according to the Lee's classification, respectively. The values for the ExIP are also obtained as follows: For the BGDHS with thirteen plate-type heat exchangers, fourth heat exchanger has the largest ExIP rate as 69.96 kW, followed by the first, second, and third heat exchangers at 20.07, 11.71, and 4.05 kW capacities, respectively, with the remaining ones under 3 kW, which does not present much potential for improvement. For the SGDHS, the ExIP rate is found to be 106.04 kW for the plate-type heat exchanger. On the other hand, in order to improve the system efficiency, water leaks in the distribution network should be prevented. (author)

  4. Electric field modulated conduction mechanism in Al/BaTiO3/La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 heterostructures

    KAUST Repository

    Zheng, Dongxing; Li, Dong; Gong, Junlu; Jin, Chao; Li, Peng; Zhang, Xixiang; Bai, Haili

    2017-01-01

    Mediating a metastable state is a promising way to achieve a giant modulation of physical properties in artificial heterostructures. A metastable state La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 (LSMO) layer suffering tensile strain was grown on MgO substrates. Incorporating with the ferroelectric BaTiO3 (BTO) layer, an accumulation or depletion state controlled by electric fields can be formed at the BTO/LSMO interface, which drives a switching of the conduction mechanism between space charge limited conduction and Poole-Frenkel emission, corresponding to the low and high resistance states. Our results lighten an effective way for electric-field modulated resistance states in multiferroic magnetoelectric devices.

  5. Electric field modulated conduction mechanism in Al/BaTiO3/La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 heterostructures

    KAUST Repository

    Zheng, Dongxing

    2017-08-08

    Mediating a metastable state is a promising way to achieve a giant modulation of physical properties in artificial heterostructures. A metastable state La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 (LSMO) layer suffering tensile strain was grown on MgO substrates. Incorporating with the ferroelectric BaTiO3 (BTO) layer, an accumulation or depletion state controlled by electric fields can be formed at the BTO/LSMO interface, which drives a switching of the conduction mechanism between space charge limited conduction and Poole-Frenkel emission, corresponding to the low and high resistance states. Our results lighten an effective way for electric-field modulated resistance states in multiferroic magnetoelectric devices.

  6. Effects of climate, CO2 concentration, nitrogen deposition, and stand age changes on the carbon budget of China's forests

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, C.; Ju, W.; Zhang, F.; Mao, D.; Wang, X.

    2017-12-01

    Forests play an irreplaceable role in the Earth's terrestrial carbon budget which retard the atmospheric CO2 buildup. Understanding the factors controlling forest carbon budget is critical for reducing uncertainties in projections of future climate. The relative importance of climate, atmospheric CO2 concentration, nitrogen deposition, and stand age changes on carbon budget, however, remains unclear for China's forests. In this study, we quantify individual contribution of these drivers to the trends of forest carbon budget in China from 1901 to 2012 by integrating national datasets, the updated Integrated Terrestrial Ecosystem Carbon Cycle (InTEC) model and factorial simulations. Results showed that the average carbon sink in China's forests from 1982 to 2012 was 186.9 Tg C yr-1 with 68% (127.6 Tg C yr-1) of the sink in living biomass because of the integrated effects of climate, atmospheric CO2 concentration, nitrogen deposition, and stand age factors. Compared with the simulation of all factors combined, the estimated carbon sink during 1901-2012 would be reduced by 41.8 Tg C yr-1 if climate change, atmospheric CO2 concentration and nitrogen deposition factors were omitted, and reduced by 25.0 Tg C yr-1 if stand age factor was omitted. In most decades, these factors increased forest carbon sinks with the largest of 101.3, 62.9, and 44.0 Tg C yr-1 from 2000 to 2012 contributed by stand age, CO2 concentration and nitrogen deposition, respectively. During 1901-2012, climate change, CO2 concentration, nitrogen deposition and stand age contributed -13.3, 21.4, 15.4 and 25.0 Tg C yr-1 to the averaged carbon sink of China's forests, respectively. Our study also showed diverse regional patterns of forest carbon budget related to the importance of driving factors. Stand age effect was the largest in most regions, but the effects of CO2 concentration and nitrogen deposition were dominant in southern China.

  7. Frequency of HBV infection and its risk factors in asymptomatic military personnels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kamran, S.M.; Iftikhar, R.; Wasti, S.M.W.; Awan, Z.I.

    2016-01-01

    Objective: To determine the frequency of silent Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, its symptoms and risk factors in apparently healthy military personnel of Pakistan Army. Study Design: Descriptive cross sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of medicine, Combined Military Hospital Okara from Oct 2012 to Mar 2013. Material and Methods: A total of 6236 healthy troops with age ranging from 18 to 57 years without previous or present history of HBV infection were selected by consecutive sampling from Okara Garrison. Blood samples were subjected to rapid screening of HBV infection using immunochrom atographic (ICT) kits (Intec at the rate production, Inc) with sensitivity and specificity of 99.8 percent and 95 percent respectively. All positive cases were confirmed by 4th generation ELISA and PCR for HBV DNA were also sent. All infected cases were given a questionnaire about different risk factors of HBV infection. Finally variables were defined qualitatively and quantitatively and frequency, percentage, mean (SD) were calculated. All the data was analyzed using SPSS version 19. Results: Age ranged from 18-57 years with mean age of the study group 27 (+-7.2) years. Mean age among those with HBs Ag positive was 32 (+-7.3) years. Frequency of HBV infection was 2.03 percent (127 participants out of 6236) whereas PCR for HBV DNA was positive in 51 out of 127 (40.1 percent). Most common symptom was anorexia in 16 patients (12.6 percent) followed by fatigue and fever in 15 patients (11.8 percent) each. While 42 patients (33.1 percent) were asymptomatic. Dental procedures was found to be most frequent risk factor (25.9 percent) followed by previous history of surgery (21.2 percent). Conclusion: Although pre induction screening of HBV infection is carried out in Pak Army still its prevalence is matched with that of general Pakistani population. Soldiers' education and immediate vaccination is recommended at time of induction to stop the spread of this dreadful

  8. Magnetization measurement of single La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 nanotubes in perpendicular magnetic fields using a micromechanical torsional oscillator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Antonio, D.; Dolz, M.I.; Pastoriza, H.

    2010-01-01

    Using a silicon micromechanical resonator as a sensitive magnetometer, the authors have studied both experimentally and theoretically the magnetic behavior of two isolated ferromagnetic nanotubes of perovskite La 0.67 Ca 0.33 MnO 3 . The article investigates the specific configuration where a magnetic field H is applied perpendicular to the magnetic easy axis of an isolated nanotube characterized by an uniaxial anisotropy constant K. In this situation, the magnetization M reduces the effective elastic constant k M of the resonator. This softening of the mechanical system is opposed to the hardening effect of M observed in a previous work, where H was applied parallel to the easy axis. Moreover, in this magnetic field configuration two distinct magnetization regimes are manifested, depending on the magnitude of H. For H>>2K/M the magnetization is almost parallel to the applied magnetic field and for H<<2K/M it is almost parallel to the easy axis of the nanotube. At a certain value of H there is a sharp transition from one regime to the other, accompanied by a peak in the energy dissipation.

  9. Pigs in sequence space: A 0.66X coverage pig genome survey based on shotgun sequencing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Li Wei

    2005-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Comparative whole genome analysis of Mammalia can benefit from the addition of more species. The pig is an obvious choice due to its economic and medical importance as well as its evolutionary position in the artiodactyls. Results We have generated ~3.84 million shotgun sequences (0.66X coverage from the pig genome. The data are hereby released (NCBI Trace repository with center name "SDJVP", and project name "Sino-Danish Pig Genome Project" together with an initial evolutionary analysis. The non-repetitive fraction of the sequences was aligned to the UCSC human-mouse alignment and the resulting three-species alignments were annotated using the human genome annotation. Ultra-conserved elements and miRNAs were identified. The results show that for each of these types of orthologous data, pig is much closer to human than mouse is. Purifying selection has been more efficient in pig compared to human, but not as efficient as in mouse, and pig seems to have an isochore structure most similar to the structure in human. Conclusion The addition of the pig to the set of species sequenced at low coverage adds to the understanding of selective pressures that have acted on the human genome by bisecting the evolutionary branch between human and mouse with the mouse branch being approximately 3 times as long as the human branch. Additionally, the joint alignment of the shot-gun sequences to the human-mouse alignment offers the investigator a rapid way to defining specific regions for analysis and resequencing.

  10. Spin dynamics and absence of a central peak anomaly in La0.67Ca0.33MnO3

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rhyne, J. J.; Kaiser, H.; Stumpe, L.; Mitchell, J. F.; McCloskey, T.; Chourasia, A. R.

    2000-01-01

    Low-angle inelastic neutron scattering was used to study the temperature and wave vector dependence of the spin waves in La 0.67 Ca 0.33 MnO 3 perovskite-based colossal magnetoresistance material. At low q the spin waves show Heisenberg ferromagnetic dispersion (E=Dq 2 +Δ) where D is the spin stiffness, q is the wave vector, and Δ is the energy gap. However, the temperature renormalization of the spin stiffness D is anomalous, and as T increases toward T c , D does not show the expected power law collapse, but rather exhibits a sudden sharp drop suggestive of a first-order phase transition. Detailed neutron measurements of the order parameter in zero applied field showed a similar first-order-like transition. However, no temperature hysteresis was observed in either D or in the magnetization. (c) 2000 American Institute of Physics

  11. Correlation of 0.67um scatter with local stress in Ge impacted with the modified Cambridge liquid jet device

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilson, Michael; Price, D.; Strohecker, Steve

    1994-09-01

    Germanium witness samples were impacted with the NAWCADWAR modified Cambridge liquid jet device introducing varying levels of damage about the center of each sample. Surface damage statistics were collected, scatter measurements were made at 0.67 micrometers and the samples were failed in tension using a bi-axial flexure test setup. The level and character of the damage was correlated with the reflected scatter measurements as a function of local stress and flaw size distribution. Bi-axial flexure data was analyzed to predict fracture stress and the probability of failure of the germanium samples. The mechanical data were then correlated with the scatter data in order to correlate the BRDF with the material failure. The BRDF measurements were taken in several different orientations in order to study the differences in scatter character for the in-plane and out-of-plane conditions.

  12. Functional classifications for cerebral palsy: correlations between the gross motor function classification system (GMFCS), the manual ability classification system (MACS) and the communication function classification system (CFCS).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Compagnone, Eliana; Maniglio, Jlenia; Camposeo, Serena; Vespino, Teresa; Losito, Luciana; De Rinaldis, Marta; Gennaro, Leonarda; Trabacca, Antonio

    2014-11-01

    This study aimed to investigate a possible correlation between the gross motor function classification system-expanded and revised (GMFCS-E&R), the manual abilities classification system (MACS) and the communication function classification system (CFCS) functional levels in children with cerebral palsy (CP) by CP subtype. It was also geared to verify whether there is a correlation between these classification systems and intellectual functioning (IF) and parental socio-economic status (SES). A total of 87 children (47 males and 40 females, age range 4-18 years, mean age 8.9±4.2) were included in the study. A strong correlation was found between the three classifications: Level V of the GMFCS-E&R corresponds to Level V of the MACS (rs=0.67, p=0.001); the same relationship was found for the CFCS and the MACS (rs=0.73, p<0.001) and for the GMFCS-E&R and the CFCS (rs=0.61, p=0.001). The correlations between the IQ and the global functional disability profile were strong or moderate (GMFCS and IQ: rs=0.66, p=0.001; MACS and IQ: rs=0.58, p=0.001; CFCS and MACS: rs=0.65, p=0.001). The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to determine if there were differences between the GMFCS-E&R, the CFCS and the MACS by CP type. CP types showed different scores for the IQ level (Chi-square=8.59, df=2, p=0.014), the GMFCS-E&R (Chi-square=36.46, df=2, p<0.001), the CFCS (Chi-square=12.87, df=2, p=0.002), and the MACS Level (Chi-square=13.96, df=2, p<0.001) but no significant differences emerged for the SES (Chi-square=1.19, df=2, p=0.554). This study shows how the three functional classifications (GMFCS-E&R, CFCS and MACS) complement each other to provide a better description of the functional profile of CP. The systematic evaluation of the IQ can provide useful information about a possible future outcome for every functional level. The SES does not appear to affect functional profiles. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Results of the radiological survey at 72 Sidney Stret, Lodi, New Jersey (LJ067)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Foley, R.D.; Carrier, R.F.; Floyd, L.M.; Crutcher, J.W.

    1989-09-01

    Maywood Chemical Works (MCW) of Maywood, New jersey, generated process wastes and residues associated with the production and refining of thorium and thorium compounds from monazite ores from 1916 to 1956. MCW supplied rare earth metals and thorium compounds to the Atomic Energy Commission and various other government agencies from the late 1940s to the mid-1950s. Area residues used the sandlike waste from this thorium extraction process mixed with tea and cocoa leaves as mulch in their yards. Some of these contaminated wastes were also eroded from the site into Lodi Brook. At the request of the US Department of Energy (DOE), a group from Oak Ridge National Laboratory conducts investigative radiological surveys of properties in the vicinity of MCW to determine whether a property is contaminated with radioactive residues, principally 232 Th, derived from the MCW site. The survey typically includes direct measurement of gamma radiation levels and soil sampling for radionuclide analyses. The survey of this site, 72 Sidney Street, Lodi, New Jersey (LJ067), was conducted during 1987. Results indicated concentrations of 232 Th slightly in excess of the DOE remedial action criterion for subsurface soil. This finding, coupled with the fact that adjacent properties have been designated by DOE for remedial action, and that the old Lodi Brook streambed is apparently beneath the property, suggests that it be considered for inclusion in the DOE remedial action program. 4 refs., 5 figs., 3 tabs

  14. Exciton lifetime and spin dynamics in type-I In1−xAlxAs/Ga0.67Al0.33As quantum dots: Photoluminescence and pump-probe experiments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ben Daly, A.; Bernardot, F.; Barisien, T.; Galopin, E.; Lemaître, A.; Maaref, M.A.; Testelin, C.

    2015-01-01

    The exciton lifetime and spin relaxation have been studied in self-assembled In 1−x Al x As/Ga 0.67 Al 0.33 As quantum dots (QDs). Time-resolved photoluminescence and resonant pump-probe measurements were performed, at variable temperature and for different QD aluminium compositions. At low temperature, a long exciton-spin relaxation time has been measured, in agreement with the QD zero-dimensional confinement and the quenching of the relaxation mechanisms. The existence of a quasi-2D regime, in sample with a high QD density, has been observed. The importance of thermally-activated processes toward excited states is also evidenced, for QDs with different compositions and sizes. - Highlights: • The exciton lifetime and spin relaxation have been studied in In 1−x Al x As/Ga 0.67 Al 0.33 As quantum dot (QD). • Time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) and pump-probe measurements were performed, at variable temperature and for different QD aluminium compositions. • From the PL decay time, several thermal activation processes, related to 0D or 2D regime, or dependending on collective mechanisms. • The importance of thermal activated processes toward excited states is also evidenced, for QD with different compositions and sizes

  15. Observation of growth-related magnetic structures in La{sub 0.67}Sr{sub 0.33}MnO{sub 3}

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hawley, M.E.; Brown, G.W.; Kwon, C. [Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)

    1998-12-31

    Ambient observation of magnetic structures by magnetic force microscopy (MFM) in La{sub 0.67}Sr{sub 0.33}MnO{sub 3} films has not yet been clearly correlated with stresses induced by the kinetic or thermodynamic growth processes or the compressive (LaAlO{sub 3}) or tensile (SrTiO{sub 3}) nature of the substrate lattice-mismatch. Although domain-like magnetic structures have been seen in some as-grown films on LAO and related to substrate-induced stress and film thickness, no magnetic structure has been seen for films on STO and other films grown under different kinetic conditions on LAO. In this study, the authors have identified a set of pulsed-laser deposition conditions with the substrate temperature as a variable to determine the relationship between growth and stress-induced magnetic structures. Results from scanning tunneling, atomic force, and MFM microscopies, magnetization, and coercivity measurements will be presented.

  16. Micro-Raman study of the microheterogeneity in the MA-MC phase transition in 0.67PbMg1/3Nb2/3O3-0.33PbTiO3 single crystal

    KAUST Repository

    Yang, Y.; Zhang, L. Y.; Zhu, K.; Liu, Y. L.

    2011-01-01

    Polarized Raman spectroscopy has been employed to investigate the evolution of the microstructure of 0.67PbMg1/3Nb2/3O3-0.33PbTiO3 (PMN-33%PT) single crystal in the temperature range from −195 to 300 °C. The M A-M C-cubic transition sequence

  17. Minimum training requirement in ultrasound imaging of peripheral arterial disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eiberg, J P; Hansen, M A; Grønvall Rasmussen, J B; Schroeder, T V

    2008-09-01

    To demonstrate the minimum training requirement when performing ultrasound of peripheral arterial disease. Prospective and blinded comparative study. 100 limbs in 100 consecutive patients suffering from peripheral arterial disease, 74% suffering critical limb ischemia, were enrolled during a 9 months period. One physician with limited ultrasound experience performed all the ultrasound examinations of the arteries of the most symptomatic limb. Before enrolling any patients 15 duplex ultrasound examinations were performed supervised by an experienced vascular technologist. All patients had a digital subtraction arteriography performed by an experienced vascular radiologist, unaware of the ultrasound result. The number of insufficiently insonated segments (non-diagnostic segments) was significantly reduced during the study; from 9% among the initial 50 limbs to 2% among the last 50 limbs (Pultrasound and arteriography from the initial 50 patients (overall Kappa=0.66, (95%-CI: 0.60-0.72); supragenicular Kappa=0.73 (95%-CI: 0.64-0.82); infragenicular Kappa=0.61 (95%-CI: 0.54-0.69)) to the last 50 patients (overall Kappa=0.66 (95%-CI: 0.60-0.72), supragenicular Kappa=0.67 (95%-CI: 0.57-0.76); infragenicular Kappa=0.66 (95%-CI: 0.58-0.73)). The minimum training requirement in ultrasound imaging of peripheral arterial disease appears to be less than 50 ultrasound examinations (probably only 15 examinations) for the supragenicular segments and 100 examinations for the infragenicular segments.

  18. Comparison of the reliability of two hydronephrosis grading systems: The Society for Foetal Urology grading system vs. the Onen grading system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, S.-Y.; Kim, M.-J.; Yoon, C.S.; Lee, M.S.; Han, K.H.; Lee, M.-J.

    2013-01-01

    Aim: To compare the reliability of the conventional ultrasonography grading system for hydronephrosis as suggested by the Society for Fetal Urology (SFU) in 1993 and that developed by Onen in 2007. Materials and methods: One hundred and eighty kidneys in 90 paediatric patients were assessed by four radiologists using each of the two grading systems twice. The SFU system was graded 0–4 (0 = no hydronephrosis; 1 = visualized only renal pelvis; 2 = plus a few caliceal dilatation; 3 = all calyceal dilatation; 4 = plus parenchymal thinning). The Onen system was graded 0–4 (0 = no hydronephrosis; 1 = only renal pelvic dilatation; 2 = plus caliceal dilatation; 3 = plus 50% renal parenchymal loss). Cohen's kappa statistic was used to estimate intra- and interobserver agreement. The weighted least-squares approach was used to compare the intra-observer agreement, and bootstrapping was used to compare the interobserver agreement between the two systems. Results: Intra-observer agreement was substantial to almost perfect in both the SFU (κ 0.79–0.95) and the Onen (κ 0.66–0.97) grading system without difference. The overall interobserver agreement was substantial in both the SFU (κ 0.61–0.68) and the Onen (κ 0.66–0.76) grading system. However, interobserver agreement was fair to moderate for SFU grades 1 and 2 and Onen grades 2 and 3. Conclusion: Both the SFU and Onen grading system are reliable with good intra- and interobserver agreement. However, decreased interobserver agreement was demonstrated for SFU grades 1 and 2 and Onen grades 2 and 3

  19. Association between leukocyte telomere length and bone mineral density in women 25-93 years of age

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Barbara Rubek; Linneberg, Allan; Bendix, Laila

    2015-01-01

    whether there is an association of LTL with BMD and to determine whether this possible association is independent of age. The BMDs of the lumbar spine (LS), femoral neck (FN) and total hip (TH) were evaluated in 460 women using DXA. LTL was analyzed using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The women...... and 95% confidence interval (CI): -0.003 (-0.005; -0.002)); and between BMI adjusted age and logarithmic transformed BMD. Estimates and 95% CI were as follows: LS: -0.13 (-0.26; -0.01); right TH: -0.44 (-0.53; -0.34); left TH: -0.38 (-0.48; -0.28); right FN: -0.57 (-0.67; -0.46) and left FN: -0.51 (-0.......62; -0.40). There were no statistically significant associations between BMD and LTL (both logarithmically transformed) with or without age adjustments. The age-adjusted estimates and CI were as follows: LS: -0.10 (-0.71; 0.52); right TH: -0.13 (-0.66; 0.41); left TH: -0.13 (-0.67; 0.42); right FN: -0...

  20. Magnetization measurement of single La{sub 0.67}Ca{sub 0.33}MnO{sub 3} nanotubes in perpendicular magnetic fields using a micromechanical torsional oscillator

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Antonio, D., E-mail: dario.antonio@cab.cnea.gov.a [Comision Nacional de Energia Atomica, Centro Atomico Bariloche, (8400) S. C. de Bariloche (Argentina); Dolz, M.I.; Pastoriza, H. [Comision Nacional de Energia Atomica, Centro Atomico Bariloche, (8400) S. C. de Bariloche (Argentina)

    2010-03-15

    Using a silicon micromechanical resonator as a sensitive magnetometer, the authors have studied both experimentally and theoretically the magnetic behavior of two isolated ferromagnetic nanotubes of perovskite La{sub 0.67}Ca{sub 0.33}MnO{sub 3}. The article investigates the specific configuration where a magnetic field H is applied perpendicular to the magnetic easy axis of an isolated nanotube characterized by an uniaxial anisotropy constant K. In this situation, the magnetization M reduces the effective elastic constant k{sub M} of the resonator. This softening of the mechanical system is opposed to the hardening effect of M observed in a previous work, where H was applied parallel to the easy axis. Moreover, in this magnetic field configuration two distinct magnetization regimes are manifested, depending on the magnitude of H. For H>>2K/M the magnetization is almost parallel to the applied magnetic field and for H<<2K/M it is almost parallel to the easy axis of the nanotube. At a certain value of H there is a sharp transition from one regime to the other, accompanied by a peak in the energy dissipation.

  1. Magnetotransport properties of La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 with different grain sizes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ewe, L.S.; Hamadneh, I.; Salama, H.; Halim, S.A.; Hamid, N.A.; Abd-Shukor, R.

    2009-01-01

    The magnetotransport and magnetoresistive (MR) properties of manganese-based La 0.67 Ca 0.33 MnO 3 perovskite with different grain sizes are reported. The electrical resistivity was measured as a function of temperature in magnetic fields of 0.5 and 1 T. The insulator-metal transition temperature, T IM , shifted to a higher temperature with the application of the magnetic field. In zero field, T IM is almost constant (∝271 K) for all samples except for the sample with the largest grain size, where T IM =265 K. The temperature dependence of resistivity was fitted with several equations in the metallic (ferromagnetic) region and the insulating (paramagnetic) region. The density of states at the Fermi level, N(E F ), and the activation energy of electron hopping were estimated by fitting the resistivity versus temperature curves. The ρ-T 2 curves are nearly linear in the metallic regime, but the ρ-T 2.5 curves exhibit a deviation from linearity. The variable range hopping model and small polaron hopping model fit the data well in the high-temperature region, indicating the existence of the Jahn-Teller distortion that localizes the charge carriers. MR was found to increase with an increase in the magnetic field, an effect which is attributed to the intergrain spin tunneling effect. (orig.)

  2. High Temperature Calcination - MACT Upgrade Equipment Pilot Plant Test

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Richard D. Boardman; B. H. O& #39; Brien; N. R. Soelberg; S. O. Bates; R. A. Wood; C. St. Michel

    2004-02-01

    About one million gallons of acidic, hazardous, and radioactive sodium-bearing waste are stored in stainless steel tanks at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC), which is a major operating facility of the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory. Calcination at high-temperature conditions (600 C, with alumina nitrate and calcium nitrate chemical addition to the feed) is one of four options currently being considered by the Department of Energy for treatment of the remaining tank wastes. If calcination is selected for future processing of the sodium-bearing waste, it will be necessary to install new off-gas control equipment in the New Waste Calcining Facility (NWCF) to comply with the Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) standards for hazardous waste combustors and incinerators. This will require, as a minimum, installing a carbon bed to reduce mercury emissions from their current level of up to 7,500 to <45 {micro}g/dscm, and a staged combustor to reduce unburned kerosene fuel in the off-gas discharge to <100 ppm CO and <10 ppm hydrocarbons. The staged combustor will also reduce NOx concentrations of about 35,000 ppm by 90-95%. A pilot-plant calcination test was completed in a newly constructed 15-cm diameter calciner vessel. The pilot-plant facility was equipped with a prototype MACT off-gas control system, including a highly efficient cyclone separator and off-gas quench/venturi scrubber for particulate removal, a staged combustor for unburned hydrocarbon and NOx destruction, and a packed activated carbon bed for mercury removal and residual chloride capture. Pilot-plant testing was performed during a 50-hour system operability test January 14-16, followed by a 100-hour high-temperature calcination pilot-plant calcination run January 19-23. Two flowsheet blends were tested: a 50-hour test with an aluminum-to-alkali metal molar ratio (AAR) of 2.25, and a 50-hour test with an AAR of 1.75. Results of the testing

  3. Quantitative assessment of Al-to-N bonding in dilute Al0.33Ga0.67As1-yNy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wagner, J.; Geppert, T.; Koehler, K.; Ganser, P.; Maier, M.

    2003-01-01

    A quantitative assessment of the group III-nitrogen bonding in low N-content Al 0.33 Ga 0.67 As 1-y N y with y≤0.04 has been performed, using vibrational mode Raman spectroscopy for the quantitative analysis of local bond formation in combination with energy dispersive x-ray analysis and secondary ion mass spectrometry for chemical analysis. Clear evidence is obtained for the preferential bonding of nitrogen to Al with one nitrogen atom being coordinated to, at the average, 3.4 Al neighbors. This strong preference for Al-to-N bond formation can be understood in terms of the much larger cohesive energy of the Al-N bond compared to the Ga-N chemical bond. In spite of this phase-separation-like formation of local Al-N complexes, the fundamental band gap and the E 1 /E 1 +Δ 1 band gaps show a continuous low-energy and high-energy shift, respectively, upon the addition of nitrogen as already known from dilute GaAsN

  4. Effect of swimming suit design on the energy demands of swimming.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Starling, R D; Costill, D L; Trappe, T A; Jozsi, A C; Trappe, S W; Goodpaster, B H

    1995-07-01

    Eight competitive male swimmers completed a standardized 365.8 m (400 yd) freestyle swimming trial at a fixed pace (approximately 90% of maximal effort) while wearing a torso swim suit (TOR) or a standard racing suit (STD). Oxygen uptake (VO2), blood lactate, heart rate (HR), and distance per stroke (DPS) measurements were obtained. In addition, a video-computer system was used to collect velocity data during a prone underwater glide following a maximal leg push-off from the side of the pool while wearing the TOR and STD suits. These data were used to calculate the total distance covered during the glides. VO2 (3.76 +/- 0.16 vs 3.92 +/- 0.18 l.min-1) and lactate (8.08 +/- 0.53 vs, 9.66 +/- 0.66 mM) were significantly (P 0.05) between the TOR (170.1 +/- 5.1 b.min-1) and STD (173.5 +/- 5.7 b.min-1) trials. DPS was significantly greater during the TOR (2.70 +/- 0.066 m.stroke-1) versus STD (2.58 +/- 0.054 m.stroke-1) trial. A significantly greater total distance was covered during the prone glide while wearing the TOR (2.05 +/- 0.067 m) compared to the STD (2.00 +/- 0.080 m) suit. These findings demonstrate that a specially designed torso suit reduces the energy demand of swimming compared to a standard racing suit which may be due to a reduction in body drag.

  5. High resolution CT in children with cystic fibrosis: correlation with pulmonary functions and radiographic scores

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Demirkazik, Figen Basaran E-mail: demirkaz@dialup.ankara.edu.tr; Ariyuerek, O. Macit; Oezcelik, Ugur; Goecmen, Ayhan; Hassanabad, Hossein K.; Kiper, Nural

    2001-01-01

    Objective: To compare the high resolution CT (HRCT) scores of the Bhalla system with pulmonary function tests and radiographic and clinical points of the Shwachman-Kulczycki clinical scoring system. Methods: HRCT of the chest was obtained in 40 children to assess the role of HRCT in evaluating bronchopulmonary pathology in children with cystic fibrosis (CF). The HRCT severity scores of the Bhalla system were compared with chest radiographic and clinical points of the Shwachman-Kulczycki scoring system and pulmonary function tests. Only 14 of the patients older than 6 years cooperated with spirometry. Results: HRCT scores correlated well with radiographic points (r=0.80, P<0.0001) and clinical points (r=0.67, P<0.0001) of the Shwachman-Kulczycki system, FVC (r=0.71 P=0.004) and FEV{sub 1} (r=0.66, P=0.01). Although radiographic points correlated significantly with FVC (r=0.61, P=0.02) and FEV{sub 1} (r=0.56, P=0.04), HRCT provides a more precise scoring than the chest X-ray. Conclusion: The HRCT scoring system may provide a sensitive method of monitoring pulmonary disease status and may replace the radiographic scoring in the Shwachman-Kulczycki system. It may be helpful especially in follow-up of small children too young to cooperate with spirometry.

  6. Transport and magnetoresistance effect in an oxygen-deficient SrTiO3/La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 heterojunction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Jing; Chen Chang-Le; Yang Shi-Hai; Luo Bing-Cheng; Duan Meng-Meng; Jin Ke-Xin

    2013-01-01

    An oxygen-deficient SrTiO 3 /La 0.67 Sr 0.33 MnO 3 heterojunction is fabricated on an SrTiO 3 (001) substrate by a pulsed laser deposition method. The electrical characteristics of the heterojunction are studied systematically in a temperature range from 80 K to 300 K. The transport mechanism follows I ∞ exp(eV/nkT) under small forward bias, while it becomes space charge limited and follows I ∞ V m(T) with 1.49 < m < 1.99 under high bias. Such a heterojunction also exhibits magnetoresistance (MR) effect. The absolute value of negative MR monotonically increases with temperature decreasing and reaches 26.7% at 80 K under H = 0.7 T. Various factors, such as strain and oxygen deficiency play dominant roles in the characteristics. (condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties)

  7. General Approach to Prepare 0.33Li₂MnO₃ · 0.67LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O₂ Hollow Microspheres for High Performance Lithium Ion Batteries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Jingfa; Xu, Wenjin; Zhang, Lei; Li, Min

    2018-06-01

    Li-excess manganese-based oxide layered structures, have drawn increasing interests as the promising cathodes to succeed the conventional LiCoO2 in lithium ion batteries (LIBs). It could deliver a higher energy density and output potential, as well as the nature of environment benign and low cost. Pristine Li-excess manganese-based oxides however suffer from poor rate capacity and voltage fading after cycling, and their inherent capacity limits of bulk size in performance. Micro-/Nanostructured electrode materials are considered to hold the key to overcome these thresholds. This paper reports a general approach to prepare 0.33Li2MnO3 · 0.67LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 microspheres with pores and void space, which benefits improving both the capacity and cyclability. The electrode made of hollow 0.33Li2MnO3 · 0.67LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 microspheres exhibits a 224 mAh g-1 discharge capacity over 200 cycles at 0.25 C rate, and 195 mAh g-1 at 5.0 C rate. These results indicated good perspective of hollow microspheres for practical battery applications.

  8. Novel composition above the limit of Bi:Zr solid solution; synthesis and physical properties of Bi1.33Zr0.67O3+δ

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Meatza, Iratxe de; Chapman, Jon P.; Mauvy, Fabrice; Larramendi, Jose I. Ruiz de; Arriortua, Maria I.; Rojo, Teofilo

    2004-01-01

    This paper presents an increase to x = 0.67 of the zirconium content in the conductive Bi 2-x Zr x O 3+δ solid solution. Complete incorporation of Zr in the β III -Bi 2 O 3 structure, confirmed by X-ray powder diffraction, has produced a phase with a lower volume and superior conductivity than those predicted by an earlier study. The observed β III -δ Bi 2-x Zr x O 3+δ phase transition around 730 deg. C has been characterised for the first time and shows a segregation of a mixture of predominantly γ-Bi 2 O 3 and approximately 30% of the ZrO 2 , before total reincorporation of the Zr in the high temperature δ-phase

  9. Controlling confounding by frailty when estimating influenza vaccine effectiveness using predictors of dependency in activities of daily living.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Henry T; McGrath, Leah J; Wyss, Richard; Ellis, Alan R; Stürmer, Til

    2017-12-01

    To improve control of confounding by frailty when estimating the effect of influenza vaccination on all-cause mortality by controlling for a published set of claims-based predictors of dependency in activities of daily living (ADL). Using Medicare claims data, a cohort of beneficiaries >65 years of age was followed from September 1, 2007, to April 12, 2008, with covariates assessed in the 6 months before follow-up. We estimated Cox proportional hazards models of all-cause mortality, with influenza vaccination as a time-varying exposure. We controlled for common demographics, comorbidities, and health care utilization variables and then added 20 ADL dependency predictors. To gauge residual confounding, we estimated pre-influenza season hazard ratios (HRs) between September 1, 2007 and January 5, 2008, which should be 1.0 in the absence of bias. A cohort of 2 235 140 beneficiaries was created, with a median follow-up of 224 days. Overall, 52% were vaccinated and 4% died during follow-up. During the pre-influenza season period, controlling for demographics, comorbidities, and health care use resulted in a HR of 0.66 (0.64, 0.67). Adding the ADL dependency predictors moved the HR to 0.68 (0.67, 0.70). Controlling for demographics and ADL dependency predictors alone resulted in a HR of 0.68 (0.66, 0.70). Results were consistent with those in the literature, with significant uncontrolled confounding after adjustment for demographics, comorbidities, and health care use. Adding ADL dependency predictors moved HRs slightly closer to the null. Of the comorbidities, health care use variables, and ADL dependency predictors, the last set reduced confounding most. However, substantial uncontrolled confounding remained. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  10. Growth and magnetic structure of La{sub 0.67}Sr{sub 0.33}MnO{sub 3} films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Brown, G.W.; Jia, Q.X.; Peterson, E.J.; Hristova, D.K.; Hundley, M.F.; Thompson, J.D.; Maggiore, C.J.; Tesmer, J.; Hawley, M.E.

    1997-08-01

    Growth of LaMnO{sub 3} films that exhibit colossal magnetoresistance (CMR) has concentrated heavily on Ca doped materials. However, since the 33% Sr doped films are ferromagnetic at room temperature, they are ideal candidates for dual growth-magnetic structure studies using scanned probe techniques. In this study, interest was focused on the relations between growth/processing parameters, film morphology, and electronic/magnetic properties. In addition, films were grown on both LaAlO{sub 3} (LAO) and SrTiO{sub 3} (STO) to examine the results of stress induced by different substrate mismatches. La{sub 0.67}Sr{sub 0.33}MnO{sub 3} (LSMO) was grown using pulsed laser deposition (PLD) at temperatures between 500 C and 800 C. The film microstructure, crystallinity, and magnetic and electrical properties were characterized by room temperature scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), magnetic force microscopy (MFM), x-ray diffraction, and temperature dependent transport and magnetization measurements. The growth trends follow those previously reported for Ca doped films. Grains increase in size with increasing temperature and coalesce into extended layers after annealing. Although topographic contributions complicate interpretation of some MFM data, local magnetic structure observed here is generally associated with film defects.

  11. Determining the mineral composition in Cucurbita pepo fruit using near infrared reflectance spectroscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martínez-Valdivieso, Damián; Font, Rafael; Gómez, Pedro; Blanco-Díaz, Teresa; Del Río-Celestino, Mercedes

    2014-12-01

    Efforts through conventional breeding to improve the mineral content in horticultural crops have not always been successful mainly due to the fact that standard analytical methods are both costly and time-consuming. We investigated the feasibility of applying near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) to the estimation of essential mineral composition in the skin and flesh of summer squash fruits (Cucurbita pepo subsp. pepo) using a 200-sample set from diverse morphotypes. The coefficients of determination in the external validation (R(2) VAL) obtained for the skin and flesh of the fruit were: total mineral content, 0.84 and 0.70; P, 0.74 and 0.62; K, 0.83 and 0.67; Ca, 0.57 and 0.60; Mg, 0.78 and 0.45; Fe, 0.78 and 0.65; Cu, 0.67 and 0.66; Mn, 0.67 and 0.64; Zn, 0.80 and 0.79 and Na, 0.33 and 0.33; respectively. NIRS combined with different spectral transformations by modified partial least-squares (MPLS) regression has shown to be useful in determining the mineral composition of summer squash fruit, being a fast and low-cost analytical technique. Components such as chlorophyll, starch and lipids were used by MPLS for modelling the predicting equations. The promotion of micronutrient-rich summer squash varieties could have a significant long-term beneficial impact on the health of mineral deficient human populations. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.

  12. Search for anomalous WW and WZ production at D0

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abachi, S.

    1995-07-01

    We present a preliminary result from a search for anomalous WW and WZ production in p bar p collisions at √s = 1.8 TeV using p bar p → eνjj events observed during the 1992-1993 run of the Fermilab Tevatron collider. A fit to the p T spectrum of W(eν) yields direct limits on the CP-conserving anomalous WWγ and WWZ coupling parameters of -0.89 < Δκ < 1.07 (λ = 0) and -0.66 < λ < 0.67 (Δκ = 0) at the 95% confidence level, assuming that the WWZ coupling parameters are equal to the WWγ coupling parameters, and a form factor scale Λ = 1.5 TeV

  13. Thickness and angular dependent magnetic anisotropy of La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 thin films by Vectorial Magneto Optical Kerr Magnetometry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chaluvadi, S. K.; Perna, P.; Ajejas, F.; Camarero, J.; Pautrat, A.; Flament, S.; Méchin, L.

    2017-10-01

    We investigate the in-plane magnetic anisotropy in La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 thin films grown on SrTiO3 (001) substrate using angular dependent room temperature Vectorial Magneto-Optical Kerr Magnetometry. The experimental data reveals that the magnetic anisotropy symmetry landscape significantly changes depending upon the strain and thickness. At low film thickness (12 and 25 nm) the dominant uniaxial anisotropy is due to interface effects, step edges due to mis-cut angle of SrTiO3 substrate. At intermediate thickness, the magnetic anisotropy presents a competition between magnetocrystalline (biaxial) and substrate step induced (uniaxial) anisotropy. Depending upon their relative strengths, a profound biaxial or uniaxial or mixed anisotropy is favoured. Above the critical thickness, magnetocrystalline anisotropy dominates all other effects and shows a biaxial anisotropy.

  14. Fast, automatic, and accurate catheter reconstruction in HDR brachytherapy using an electromagnetic 3D tracking system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Poulin, Eric; Racine, Emmanuel; Beaulieu, Luc, E-mail: Luc.Beaulieu@phy.ulaval.ca [Département de physique, de génie physique et d’optique et Centre de recherche sur le cancer de l’Université Laval, Université Laval, Québec, Québec G1V 0A6, Canada and Département de radio-oncologie et Axe Oncologie du Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec, CHU de Québec, 11 Côte du Palais, Québec, Québec G1R 2J6 (Canada); Binnekamp, Dirk [Integrated Clinical Solutions and Marketing, Philips Healthcare, Veenpluis 4-6, Best 5680 DA (Netherlands)

    2015-03-15

    Purpose: In high dose rate brachytherapy (HDR-B), current catheter reconstruction protocols are relatively slow and error prone. The purpose of this technical note is to evaluate the accuracy and the robustness of an electromagnetic (EM) tracking system for automated and real-time catheter reconstruction. Methods: For this preclinical study, a total of ten catheters were inserted in gelatin phantoms with different trajectories. Catheters were reconstructed using a 18G biopsy needle, used as an EM stylet and equipped with a miniaturized sensor, and the second generation Aurora{sup ®} Planar Field Generator from Northern Digital Inc. The Aurora EM system provides position and orientation value with precisions of 0.7 mm and 0.2°, respectively. Phantoms were also scanned using a μCT (GE Healthcare) and Philips Big Bore clinical computed tomography (CT) system with a spatial resolution of 89 μm and 2 mm, respectively. Reconstructions using the EM stylet were compared to μCT and CT. To assess the robustness of the EM reconstruction, five catheters were reconstructed twice and compared. Results: Reconstruction time for one catheter was 10 s, leading to a total reconstruction time inferior to 3 min for a typical 17-catheter implant. When compared to the μCT, the mean EM tip identification error was 0.69 ± 0.29 mm while the CT error was 1.08 ± 0.67 mm. The mean 3D distance error was found to be 0.66 ± 0.33 mm and 1.08 ± 0.72 mm for the EM and CT, respectively. EM 3D catheter trajectories were found to be more accurate. A maximum difference of less than 0.6 mm was found between successive EM reconstructions. Conclusions: The EM reconstruction was found to be more accurate and precise than the conventional methods used for catheter reconstruction in HDR-B. This approach can be applied to any type of catheters and applicators.

  15. Fast, automatic, and accurate catheter reconstruction in HDR brachytherapy using an electromagnetic 3D tracking system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Poulin, Eric; Racine, Emmanuel; Beaulieu, Luc; Binnekamp, Dirk

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: In high dose rate brachytherapy (HDR-B), current catheter reconstruction protocols are relatively slow and error prone. The purpose of this technical note is to evaluate the accuracy and the robustness of an electromagnetic (EM) tracking system for automated and real-time catheter reconstruction. Methods: For this preclinical study, a total of ten catheters were inserted in gelatin phantoms with different trajectories. Catheters were reconstructed using a 18G biopsy needle, used as an EM stylet and equipped with a miniaturized sensor, and the second generation Aurora ® Planar Field Generator from Northern Digital Inc. The Aurora EM system provides position and orientation value with precisions of 0.7 mm and 0.2°, respectively. Phantoms were also scanned using a μCT (GE Healthcare) and Philips Big Bore clinical computed tomography (CT) system with a spatial resolution of 89 μm and 2 mm, respectively. Reconstructions using the EM stylet were compared to μCT and CT. To assess the robustness of the EM reconstruction, five catheters were reconstructed twice and compared. Results: Reconstruction time for one catheter was 10 s, leading to a total reconstruction time inferior to 3 min for a typical 17-catheter implant. When compared to the μCT, the mean EM tip identification error was 0.69 ± 0.29 mm while the CT error was 1.08 ± 0.67 mm. The mean 3D distance error was found to be 0.66 ± 0.33 mm and 1.08 ± 0.72 mm for the EM and CT, respectively. EM 3D catheter trajectories were found to be more accurate. A maximum difference of less than 0.6 mm was found between successive EM reconstructions. Conclusions: The EM reconstruction was found to be more accurate and precise than the conventional methods used for catheter reconstruction in HDR-B. This approach can be applied to any type of catheters and applicators

  16. Evolution of the electronic structure of C{sub 60}/La{sub 0.67}Sr{sub 0.33}MnO{sub 3} interface

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xie, Haipeng; Niu, Dongmei, E-mail: mayee@csu.edu.cn, E-mail: ygao@pas.rochester.edu; Lyu, Lu; Zhang, Hong; Zhang, Yuhe; Liu, Peng [Institute of Super-Microstructure and Ultrafast Process in Advanced Materials, School of Physics and Electronics, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410083 (China); Wang, Peng; Wu, Di [National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures and Department of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China); Gao, Yongli, E-mail: mayee@csu.edu.cn, E-mail: ygao@pas.rochester.edu [Institute of Super-Microstructure and Ultrafast Process in Advanced Materials, School of Physics and Electronics, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410083 (China); Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627 (United States)

    2016-01-04

    The evolution of the electronic structure at the interface between fullerene (C{sub 60}) and La{sub 0.67}Sr{sub 0.33}MnO{sub 3} (LSMO) has been investigated with ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy and X-ray photoemission spectroscopy. There is a 0.61 eV barrier for the electrons to be injected from LSMO to C{sub 60}. The energy bands keep bending upward with increasing C{sub 60} thickness. A total energy bending of 0.72 eV is observed, changing the C{sub 60} film from n-type to p-type. The n-p transition is ascribed to the diffusion of oxygen from LSMO to C{sub 60} which subsequently strips electrons from C{sub 60}, making the latter p-type. Our results suggest a buffer layer be inserted between the LSMO and C{sub 60} to lower the interface electron barrier and prevent deterioration of the C{sub 60} film in related spintronic devices.

  17. Effectiveness of Intelligent Tutoring Systems: A Meta-Analytic Review

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kulik, James A.; Fletcher, J. D.

    2016-01-01

    This review describes a meta-analysis of findings from 50 controlled evaluations of intelligent computer tutoring systems. The median effect of intelligent tutoring in the 50 evaluations was to raise test scores 0.66 standard deviations over conventional levels, or from the 50th to the 75th percentile. However, the amount of improvement found in…

  18. Effect of various sintering temperature on resistivity behaviour and magnetoresistance of La{sub 0.67}Ba{sub 0.33}MnO{sub 3}

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pratama, R.; Kurniawan, B., E-mail: bkuru07@gmail.com; Manaf, A.; Ramadhan, M. R. [Department of Physics, FMIPA, Universitas Indonesia, Kampus UI Depok (Indonesia); Nanto, D. [Department of Physics Education, Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University, Jakarta 15412 (Indonesia); Saptari, S. A. [Faculty of Science and Technology, Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University, Jakarta 15412 (Indonesia); Imaduddin, A. [Research Center of Metallurgy and Material, Indonesian Institute of Science,s Gd 470 Kawasan Puspitek, Serpong, Tangerang Selatan 15314 (Indonesia)

    2016-04-19

    A detail work was conducted in order to investigate effect of various sintering temperature on resistivity behavior and its relation with the magneto-resistance effect of La{sub 0.67}Ba{sub 0.33}MnO{sub 3} (LBMO). The LBMO samples were synthesized using solid state reaction. Characterization using X-ray diffraction shows that all LBMO samples have a single phase for each variation. Variation of sintering temperature on the LBMO samples affects its lattice parameters. The resistivity measurement in an absence and under applied magnetic field resulted in a highly significant different values. In one of the sintering temperature variation of LBMO, an increasing resistivity had shown at a low temperature and had reached its maximum value at a specific temperature, and then the resistivity decreases to the lowest value near the room temperature. Similar result observed at higher varieties of sintering temperature but with significant lower maximum resistivity.

  19. Orientation Control of Interfacial Magnetism at La0.67Sr0.33MnO3/SrTiO3 Interfaces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Er-Jia; Charlton, Timothy; Ambaye, Haile; Desautels, Ryan D; Lee, Ho Nyung; Fitzsimmons, Michael R

    2017-06-07

    Understanding the magnetism at the interface between a ferromagnet and an insulator is essential because the commonly posited magnetic "dead" layer close to an interface can be problematic in magnetic tunnel junctions. Previously, degradation of the magnetic interface was attributed to charge discontinuity across the interface. Here, the interfacial magnetism was investigated using three identically prepared La 0.67 Sr 0.33 MnO 3 (LSMO) thin films grown on different oriented SrTiO 3 (STO) substrates by polarized neutron reflectometry. In all cases the magnetization at the LSMO/STO interface is larger than the film bulk. We show that the interfacial magnetization is largest across the LSMO/STO interfaces with (001) and (111) orientations, which have the largest net charge discontinuities across the interfaces. In contrast, the magnetization of LSMO/STO across the (110) interface, the orientation with no net charge discontinuity, is the smallest of the three orientations. We show that a magnetically degraded interface is not intrinsic to LSMO/STO heterostructures. The approach to use different crystallographic orientations provides a means to investigate the influence of charge discontinuity on the interfacial magnetization.

  20. Magnetization dynamics in La{sub 0.67}Ca{sub 0.33}MnO{sub 3} epitaxial films probed with resonant and non-resonant microwave absorption

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Porwal, Rajni; Pant, R. P.; Budhani, R. C., E-mail: rcb@iitk.ac.in [National Physical Laboratory, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Dr K S Krishnan Marg, New Delhi-110012 (India)

    2015-01-07

    Temperature (T) dependent microwave absorption measurements are performed on La{sub 0.67}Ca{sub 0.33}MnO{sub 3} (LCMO) epitaxial thin films of thickness 100 and 200 nm in an electron paramagnetic resonance spectrometer operating in X-band. The resonant absorption peak is monitored for out-of-plane (H{sup ⊥}) and in-plane (H{sup ∥}) dc magnetic field (H) as the system goes through magnetic ordering. These data suggest a resilient transformation to the ferromagnetic (FM) phase in the vicinity of the Curie temperature (T{sub C}), indicative of a phase separation, which is dominant in the thinner film. The saturation magnetization is calculated from SQUID magnetometry on the same film. A pronounced zero-field absorption is seen in H{sup ∥} geometry displaying anomalous growth in 100 nm film at T < T{sub C}. This feature is correlated with the magneto-conductivity of the manganite which is colossal in the vicinity of T{sub C} in the well-ordered film of thickness 200 nm. Signature of standing spin wave modes is seen in H{sup ⊥} measurements which are analyzed to calculate the spin wave stiffness constant D(T) in the limit of zero temperature. The same is also inferred from the decay of equilibrium magnetization in the framework of Bloch law. These studies reveal that a bulk like LCMO is obtained in the fully relaxed thicker films.

  1. Di-μ-iodido-bis{[(R-(+-2,2′-bis(diphenylphosphanyl-1,1′-binaphthyl-κ2P,P′]copper(I} 0.67-hydrate

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniel Volz

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available The structure of the title compound, [Cu2I2(C44H32P22]·0.67H2O, has been determined because of its interesting catalytic and optical features. The molecule, which has non-crystallographic C2-symmetry, consists of a core structure of two CuI ions, bridged by two iodide ions. Each CuI ion is also coordinated by one equivalent of the chiral bidentate (R-BINAP ligand [BINAP = 2,2′-bis(diphenylphosphanyl-1,1′-binaphthyl]. Thus, both cations show a distorted tetrahedral geometry being surrounded by two I atoms and two P atoms from the (R-BINAP ligands. The complex consists of isolated butterfly-shaped molecules featuring an angle of 146.11 (2° between adjacent CuI2 planes. The structure displays intramolecular C—H...I hydrogen bonding and contains disordered water. The absolute configuration of this chiral complex was determined by anomalous dispersion effects.

  2. Sex, PrEP, and Stigma: Experiences with HIV Pre-exposure Prophylaxis Among New York City MSM Participating in the HPTN 067/ADAPT Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Franks, Julie; Hirsch-Moverman, Yael; Loquere, Avelino S; Amico, K Rivet; Grant, Robert M; Dye, Bonnie J; Rivera, Yan; Gamboa, Robert; Mannheimer, Sharon B

    2018-04-01

    The HPTN 067/Alternative Dosing to Augment Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Pill Taking (ADAPT) study evaluated daily and non-daily dosing schedules for oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent HIV. A qualitative sub-study including focus groups and in-depth interviews was conducted among men who have sex with men participating in New York City to understand their experience with PrEP and study dosing schedules. The 37 sub-study participants were 68% black, 11% white, and 8% Asian; 27% were of Hispanic/Latino ethnicity. Mean age was 34 years. Themes resulting from qualitative analysis include: PrEP is a significant advance for HIV prevention; non-daily dosing of PrEP is congruent with HIV risk; and pervasive stigma connected to HIV and risk behavior is a barrier to PrEP adherence, especially for non-daily dosing schedules. The findings underscore how PrEP intersects with other HIV prevention practices and highlight the need to understand and address multidimensional stigma related to PrEP use.

  3. Novel copper redox-based cathode materials for room-temperature sodium-ion batteries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Shu-Yin; Wu, Xiao-Yan; Li, Yun-Ming; Hu, Yong-Sheng; Chen, Li-Quan

    2014-11-01

    Layered oxides of P2-type Na0.68Cu0.34Mn0.66O2, P2-type Na0.68Cu0.34Mn0.50Ti0.16O2, and O'3-type NaCu0.67Sb0.33O2 were synthesized and evaluated as cathode materials for room-temperature sodium-ion batteries. The first two materials can deliver a capacity of around 70 mAh/g. The Cu2+ is oxidized to Cu3+ during charging, and the Cu3+ goes back to Cu2+ upon discharging. This is the first demonstration of the highly reversible change of the redox couple of Cu2+/Cu3+ with high storage potential in secondary batteries.

  4. A full year evaluation of the CALIOPE-EU air quality modeling system over Europe for 2004

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pay, M. T.; Piot, M.; Jorba, O.; Gassó, S.; Gonçalves, M.; Basart, S.; Dabdub, D.; Jiménez-Guerrero, P.; Baldasano, J. M.

    The CALIOPE-EU high-resolution air quality modeling system, namely WRF-ARW/HERMES-EMEP/CMAQ/BSC-DREAM8b, is developed and applied to Europe (12 km × 12 km, 1 h). The model performances are tested in terms of air quality levels and dynamics reproducibility on a yearly basis. The present work describes a quantitative evaluation of gas phase species (O 3, NO 2 and SO 2) and particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) against ground-based measurements from the EMEP (European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme) network for the year 2004. The evaluation is based on statistics. Simulated O 3 achieves satisfactory performances for both daily mean and daily maximum concentrations, especially in summer, with annual mean correlations of 0.66 and 0.69, respectively. Mean normalized errors are comprised within the recommendations proposed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US-EPA). The general trends and daily variations of primary pollutants (NO 2 and SO 2) are satisfactory. Daily mean concentrations of NO 2 correlate well with observations (annual correlation r = 0.67) but tend to be underestimated. For SO 2, mean concentrations are well simulated (mean bias = 0.5 μg m -3) with relatively high annual mean correlation ( r = 0.60), although peaks are generally overestimated. The dynamics of PM2.5 and PM10 is well reproduced (0.49 Deficiencies in particulate matter source characterization are discussed. Also, the spatially distributed statistics and the general patterns for each pollutant over Europe are examined. The model performances are compared with other European studies. While O 3 statistics generally remain lower than those obtained by the other considered studies, statistics for NO 2, SO 2, PM2.5 and PM10 present higher scores than most models.

  5. Questionnaire-based study to assess the association between management practices and mastitis within tie-stall and free-stall dairy housing systems in Switzerland

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-01-01

    Background Prophylactic measures are key components of dairy herd mastitis control programs, but some are only relevant in specific housing systems. To assess the association between management practices and mastitis incidence, data collected in 2011 by a survey among 979 randomly selected Swiss dairy farms, and information from the regular test day recordings from 680 of these farms was analyzed. Results The median incidence of farmer-reported clinical mastitis (ICM) was 11.6 (mean 14.7) cases per 100 cows per year. The median annual proportion of milk samples with a composite somatic cell count (PSCC) above 200,000 cells/ml was 16.1 (mean 17.3) %. A multivariable negative binomial regression model was fitted for each of the mastitis indicators for farms with tie-stall and free-stall housing systems separately to study the effect of other (than housing system) management practices on the ICM and PSCC events (above 200,000 cells/ml). The results differed substantially by housing system and outcome. In tie-stall systems, clinical mastitis incidence was mainly affected by region (mountainous production zone; incidence rate ratio (IRR) = 0.73), the dairy herd replacement system (1.27) and farmers age (0.81). The proportion of high SCC was mainly associated with dry cow udder controls (IRR = 0.67), clean bedding material at calving (IRR = 1.72), using total merit values to select bulls (IRR = 1.57) and body condition scoring (IRR = 0.74). In free-stall systems, the IRR for clinical mastitis was mainly associated with stall climate/temperature (IRR = 1.65), comfort mats as resting surface (IRR = 0.75) and when no feed analysis was carried out (IRR = 1.18). The proportion of high SSC was only associated with hand and arm cleaning after calving (IRR = 0.81) and beef producing value to select bulls (IRR = 0.66). Conclusions There were substantial differences in identified risk factors in the four models. Some of the factors were in agreement with the reported literature

  6. Comparative enzyme inhibitive methanol production by Methylosinus sporium from simulated biogas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoo, Yeon-Sun; Han, Ji-Sun; Ahn, Chang-Min; Kim, Chang-Gyun

    2015-01-01

    Methane in a simulated biogas converting to methanol under aerobic condition was comparatively assessed by inhibiting the activity of methanol dehydrogenase (MDH) of Methylosinus sporium using phosphate, NaCl, NH4Cl or EDTA in their varying concentrations. The highest amount of methane was indistinguishably diverted at the typical conditions regardless of the types of inhibitors: 35°C and pH 7 under a 0.4% (v/v) of biogas, specifically for methanol was obtained for the addition of 40 mM phosphate, 100 mM NaCl, 40 mM NH4Cl or 50 µM EDTA. In other words, 0.71, 0.60, 0.66 and 0.66 mmol methanol was correspondingly generated by the oxidation of 1.3, 0.67, 0.74 and 1.3 mmol methane. It gave a methanol conversion rate of 54.7%, 89.9%, 89.6% and 47.8%, respectively. Among them, the maximum rate of methanol production was observed at 6.25 µmol/mg h for 100 mM NaCl. Regardless of types or concentrations of inhibitors differently used, methanol production could be nonetheless identically maximized when the MDH activity was limitedly hampered by up to 35%.

  7. Influence of Na-doping in La{sub 0.67}Pb{sub 0.33-x}Na{sub x}MnO{sub 3} (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.15) on its structural, magnetic and magneto-electrical properties

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zaidi, Asma; Cherif, Karima [Laboratoire de la Matière Condensée et des Nanosciences, Université de Monastir, 5019 (Tunisia); Dhahri, J., E-mail: dhahri.jemai@yahoo.fr [Laboratoire de la Matière Condensée et des Nanosciences, Université de Monastir, 5019 (Tunisia); Hlil, E.K. [Institut Neel, CNRS et Université Joseph Fourier, B.P.166, 38042 Grenoble (France); Zaidi, M.; Alharbi, T. [College of Science of Zulfi, Majmaah University (Saudi Arabia)

    2015-11-25

    We have studied the effect of Na substitution on structural, magnetic and electrical properties in La{sub 0.67}Pb{sub 0.33-x}Na{sub x}MnO{sub 3} (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.15). All compositions were synthesized using the sol–gel technique. X-ray diffraction and structure refinement show that they crystallize in the rhombohedra structure with the R − 3c space group. All the samples exhibit a paramagnetic (PM)-ferromagnetic (FM) phase transition (T{sub C}) at 363, 328, 305 and 285 K for x = 0, x = 0.05, x = 0.1 and x = 0.15 respectively. The replacement of Pb ion by Na results in a decrease of the metal-semiconductor transition temperature T{sub M-Sc} and the magnetoresistance (MR) as well as the resistivity are found to increase. The electrical resistivity in the entire temperature range fit well with the phenomenological percolation theory based on the phase segregation mechanism. - Graphical abstract: Temperature dependence of MR under several magnetic applied field values for the samples La{sub 0.67}Pb{sub 0.18-x}Na{sub 0.15}MnO{sub 3}. - Highlights: • The samples exhibit PM-FM phase transition. • The electrical transport is investigated. • Low temperature minimum resistivity is observed. • The electrical resistivity in the entire temperature range fit well with the phenomenological percolation model.

  8. Long-term cryogenic space storage system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hopkins, R. A.; Chronic, W. L.

    1973-01-01

    Discussion of the design, fabrication and testing of a 225-cu ft spherical cryogenic storage system for long-term subcritical applications under zero-g conditions in storing subcritical cryogens for space vehicle propulsion systems. The insulation system design, the analytical methods used, and the correlation between the performance test results and analytical predictions are described. The best available multilayer insulation materials and state-of-the-art thermal protection concepts were applied in the design, providing a boiloff rate of 0.152 lb/hr, or 0.032% per day, and an overall heat flux of 0.066 Btu/sq ft hr based on a 200 sq ft surface area. A six to eighteen month cryogenic storage is provided by this system for space applications.

  9. Heteroepitaxy of Nd{sub 0.67}Sr{sub 0.33}MnO{sub 3} on silicon for bolometric x-ray detector application

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yong, G. J.; Kolagani, Rajeswari M.; Adhikari, S. [Department of Physics, Astronomy and Geosciences, Towson University, Towson, Maryland 21252 (United States); Drury, O. B.; Gardner, C.; Bionta, R. M.; Friedrich, S. [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Ave., Livermore, California 94550 (United States)

    2010-11-15

    We have recently reported the design concept and sensor fabrication for a novel bolometric x-ray detector based on a rare earth manganite material for application as a total energy monitor for the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) free electron laser at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC). The detector employs epitaxial thin films of Nd{sub 0.67}Sr{sub 0.33}MnO{sub 3} grown on Si by pulsed laser deposition. In this paper we report details of the fabrication of the actual detector, its response characteristics under photon illumination from LCLS, and improvements in the growth scheme of the sensor material on Si using a buffer/template layer scheme that employs yttria-stabilized zirconia, cerium oxide (CeO{sub 2}), and bismuth titanate (Bi{sub 4}Ti{sub 3}O{sub 12}). The thermal sensor response changes linearly with the energy of an optical calibration laser as expected, and the signals from optical and x-ray pulses at LCLS are very similar, thereby validating the design concept. To the best of our knowledge, the LCLS detector application reported here is the first practical use of colossal magnetoresistive manganite bolometers.

  10. Elastically strained and relaxed La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 films grown on lanthanum aluminate substrates with different orientations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boikov, Yu. A.; Serenkov, I. T.; Sakharov, V. I.; Claeson, T.

    2016-12-01

    Structure of 40-nm thick La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 (LCMO) films grown by laser evaporation on (001) and (110) LaAlO3 (LAO) substrates has been investigated using the methods of medium-energy ion scattering and X-ray diffraction. The grown manganite layers are under lateral biaxial compressive mechanical stresses. When (110)LAO wafers are used as the substrates, stresses relax to a great extent; the relaxation is accompanied by the formation of defects in a (3-4)-nm thick manganite-film interlayer adjacent to the LCMO-(110)LAO interface. When studying the structure of the grown layers, their electro- and magnetotransport parameters have been measured. The electroresistance of the LCMO films grown on the substrates of both types reached a maximum at temperature T M of about 250 K. At temperatures close to T M magnetoresistance of the LCMO/(110)LAO films exceeds that of the LCMO/(001)LAO films by 20-30%; however, the situation is inverse at low temperatures ( T < 150 K). At T < T M , the magnetotransport in the grown manganite films significantly depends on the spin ordering in ferromagnetic domains, which increase with a decrease in temperature.

  11. Improved performance of In0.83Ga0.17As/InP photodetectors through modifying the position of In0.66Ga0.34As/InAs superlattice electron barrier

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shi, Yan-hui; Zhang, Yong-gang; Ma, Ying-jie; Gu, Yi; Chen, Xing-you; Gong, Qian; Du, Ben; Zhang, Jian; Zhu, Yi

    2018-03-01

    The performance of wavelength extended In0.83Ga0.17As/InP photodetectors has been improved notably through modifying the position of electron barriers in absorption layer. In order to fully utilize the diffusion component of the photocurrent, the In0.66Ga0.34As/InAs superlattice electron barrier is moved to the edge of the depletion region. Enhanced peak photo responsivity up to 0.84 A/W is realized, which raises 24% compared to that of a reference detector with the superlattice barrier in the middle of the absorber. The dark current slightly increases by 25% at room temperature while decreases by more than an order of magnitude at 150 K, resulting in about 10% or more than twofold improvements for the detectivity, respectively. The results suggest that optimized barrier position is a necessity for barrier-type photodetectors to achieve better performances.

  12. Magnetic, Electrical Transport and Impedance Spectroscopy Studies on Ti Substituted La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 Ceramics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zalita, Z.; Halim, S.A.; Lim, K.P.; Talib, Z.A.; Hishamuddin, Z.; Walter, C.P.

    2009-01-01

    La 0.67 Sr 0.33 Mn 1-x Ti x O 3 samples with x = 0.0, 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6 have been prepared using the conventional solid-state reaction method. The structure, magnetic and electrical transport properties as well as the impedance spectroscopy of the samples were investigated. The powder XRD analysis showed that all samples were single phase with rhombohedral perovskite structure. The magnetization curve suggests that the Ti substituted samples exhibit weak ferromagnetic behaviour. The highest magnetoresistance (MR) value was obtained for sample x = 0.2 at temperature 200 K and field 1 T, which was 32.5 %. Low field magnetoresistance (LFMR) effect was observed for the x = 0.0 sample. The metal-like resistivity curve for the x = 0.0 sample was best fitted with ρ = ρo + ρ2T2 equation, indicating the grain boundary effects and electron-electron scattering process contribution. Semiconductor-like transport behaviour was observed for the Ti substituted samples and can be fitted by variable range hopping (VRH) and small polaron hopping (SPH) mechanisms. The activation energy of the samples increased when the Ti composition increased. An equivalent circuit was proposed for the impedance plot with a series of two parallel RC circuits. The grain, grain boundary and electrode resistance values increased with Ti composition due to the reduction of the Mn 3+ / Mn 4+ ratio. (author)

  13. Polymorphism of perovskite compounds Ba/sub 2/SEsub(0. 67)Wsup(VI)O/sub 6/. 2. The systems Ba/sub 2/Ndsub(0. 67(1-x))Ysub(0. 67x)WO/sub 6/ and Ba/sub 2/Ndsub(0. 67)Wsub(1-x)Usub(x)O/sub 6/

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schnittenhelm, H J; Kemmler-Sack, S [Tuebingen Univ. (Germany, F.R.). Inst. fuer Chemie

    1977-06-01

    In the system Ba/sub 2/Ndsub(0.67(1-x))Ysub(0.67x)WO/sub 6/ the formation of a continuous series of mixed crystals with cubic 1:1 ordered perovskite structure is observed. The existence of a hexagonal modification is confined to the Y-rich side (x => 0.9). In the Ba/sub 2/Ndsub(0.67)Wsub(1-x)Usub(x)O/sub 6/ series only for x =< 0.25 homogeneous cubic perovskites are obtained. In contrast to systems with other rare earths the Nd series show uncommon optical properties.

  14. Measurement of the branching fractions of {Lambda}{sub c}{sup +}{r_arrow}p{bar K}n({pi})

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Alam, M.S.; Athar, S.B.; Ling, Z.; Mahmood, A.H.; Severini, H.; Timm, S.; Wappler, F. [State University of New York at Albany, Albany, New York12222 (United States); Anastassov, A.; Duboscq, J.E.; Fujino, D.; Gan, K.K.; Hart, T.; Honscheid, K.; Kagan, H.; Kass, R.; Lee, J.; Spencer, M.B.; Sung, M.; Undrus, A.; Wanke, R.; Wolf, A.; Zoeller, M.M. [Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio43210 (United States); Nemati, B.; Richichi, S.J.; Ross, W.R.; Skubic, P. [University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma73019 (United States); Bishai, M.; Fast, J.; Hinson, J.W.; Menon, N.; Miller, D.H.; Shibata, E.I.; Shipsey, I.P.; Yurko, M. [Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana47907 (United States); Gibbons, L.; Glenn, S.; Johnson, S.D.; Kwon, Y.; Roberts, S.; Thorndike, E.H. [University of Rochester, Rochester, New York14627 (United States); Jessop, C.P.; Lingel, K.; Marsiske, H.; Perl, M.L.; Ugolini, D.; Wang, R.; Zhou, X. [Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, Stanford University, Stanford, California94309 (United States); Coan, T.E.; Fadeyev, V.; Korolkov, I.; Maravin, Y.; Narsky, I.; Shelkov, V.; Staeck, J.; Stroynowski, R.; Volobouev, I.; Ye, J. [Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas75275 (United States); Artuso, M.; Efimov, A.; Goldberg, M.; He, D.; Kopp, S.; Moneti, G.C.; Mountain, R.; Schuh, S.; Skwarnicki, T.; Stone, S.; Viehhauser, G.; Xing, X. [Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York13244 (United States); Bartelt, J.; Csorna, S.E.; Jain, V.; McLean, K.W.; Marka, S. [Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee37235 (United States); Godang, R.; Kinoshita, K.; Lai, I.C.; Pomianowski, P.; Schrenk, S. [Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia24061 (United States); Bonvicini, G.; Cinabro, D.; Greene, R.; Perera, L.P.; Zhou, G.J. [Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan48202 (United States); Barish, B.; Chadha, M.; Chan, S.; Eigen, G.; Miller, J.S.; OGrady, C.; Schmidtler, M.; Urheim, J.; Weinstein, A.J.; and others

    1998-04-01

    Using data recorded by the CLEO-II detector at CESR, we report new measurements of the branching fractions for the decays of the charmed baryon {Lambda}{sub c}{sup +} into pK{sup {minus}}{pi}{sup +}{pi}{sup 0}, p{bar K}{sup 0}, p{bar K}{sup 0}{pi}{sup +}{pi}{sup {minus}}, and p{bar K}{sup 0}{pi}{sup 0}, all measured relative to pK{sup {minus}}{pi}{sup +}. The relative branching fractions are 0.67{plus_minus}0.04{plus_minus}0.11,0.46{plus_minus}0.02{plus_minus}0.04,0.52 {plus_minus}0.04{plus_minus}0.05, and 0.66{plus_minus}0.05{plus_minus}0.07, respectively. {copyright} {ital 1998} {ital The American Physical Society}

  15. The topotactic transformation of Ti3SiC2 into a partially ordered cubic Ti(C0.67Si0.06) phase by the diffusion of Si into molten cryolite

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barsoum, M.W.; El-Raghy, T.; Farber, L.; Amer, M.; Christini, R.; Adams

    1999-01-01

    Immersion of Ti 3 SiC 2 samples in molten cryolite at 960 C resulted in the preferential diffusion of Si atoms out of the basal planes to form a partially ordered, cubic phase with approximate chemistry Ti(C 0.67 , Si 0.06 ). The latter forms in domains, wherein the (111) planes are related by mirror planes; i.e., the loss of Si results in the de-twinning of the Ti 3 C 2 layers. Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, optical, scanning and transmission electron microscopy all indicate that the Si exists the structure topotactically, in such a way that the C atoms remain partially in their ordered position in the cubic phase

  16. Underwater Coatings for Contamination Control

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Julia L. Tripp; Kip Archibald; Ann-Marie Phillips; Joseph Campbell

    2004-01-01

    The Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) is deactivating several fuel storage basins. Airborne contamination is a concern when the sides of the basins are exposed and allowed to dry during water removal. One way of controlling this airborne contamination is to fix the contamination in place while the pool walls are still submerged. There are many underwater coatings available on the market that are used in marine, naval and other applications. A series of tests were run to determine whether the candidate underwater fixatives are easily applied and adhere well to the substrates (pool wall materials) found in INEEL fuel pools. The four pools considered included (1) Test Area North (TAN-607) with epoxy painted concrete walls; (2) Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) (CPP-603) with bare concrete walls; (3) Materials Test Reactor (MTR) Canal with stainless steel lined concrete walls; and (4) Power Burst Facility (PBF-620) with stainless steel lined concrete walls on the bottom and epoxy painted carbon steel lined walls on the upper portions. Therefore, the four materials chosen for testing included bare concrete, epoxy painted concrete, epoxy painted carbon steel, and stainless steel. The typical water temperature of the pools varies from 55 F to 80 F dependent on the pool and the season. These tests were done at room temperature. The following criteria were used during this evaluation. The underwater coating must: (1) Be easy to apply; (2) Adhere well to the four surfaces of interest; (3) Not change or have a negative impact on water chemistry or clarity; (4) Not be hazardous in final applied form; and (5) Be proven in other underwater applications. In addition, it is desirable for the coating to have a high pigment or high cross-link density to prevent radiation from penetrating. This paper will detail the testing completed and the test results. A proprietary two-part, underwater epoxy owned by S. G. Pinney and Associates

  17. Structural and electrical characterization of (BaTiO3)x(La0.67Sr0.33MnO3)1-x ceramic composites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gaffoor, Abdul; Ravinder, D.; Joshi, U.S.; Mistry, B.V.; Joshi, Nikhail G.; Chayya, U.V.; Gadhvi, M.R.

    2012-01-01

    Multiferroic materials with the coexistence of at least two ferroic orders (ferroelectric, (anti-)ferromagnetic, and ferroelastic) have recently drawn ever-increasing interest due to their potential for applications as multifunctional devices. Among them, the coexistence of ferroelectricity and ferromagnetism is highly desired. But only their coexistence is not enough; of most important is to require a strong coupling interaction between two ferroic orders. Ceramic composite of well known ferromagnetic metallic manganite La 0.67 Sr 0.33 MnO 3 (LSMO) is systematically substituted by ferroelectric oxide BaTiO 3 (BTO). Samples with generic formula (BTO) x (LSMO) 1-x (x = 0.0 to 1.0, in step of 0.2) were synthesized by standard double sintering method. XRD show major perovskite LSMO phase upto x=0.6. However mixed phases were detected for almost all the x value except end points. Temperature dependent DC resistivity exhibit systematic metallic to insulator transformation with increasing x. Frequency dependent dielectric constants show a linear decrease over 10 MHz, whereas the loss tangent found to increase abnormally with frequency, with increasing x. Electric field dependent polarization show a broad hysteresis for x e' 0.6. (author)

  18. Results of the radiological survey at the Firemen's Memorial Park and Fire Hall No. 2, Garibaldi Avenue and Kennedy Drive, Lodi, New Jersey (LJ066)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Foley, R.D.; Floyd, L.M.; Crutcher, J.W.

    1989-08-01

    Maywood Chemical Works (MCW) of Maywood, New Jersey, generated process wastes and residues associated with the production and refining of thorium and thorium compounds from monazite ores from 1916 to 1956. MCW supplied rare earth metals and thorium compounds to the Atomic Energy Commission and various other government agencies from the late 1940s to the mid-1950s. Area residents used the sandlike waste from this thorium extraction process mixed with tea and cocoa leaves as mulch in their yards. Some of these contaminated wastes were also eroded from the site into Lodi Brook. At the request of the US Department of Energy (DOE), a group from Oak Ridge National Laboratory conducts investigative radiological surveys of properties in the vicinity of MCW to determine whether a property is contaminated with radioactive residues, principally 232 Th, derived from the MCW site. The survey typically includes direct measurement of the gamma radiation levels and soil sampling for radionuclide analyses. The survey of this site, the Firemen's Memorial Park and Fire Hall number sign 2, Garibaldi Avenue and Kennedy Drive, Lodi, New Jersey (LJ066) was conducted during 1987. Results of the survey demonstrated radionuclide concentrations in excess of the DOE Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program criteria. The radionuclide distributions are typical of the type of material originating from the MCW site. 4 refs., 10 figs., 3 tabs

  19. Microstructural, Magnetic, and Optical Properties of Pr-Doped Perovskite Manganite La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 Nanoparticles Synthesized via Sol-Gel Process

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xia, Weiren; Wu, Heng; Xue, Piaojie; Zhu, Xinhua

    2018-05-01

    We report on microstructural, magnetic, and optical properties of Pr-doped perovskite manganite (La1 - xPrx)0.67Ca0.33MnO3 (LPCMO, x = 0.0-0.5) nanoparticles synthesized via sol-gel process. Structural characterizations (X-ray and electron diffraction patterns, (high resolution) TEM images) provide information regarding the phase formation and the single-crystalline nature of the LPCMO systems. X-ray and electron diffraction patterns reveal that all the LPCMO samples crystallize in perovskite crystallography with an orthorhombic structure ( Pnma space group), where the MnO6 octahedron is elongated along the b axis due to the Jahn-Teller effect. That is confirmed by Raman spectra. Crystallite sizes and grain sizes were calculated from XRD and TEM respectively, and the lattice fringes resolved in the high-resolution TEM images of individual LPCMO nanoparticle confirmed its single-crystalline nature. FTIR spectra identify the characteristic Mn-O bond stretching vibration mode near 600 cm- 1, which shifts towards high wavenumbers with increasing post-annealing temperature or Pr-doping concentration, resulting in further distortion of the MnO6 octahedron. XPS revealed dual oxidation states of Mn3+ and Mn4+ in the LPCMO nanoparticles. UV-vis absorption spectra confirm the semiconducting nature of the LPCMO nanoparticles with optical bandgaps of 2.55-2.71 eV. Magnetic measurements as a function of temperature and magnetic field at field cooling and zero-field cooling modes, provided a Curie temperature around 230 K, saturation magnetization of about 81 emu/g, and coercive field of 390 Oe at 10 K. Such magnetic properties and the semiconducting nature of the LPCMO nanoparticles will make them as suitable candidate for magnetic semiconductor spintronics.

  20. Measurement characteristics of the childhood Asthma-Control Test and a shortened, child-only version.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bime, Christian; Gerald, Joe K; Wei, Christine Y; Holbrook, Janet T; Teague, William G; Wise, Robert A; Gerald, Lynn B

    2016-10-20

    The childhood Asthma-Control Test (C-ACT) is validated for assessing asthma control in paediatric asthma. Among children aged 4-11 years, the C-ACT requires the simultaneous presence of both parent and child. There is an unmet need for a tool that can be used to assess asthma control in children when parents or caregivers are not present such as in the school setting. We assessed the psychometric properties and estimated the minimally important difference (MID) of the C-ACT and a modified version, comprising only the child responses (C-ACTc). Asthma patients aged 6-11 years (n=161) from a previously completed multicenter randomised trial were included. Demographic information, spirometry and questionnaire scores were obtained at baseline and during follow-up. Participants or their guardians kept a daily asthma diary. Internal consistency reliabilities of the C-ACT and C-ACTc were 0.76 and 0.67 (Cronbach's α), respectively. Test-retest reliabilities of the C-ACT and C-ACTc were 0.72 and 0.66 (intra-class correlation), respectively. Significant correlations were noted between C-ACT scores and ACQ scores (Spearman's correlation r=-0.56, 95% CI (-0.66, -0.44), Pasthma patients aged 6-11 years, the C-ACT had good psychometric properties. The psychometric properties of a shortened child-only version (C-ACTc), although acceptable, are not as strong.

  1. Interactive dedicated training curriculum improves accuracy in the interpretation of MR imaging of prostate cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Akin, Oguz; Zhang, Jingbo; Hricak, Hedvig; Riedl, Christopher C.; Ishill, Nicole M.; Moskowitz, Chaya S.

    2010-01-01

    To assess the effect of interactive dedicated training on radiology fellows' accuracy in assessing prostate cancer on MRI. Eleven radiology fellows, blinded to clinical and pathological data, independently interpreted preoperative prostate MRI studies, scoring the likelihood of tumour in the peripheral and transition zones and extracapsular extension. Each fellow interpreted 15 studies before dedicated training (to supply baseline interpretation accuracy) and 200 studies (10/week) after attending didactic lectures. Expert radiologists led weekly interactive tutorials comparing fellows' interpretations to pathological tumour maps. To assess interpretation accuracy, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was conducted, using pathological findings as the reference standard. In identifying peripheral zone tumour, fellows' average area under the ROC curve (AUC) increased from 0.52 to 0.66 (after didactic lectures; p < 0.0001) and remained at 0.66 (end of training; p < 0.0001); in the transition zone, their average AUC increased from 0.49 to 0.64 (after didactic lectures; p = 0.01) and to 0.68 (end of training; p = 0.001). In detecting extracapsular extension, their average AUC increased from 0.50 to 0.67 (after didactic lectures; p = 0.003) and to 0.81 (end of training; p < 0.0001). Interactive dedicated training significantly improved accuracy in tumour localization and especially in detecting extracapsular extension on prostate MRI. (orig.)

  2. Interactive dedicated training curriculum improves accuracy in the interpretation of MR imaging of prostate cancer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Akin, Oguz; Zhang, Jingbo; Hricak, Hedvig [Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Department of Radiology, New York, NY (United States); Riedl, Christopher C. [Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Department of Radiology, New York, NY (United States); Medical University of Vienna, Department of Radiology, Vienna (Austria); Ishill, Nicole M.; Moskowitz, Chaya S. [Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, New York, NY (United States)

    2010-04-15

    To assess the effect of interactive dedicated training on radiology fellows' accuracy in assessing prostate cancer on MRI. Eleven radiology fellows, blinded to clinical and pathological data, independently interpreted preoperative prostate MRI studies, scoring the likelihood of tumour in the peripheral and transition zones and extracapsular extension. Each fellow interpreted 15 studies before dedicated training (to supply baseline interpretation accuracy) and 200 studies (10/week) after attending didactic lectures. Expert radiologists led weekly interactive tutorials comparing fellows' interpretations to pathological tumour maps. To assess interpretation accuracy, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was conducted, using pathological findings as the reference standard. In identifying peripheral zone tumour, fellows' average area under the ROC curve (AUC) increased from 0.52 to 0.66 (after didactic lectures; p < 0.0001) and remained at 0.66 (end of training; p < 0.0001); in the transition zone, their average AUC increased from 0.49 to 0.64 (after didactic lectures; p = 0.01) and to 0.68 (end of training; p = 0.001). In detecting extracapsular extension, their average AUC increased from 0.50 to 0.67 (after didactic lectures; p = 0.003) and to 0.81 (end of training; p < 0.0001). Interactive dedicated training significantly improved accuracy in tumour localization and especially in detecting extracapsular extension on prostate MRI. (orig.)

  3. Structural and magnetic properties of Nd0.67Ba0.33MnO3 manganites with partial replacement of Fe and Cu at Mn-site

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sudakshina, B.; Arun, B.; Chandrasekhar, K. Devi; Yang, H. D.; Vasundhara, M.

    2018-06-01

    We have investigated the structural and magnetic properties of Nd0.67Ba0.33MnO3 manganite and partial replacement of Mn with Fe and Cu compounds followed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). The Rietveld refinement of XRD indicates orthorhombic crystal structure with I-mma space group for all the compounds and thus obtained lattice parameters confirm the presence of co-operative Jahn-Teller effect. XRD and XAS spectra results suggests the existence of Fe3+ in Fe-substituted compound where as a mixed state of Cu2+ and Cu3+ ions in the Cu-substituted compound. The ferromagnetic (FM) to paramagnetic (PM) transition and magnetic moment is found to decrease upon the substitution of Fe and Cu atoms because of the suppression of double exchange interaction. The theoretically obtained and experimentally determined values of effective PM moment and saturation magnetic moment confirms the presence of inhomogeneous magnetic states containing FM and antiferromagnetic clusters in all the studied compounds.

  4. Design and construction of engineering test device of a multi-purpose radwaste incineration system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Peiyi; Zhou Lianquan; Ma Mingxie; Qiu Mingcai; Yang Liguo; Li Xiaohai; Zhang Xiaobin; Lu Xiaowu; Dong Jingling; Wang Xujin; Li Chuanlian; Yang Baomin

    2002-01-01

    The author describes designs of main un-standard devices, monitoring system and safety system, as well as construction of the engineering system devices for a multi-purpose radwaste incineration system. Un-standard devices include waste crusher, pyrolysis furnace, incinerator furnace, cool stream dilution device and bag filter, etc. The monitoring system mainly includes industrial controlled computer, supported by conventional electrical equipment and instruments. Designs of system safety takes account of containment of radioactive materials fire-prevention, explosion prevention, anti-corrosion, redundance and reservation, emergency system, controlling and electric safety system, etc. Results show that main technological system remains good airtight with leakage ratio at 0.67%

  5. Association between auditory P300, psychopathology, and memory function in drug-naïve schizophrenia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, Wei-Hung; Chen, Kao-Chin; Yang, Yen-Kuang; Chen, Po-See; Lu, Ru-Band; Yeh, Tzung-Lieh; Wang, Carol Sheei-Meei; Lee, I-Hui

    2014-03-01

    The aim of this study was to explore memory deficits and psychopathology and their relationships with P300 in drug-naïve patients with schizophrenia. The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised were administered. Auditory event-related potentials elicited by an oddball paradigm were obtained. After controlling for age, sex, the results showed a statistically significant negative correlation between the total PANSS score and P300 amplitude at the parietal position (r = -0.66, p visual memory was significantly positively correlated with P300 amplitude at the parietal position (r = 0.67, p memory decompensation in P300 among drug-naïve patients with schizophrenia may be considered, and the compensatory or Default Model Network might be a possible explanation of this association. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  6. Nanoscale control of stripe-ordered magnetic domain walls by vertical spin transfer torque in La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 film

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Jing; Wu, Shizhe; Ma, Ji; Xie, Lishan; Wang, Chuanshou; Malik, Iftikhar Ahmed; Zhang, Yuelin; Xia, Ke; Nan, Ce-Wen; Zhang, Jinxing

    2018-02-01

    Stripe-ordered domains with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy have been intensively investigated due to their potential applications in high-density magnetic data-storage devices. However, the conventional control methods (e.g., epitaxial strain, local heating, magnetic field, and magnetoelectric effect) of the stripe-ordered domain walls either cannot meet the demands for miniaturization and low power consumption of spintronic devices or require high strength of the electric field due to the small value of the magnetoelectric effect at room temperature. Here, a domain-wall resistive effect of 0.1% was clarified in La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 thin films between the configurations of current in the plane and perpendicular to the plane of walls. Furthermore, a reversible nanoscale control of the domain-wall re-orientation by vertical spin transfer torque across the probe/film interface was achieved, where a probe voltage of 0.1 V was applied on a manganite-based capacitor. We also demonstrated that the stripe-ordered magnetic domain-wall re-orientation strongly depends on the AC frequency of the scanning probe voltage which was applied on the capacitor.

  7. An interim evaluation of the thermal stability of Cu/sub 0.67/Y/sub 0.25/Kr/sub 0.08/ sputter deposits

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McClanahan, E.D.; Bradley, E.R.

    1988-07-01

    Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) has developed and demonstrated a pilot process for trapping and storing 85 Kr recovered and purified from the dissolver off-gas stream of a nuclear fuel reprocessing plant. Ions produced in a low-pressure krypton discharge are implanted in a growing sputtered film of Cu/sub 0.67/Y/sub 0.25/Kr/sub 0.08/ deposited on the inner wall of a krypton trapping storage device (KTSD). A main objective of this work is to measure the release of 85 Kr implanted in a copper-yttrium alloy. The overall release characteristics of the deposits are quite favorable for long-term storage. Both the radioactive and nonradioactive test specimens stored at temperatures not exceeding 350/degree/C have shown that the release rates measured to date are -1 . The release rates for the radioactive specimens were obtained for storage periods of 1.6, 1.1 and 0.4 yr for 150, 250 and 350/degree/C storage temperatures, respectively. The nonradioactive specimen has been held at temperatures ranging between 180 and 450/degree/C, but mainly at 350/degree/C, for a total storage time of 2.1 yr. Following the /approximately/10-yr monitoring period, the remaining Cu-Y- 85 Kr waste form should be evaluated to better predict overall stability for the full storage period (50 to 100 yr). 5 refs., 6 figs., 2 tabs

  8. Systemic therapy in younger and elderly patients with advanced biliary cancer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    McNamara, Mairéad Geraldine; Bridgewater, John; Lopes, Andre

    2017-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Outcomes in younger (ABC) receiving palliative chemotherapy are unclear. This study assessed outcomes in those receiving monotherapy or combination therapy in thirteen prospective systemic-therapy trials. METHODS......: Multivariable analysis explored the impact of therapy on progression-free (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in two separate age cohort groups: ... = 0.58, P = 0.66) or OS (P = 0.18, P = 0.75). CONCLUSIONS: In ABC, younger patients are rare, and survival in elderly patients in receipt of systemic therapy for advanced disease, whether monotherapy or combination therapy, is similar to that of non-elderly patients, therefore age alone should...

  9. Assessment of Clinical Risk Management System in Hospitals: An Approach for Quality Improvement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farokhzadian, Jamileh; Dehghan Nayeri, Nahid; Borhani, Fariba

    2015-03-18

    Clinical risks have created major problems in healthcare system such as serious adverse effects on patient safety and enhancing the financial burden for the healthcare. Thus, clinical risk management (CRM) system has been introduced for improving the quality and safety of services to health care. The aim of this study was to assess the status of CRM in the hospitals. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 200 nursing staff from three teaching hospitals affiliated with the Kerman University of Medical Sciences in southeast of Iran. Data were collected from the participants using questionnaire and observational checklist in quality improvement offices and selected wards. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 20. Almost, 57% of persons participated in at least one of training sessions on CRM. The status of CRM system was rated from weak to moderate (2.93±0.72- 3.18±0.66). Among the six domains of CRM system, the highest mean belonged to domain the monitoring of analysis, evaluation and risk control (3.18±0.72); the lowest mean belonged to domain the staff's knowledge, recognition and understanding of CRM (2.93±0.66). There were no integrated electronic systems for recording and analyzing clinical risks and incidents in the hospitals. Attempts have been made to establish CRM through improvement quality approach such as clinical governance and accreditation, but not enough, however, health care should move toward quality improvement and safe practice through the effective integration of CRM in organizational process.

  10. CHARACTERISTICS OF LITHIUM LANTHANUM TITANATE THIN FILMS MADE BY ELECTRON BEAM EVAPORATION FROM NANOSTRUCTURED La0.67-xLi 3xTiO3 TARGET

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nguyen Nang Dinh

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Bulk nanostructured perovskites of La0.67-xLi3xTiO3 (LLTO were prepared by using thermally ball-grinding from compounds of La2O3, Li2CO3 and TiO2. From XRD analysis, it was found that LTTO materials were crystallized with nano-size grains of an average size of 30 nm. The bulk ionic conductivity was found strongly dependent on the Li+ composition, the samples with x = 0.11 (corresponding to a La0.56Li0.33TiO3 compound have the best ionic conductivity, which is ca. 3.2 x 10-3 S/cm at room temperature. The LLTO amorphous films were made by electron beam deposition. At room temperature the smooth films have ionic conductivity of 3.5 x 10-5  S/cm and transmittance of 80%. The optical bandgap of the films was found to be of 2.3 eV. The results have shown that the perovskite La0.56Li0.33TiO3  thin films can be used for a transparent solid electrolyte in ionic battery and in all-solid-state electrochromic devices, in particular.

  11. Substrate and growth related microstructural and magnetic properties in La{sub 0.67}Sr{sub 0.33}MnO{sub 3} thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hawley, M.E.; Brown, G.W.; Kwon, C.; Jia, Q.

    1998-12-31

    Ambient observation of magnetic domain structures by magnetic force microscopy (MFM) in La{sub 0.67}Sr{sub 0.33}MnO{sub 3} films has not yet been clearly correlated with stresses induced by kinetic or thermodynamic growth processes or the compressive (LaAlO{sub 3}) or tensile (SrTiO{sub 3}) nature of the film-substrate lattice mismatch. Although domain-like magnetic structures have been seen in some as-grown films and related to substrate-induced stress and film thickness, no magnetic structure has been seen for other films grown under similar conditions on the same pair of substrates. In this study the authors have grown films over a range of temperatures by pulsed-laser deposition, using the above substrates, to determine the relationship between growth and stress-induced magnetic structures. Results from scanning tunneling, atomic force, and magnetic force microscopies, measurements of temperature-dependent magnetization and structure-dependent coercivity show the relationship between growth and magnetic properties. Maze-like domain structures, with separations between 150 nm and 200 nm, were only observed for the thicker films grown at the highest temperature, 800 C. Application of an in-plane magnetic field converted these domain structures to stripe-like domains whose spacing and out of plane component decreased as the field was increased.

  12. Structural, spectroscopic, and dielectric characterizations of Mn-doped 0.67BiFeO3-0.33BaTiO3 multiferroic ceramics

    KAUST Repository

    Hang, Qiming

    2013-09-07

    0.67BiFeO3-0.33BaTiO3 multiferroic ceramics doped with x mol% MnO2 (x = 2–10) were synthesized by solid-state reaction. The formation of a perovskite phase with rhombohedral symmetry was confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The average grain sizes were reduced from 0.80 μm to 0.50 μm as increasing the Mn-doped levels. Single crystalline nature of the grains was revealed by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) images and electron diffraction patterns. Polar nano-sized ferroelectric domains with an average size of 9 nm randomly distributed in the ceramic samples were revealed by TEM images. Ferroelectric domain lamellae (71° ferroelectric domains) with an average width of 5 nm were also observed. Vibrational modes were examined by Raman spectra, where only four Raman peaks at 272 cm−1 (E-4 mode), 496 cm−1 (A 1-4 mode), 639 cm−1, and 1338 cm−1 were observed. The blue shifts in the E-4 and A 1-4 Raman mode frequencies were interpreted by a spring oscillator model. The dieletric constants of the present ceramics as a function of the Mn-doped levels exhibited a V-typed curve. They were in the range of 350–700 measured at 103 Hz, and the corresponding dielectric losses were in range of 0.43–0.96, approaching to 0.09 at 106 Hz.

  13. Structural, spectroscopic, and dielectric characterizations of Mn-doped 0.67BiFeO3-0.33BaTiO3 multiferroic ceramics

    KAUST Repository

    Hang, Qiming; Zhou, Wenke; Zhu, Xinhua; Zhu, Jianmin; Liu, Zhiguo; Al-Kassab, Talaat

    2013-01-01

    0.67BiFeO3-0.33BaTiO3 multiferroic ceramics doped with x mol% MnO2 (x = 2–10) were synthesized by solid-state reaction. The formation of a perovskite phase with rhombohedral symmetry was confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The average grain sizes were reduced from 0.80 μm to 0.50 μm as increasing the Mn-doped levels. Single crystalline nature of the grains was revealed by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) images and electron diffraction patterns. Polar nano-sized ferroelectric domains with an average size of 9 nm randomly distributed in the ceramic samples were revealed by TEM images. Ferroelectric domain lamellae (71° ferroelectric domains) with an average width of 5 nm were also observed. Vibrational modes were examined by Raman spectra, where only four Raman peaks at 272 cm−1 (E-4 mode), 496 cm−1 (A 1-4 mode), 639 cm−1, and 1338 cm−1 were observed. The blue shifts in the E-4 and A 1-4 Raman mode frequencies were interpreted by a spring oscillator model. The dieletric constants of the present ceramics as a function of the Mn-doped levels exhibited a V-typed curve. They were in the range of 350–700 measured at 103 Hz, and the corresponding dielectric losses were in range of 0.43–0.96, approaching to 0.09 at 106 Hz.

  14. Comparison of indoor air distribution and thermal environment for different combinations of radiant heating systems with mechanical ventilation systems

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wu, Xiaozhou; Fang, Lei; Olesen, Bjarne W.

    2018-01-01

    A hybrid system with a radiant heating system and a mechanical ventilation system, which is regarded as an advanced heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) system, has been applied in many modern buildings worldwide. To date, almost no studies focused on comparative analysis of the indoor...... air distribution and the thermal environment for all combinations of radiant heating systems with mechanical ventilation systems. Therefore, in this article, the indoor air distribution and the thermal environment were comparatively analyzed in a room with floor heating (FH) or ceiling heating (CH......) and mixing ventilation (MV) or displacement ventilation (DV) when the supply air temperature ranged from 15.0°C to 19.0°C. The results showed that the temperature effectiveness values were 1.05–1.16 and 0.95–1.02 for MV+ FH and MV+ CH, respectively, and they were 0.78–0.91 and 0.51–0.67 for DV + FH and DV...

  15. Perovskite phases in the systems AO-SE/sub 2/O/sub 3/-UOsub(2,x) with A = alkaline earth metal and SE = rare earths, La and Y. 10. The systems Ba/sub 2/CaUO/sub 6/-Ba/sub 2/Lusub(0. 67)UO/sub 6/ and Ba/sub 2/SrUO/sub 6/-Ba/sub 2/Lusub(0. 67)UO/sub 6/

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kemmler-Sack, S; Jooss, I [Tuebingen Univ. (Germany, F.R.). Inst. fuer Chemie

    1977-06-01

    In the systems Ba/sub 2/Bsub(1-x)Lusub(0.67x)UO/sub 6/ with Bsup(II) = Ca, Sr at the B-rich side rhombic and at the Lu-rich side monoclinic perovskites are formed. The transition is discontinuous and accompanied by order-disorder phenomena.

  16. 46 CFR 160.066-12 - Operational tests.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... provided by a sealed plastic bag or other waterproof packaging, submersion under 25 mm (1 in.) of water for... operating instructions. The following data as observed must be recorded for each signal: (1) Burning time of the pyrotechnic candle; (2) Color; (3) Whether the pyrotechnic candle burns out above, at, or below...

  17. Gomesin acts in the immune system and promotes myeloid differentiation and monocyte/macrophage activation in mouse.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buri, Marcus V; Dias, Carol C; Barbosa, Christiano M V; Nogueira-Pedro, Amanda; Ribeiro-Filho, Antonio C; Miranda, Antonio; Paredes-Gamero, Edgar J

    2016-11-01

    Due to the cytotoxic effect of antimicrobial peptides (AMP) against several microorganism and tumor cells has been proposed their association with the immune system. However, just a few reports have shown this relationship. In this study, mice were treated with gomesin, a β-hairpin AMP that exhibit high cytotoxicity against bacterial and tumor cells. Different effects in the immune system were observed, such as, decrease of CD3 + in T lymphocytes (Control: 17.7±1.4%; Gomesin: 7.67±1.2%) and in hematopoietic progenitors and increase of hematopoietic stem cell (Control: 0.046±0.004%; Gomesin: 0.067±0.003%), B220 + B lymphocytes (Control: 38.63±1.5%; Gomesin: 47.83±0.48%), and Mac-1 + F4/80 + macrophages (Control: 11.76±3.4%; Gomesin: 27.13±4.0%). Additionally, macrophage increase was accompanied by an increase of macrophage phagocytosis (Control 20.85±1.53; Gomesin 31.32±1 Geometric mean), interleukin 6 (Control: 47.24±1.9ng/mL; Gomesin: 138.68±33.68ng/mL) and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (Control: 0.872±0.093ng/mL; Gomesin: 1.83±0.067ng/mL). Thus, this report showed immunomodulatory activity of gomesin in the immune system of mice. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Validation of the prognostic value of histologic scoring systems in primary sclerosing cholangitis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    de Vries, Elisabeth M G; de Krijger, Manon; Färkkilä, Martti

    2017-01-01

    across a multicenter PSC cohort. Liver biopsies from PSC patients were collected from seven European institutions. Histologic scoring was performed using the Nakanuma, Ishak, and Ludwig scoring systems. Biopsies were independently scored by six liver pathologists for interobserver agreement.......19-5.80] for endpoint 2 and HR, 2.06 [95% CI, 1.09-3.89] for endpoint 3). Only the Nakanuma staging system was independently associated with endpoint 1: HR, 2.14 (95% CI, 1.22-3.77). Interobserver agreement was moderate for Nakanuma stage (κ = 0.56) and substantial for Nakanuma component fibrosis (κ = 0.67), Ishak...

  19. Identification of human ferritin, heavy polypeptide 1 (FTH1) and yeast RGI1 (YER067W) as pro-survival sequences that counteract the effects of Bax and copper in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Eid, Rawan [Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Royal Military College, Kingston, Ontario (Canada); Department of Biology, Queen' s University, Kingston, Ontario (Canada); Boucher, Eric [Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec (Canada); Gharib, Nada [Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Royal Military College, Kingston, Ontario (Canada); Khoury, Chamel [Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Royal Military College, Kingston, Ontario (Canada); Department of Biology, Queen' s University, Kingston, Ontario (Canada); Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec (Canada); Arab, Nagla T.T. [Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Royal Military College, Kingston, Ontario (Canada); Department of Biology, Queen' s University, Kingston, Ontario (Canada); Murray, Alistair [Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec (Canada); Young, Paul G. [Department of Biology, Queen' s University, Kingston, Ontario (Canada); Mandato, Craig A. [Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec (Canada); Greenwood, Michael T., E-mail: michael.greenwood@rmc.ca [Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Royal Military College, Kingston, Ontario (Canada)

    2016-03-01

    Ferritin is a sub-family of iron binding proteins that form multi-subunit nanotype iron storage structures and prevent oxidative stress induced apoptosis. Here we describe the identification and characterization of human ferritin, heavy polypeptide 1 (FTH1) as a suppressor of the pro-apoptotic murine Bax sequence in yeast. In addition we demonstrate that FTH1 is a general pro-survival sequence since it also prevents the cell death inducing effects of copper when heterologously expressed in yeast. Although ferritins are phylogenetically widely distributed and are present in most species of Bacteria, Archaea and Eukarya, ferritin is conspicuously absent in most fungal species including Saccharomyces cerevisiae. An in silico analysis of the yeast proteome lead to the identification of the 161 residue RGI1 (YER067W) encoded protein as a candidate for being a yeast ferritin. In addition to sharing 20% sequence identity with the 183 residue FTH1, RGI1 also has similar pro-survival properties as ferritin when overexpressed in yeast. Analysis of recombinant protein by SDS-PAGE and by electron microscopy revealed the expected formation of higher-order structures for FTH1 that was not observed with Rgi1p. Further analysis revealed that cells overexpressing RGI1 do not show increased resistance to iron toxicity and do not have enhanced capacity to store iron. In contrast, cells lacking RGI1 were found to be hypersensitive to the toxic effects of iron. Overall, our results suggest that Rgi1p is a novel pro-survival protein whose function is not related to ferritin but nevertheless it may have a role in regulating yeast sensitivity to iron stress. - Highlights: • Human ferritin, heavy polypeptide 1 (FTH1) was identified as a suppressor of the pro-apoptotic Bax in yeast. • Based on its similarity to ferritin we examined Rgi1p/YER067W for potential ferritin like functions. • Like human H-ferritin, RGI1 confers increased resistance to apoptotic inducing stresses in yeast.

  20. Identification of human ferritin, heavy polypeptide 1 (FTH1) and yeast RGI1 (YER067W) as pro-survival sequences that counteract the effects of Bax and copper in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eid, Rawan; Boucher, Eric; Gharib, Nada; Khoury, Chamel; Arab, Nagla T.T.; Murray, Alistair; Young, Paul G.; Mandato, Craig A.; Greenwood, Michael T.

    2016-01-01

    Ferritin is a sub-family of iron binding proteins that form multi-subunit nanotype iron storage structures and prevent oxidative stress induced apoptosis. Here we describe the identification and characterization of human ferritin, heavy polypeptide 1 (FTH1) as a suppressor of the pro-apoptotic murine Bax sequence in yeast. In addition we demonstrate that FTH1 is a general pro-survival sequence since it also prevents the cell death inducing effects of copper when heterologously expressed in yeast. Although ferritins are phylogenetically widely distributed and are present in most species of Bacteria, Archaea and Eukarya, ferritin is conspicuously absent in most fungal species including Saccharomyces cerevisiae. An in silico analysis of the yeast proteome lead to the identification of the 161 residue RGI1 (YER067W) encoded protein as a candidate for being a yeast ferritin. In addition to sharing 20% sequence identity with the 183 residue FTH1, RGI1 also has similar pro-survival properties as ferritin when overexpressed in yeast. Analysis of recombinant protein by SDS-PAGE and by electron microscopy revealed the expected formation of higher-order structures for FTH1 that was not observed with Rgi1p. Further analysis revealed that cells overexpressing RGI1 do not show increased resistance to iron toxicity and do not have enhanced capacity to store iron. In contrast, cells lacking RGI1 were found to be hypersensitive to the toxic effects of iron. Overall, our results suggest that Rgi1p is a novel pro-survival protein whose function is not related to ferritin but nevertheless it may have a role in regulating yeast sensitivity to iron stress. - Highlights: • Human ferritin, heavy polypeptide 1 (FTH1) was identified as a suppressor of the pro-apoptotic Bax in yeast. • Based on its similarity to ferritin we examined Rgi1p/YER067W for potential ferritin like functions. • Like human H-ferritin, RGI1 confers increased resistance to apoptotic inducing stresses in yeast.

  1. Applications og gamma radiation to the forestry industry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sotomayor, Patricia

    1999-01-01

    Chile is a country with forestry attributes, which have been developed by government policies to the point where this sector is now the country's second source of export income, at around US$ 2 billion annually. Forestry plantations are providing the market with growing product volumes and by 2010 the availability of timber is estimated to be double that of 1996. Wood is a heavily used product worldwide, with characteristics such as durability, working ease, resistance to abrasion, and low density compared to other alternative products, putting it in demand for many applications. Nevertheless, it also has a series of limitations that restrict its field of application, the most important being dimensional instability, anisotropy in resistance properties and subject to insect and fungus attacks. The wood industry in Chile has been affected by phytosanitary restrictions imposed by the U.S.A. Around 2015 the fumigant MeBr will be prohibited by international sanitary regulations because of damage to the ozone layer. Given the big harvest that Chile will have in the coming decade, the country will have a greater need to access export markets, so it must find a technology to help it confront these prohibitions. The remanufacturing industry must also look for new markets, new products and products with greater added value, in order not to increase its exports of chips. This is the least manufactured product and has the least added value of anything that our forest can sell. Among the alternatives is the possibility of differentiating local production by generating new products from the species that are available in the country. There are nuclear techniques for improving wood properties, which have been analyzed by the CCHEN in order to meet the need of the local forestry industry. An internationally developed technique is the fabrication of wood-plastic composits, topic that has been analyzed and worked with INTEC-CHILE and privately owned companies have become interested

  2. ATR Spent Fuel Options Study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Connolly, Michael James [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Bean, Thomas E. [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Brower, Jeffrey O. [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Luke, Dale E. [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Patterson, M. W. [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Robb, Alan K. [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Sindelar, Robert [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Smith, Rebecca E. [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Tonc, Vincent F. [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Tripp, Julia L. [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Winston, Philip L. [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

    2017-01-01

    The Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) is a materials and fuels test nuclear reactor that performs irradiation services for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Nuclear Energy (NE), Naval Reactors, the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), and other research programs. ATR achieved initial criticality in 1967 and is expected to operate in support of needed missions until the year 2050 or beyond. It is anticipated that ATR will generate approximately 105 spent nuclear fuel (SNF) elements per year through the year 2050. Idaho National Laboratory (INL) currently stores 2,008 ATR SNF elements in dry storage, 976 in wet storage, and expects to have 1,000 elements in wet storage before January 2017. A capability gap exists at INL for long-term (greater than the year 2050) management, in compliance with the Idaho Settlement Agreement (ISA), of ATR SNF until a monitored retrievable geological repository is open. INL has significant wet and dry storage capabilities that are owned by the DOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) and operated and managed by Fluor Idaho, which include the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center’s (INTEC’s) CPP-666, CPP-749, and CPP-603. In addition, INL has other capabilities owned by DOE-NE and operated and managed by Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC (BEA), which are located at the Materials and Fuel Complex (MFC). Additional storage capabilities are located on the INL Site at the Naval Reactors Facility (NRF). Current INL SNF management planning, as defined in the Fluor Idaho contract, shows INTEC dry fuel storage, which is currently used for ATR SNF, will be nearly full after transfer of an additional 1,000 ATR SNF from wet storage. DOE-NE tasked BEA with identifying and analyzing options that have the potential to fulfill this capability gap. BEA assembled a team comprised of SNF management experts from Fluor Idaho, Savannah River Site (SRS), INL/BEA, and the MITRE Corp with an objective of developing and analyzing

  3. Correlations between impairment, psychological distress, disability, and quality of life in peripheral facial palsy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Díaz-Aristizabal, U; Valdés-Vilches, M; Fernández-Ferreras, T R; Calero-Muñoz, E; Bienzobas-Allué, E; Moracén-Naranjo, T

    2017-05-23

    This paper analyses the correlations between scores on scales assessing impairment, psychological distress, disability, and quality of life in patients with peripheral facial palsy (PFP). We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study including 30 patients in whom PFP had not resolved completely. We used tools for assessing impairment (Sunnybrook Facial Grading System [FGS]), psychological distress (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale [HADS]), disability (Facial Disability Index [FDI]), and quality of life (Facial Clinimetric Evaluation [FaCE] scale). We found no correlations between FGS and HADS scores, or between FGS and FDI social function scores. However, we did find a correlation between FGS and FDI physical function scores (r=0.54; P<.01), FDI total score (r=0.4; P<.05), FaCE total scores (ρ=0.66; P<.01), and FaCE social function scores (ρ=0.5; P<.01). We also observed a correlation between HADS Anxiety scores and FDI physical function (r=-0.47; P<.01), FDI social function (r=-0.47; P<.01), FDI total (r=-0.55; P<.01), FaCE total (ρ=-0.49; P<.01), and FaCE social scores (ρ=-0.46; P<.05). Significant correlations were also found between HADS Depression scores and FDI physical function (r=-0.61; P<.01), FDI social function (r=-0.53; P<.01), FDI total (r=-0.66; P<.01), FaCE total (ρ=-0.67; P<.01), and FaCE social scores (ρ=-0.68; P<.01), between FDI physical function scores and FaCE total scores (ρ=0.87; P<.01) and FaCE social function (ρ=0.74; P<.01), between FDI social function and FaCE total (ρ=0.66; P<.01) and FaCE social function scores (ρ=0.72; P<.01), and between FDI total scores and FaCE total (ρ = 0,87; P<.01) and FaCE social function scores (ρ=0.84; P<.01). In our sample, patients with more severe impairment displayed greater physical and global disability and poorer quality of life without significantly higher levels of social disability and psychological distress. Patients with more disability experienced greater psychological

  4. Impact on a utility, utility customers and the environment of an ensemble of solar domestic hot water systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cragan, K.E.; Klein, S.A.; Beckman, W.A.

    1995-01-01

    The benefits of the installation of a large number of solar domestic hot water (SDHW) systems are identified and quantified. The benefits of SDHW systems include reduced energy use, reduced electrical demand, and reduced pollution. The avoided emissions, capacity contribution, energy and demand savings were evaluated using the power generation schedules, emissions data and annual hourly load profiles from a Wisconsin utility. It is shown that each six square meter solar water heater system can save annually: 3,560 kWh of energy, 0.66 kW of peak demand, and over four tons of pollution

  5. Luminescence properties of a single-component Na0.34Ca0.66Al1.66Si2.34O8:Ce3+, Sm3+ phosphor with tunable color tone for UV-pumped LEDs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Lei; Dong, Jie; Cui, Cai'e.; Tian, Yue; Huang, Ping

    2015-08-01

    A series of single-phase Na0.34Ca0.66Al1.66Si2.34O8:Ce3+, Sm3+ (NCASO) phosphors have been synthesized via a high temperature solid-state reaction method. The samples were studied based on photoluminescence (PL), photoluminescence excitation (PLE) spectra and fluorescence decay patterns. The obtained PLE exhibited a strong excitation band in the UV region between 250 and 380 nm. Under 340 nm excitation, NCASO:Ce3+, Sm3+ phosphor showed a broad emission band at 414 nm of Ce3+ and four emission bands from 550 nm to 725 nm of Sm3+. Spectra demonstrate nonradiative energy transfers (ET) occur from Ce3+-Sm3+. The analysis based on Inokuti-Hirayama model indicates that the ET is governed by electric dipole-dipole interaction. Moreover, the emitting colors can be adjusting from blue to white by proper tuning of the relative composition of Ce3+/Sm3+. These results show that NCASO:Ce3+, Sm3+ phosphors can be used as a potential single-phased white-emitting candidate for UV WLEDs.

  6. Identification and characterization of 43 microsatellite markers derived from expressed sequence tags of the sea cucumber ( Apostichopus japonicus)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Qun; Li, Qi; Yu, Hong; Kong, Lingfeng

    2011-06-01

    The sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus is a commercially and ecologically important species in China. A total of 3056 potential unigenes were generated after assembling 7597 A. japonicus expressed sequence tags (ESTs) downloaded from Gen-Bank. Two hundred and fifty microsatellite-containing ESTs (8.18%) and 299 simple sequence repeats (SSRs) were detected. The average density of SSRs was 1 per 7.403 kb of EST after redundancy elimination. Di-nucleotide repeat motifs appeared to be the most abundant type with a percentage of 69.90%. Of the 126 primer pairs designed, 90 amplified the expected products and 43 showed polymorphism in 30 individuals tested. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 2 to 26 with an average of 7.0 alleles, and the observed and expected heterozygosities varied from 0.067 to 1.000 and from 0.066 to 0.959, respectively. These new EST-derived microsatellite markers would provide sufficient polymorphism for population genetic studies and genome mapping of this sea cucumber species.

  7. Multiparametric MRI of the prostate: diagnostic performance and interreader agreement of two scoring systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Wei-Ching; Muglia, Valdair F; Silva, Gyl E B; Chodraui Filho, Salomão; Reis, Rodolfo B; Westphalen, Antonio C

    2016-06-01

    To compare the diagnostic accuracies and interreader agreements of the Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System (PI-RADS) v. 2 and University of California San Francisco (UCSF) multiparametric prostate MRI scale for diagnosing clinically significant prostate cancer. This institutional review board-approved retrospective study included 49 males who had 1.5 T endorectal MRI and prostatectomy. Two radiologists scored suspicious lesions on MRI using PI-RADS v. 2 and the UCSF scale. Percent agreement, 2 × 2 tables and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (Az) were used to assess and compare the individual and overall scores of these scales. Interreader agreements were estimated with kappa statistics. Reader 1 (R1) detected 78 lesions, and Reader 2 (R2) detected 80 lesions. Both identified 52 of 65 significant cancers. The Az for PI-RADS v. 2 and UCSF scale for R1 were 0.68 and 0.69 [T2 weighted imaging (T2WI)], 0.75 and 0.68 [diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI)] and 0.64 and 0.72 (overall score), respectively, and were 0.72 and 0.75 (T2WI), 0.73 and 0.67 (DWI) and 0.66 and 0.75 (overall score) for R2. The dynamic contrast-enhanced percent agreements between scales were 100% (R1) and 95% (R2). PI-RADS v. 2 DWI of R1 performed better than UCSF DWI (Az = 0.75 vs Az = 0.68; p = 0.05); no other differences were found. The interreader agreements were higher for PI-RADS v. 2 (T2WI: 0.56 vs 0.42; DWI: 0.60 vs 0.46; overall: 0.61 vs 0.42). The UCSF approach to derive the overall PI-RADS v. 2 scores increased the Az for the identification of significant cancer (R1 to 0.76, p < 0.05; R2 to 0.71, p = 0.35). Although PI-RADS v. 2 DWI score may have a higher discriminatory performance than the UCSF scale counterpart to diagnose clinically significant cancer, the utilization of the UCSF scale weighing system for the integration of PI-RADS v. 2 individual parameter scores improved the accuracy its overall score. PI-RADS v. 2 is

  8. Micro-Raman study of the microheterogeneity in the MA-MC phase transition in 0.67PbMg1/3Nb2/3O3-0.33PbTiO3 single crystal

    KAUST Repository

    Yang, Y.

    2011-04-20

    Polarized Raman spectroscopy has been employed to investigate the evolution of the microstructure of 0.67PbMg1/3Nb2/3O3-0.33PbTiO3 (PMN-33%PT) single crystal in the temperature range from −195 to 300 °C. The M A-M C-cubic transition sequence was observed in the microareas with M A-type (space group Cm) and M C-type (space group Pm) monoclinic structures. Interestingly, the M A-M Cphase transition temperature exhibited remarkable microareal dependence due to the spatial inhomogeneity of polar nanoregions (PNRs). The M C-cubic phase transition took place at 155 °C in both microareas, which consisted well with previous reports. These results reveal that the phase transition in PMN-33%PT single crystal is closely related with the thermal dynamics of PNRs, which will be useful for understanding the microheterogeneity in this compound.

  9. NUCLEAR ISOTOPIC DILUTION OF HIGHLY ENRICHED URANIUM BY DRY BLENDING VIA THE RM-2 MILL TECHNOLOGY

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rajamani, Raj K.; Latchireddi, Sanjeeva; Devrani, Vikas; Sethi, Harappan; Henry, Roger; Chipman, Nate

    2003-01-01

    DOE has initiated numerous activities to focus on identifying material management strategies to disposition various excess fissile materials. In particular the INEEL has stored 1,700 Kg of offspec HEU at INTEC in CPP-651 vault facility. Currently, the proposed strategies for dispositioning are (a) aqueous dissolution and down blending to LEU via facilities at SRS followed by shipment of the liquid LEU to NFS for fabrication into LWR fuel for the TVA reactors and (b) dilution of the HEU to 0.9% for discard as a waste stream that would no longer have a criticality or proliferation risk without being processed through some type of enrichment system. Dispositioning this inventory as a waste stream via aqueous processing at SRS has been determined to be too costly. Thus, dry blending is the only proposed disposal process for the uranium oxide materials in the CPP-651 vault. Isotopic dilution of HEU to typically less than 20% by dry blending is the key to solving the dispositioning issue (i.e., proliferation) posed by HEU stored at INEEL. RM-2 mill is a technology developed and successfully tested for producing ultra-fine particles by dry grinding. Grinding action in RM-2 mill produces a two million-fold increase in the number of particles being blended in a centrifugal field. In a previous study, the concept of achieving complete and adequate blending and mixing (i.e., no methods were identified to easily separate and concentrate one titanium compound from the other) in remarkably short processing times was successfully tested with surrogate materials (titanium dioxide and titanium mono-oxide) with different particle sizes, hardness and densities. In the current project, the RM-2 milling technology was thoroughly tested with mixtures of natural uranium oxide (NU) and depleted uranium oxide (DU) stock to prove its performance. The effects of mill operating and design variables on the blending of NU/DU oxides were evaluated. First, NU and DU both made of the same oxide

  10. Does Warm-Up Training in a Virtual Reality Simulator Improve Surgical Performance? A Prospective Randomized Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    da Cruz, José Arnaldo Shiomi; Dos Reis, Sabrina Thalita; Cunha Frati, Rodrigo Marcus; Duarte, Ricardo Jordão; Nguyen, Hiep; Srougi, Miguel; Passerotti, Carlo Camargo

    Virtual reality surgical simulators (VRSS) have been showing themselves as a valuable tool in laparoscopy training and education. Taking in consideration the effectiveness of the VRSS, new uses for this tool have been purposed. In sports, warming up before exercise clearly shows benefit in performance. It is hypothesized that warming up in the VRSS before going to the operating room may show benefit in surgical performance. Verify whether there is benefit in surgical performance with preoperatory warm-up using a VRSS. A total of 20 medical students with basic knowledge in laparoscopy were divided in 2 groups (I and II). Group I performed a laparoscopic cholecystectomy in a porcine model. Group II performed preoperative warm-up in a VRSS and then performed a laparoscopic cholecystectomy in a porcine model. The performance between both groups was compared regarding quantitative parameters (time for dissection of the gallbladder pedicle, time for clipping the pedicle, time for cutting the pedicle, time for gallbladder removal, total operative time, and aspirated blood loss) and qualitative parameters (depth perception, bimanual dexterity, efficiency, tissue handling, and autonomy) based on a previously validated score system, in which the higher the score, the better the result. Data were analyzed with level of significance of 5%. The group that underwent preoperative warm-up (group II) showed significantly superior results as to the time for dissection of the gallbladder pedicle (11.91 ± 9.85 vs. 4.52 ± 2.89min, p = 0.012), time for clipping the pedicle (5.51 ± 2.36 vs. 2.89 ± 2.76min, p = 0.004), time for cutting the pedicle (1.84 ± 0.7 vs. 1.13 ± 0.51, p = 0.019), aspirated blood loss (171 ± 112 vs. 57 ± 27.8ml, p = 0.006), depth perception (4.5 ± 0.7 vs. 3.3 ± 0.67, p = 0.004), bianual dexterity (4.2 ± 0.78 vs. 3.3 ± 0.67, p = 0.004), tissue handling (4.2 ± 0.91 vs. 3.6 ± 0.66, p = 0.012), and autonomy (4.9 ± 0.31 vs. 3.6 ± 0.96, p = 0.028). There

  11. Different CT perfusion algorithms in the detection of delayed cerebral ischemia after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cremers, Charlotte H P; Dankbaar, Jan Willem; Vergouwen, Mervyn D I; Vos, Pieter C; Bennink, Edwin; Rinkel, Gabriel J E; Velthuis, Birgitta K; van der Schaaf, Irene C

    2015-05-01

    Tracer delay-sensitive perfusion algorithms in CT perfusion (CTP) result in an overestimation of the extent of ischemia in thromboembolic stroke. In diagnosing delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH), delayed arrival of contrast due to vasospasm may also overestimate the extent of ischemia. We investigated the diagnostic accuracy of tracer delay-sensitive and tracer delay-insensitive algorithms for detecting DCI. From a prospectively collected series of aSAH patients admitted between 2007-2011, we included patients with any clinical deterioration other than rebleeding within 21 days after SAH who underwent NCCT/CTP/CTA imaging. Causes of clinical deterioration were categorized into DCI and no DCI. CTP maps were calculated with tracer delay-sensitive and tracer delay-insensitive algorithms and were visually assessed for the presence of perfusion deficits by two independent observers with different levels of experience. The diagnostic value of both algorithms was calculated for both observers. Seventy-one patients were included. For the experienced observer, the positive predictive values (PPVs) were 0.67 for the delay-sensitive and 0.66 for the delay-insensitive algorithm, and the negative predictive values (NPVs) were 0.73 and 0.74. For the less experienced observer, PPVs were 0.60 for both algorithms, and NPVs were 0.66 for the delay-sensitive and 0.63 for the delay-insensitive algorithm. Test characteristics are comparable for tracer delay-sensitive and tracer delay-insensitive algorithms for the visual assessment of CTP in diagnosing DCI. This indicates that both algorithms can be used for this purpose.

  12. Influence of electroless coatings of Cu, Ni-P and Co-P on MmNi3.25Al0.35Mn0.25Co0.66 alloy used as anodes in Ni-MH batteries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Raju, M.; Ananth, M.V.; Vijayaraghavan, L.

    2009-01-01

    Electroless coatings of Ni-P, Co-P and Cu were applied on the surface of non-stoichiometric MmNi 3.25 Al 0.35 Mn 0.25 Co 0.66 (Mm: misch metal) metal hydride alloy. Elemental analysis was made with Energy Dispersive X-ray Analysis (EDAX). The structural analysis of bare and coated alloys was done by X-ray diffraction (XRD) whereas surface morphology was examined with scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The electrode characteristics inclusive of electrochemical capacity and cycle life were studied at C/5 rate. Superior performance is obtained with copper coated alloy. Microstructure observations indicate that the observed excellent performance could be attributed to uniform and efficient surface coverage with copper. Also, lanthanum surface enrichment in samples during Cu coating leads to improvement in performance. It is inferred from electro analytical investigations that copper coatings act as microcurrent collectors with alterations in hydrogen transport mechanism and facilitate charge transfer reaction on the alloy surface without altering battery properties. Moreover, supportive first time TEM evidence of existence of such copper nano current collectors (about 8 nm in diameter and length about 20 nm) is reported.

  13. Development of a scintillation flow-cell detection system for environmental restoration and waste management applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    DeVol, T.A.; Branton, S.D.; Fjeld, R.A.

    1996-01-01

    A flow-cell detection system was developed utilizing a coincidence circuit and tested with BaF 2 , CaF 2 :Eu and scintillating glass. The coincidence detection system reduced the background from ∼200 cps to ∼0.5 cps. The detection efficiencies for these cells ranged from 0.38 to 0.66 for 45 Ca beta particles (E max = 0.257 MeV) and from 0.45 to 0.52 for 233 U alpha particles (E α = 4.8 MeV). The minimum detectable activity was calculated for a 30 s count time and determined to be in the range of 1-2 Bq

  14. Photoacoustic imaging for differential diagnosis of benign polyps versus malignant polyps of the gallbladder: A preliminary study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chae, Hee Dong; Lee, Jae Young; Han, Joon Koo [Dept. of Radiology and Institute of Radiation Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Clinical Research Institute, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Jang, Jin Young; Kang, Mee Joo [Div. of Hepatobiliary-Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Chang, Jin Ho; Kang, Jeeun [Sogang University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2017-09-15

    To investigate the feasibility of ex vivo multispectral photoacoustic (PA) imaging in differentiating cholesterol versus neoplastic polyps, and benign versus malignant polyps, of the gallbladder. A total of 38 surgically confirmed gallbladder polyps (24 cholesterol polyps, 4 adenomas, and 10 adenocarcinomas) from 38 patients were prospectively included in this study. The surgical specimens were set on a gel pad immersed in a saline-filled container. The PA intensities of polyps were then measured, using two separate wavelength intervals (421–647 nm and 692–917 nm). Mann-Whitney U test was performed for the comparison of normalized PA intensities between the cholesterol and neoplastic polyps, and between the benign and malignant polyps. Kruskal-Wallis test was conducted for the comparison of normalized PA intensities among the cholesterol polyps, adenomas, and adenocarcinomas. A significant difference was observed in the normalized PA intensities between the cholesterol and neoplastic polyps at 459 nm (median, 1.00 vs. 0.73; p = 0.032). Comparing the benign and malignant polyps, there were significant differences in the normalized PA intensities at 765 nm (median, 0.67 vs. 0.78; p = 0.013), 787 nm (median, 0.65 vs. 0.77; p = 0.034), and 853 nm (median, 0.59 vs. 0.85; p = 0.028). The comparison of the normalized PA intensities among cholesterol polyps, adenomas, and adenocarcinomas demonstrated marginally significant differences at 765 nm (median, 0.67 vs. 0.66 vs. 0.78, respectively; p = 0.049). These preliminary results indicate that benign versus malignant gallbladder polyps might exhibit different spectral patterns on multispectral PA imaging.

  15. Photoacoustic imaging for differential diagnosis of benign polyps versus malignant polyps of the gallbladder: A preliminary study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chae, Hee Dong; Lee, Jae Young; Han, Joon Koo; Jang, Jin Young; Kang, Mee Joo; Chang, Jin Ho; Kang, Jeeun

    2017-01-01

    To investigate the feasibility of ex vivo multispectral photoacoustic (PA) imaging in differentiating cholesterol versus neoplastic polyps, and benign versus malignant polyps, of the gallbladder. A total of 38 surgically confirmed gallbladder polyps (24 cholesterol polyps, 4 adenomas, and 10 adenocarcinomas) from 38 patients were prospectively included in this study. The surgical specimens were set on a gel pad immersed in a saline-filled container. The PA intensities of polyps were then measured, using two separate wavelength intervals (421–647 nm and 692–917 nm). Mann-Whitney U test was performed for the comparison of normalized PA intensities between the cholesterol and neoplastic polyps, and between the benign and malignant polyps. Kruskal-Wallis test was conducted for the comparison of normalized PA intensities among the cholesterol polyps, adenomas, and adenocarcinomas. A significant difference was observed in the normalized PA intensities between the cholesterol and neoplastic polyps at 459 nm (median, 1.00 vs. 0.73; p = 0.032). Comparing the benign and malignant polyps, there were significant differences in the normalized PA intensities at 765 nm (median, 0.67 vs. 0.78; p = 0.013), 787 nm (median, 0.65 vs. 0.77; p = 0.034), and 853 nm (median, 0.59 vs. 0.85; p = 0.028). The comparison of the normalized PA intensities among cholesterol polyps, adenomas, and adenocarcinomas demonstrated marginally significant differences at 765 nm (median, 0.67 vs. 0.66 vs. 0.78, respectively; p = 0.049). These preliminary results indicate that benign versus malignant gallbladder polyps might exhibit different spectral patterns on multispectral PA imaging

  16. The magnet system of the Tokamak T-15 upgrade

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khvostenko, P.P.; Azizov, E.A.; Alfimov, D.E.; Belyakov, V.A.; Bondarchuk, E.N.; Chudnovsky, A.N.; Dokuka, V.N.; Kavin, A.A.; Khayrutdinov, R.R.; Khokhlov, M.V.; Kitaev, B.A.; Krasnov, S.V.; Maximova, I.I.; Labusov, A.N.; Lukash, V.E.; Mineev, A.B.; Muratov, V.P.

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • T-15U project is the initial technical base for creating fusion neutron sources. • Magnet system of T-15U will confine the hot plasma in the divertor configuration. • Toroidal magnetic field at the plasma axis is 2 T. • T-15U should begin operations in 2016. - Abstract: Presently, the Tokamak T-15 is being upgraded. The magnet system of the Tokamak T-15 upgrade will obtain and confine the hot plasma in the divertor configuration. Plasma parameters are a major radius of 1.48 m, a minor radius of 0.67 m, an elongation of 1.7–1.9 and a triangularity of 0.3–0.4. The magnet system includes the toroidal winding and the poloidal magnet system. The poloidal magnet system generates the divertor with single null and double null magnetic configurations. The power supply system provides the necessary current scenarios in the windings of the magnet system. All elements of the magnet system will be manufactured by the end of 2015. The Tokamak T-15 upgrade should begin operations in 2016.

  17. The magnet system of the Tokamak T-15 upgrade

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Khvostenko, P.P., E-mail: ppkhvost@rambler.ru [National Research Centre ‘Kurchatov Institute’, Institute of Tokamak Physics, Kurchatov sq. 1, 123182 Moscow (Russian Federation); Azizov, E.A.; Alfimov, D.E. [National Research Centre ‘Kurchatov Institute’, Institute of Tokamak Physics, Kurchatov sq. 1, 123182 Moscow (Russian Federation); Belyakov, V.A.; Bondarchuk, E.N. [Joint Stock Company “D.V. Efremov Institute of Electrophysical Apparatus”, Metallostroy, 196641 St. Petersburg (Russian Federation); Chudnovsky, A.N.; Dokuka, V.N. [National Research Centre ‘Kurchatov Institute’, Institute of Tokamak Physics, Kurchatov sq. 1, 123182 Moscow (Russian Federation); Kavin, A.A. [Joint Stock Company “D.V. Efremov Institute of Electrophysical Apparatus”, Metallostroy, 196641 St. Petersburg (Russian Federation); Khayrutdinov, R.R. [National Research Centre ‘Kurchatov Institute’, Institute of Tokamak Physics, Kurchatov sq. 1, 123182 Moscow (Russian Federation); Khokhlov, M.V.; Kitaev, B.A.; Krasnov, S.V.; Maximova, I.I.; Labusov, A.N. [Joint Stock Company “D.V. Efremov Institute of Electrophysical Apparatus”, Metallostroy, 196641 St. Petersburg (Russian Federation); Lukash, V.E. [National Research Centre ‘Kurchatov Institute’, Institute of Tokamak Physics, Kurchatov sq. 1, 123182 Moscow (Russian Federation); Mineev, A.B.; Muratov, V.P. [Joint Stock Company “D.V. Efremov Institute of Electrophysical Apparatus”, Metallostroy, 196641 St. Petersburg (Russian Federation); and others

    2015-10-15

    Highlights: • T-15U project is the initial technical base for creating fusion neutron sources. • Magnet system of T-15U will confine the hot plasma in the divertor configuration. • Toroidal magnetic field at the plasma axis is 2 T. • T-15U should begin operations in 2016. - Abstract: Presently, the Tokamak T-15 is being upgraded. The magnet system of the Tokamak T-15 upgrade will obtain and confine the hot plasma in the divertor configuration. Plasma parameters are a major radius of 1.48 m, a minor radius of 0.67 m, an elongation of 1.7–1.9 and a triangularity of 0.3–0.4. The magnet system includes the toroidal winding and the poloidal magnet system. The poloidal magnet system generates the divertor with single null and double null magnetic configurations. The power supply system provides the necessary current scenarios in the windings of the magnet system. All elements of the magnet system will be manufactured by the end of 2015. The Tokamak T-15 upgrade should begin operations in 2016.

  18. Effect of Concomitant Medications on the Safety and Efficacy of Extended-Release Carbidopa-Levodopa (IPX066) in Patients With Advanced Parkinson Disease: A Post Hoc Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    LeWitt, Peter A; Verhagen Metman, Leo; Rubens, Robert; Khanna, Sarita; Kell, Sherron; Gupta, Suneel

    Extended-release (ER) carbidopa-levodopa (CD-LD) (IPX066/RYTARY/NUMIENT) produces improvements in "off" time, "on" time without troublesome dyskinesia, and Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale scores compared with immediate-release (IR) CD-LD or IR CD-LD plus entacapone (CLE). Post hoc analyses of 2 ER CD-LD phase 3 trials evaluated whether the efficacy and safety of ER CD-LD relative to the respective active comparators were altered by concomitant medications (dopaminergic agonists, monoamine oxidase B [MAO-B] inhibitors, or amantadine). ADVANCE-PD (n = 393) assessed safety and efficacy of ER CD-LD versus IR CD-LD. ASCEND-PD (n = 91) evaluated ER CD-LD versus CLE. In both studies, IR- and CLE-experienced patients underwent a 6-week, open-label dose-conversion period to ER CD-LD prior to randomization. For analysis, the randomized population was divided into 3 subgroups: dopaminergic agonists, rasagiline or selegiline, and amantadine. For each subgroup, changes from baseline in PD diary measures ("off" time and "on" time with and without troublesome dyskinesia), Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale Parts II + III scores, and adverse events were analyzed, comparing ER CD-LD with the active comparator. Concomitant dopaminergic agonist or MAO-B inhibitor use did not diminish the efficacy (improvement in "off" time and "on" time without troublesome dyskinesia) of ER CD-LD compared with IR CD-LD or CLE, whereas the improvement with concomitant amantadine failed to reach significance. Safety and tolerability were similar among the subgroups, and ER CD-LD did not increase troublesome dyskinesia. For patients on oral LD regimens and taking a dopaminergic agonist, and/or a MAO-B inhibitor, changing from an IR to an ER CD-LD formulation provides approximately an additional hour of "good" on time.

  19. A quantitative analysis on the interfacial effect in the Pt/Ba0.5Sr0.5TiO3/La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 heterostructure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Miao, J; Wang, Y; Tian, H Y; Zhou, X Y; Chan, H L W; Choy, C L; Cao, L X; Zhao, B R

    2006-01-01

    The heterostructure of Pt/Ba 0.5 Sr 0.5 TiO 3 /La 0.67 Sr 0.33 MnO 3 (Pt/BST/LSMO) with the BST thickness ranging from 120 to 550 nm was fabricated by pulsed laser deposition. The dielectric constant (ε) of the heterostructure was measured under different electrical fields (E) and frequency (f). A strong thickness dependence of the value of ε, the ε-E dependence and the ε-f dependence were observed, which can be well explained by the series-capacitor model, based on the assumption that the heterostructure electrically consists of a 'bulk' layer and an interfacial layer between the Pt and BST layers. The dielectric properties of the 'bulk' layer and the interface layer were obtained. At room temperature, the dielectric constant of the 'bulk' layer was 1204 (at 100 kHz) and had a power law dependence on frequency. The ratio of thickness over the dielectric constant (d i /ε i ) of the interface layer, which was used to characterize the property of the Pt/BST interface, was found to be around 0.08 nm at room temperature and to be independent of frequency

  20. A novel boron-rich quaternary scandium borocarbosilicide Sc3.67-xB41.4-y-zC0.67+zSi0.33-w

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tanaka, Takaho; Yamamoto, Akiji; Sato, Akira

    2004-01-01

    A novel quaternary scandium borocarbosilicide Sc 3.67-x B 41.4-y-z C 0.67+z Si 0.33-w was found. Single crystallites were obtained as an intergrowth phase in the float-zoned single crystal of Sc 0.83-x B 10.0-y C 0.17+y Si 0.083-z that has a face-centered cubic crystal structure. Single crystal structure analysis revealed that the compound has a hexagonal structure with lattice constants a = b = 1.43055(8) nm and c = 2.37477(13) nm and space group P6-barm2 (No. 187). The crystal composition calculated from the structure analysis for the crystal with x = 0.52, y = 1.42, z = 1.17, and w = 0.02 was ScB 12.3 C 0.58 Si 0.10 and that agreed rather well with the composition of ScB 11.5 C 0.61 Si 0.04 measured by EPMA. In the crystal structure that is a new structure type of boron-rich borides, there are 79 structurally independent atomic sites, 69 boron and/or carbon sites, two silicon sites and eight scandium sites. Boron and carbon form seven structurally independent B 12 icosahedra, one B 9 polyhedron, one B 10 polyhedron, one irregularly shaped B 16 polyhedron in which only 10.7 boron atoms are available because of partial occupancies and 10 bridging sites. All polyhedron units and bridging site atoms interconnect each other forming a three-dimensional boron framework structure. Sc atoms reside in the open spaces in the boron framework structure

  1. Applications of fractional calculus to diffusion transport in clay-water system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Korosak, D.; Cvikl, B.; Kramer, J.; Jecl, R.; Praprotnik, A.; Veselic, M.

    2005-01-01

    The analysis of the low-frequency conductivity spectra of the clay-water mixtures is presented. The conductivity spectra for samples at different water content values are shown to collapse to a single master curve when appropriately rescaled. The frequency dependence of the conductivity is shown to follow the power-law with the exponent η=0,67 before reaching the frequency-independent part. It is argued that the observed conductivity dispersion is a consequence of the anomalously diffusing ions in the clay-water system. The fractional Langevin equation is then used to describe the stochastic dynamics of the single ion. (author)

  2. Provider Factors and Patient-Reported Healthcare Discrimination in the Diabetes Study of California (DISTANCE)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lyles, Courtney R.; Karter, Andrew J.; Young, Bessie A.; Spigner, Clarence; Grembowski, David; Schillinger, Dean; Adler, Nancy

    2011-01-01

    Objective We examined provider-level factors and reported discrimination in the healthcare setting. Methods With data from the Diabetes Study of Northern California (DISTANCE)—a race-stratified survey of diabetes patients in Kaiser Permanente Northern California—we analyzed patient-reported racial/ethnic discrimination from providers. Primary exposures were characteristics of the primary care provider (PCP, who coordinates care in this system), including specialty/type, and patient-provider relationship variables including racial concordance. Results Subjects (n=12,151) included 20% black, 20% Latino, 23% Asian, 30% white, and 6% other patients, with 2% to 8% reporting discrimination by racial/ethnic group. Patients seeing nurse practitioners as their PCP (OR=0.09; 95% CI: 0.01–0.67), those rating their provider higher on communication (OR=0.70; 95% CI: 0.66–0.74) were less likely to report discrimination, while those with more visits (OR=1.10; 95% CI: 1.03–1.18) were more likely to report discrimination. Racial concordance was not significant once adjusting for patient race/ethnicity. Conclusions Among diverse diabetes patients in managed care, provider type and communication were significantly related to patient-reported discrimination. Practice Implications Given potential negative impacts on patient satisfaction and treatment decisions, future studies should investigate which interpersonal aspects of the provider-patient relationship reduce patient perceptions of unfair treatment. PMID:21605956

  3. Analisis Kerentanan Pulau-Pulau Kecil di Kecamatan Togean Kabupaten Tojo Una Una Provinsi Sulawesi Tengah (Studi Kasus P. Kukumbi, P. Enam, P. Mogo, P. Kadidiri, P. Pagempa, P. Tongkabo

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohamad Akbar

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available This research was conducted in small islands area to Togean District, TojoUna-Una Regency Central Celebes by ecological and sosio-economic approach.  Methods those used in this research were vulnerability index, MCDM (multi criteria dimension making and Geographycal information system (SIG approach.  Data was collected bt participative and explorative approach.  Data analysed parameters using vulnerability, assessment method involved vulnerability variable parameters i.e. area characteristic, area degradation, sea level rise, human impact, economic exposure, economic remoteness.  The results shows the range ofcomposit vulnerability index for ecological (CVI-Ek is 0.00-0.77, economic (CVI-En is 0.00-0.75, and composite vulnerability ecological-economic (CVI-EE is 0.00-0.76.  Enam island (0.76and tongkabo island (0.66 is rated to high vulnerable (0.67, Mogo Island (0.14, Kukumbi Island (0.12, Pagempa Island (0.09 and Kadidiri Island (0.07, is considerednon vulnerable.  MCDM analysis result that is used to determine small island management model in Togean District, shows ecological criteria is most important compared with economy criteria and social criteria.  Analysis of SMART technique  shows the type small islands  sustainability management  scenario in Togean District, those are scenario A (adaptation, 0.94 and scenario B ( without adaptation, 0.55. Keywords : small island, composite vulnerability index, sustainability, togean district.

  4. Mining and Risk of Tuberculosis in Sub-Saharan Africa

    Science.gov (United States)

    Basu, Sanjay; McKee, Martin; Lurie, Mark

    2011-01-01

    Objectives. We estimated the relationship between mining and tuberculosis (TB) among countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods. We used multivariate regression to estimate the contribution of mining activity to TB incidence, prevalence, and mortality, as well as rates of TB among people living with HIV, with control for economic, health system, and population confounders. Results. Mining production was associated with higher population TB incidence rates (adjusted b = 0.093; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.067, 0.120; with an increase of mining production of 1 SD corresponding to about 33% higher TB incidence or 760 000 more incident cases), after adjustment for economic and population controls. Similar results were observed for TB prevalence and mortality, as well as with alternative measures of mining activity. Independent of HIV, there were significant associations between mining production and TB incidence in countries with high HIV prevalence (≥ 4% antenatal HIV prevalence; HIV-adjusted B = 0.066; 95% CI = 0.050, 0.082) and between log gold mining production and TB incidence in all studied countries (HIV-adjusted B = 0.053; 95% CI = 0.032, 0.073). Conclusions. Mining is a significant determinant of countrywide variation in TB among sub-Saharan African nations. Comprehensive TB control strategies should explicitly address the role of mining activity and environments in the epidemic. PMID:20516372

  5. Long term performance analysis of a grid connected photovoltaic system in Northern Ireland

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mondol, Jayanta Deb; Yohanis, Yigzaw; Smyth, Mervyn; Norton, Brian

    2006-01-01

    The performance of a 13 kW p roof mounted, grid connected photovoltaic system in Northern Ireland over a period of three years has been analysed on hourly, daily and monthly bases. The derived parameters included reference yield, array yield, final yield, array capture losses, system losses, PV and inverter efficiencies and performance ratio. The effects of insolation and inverter operation on the system performance were investigated. The monthly average daily PV, system and inverter efficiencies varied from 4.5% to 9.2%, 3.6% to 7.8% and 50% to 87%, respectively. The annual average PV, system and inverter efficiencies were 7.6%, 6.4% and 75%, respectively. The monthly average daily DC and AC performance ratios ranged from 0.35 to 0.74 and 0.29 to 0.66, respectively. The annual average monthly AC performance ratios for the three years were 0.60, 0.61 and 0.62, respectively. The performance of this system is compared with that of other representative systems internationally

  6. Effect of fabrication conditions on phase formation and properties of epitaxial (PbMg{sub 1/3}Nb{sub 2/3}O{sub 3}){sub 0.67}-(PbTiO{sub 3}){sub 0.33} thin films on (001) SrTiO{sub 3}

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Boota, Muhammad [MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500AE Enschede (Netherlands); Engineering Department, University of Rome “ROMA TRE”, Via della Vasca Navale 79, 00146 Rome (Italy); Houwman, Evert P., E-mail: e.p.houwman@utwente.nl; Nguyen, Minh D.; Rijnders, Guus [MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500AE Enschede (Netherlands); Lanzara, Giulia [Engineering Department, University of Rome “ROMA TRE”, Via della Vasca Navale 79, 00146 Rome (Italy)

    2016-05-15

    The pulsed laser deposition process of 300 nm thick films of Pb(Mg{sub 1/3}Nb{sub 2/3})O{sub 3}){sub 0.67}-(PbTiO{sub 3}){sub 0.33} on (001)-oriented SrTiO{sub 3} was studied by varying deposition pressure, substrate deposition temperature, laser fluence on the target and target-substrate distance. Perovskite phase pure, (001)-oriented, epitaxial smooth films were obtained in a narrow range of deposition parameters. The ferroelectric and dielectric properties of films fabricated within this parameter range still vary significantly. This shows the sensitivity of the system for growth conditions. The best film has a polarization value close to that expected for a (001) poled, stress free single crystal film. All films show deposition conditions dependent variations in the self-bias field. The self-bias is very stable during long cycling for films made at optimum deposition conditions. The piezoelectric coefficients of the films are strongly reduced with respect to bulk single crystal values due to the film clamping. The properties variations are ascribed to changes in the grain boundary properties in which film defects are expected to accumulate. Notably slight off-stoichiometry may cause localized screening charges, affecting specifically the polarization and dielectric constant.

  7. Interplay of cross-plane polaronic transport and resistive switching in Pt–Pr0.67Ca0.33MnO3–Pt heterostructures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Scherff, M; Hoffmann, J; Meyer, B; Danz, Th; Jooss, Ch

    2013-01-01

    The identification of the cross-plane electric transport mechanisms in different resistance states of metal–oxide sandwich structures is essential for gaining insights into the mechanisms of resistive switching (RS). Here, we present a systematic study of cross-plane electric transport properties of Pr 0.67 Ca 0.33 MnO 3 (PCMO) thin films sandwiched by precious Pt metal electrodes. We observe three different transport regimes: ohmic, nonlinear and RS. The nonlinear regime is associated with colossal magneto-resistance (CMR) and colossal electro-resistance (CER) effects. In contrast to RS, the CMR and CER are volatile resistance effects which persist only during application of strong magnetic or electric fields and they are restricted to low temperatures. At low current densities, the device resistance is dominated by small polaron hopping transport of the PCMO film. At higher electric current densities near the switching threshold, the interface resistance starts to dominate and remarkably also exhibits thermally activated transport properties. Our studies also shed light onto the interplay of colossal resistance effects and RS: at low temperatures, RS can be only induced by reduction of the PCMO resistivity through CMR and CER. This clearly demonstrates the key role of the current density for controlling the amplitude of non-volatile resistive changes. Conversely, the CMR can be used as a probe for the switching induced changes in disorder and correlations. At small switching amplitudes, we observe slight changes in polaron activation energy which can be attributed to changes at the interface. If the switching amplitude exceeds 1000% and more, the CMR effect in the device can be reversibly changed. This indicates persistent changes in electronic or lattice structure of large regions within the PCMO film. (paper)

  8. Effect of alkali-earth ions on local structure of the LaAlO3-La0.67A0.33MnO3 (A = Ca, Sr, Ba) diluted solid solutions: 27Al NMR studies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Charnaya, E.V.; Cheng Tien; Lee, M.K.; Sun, S.Y.; Chejina, N.V.

    2007-01-01

    27 Al Magic Angle Spinning (MAS) NMR studies are carried out for diluted alkali-earth metal doped lanthanum manganite solid solutions in the lanthanum aluminate (1-y)LaAlO 3 -yLa 0.67 A 0.33 MnO 3 (A = Ca, Sr, Ba) with y = 0, 2, 3, and 5 mol %. The spectra depend on the dopant species and show higher substitutional ordering for the Ba containing mixed crystals. Magnetically shifted lines are observed in all solid solutions and attributed to Al in the octahedral oxygen environment near manganese trivalent ions. Nonlinear dependences of their intensity are referred to the manganese-rich cluster formation. An additional MAS NMR line corresponding to aluminium at sites different from the octahedral site in pure LaAlO 3 is observed only in solutions doped with Ba. 3Q MAS NMR revealed that the broadening of this line is governed mainly by quadrupole coupling and allowed calculating the isotropic chemical shift [ru

  9. A New Analysis of the Spectra Obtained by the Venera Missions in the Venusian Atmosphere. I. The Analysis of the Data Received from the Venera-11 Probe at Altitudes Below 37 km in the 0.44 0.66 µm Wavelength Range

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maiorov, B. S.; Ignat'ev, N. I.; Moroz, V. I.; Zasova, L. V.; Moshkin, B. E.; Khatuntsev, I. V.; Ekonomov, A. P.

    2005-07-01

    The processes of the solar radiation extinction in deep layers of the Venus atmosphere in a wavelength range from 0.44 to 0.66 µm have been considered. The spectra of the solar radiation scattered in the atmosphere of Venus at various altitudes above the planetary surface measured by the Venera-11 entry probe in December 1978 are used as observational data. The problem of the data analysis is solved by selecting an atmospheric model; the discrete-ordinate method is applied in calculations. For the altitude interval from 2 10 km to 36 km, the altitude and spectral dependencies of the volume coefficient of true absorption have been obtained. At altitudes of 3 19 km, the spectral dependence is close to the wavelength dependence of the absorption cross section of S3 molecules, whence it follows that the mixing ratio of this sulfur allotrope increases with altitude from 0.03 to 0.1 ppbv.

  10. A chest radiograph scoring system in patients with severe acute respiratory infection: a validation study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taylor, Emma; Haven, Kathryn; Reed, Peter; Bissielo, Ange; Harvey, Dave; McArthur, Colin; Bringans, Cameron; Freundlich, Simone; Ingram, R. Joan H.; Perry, David; Wilson, Francessa; Milne, David; Modahl, Lucy; Huang, Q. Sue; Gross, Diane; Widdowson, Marc-Alain; Grant, Cameron C.

    2015-01-01

    The term severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) encompasses a heterogeneous group of respiratory illnesses. Grading the severity of SARI is currently reliant on indirect disease severity measures such as respiratory and heart rate, and the need for oxygen or intensive care. With the lungs being the primary organ system involved in SARI, chest radiographs (CXRs) are potentially useful for describing disease severity. Our objective was to develop and validate a SARI CXR severity scoring system. We completed validation within an active SARI surveillance project, with SARI defined using the World Health Organization case definition of an acute respiratory infection with a history of fever, or measured fever of ≥ 38 °C; and cough; and with onset within the last 10 days; and requiring hospital admission. We randomly selected 250 SARI cases. Admission CXR findings were categorized as: 1 = normal; 2 = patchy atelectasis and/or hyperinflation and/or bronchial wall thickening; 3 = focal consolidation; 4 = multifocal consolidation; and 5 = diffuse alveolar changes. Initially, four radiologists scored CXRs independently. Subsequently, a pediatrician, physician, two residents, two medical students, and a research nurse independently scored CXR reports. Inter-observer reliability was determined using a weighted Kappa (κ) for comparisons between radiologists; radiologists and clinicians; and clinicians. Agreement was defined as moderate (κ > 0.4–0.6), good (κ > 0.6–0.8) and very good (κ > 0.8–1.0). Agreement between the two pediatric radiologists was very good (κ = 0.83, 95 % CI 0.65–1.00) and between the two adult radiologists was good (κ = 0.75, 95 % CI 0.57–0. 93). Agreement of the clinicians with the radiologists was moderate-to-good (pediatrician:κ = 0.65; pediatric resident:κ = 0.69; physician:κ = 0.68; resident:κ = 0.67; research nurse:κ = 0.49, medical students: κ = 0.53 and κ = 0.56). Agreement between clinicians was good-to-very good

  11. 'Augmented reality' in conventional simulation by projection of 3-D structures into 2-D images. A comparison with virtual methods

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Deutschmann, H.; Nairz, O.; Zehentmayr, F.; Fastner, G.; Sedlmayer, F. [Univ. Clinic for Radiotherapy and Radio-Oncology, Salzburg (Austria); radART - Inst. for research and development on Advanced Radiation Technologies at the Paracelsus Medical Univ., Salzburg (Austria); Steininger, P. [radART - Inst. for research and development on Advanced Radiation Technologies at the Paracelsus Medical Univ., Salzburg (Austria); Dept. of Medical Computer Science and Technology, Univ. for Health Sciences, Hall i. T. (Austria); Kopp, P.; Merz, F.; Wurstbauer, K.; Kranzinger, M.; Kametriser, G.; Kopp, M. [Univ. Clinic for Radiotherapy and Radio-Oncology, Salzburg (Austria)

    2008-02-15

    Background and purpose: in this study, a new method is introduced, which allows the overlay of three-dimensional structures, that have been delineated on transverse slices, onto the fluoroscopy from conventional simulators in real time. Patients and methods: setup deviations between volumetric imaging and simulation were visualized, measured and corrected for 701 patient isocenters. Results: comparing the accuracy to mere virtual simulation lacking additional X-ray imaging, a clear benefit of the new method could be shown. On average, virtual prostate simulations had to be corrected by 0.48 cm (standard deviation [SD] 0.38), and those of the breast by 0.67 cm (SD 0.66). Conclusion: the presented method provides an easy way to determine entity-specific safety margins related to patient setup errors upon registration of bony anatomy (prostate 0.9 cm for 90% of cases, breast 1.3 cm). The important role of planar X-ray imaging was clearly demonstrated. The innovation can also be applied to adaptive image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) protocols. (orig.)

  12. Characterization of an insulin-like growth factor-I/somatomedin-C radioimmunoassay specific for the C-peptide region

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hintz, R.L.; Liu, F.; Seegan, G.

    1982-01-01

    Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and somatomedin-C (SM-C) have been shown to be functionally identical by a number of criteria. We have synthesized the 12 amino acid C-peptide region of IGF-I (Gly-Tyr-Gly-Ser-Ser-Ser-Arg-Arg-Ala-Pro-Glu-Thr) and developed a RIA based on antibodies against this synthetic peptide. IGF-I and SM-C were indistinguishable in this RIA. No other peptides competed for this antiserum. The SM-C/IGF-I values of acid-chromatographed serum were strongly age dependent. The mean of children 1-5 yr old was 0.67 +/- 0.033 U/ml (mean +/- sD; n = 23), whereas the mean of children 12-17 yr old was 2.01 +/- 0.66 U/ml (n = 39) and the mean of 38 adults 26-85 yr old was 1.05 +/- 0.34. The SM-C/IGF-I values measured by this RIA were also growth hormone dependent. Thus, this region-specific RIA provides a clinically useful assessment of serum SM-C/IGF-I levels

  13. ''Augmented reality'' in conventional simulation by projection of 3-D structures into 2-D images. A comparison with virtual methods

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Deutschmann, H.; Nairz, O.; Zehentmayr, F.; Fastner, G.; Sedlmayer, F.; Steininger, P.; Kopp, P.; Merz, F.; Wurstbauer, K.; Kranzinger, M.; Kametriser, G.; Kopp, M.

    2008-01-01

    Background and purpose: in this study, a new method is introduced, which allows the overlay of three-dimensional structures, that have been delineated on transverse slices, onto the fluoroscopy from conventional simulators in real time. Patients and methods: setup deviations between volumetric imaging and simulation were visualized, measured and corrected for 701 patient isocenters. Results: comparing the accuracy to mere virtual simulation lacking additional X-ray imaging, a clear benefit of the new method could be shown. On average, virtual prostate simulations had to be corrected by 0.48 cm (standard deviation [SD] 0.38), and those of the breast by 0.67 cm (SD 0.66). Conclusion: the presented method provides an easy way to determine entity-specific safety margins related to patient setup errors upon registration of bony anatomy (prostate 0.9 cm for 90% of cases, breast 1.3 cm). The important role of planar X-ray imaging was clearly demonstrated. The innovation can also be applied to adaptive image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) protocols. (orig.)

  14. An audit of the reliability of influenza vaccination and medical information extracted from eHealth records in general practice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Regan, Annette K; Gibbs, Robyn A; Effler, Paul V

    2018-05-31

    To evaluate the reliability of information in general practice (GP) electronic health records (EHRs), 2100 adult patients were randomly selected for interview regarding the presence of specific medical conditions and recent influenza vaccination. Agreement between self-report and data extracted from EHRs was compared using Cohen's kappa coefficient (k) and interpreted in accordance with Altman's Kappa Benchmarking criteria; 377 (18%) patients declined participation, and 608 (29%) could not be contacted. Of 1115 (53%) remaining, 856 (77%) were active patients (≥3 visits to the GP practice in the last two years) who provided complete information for analysis. Although a higher proportion of patients self-reported being vaccinated or having a medical condition compared to the EHR (50.7% vs 36.9%, and 39.4% vs 30.3%, respectively), there was "good" agreement between self-report and EHR for both vaccination status (κ = 0.67) and medical conditions (κ = 0.66). These findings suggest EHR may be useful for public health surveillance. Crown Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Perovskite phases in the systems AO-SE/sub 2/O/sub 3/-UO/sub 2,x/ with A=alkaline earth metal and SE=rare earths, La, and Y. VII. The systems Ba/sub 2/CaUO/sub 6/-Ba/sub 2/Gd/sub 0. 67/UO/sub 6/ and Ba/sub 2/CaUO/sub 6/-Ba/sub 2/Y/sub 0. 67/UO/sub 6/

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kemmler-Sack, S; Seemann, I; Schittenhelm, H J [Tuebingen Univ. (F.R. Germany). Institut fuer Anorganische Chemie

    1976-05-01

    The ordered perovskite Ba/sub 2/CaUO/sub 6/ forms a solid solution series with Ba/sub 2/Gdsub(0.67)UO/sub 6/ and Ba/sub 2/Ysub(0.67)UO/sub 6/, respectively. The deviations from the ideal behaviour are studied by X-ray, diffuse reflectance and vibrational methods.

  16. Perovskite phases in the systems AO-SE/sub 2/O/sub 3/-UO/sub 2,x/ with A=alkaline earth metal and SE=rare earths, La, and Y. IX. The systems Ba/sub 2/SrUO/sub 6/-Ba/sub 2/Gd/sub 0. 67/UO/sub 6/ and Ba/sub 2/SrUO/sub 6/-Ba/sub 2/Y/sub 0. 67/UO/sub 6/

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kemmler-Sack, S; Seemann, I [Tuebingen Univ. (F.R. Germany). Inst. fuer Anorganische Chemie I

    1976-07-01

    The ordered perovskite Ba/sub 2/SrUO/sub 6/ forms a solid solution series with Ba/sub 2/Gdsub(0.67)UO/sub 6/ and Ba/sub 2/Ysub(0.67)UO/sub 6/ respectively. The deviations from the ideal behaviour are studied by X-ray, diffuse reflectance and vibrational methods.

  17. Feasibility study on rehabilitation and optimization of gas pipeline network/system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2000-03-01

    For the purpose of reducing greenhouse effect gas emissions, a survey was conducted on repairs and optimization of gas pipeline net/system in Bangladesh. In the survey, the measurement of methane gas concentration, wind direction/velocity and temperature was made for 16 stations of BC pipeline and BD pipeline including Ring Line. As a result of the measurement, the amount of methane leakage totaled 5,300 tons/year including 1,300 tons in BD pipeline, 2,500 tons in BC pipeline and 1,500 tons in Ring Line. For repairs/optimization of the pipeline net/system, the necessity of the following was pointed out: exchanges of gaskets, piping and valves; repairs of portions of the pipeline exposure; exchanges of pressure control valves and flowmeters; repair of the corrosion prevention system. In this improvement project, the reduction amount of greenhouse effect gas emissions will be 5,300 tons/year and approximately 106,000 tons in 20 years. The conservation will amount to 0.66 MMUS$/year. (NEDO)

  18. Magnetocapacitance of BaZr0.2Ti0.8O3 and La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 thin film heterostructures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tarale, A.N.; Padal, N.T.; Salunkhe, D.J.; Joshi, P.B.; Kulkarni, S.B.; Reddy, V.R.

    2012-01-01

    The present paper reports MD properties of BaZr 0.2 Ti 0.8 O 3 and La 0.67 Sr 0.33 MnO 3 (LSMO) thin film multilayer composite. The BZT is known to be relaxer possessing Curie temperature in vicinity of room temperature while LSMO is a CMR material possessing T c at room temperature. The Magnetoresistance of LSMO is known to cause change in intragrain interfacial polarization as function of applied magnetic field and dielectric constant ε H changes with applied magnetic field. From the literature survey it is observed that the MD properties based on CMR phenomena are not well investigated and efforts towards further exploration of these phenomena are required. Recent reports also indicate that that the magneto capacitance posses the contribution due giant magnetostriction of LMSO. The BZT as well as LSMO gels are synthesized using modified Pechini method. Initially hydroxide precipitates of Ba, Zr, Ti and La, Sr, Mn are dissolved in citric acid to form citrates of cations individually. The citrate solution is polymerized by addition of ethylene glycol and used as a coating solution. The alternate layers of thin films of BZT and LSMO are deposited on SiO 2 /nSi(100) substrate. The nanoparticles heterostructure are formed by sintering the thin films at 800 deg C. The thin films are investigated for crystal structure, morphology, dielectric constant, and complex impedance as a function of frequency f up to 1 MHz and magnetic field up to 5 kOe respectively. It is observed that the thin film composites exhibits magnetocapacitance of 8.3% for 1 KHz and possess a finite value even at 1MHz. The observed variation of impedance spectra in terms of Maxwell-Wagner model and in the light of the recent observation by Xiaodong Tang, et al. 2011. (author)

  19. Structure and thermal stability of arc evaporated (Ti{sub 0.33}Al{sub 0.67}){sub 1-x}Si{sub x}N thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Flink, A. [Department of Physics, Chemistry, and Biology (IFM) Linkoeping University, SE-581 83 Linkoeping (Sweden)], E-mail: axefl@ifm.liu.se; Andersson, J.M. [Seco Tools AB, SE-737 82 Fagersta (Sweden); Alling, B. [Department of Physics, Chemistry, and Biology (IFM) Linkoeping University, SE-581 83 Linkoeping (Sweden); Institute of Physics of Complex Matter, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne (EPFL) 1015 Lausanne (Switzerland); Daniel, R. [Christian Doppler Laboratory for Advanced Hard Coatings, Department of Physical Metallurgy, University of Leoben, A-8700 Leoben (Austria); Sjoelen, J.; Karlsson, L. [Seco Tools AB, SE-737 82 Fagersta (Sweden); Hultman, L. [Department of Physics, Chemistry, and Biology (IFM) Linkoeping University, SE-581 83 Linkoeping (Sweden)

    2008-11-28

    (Ti{sub 0.33}Al{sub 0.67}){sub 1-x}Si{sub x}N (0 {<=} x {<=} 0.29) thin solid films were deposited onto cemented carbide substrates by arc evaporation and analyzed using analytical electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, nanoindentation, and density functional theory. As-deposited films with x {<=} 0.02 consisted mainly of a metastable c-(Ti,Al)N solid solution for which Si serves as a veritable grain refiner. Additional Si promoted growth of a hexagonal wurtzite (Al,Ti,Si)N solid solution, which dominated at 0.02 < x < 0.17. For x {>=} 0.17, the films were X-ray amorphous. Despite these widely different microstructures, all as-deposited films had nanoindentation hardness in the narrow range of 22-25 GPa. Isothermal annealing of the x = 0.01 alloy film at a temperature of 900 deg. C , corresponding to that in turning operation, resulted in spinodal decomposition into c-AlN and TiN and precipitation of h-AlN. For x = 0.09 films, annealing between 600 deg. C and 1000 deg. C yielded c-TiN precipitation from the h-(Al,Ti,Si)N phase. Furthermore, the x = 0.01 and x = 0.09 films exhibited substantial age hardening at 900 deg. C , to 34 GPa and 29 GPa due to spinodal decomposition and c-TiN precipitation, respectively. Films with a majority of c-(Ti,Al)N phase worked best in steel turning tests, while films with x > 0.02 developed cracks during such operation. We propose that the cracks are due to tensile strain which is caused by a decrease in molar volume during the phase transformation from hexagonal wurtzite (Al,Ti,Si)N into cubic TiN phase, which results in degradation in machining performance.

  20. Comparative Study of Magnetic Ordering and Electrical Transport in Bulk and Nano-Grained Nd{sub 0.67}Sr{sub 0.33}MnO{sub 3} Manganites

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Arun, B. [Materials Science and Technology Division, CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology, Trivandrum (India); Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR, Trivandrum (India); Suneesh, M.V. [Materials Science and Technology Division, CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology, Trivandrum (India); Vasundhara, M., E-mail: vasu.mutta@gmail.com [Materials Science and Technology Division, CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology, Trivandrum (India)

    2016-11-15

    We have prepared bulk and nano-sized Nd{sub 0.67}Sr{sub 0.33}MnO{sub 3} manganites by solid state and low-temperature mild solgel methods respectively. Both the compounds crystallized into an orthorhombic structure with Pbnm space group confirmed from Rietveld refinement of X-ray powder diffraction patterns. Nano-grained compound shows an average particle size of 22 nm with broad grain size distribution revealed from the Transmission electron micrographs. It appeared that the long range ferromagnetic order becomes unstable upon the reduction of the samples dimension down to nano meter scale. DC magnetization and AC susceptibility results showed frustration of spins in nano-grained compound and thereby it could lead to a cluster glass-like behaviour. Temperature dependence of electrical resistivity under different magnetic fields shows the broad maxima at higher temperatures and a low temperature upturn in both the compounds, however, the latter is more prominent in the nano grained compound. Combination of Kondo effect with electron and phonon interactions govern the low temperature resistivity and a small polaron hopping mechanism dominates at high temperatures for both the compounds. The magnetoresistance is understood by the effect of spin polarized tunneling through the grain boundary. The experimental results revealed that the reduction in particle size influences severely on the magnetic, electrical and magneto transport properties. - Highlights: • Long range ferromagnetic ordered state become unstable in case of nano compound. • It shows broad magnetic transition and cluster glass nature. • Kondo effect with electron-phonon interactions dominate the resistivity at low temperature.

  1. Periodicities in the high-mass X-ray binary system RXJ0146.9+6121/LSI+61°235

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sarty, Gordon E.; Kiss, László L.; Huziak, Richard; Catalan, Lionel J. J.; Luciuk, Diane; Crawford, Timothy R.; Lane, David J.; Pickard, Roger D.; Grzybowski, Thomas A.; Closas, Pere; Johnston, Helen; Balam, David; Wu, Kinwah

    2009-01-01

    The high-mass X-ray binary RXJ0146.9+6121, with optical counterpart LSI+61°235 (V831Cas), is an intriguing system on the outskirts of the open cluster NGC663. It contains the slowest Be type X-ray pulsar known with a pulse period of around 1400s and, primarily from the study of variation in the emission line profile of Hα, it is known to have a Be decretion disc with a one-armed density wave period of approximately 1240d. Here we present the results of an extensive photometric campaign, supplemented with optical spectroscopy, aimed at measuring short time-scale periodicities. We find three significant periodicities in the photometric data at, in order of statistical significance, 0.34, 0.67 and 0.10d. We give arguments to support the interpretation that the 0.34 and 0.10d periods could be due to stellar oscillations of the B-type primary star and that the 0.67d period is the spin period of the Be star with a spin axis inclination of 23+10-8 degrees. We measured a systemic velocity of -37.0 +/- 4.3kms-1 confirming that LSI+61°235 has a high probability of membership in the young cluster NGC663 from which the system's age can be estimated as 20-25Myr. From archival RXTE All Sky Monitor (ASM) data we further find `super' X-ray outbursts roughly every 450d. If these super outbursts are caused by the alignment of the compact star with the one-armed decretion disc enhancement, then the orbital period is approximately 330d.

  2. Air Dispersion Modeling for the INL Application for a Synthetic Minor Sitewide Air Quality Permit to Construct with a Facility Emission Cap Component

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sondrup, Andrus Jeffrey [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

    2015-10-01

    The Department of Energy Idaho Operations Office (DOE-ID) is applying for a synthetic minor, Sitewide, air quality permit to construct (PTC) with a facility emission cap (FEC) component from the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) for Idaho National Laboratory (INL) to limit its potential to emit to less than major facility limits for criteria air pollutants (CAPs) and hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) regulated under the Clean Air Act. This document is supplied as an appendix to the application, Idaho National Laboratory Application for a Synthetic Minor Sitewide Air Quality Permit to Construct with a Facility Emissions Cap Component, hereafter referred to as “permit application” (DOE-ID 2015). Air dispersion modeling was performed as part of the permit application process to demonstrate pollutant emissions from the INL will not cause a violation of any ambient air quality standards. This report documents the modeling methodology and results for the air dispersion impact analysis. All CAPs regulated under Section 109 of the Clean Air Act were modeled with the exception of lead (Pb) and ozone, which are not required to be modeled by DEQ. Modeling was not performed for toxic air pollutants (TAPs) as uncontrolled emissions did not exceed screening emission levels for carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic TAPs. Modeling for CAPs was performed with the EPA approved AERMOD dispersion modeling system (Version 14134) (EPA 2004a) and five years (2000-2004) of meteorological data. The meteorological data set was produced with the companion AERMET model (Version 14134) (EPA 2004b) using surface data from the Idaho Falls airport, and upper-air data from Boise International Airport supplied by DEQ. Onsite meteorological data from the Grid 3 Mesonet tower located near the center of the INL (north of INTEC) and supplied by the local National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) office was used for surface wind directions and wind speeds. Surface data (i

  3. Effect of laser energy on the electrical transport properties of La{sub 0.67}Ca{sub 0.33}MnO{sub 3}:Ag{sub 0.2} films by pulsed laser deposition technique

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Yalin; Chen, Qingming; Jin, Fei; Chen, Xiaohui; Li, Zhiyu; Li, Di; Zhang, Hui [Kunming University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, Kunming (China)

    2017-09-15

    La{sub 0.67}Ca{sub 0.33}MnO{sub 3} (LCMO):Ag{sub 0.2} films were grown on LaAlO{sub 3} (LAO) substrates (100) by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique with various incident laser energies. The surface morphologies and the thicknesses of the films were studied by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. The crystal structures were analyzed by X-ray, diffraction (XRD), and the temperature dependence of the resistivity (ρ-T) of the films was studied by the standard four-probe method. It can be found that the crystal quality, surface morphology, metal-insulator transition temperature (T{sub p}), and temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) of the LCMO:Ag{sub 0.2} films are changed with various laser energy. The highest T{sub p} 287 K is obtained with 300 mJ laser energy; meanwhile, the optimal TCR 13.5% K{sup -1} is achieved. The results suggest that the electrical transport properties of LCMO:Ag{sub 0.2} films are affected by the interface-induced compressive stress, the oxygen balance, and the double exchange between Mn{sup 3+}-O-Mn{sup 4+}. (orig.)

  4. Enhancement of larval immune system traits as a correlated ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    2Present address: Thermo Fisher Scientific, First Technology Place, 3EPIP, Whitefield, Bengaluru 560 066, India. 3Present address: ... that affect the expression of both feeding rate and develop- ment rate ... jected to selection for rapid development and early repro- .... Oriented Biology Education programme of the JNCASR.

  5. Metal-insulator transition in SrTi1−xVxO3 thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gu, Man; Wolf, Stuart A.; Lu, Jiwei

    2013-01-01

    Epitaxial SrTi 1−x V x O 3 (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) thin films were grown on (001)-oriented (LaAlO 3 ) 0.3 (Sr 2 AlTaO 6 ) 0.7 (LSAT) substrates using the pulsed electron-beam deposition technique. The transport study revealed a temperature driven metal-insulator transition (MIT) at 95 K for x = 0.67. The films with higher vanadium concentration (x > 0.67) were metallic corresponding to a Fermi liquid system. In the insulating phase (x < 0.67), the resistivity behavior was governed by Mott's variable range hopping mechanism. The possible mechanisms for the induced MIT are discussed, including the effects of electron correlation, lattice distortion, and Anderson localization

  6. Radiomic Machine Learning Classifiers for Prognostic Biomarkers of Head & Neck Cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chintan eParmar

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Radiomics extracts and mines large number of medical imaging features in a non-invasive and cost-effective way. The underlying assumption of radiomics is that these imaging features quantify phenotypic characteristics of entire tumor. In order to enhance applicability of radiomics in clinical oncology, highly accurate and reliable machine learning approaches are required. In this radiomic study, thirteen feature selection methods and eleven machine learning classification methods were evaluated in terms of their performance and stability for predicting overall survival in head and neck cancer patients. Methods: Two independent head and neck cancer cohorts were investigated. Training cohort HN1 consisted 101 HNSCC patients. Cohort HN2 (n=95 was used for validation. A total of 440 radiomic features were extracted from the segmented tumor regions in CT images. Feature selection and classification methods were compared using an unbiased evaluation framework. Results: We observed that the three feature selection methods MRMR (AUC = 0.69, Stability = 0.66, MIFS (AUC = 0.66, Stability = 0.69, and CIFE (AUC = 0.68, Stability = 0.7 had high prognostic performance and stability. The three classifiers BY (AUC = 0.67, RSD = 11.28, RF (AUC = 0.61, RSD = 7.36, and NN (AUC = 0.62, RSD = 10.52 also showed high prognostic performance and stability. Analysis investigating performance variability indicated that the choice of classification method is the major factor driving the performance variation (29.02% of total variance. Conclusions: Our study identified prognostic and reliable machine learning methods for the prediction of overall survival of head and neck cancer patients. Identification of optimal machine-learning methods for radiomics based prognostic analyses could broaden the scope of radiomics in precision oncology and cancer care.

  7. Employment, income, and education and prevalence of depressive symptoms during pregnancy: the Kyushu Okinawa Maternal and Child Health Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miyake, Yoshihiro; Tanaka, Keiko; Arakawa, Masashi

    2012-08-19

    Epidemiological evidence for the association of socioeconomic status with prenatal depression has been inconsistent. The current cross-sectional study examined the association between employment, job type, household income, and educational level and the prevalence of depressive symptoms during pregnancy. Subjects were 1741 Japanese women. Depressive symptoms were defined as present when subjects had a Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale score of 16 or higher. Adjustment was made for age, gestation, region of residence, family structure, personal and family history of depression, smoking, secondhand smoke exposure at home and at work, employment, household income, and education. The prevalence of depressive symptoms during pregnancy was 19.3%. Compared with unemployment, employment, part-time employment, and full-time employment were significantly associated with a lower prevalence of depressive symptoms during pregnancy: the adjusted odds ratios (ORs) were 0.65 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.50 - 0.86), 0.66 (95% CI: 0.46 - 0.95), and 0.66 (95% CI: 0.48 - 0.90), respectively. Regarding the job type held, women with a professional or technical job and those with a clerical or related occupation had a significantly lower prevalence of depressive symptoms during pregnancy: the adjusted ORs were 0.67 (95% CI: 0.47 - 0.96) and 0.62 (95% CI: 0.43 - 0.90), respectively. Sales, service, production, and other occupations were not significantly related to the prevalence of depressive symptoms during pregnancy. There were no relationships between household income or education and the prevalence of depressive symptoms during pregnancy. Employment, whether full-time or part-time, and holding a professional or technical job or a clerical or related occupation may be inversely associated with the prevalence of depressive symptoms during pregnancy.

  8. Employment, income, and education and prevalence of depressive symptoms during pregnancy: the Kyushu Okinawa Maternal and Child Health Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Miyake Yoshihiro

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Epidemiological evidence for the association of socioeconomic status with prenatal depression has been inconsistent. The current cross-sectional study examined the association between employment, job type, household income, and educational level and the prevalence of depressive symptoms during pregnancy. Methods Subjects were 1741 Japanese women. Depressive symptoms were defined as present when subjects had a Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale score of 16 or higher. Adjustment was made for age, gestation, region of residence, family structure, personal and family history of depression, smoking, secondhand smoke exposure at home and at work, employment, household income, and education. Results The prevalence of depressive symptoms during pregnancy was 19.3%. Compared with unemployment, employment, part-time employment, and full-time employment were significantly associated with a lower prevalence of depressive symptoms during pregnancy: the adjusted odds ratios (ORs were 0.65 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.50 − 0.86, 0.66 (95% CI: 0.46 − 0.95, and 0.66 (95% CI: 0.48 − 0.90, respectively. Regarding the job type held, women with a professional or technical job and those with a clerical or related occupation had a significantly lower prevalence of depressive symptoms during pregnancy: the adjusted ORs were 0.67 (95% CI: 0.47 − 0.96 and 0.62 (95% CI: 0.43 − 0.90, respectively. Sales, service, production, and other occupations were not significantly related to the prevalence of depressive symptoms during pregnancy. There were no relationships between household income or education and the prevalence of depressive symptoms during pregnancy. Conclusions Employment, whether full-time or part-time, and holding a professional or technical job or a clerical or related occupation may be inversely associated with the prevalence of depressive symptoms during pregnancy.

  9. Perovskite phases of the system Ba/sub 2/Ysub(0. 67)Usub(1-x)Wsub(x)O/sub 6/

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schittenhelm, H J; Kemmler-Sack, S [Tuebingen Univ. (Germany, F.R.). Inst. fuer Anorganische Chemie

    1976-08-01

    A solid solution series is formed between the polymorphic perovskites Ba/sub 2/Ysub(0.67)UO/sub 6/ and Ba/sub 2/Ysub(0.67)WO/sub 6/ (cubic: a = 8.37 A; hexagonal: a = 4x5.88 A and c = 4x7.77 A). The structure is cubic between x = 0.1 and 0.99 and for x > 0.95 hexagonal as well. Strong deviations from the ideal behaviour are detectable with spectroscopic methods. The shape of the UO/sub 6/ and WO/sub 6/ octahedrons experiences only minor changes within the series.

  10. Measurement of waterborne radon in the drinking water of the Dera Ismail Khan city using active and passive techniques

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nasir Tabassum

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Groundwater is considered to be the second largest contributor to the indoor radon concentration after soil. Therefore, measurement of waterborne radon has remained a point of interest for many researchers. The main objective of this study is to study waterborne radon activity in the city of Dera Ismail Khan. In this context, water samples were collected from different locations of the city and waterborne radon was measured using a pylon vacuum water degassing system and CR-39 based radon detectors. The pylon system measured waterborne radon activities in samples of hand pumps and motor driven pumps varying from 0.015 to 0.066 Bq/L and 0.021 to 0.145 Bq/L with average values of 0.041 ± 0.015 Bq/L and 0.076 ± 0.024 Bq/L, respectively. Whereas CR-39 based measured values ranged from 0.042 to 0.125 Bq/L and 0.075 to 0.158 Bq/L with average values of 0.081 ± 0.021 Bq/L and 0.120 ± 0.020 Bq/L, respectively. The estimated average annual effective dose due to ingestion of radon from drinking water using pylon and CR-39 based radon detectors for hand and motor pump samples was found to be 1.055×10-4 mSv and 1.947×10-4 mSv, and 2.067×10-4 mSv and 3.058×10-4 mSv, respectively. The waterborne radon concentrations and as a result the annual effective dose expected to be received from it are within the recommended safe limits.

  11. Computational studies at the density functional theory (DFT) level about the surface functionalization of hexagonal monolayers by chitosan monomer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ebrahimi, Javad; Ahangari, Morteza Ghorbanzadeh; Jahanshahi, Mohsen

    2018-05-01

    Theoretical investigations based on density functional theory have been carried out to understand the underlying interactions between the chitosan monomer and several types of hexagonal monolayers consisting of pristine and defected graphene and boron-nitride nanosheets. Based on the obtained results, it was found that the type of the interaction for all the systems is of non-covalent nature and the chitosan monomer physically interacts with the surface of mentioned nanostructures. The interaction strength was evaluated by calculating the adsorption energies for the considered systems and it was found that the adsorption of chitosan monomer accompanies by the release of about -0.67 and -0.66 eV energy for pristine graphene and h-BN monolayer, respectively. The role of structural defect has also been considered by embedding a Stone-Wales defect within the structure of mentioned monolayers and it was found that the introduced defect enhances the interactions between the chitosan monomer and nanostructures. The role of dispersion interactions has also been taken into account and it was found that these long-range interactions play the dominating role in the attachment of chitosan monomer onto the graphene sheet, while having strong contribution together with the electrostatic interactions for the stabilization of chitosan onto the surface of h-BN monolayer. For all the cases, the adsorption of chitosan monomer did not change the inherent electronic properties of the nanostructures based on the results of charge transfer analysis and energy gap calculations. The findings of the present work would be very useful in future investigations to explore the potential applications of these hybrid materials in materials science and bio-related fields.

  12. Influence of Dy addition on the magnetocaloric effect of La0.67Ca0.33Mn0.9V0.1O3 ceramics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nisha, P.; Savitha Pillai, S.; Suresh, K.G.; Raama Varma, Manoj

    2012-01-01

    The influence of partial substitution of La by Dy on the magnetocaloric response of (La 1-x Dy x ) 0.67 Ca 0.33 Mn 0.9 V 0.1 O 3 , where x=0.03, 0.15 and 0.25 is studied. Rietveld refinement of X-ray diffraction pattern using GSAS method shows that the compounds adopt the orthorhombic structure with Pnma space group. The systematic change in lattice parameters and magnetic phase transition indicates the substitution effect of Dy. From the magnetization isotherms at different temperatures, magnetic entropy change close to their respective transition temperatures (T C ) has been evaluated. The maximum value of entropy change near T C is found to be about 4.8 J/kg K at 187.5 K for LCMVDy 0.03 , 2.45 J/kg K at 107.5 K for LCMVDy 0.15 and 2.15 J/kg K at 92.5 K for LCMVDy 0.25 at 4 T. Dy addition produces a reduction in T C and in magnitude of the magnetic entropy change. Even though the entropy change decreases with increasing Dy substitution the refrigerant temperature range, ΔT, is found to be 10 K for LCMVDy 0.03 , 31 K for LCMVDy 0.15 and 35 K for LCMVDy 0.25 compounds [90%] at 4 T. The field dependence of the magnetic entropy change is also analyzed showing the power law dependence, ΔS M ∞H n where n=0.75(2) for LCMVDy 0.03 , n=0.80(4) for LCMVDy 0.15 and n=0.92(8) for LCMVDy 0.25 compounds at their respective transition temperatures. The relative cooling power and its field dependance are also analyzed. - Highlights: → Studied magnetocaloric response of Dy substituted solid state synthesized LCMVO. → Studied the field dependence of the magnetic entropy change (ΔS M ∞H n ). → Studied the field dependence of Relative cooling power (RCP∞H 1+1/δ ). → Considerably large magnetocaloric effect and moderate relative cooling power.

  13. Complex phosphates in the Li(Na)3PO4-InPO4 systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Potapova, A.M.; Zimina, G.V.; Smirnova, I.N.; Novoselov, A.V.; Spiridonov, F.M.; Stefanovich, S.Yu.

    2008-01-01

    Subsolidus sections in the systems Li 3 PO 4 -InPO 4 (950 deg C) and Na 3 PO 4 -InPO 4 (800, 900, and 1000 deg C) have been studied by X-ray powder diffraction. The compound Li 3 In(PO 4 ) 2 has been synthesized, and the NASICON-type solid solution Li 3(1-x) In 2+x (PO 4 ) 3 (0.67 ≤ x ≤ 0.80) has been found to exist. In the system Na 3 PO 4 -InPO 4 , the solid solution Na 3(1-x) In x/3 PO 4 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.2) and two complex phosphates exist: Na 3 In(PO 4 ) 2 and Na 3 In 2 (PO 4 ) 3 . These complex phosphates are dimorphic, with the irreversible-transition temperature equal to 675 and 820 deg C, respectively. Na 3 In(PO 4 ) 2 degrades at 920 deg C. Ionic conductivity has been measured in some phases in the system [ru

  14. Enhanced relative cooling power of Fe-doped La{sub 0.67}Sr{sub 0.22}Ba{sub 0.11}Mn{sub 1-x}Fe{sub x}O{sub 3} perovskites: Structural, magnetic and magnetocaloric properties

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ben Hassine, R.; Cherif, W. [Sfax University, Faculty of Sciences, B. P. 1171, 3000 (Tunisia); Alonso, J.A., E-mail: ja.alonso@icmm.csic.es [Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Cantoblanco, E-28049 Madrid (Spain); Mompean, F. [Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Cantoblanco, E-28049 Madrid (Spain); Fernández-Díaz, M.T. [Institut Laue-Langevin, B.P. 156, F-38042 Grenoble Cedex 9 (France); Elhalouani, F. [Sfax University, National School of Engineers, B. P. W 3038 (Tunisia)

    2015-11-15

    We present the structural and magnetic properties of a novel series of La{sub 0.67}Sr{sub 0.22}Ba{sub 0.11}Mn{sub 1-x}Fe{sub x}O{sub 3} (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.3) perovskites prepared by the sol–gel method. These oxides were characterized by x-ray (XRD), neutron powder diffraction (NDP) at room temperature and magnetization measurements versus temperature and various applied magnetic fields. The NPD data, very sensitive to the octahedral tilting, show a crystallographic phase transition from an orthorhombic structure (Pnma) for x = 0 to a rhombohedral structure (R-3c) for Fe-doped samples. Magnetic data show that x = 0 and x = 0.1 perovskites exhibit a paramagnetic–ferromagnetic transition at low temperature, while for 0.2 ≤ x ≤ 0.3 a strong divergence between ZFC and FC curves suggest the presence of antagonistic antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic interactions. The magnetic entropy change (|ΔSmax|) takes values of 2.46 J kg{sup −1} K{sup −1}, 2.43 J kg{sup −1} K{sup −1} and 0.91 J kg{sup −1} for x = 0, x = 0.1 and 0.2, respectively at 5 T. The relative cooling power (RCP) amounts 169 J Kg{sup −1}, 241 J Kg{sup −1} and 70 J Kg{sup −1} at 5 T for x = 0, 0.1, 0.2 respectively. These values are compared favorably with those of some others reported manganites, making La{sub 0.67}Sr{sub 0.22}Ba{sub 0.11}Mn{sub 0.9}Fe{sub 0.1}O{sub 3} a promising candidate for magnetic refrigeration. - Graphical abstract: The title perovskites present a crystallographic phase transition from an orthorhombic structure (Pnma) for x = 0 to a rhombohedral structure (R-3c) for Fe-doped samples, as shown in a neutron study. Magnetic data show that x = 0 and x = 0.1 perovskites exhibit sharp paramagnetic–ferromagnetic transitions. The relative cooling power (RCP) is as high as 241 J Kg{sup −1} for x = 0.1, being a promising candidate for magnetic refrigeration. - Highlights: • Novel Fe-doped manganite oxides prepared by a sol–gel procedure. • Neutron diffraction shows

  15. A new strong-lensing galaxy at z=0.066: Another elliptical galaxy with a lightweight IMF

    Science.gov (United States)

    Collier, William P.; Smith, Russell J.; Lucey, John R.

    2018-05-01

    We report the discovery of a new low-redshift galaxy-scale gravitational lens, identified from a systematic search of publicly available MUSE observations. The lens galaxy, 2MASXJ04035024-0239275, is a giant elliptical at z = 0.06604 with a velocity dispersion of σ = 314 km s-1. The lensed source has a redshift of 0.19165 and forms a pair of bright images on either side of the lens centre. The Einstein radius is 1.5 arcsec, projecting to 1.8 kpc, which is just one quarter of the galaxy effective radius. After correcting for an estimated 19 per cent dark matter contribution, we find that the stellar mass-to-light ratio from lensing is consistent with that expected for a Milky Way initial mass function (IMF). Combining the new system with three previously-studied low-redshift lenses of similar σ, the derived mean mass excess factor (relative to a Kroupa IMF) is ⟨α⟩ = 1.09±0.08. With all four systems, the intrinsic scatter in α for massive elliptical galaxies can be limited to <0.32, at 90 per cent confidence.

  16. Benzene Monitor System report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Livingston, R.R.

    1992-01-01

    Two systems for monitoring benzene in aqueous streams have been designed and assembled by the Savannah River Technology Center, Analytical Development Section (ADS). These systems were used at TNX to support sampling studies of the full-scale open-quotes SRAT/SME/PRclose quotes and to provide real-time measurements of benzene in Precipitate Hydrolysis Aqueous (PHA) simulant. This report describes the two ADS Benzene Monitor System (BMS) configurations, provides data on system operation, and reviews the results of scoping tests conducted at TNX. These scoping tests will allow comparison with other benzene measurement options being considered for use in the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) laboratory. A report detailing the preferred BMS configuration statistical performance during recent tests has been issued under separate title: Statistical Analyses of the At-line Benzene Monitor Study, SCS-ASG-92-066. The current BMS design, called the At-line Benzene Monitor (ALBM), allows remote measurement of benzene in PHA solutions. The authors have demonstrated the ability to calibrate and operate this system using peanut vials from a standard Hydragard trademark sampler. The equipment and materials used to construct the ALBM are similar to those already used in other applications by the DWPF lab. The precision of this system (±0.5% Relative Standard Deviation (RSD) at 1 sigma) is better than the purge ampersand trap-gas chromatograpy reference method currently in use. Both BMSs provide a direct measurement of the benzene that can be purged from a solution with no sample pretreatment. Each analysis requires about five minutes per sample, and the system operation requires no special skills or training. The analyzer's computer software can be tailored to provide desired outputs. Use of this system produces no waste stream other than the samples themselves (i.e. no organic extractants)

  17. Synthesis of ZnCo{sub 2}O{sub 4} microspheres with Zn{sub 0.33}Co{sub 0.67}CO{sub 3} precursor and their electrochemical performance

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lu, Lin; Xu, Shan; Luo, Zhaohui; Wang, Shiquan, E-mail: wsqhao@126.com; Li, Guohua; Feng, Chuanqi [Hubei University, Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Advanced Organic Chemical Materials, Ministry-of-Education Key Laboratory for Synthesis and Applications of Organic Functional Molecules (China)

    2016-07-15

    Zn{sub 0.33}Co{sub 0.67}CO{sub 3} (ZCCO) microspheres are fabricated by a facile solvothermal method at different temperatures, and ZnCo{sub 2}O{sub 4} (ZCO) microspheres were further obtained by pyrolysis of the relative ZCCO precursors at 450 °C. All samples were characterized by X-ray diffractometer, Fourier transform infrared spectra, thermogravimetric, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET). Their electrochemical properties were investigated as the anode materials for the lithium-ion battery applications. The results showed that both the ZCCO and ZCO electrodes possess high specific capacities, and the synthesis temperature greatly influenced their performances. Compared with the synthesized of 180 °C, the synthesized of 200 °C (ZCCO-200) exhibited higher discharge capacity (1530 mAh g{sup −1}) and better rate performance with the reversible capacity of 876 mAh g{sup −1} after 70 cycles under the voltage range of 0.01–3.0 V at the current density of 100 mA g{sup −1}. The as-obtained ZCO microspheres from the pyrolysis of ZCCO-200 also exhibited higher discharge capacity of 1416 mAh g{sup −1} and better cycling stability (741 mAh g{sup −1} after 70 cycles) than that for the microspheres from the pyrolysis of ZCO-180, indicating that the electrochemical properties of ZCO may be related to the electrochemical performance of ZCCO. Our present work suggested that both the ZCCO and ZCO microspheres can be promising candidates as novel anode materials for lithium-ion battery applications.

  18. Improved interobserver variation after training of doctors in the Neer system. A randomised trial

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Brorson, S; Bagger, J; Sylvest, A

    2002-01-01

    We investigated whether training doctors to classify proximal fractures of the humerus according to the Neer system could improve interobserver agreement. Fourteen doctors were randomised to two training sessions, or to no training, and asked to categorise 42 unselected pairs of plain radiographs...... of fractures of the proximal humerus according to the Neer system. The mean kappa difference between the training and control groups was 0.30 (95% CI 0.10 to 0.50, p = 0.006). In the training group the mean kappa value for interobserver variation improved from 0.27 (95% CI 0.24 to 0.31) to 0.62 (95% CI 0.......57 to 0.67). The improvement was particularly notable for specialists in whom kappa increased from 0.30 (95% CI 0.23 to 0.37) to 0.79 (95% CI 0.70 to 0.88). These results suggest that formal training in the Neer system is a prerequisite for its use in clinical practice and research....

  19. A drink is a drink? Variation in the amount of alcohol contained in beer, wine and spirits drinks in a US methodological sample.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kerr, William C; Greenfield, Thomas K; Tujague, Jennifer; Brown, Stephan E

    2005-11-01

    Empirically based estimates of the mean alcohol content of beer, wine and spirits drinks from a national sample of US drinkers are not currently available. A sample of 310 drinkers from the 2000 National Alcohol Survey were re-contacted to participate in a telephone survey with specific questions about the drinks they consume. Subjects were instructed to prepare their usual drink of each beverage at home and to measure each alcoholic beverage and other ingredients with a provided beaker. Information on the brand or type of each beverage was used to specify the percentage of alcohol. The weighted mean alcohol content of respondents' drinks was 0.67 ounces overall, 0.56 ounces for beer, 0.66 ounces for wine and 0.89 ounces for spirits. Spirits and wine drink contents were particularly variable with many high-alcohol drinks observed. While the 0.6-ounce of alcohol drink standard appears to be a reasonable single standard, it cannot capture the substantial variation evident in this sample and it underestimates average wine and spirits ethanol content. Direct measurement or beverage-specific mean ethanol content estimates would improve the precision of survey alcohol assessment.

  20. Phthaloylchitosan-Based Gel Polymer Electrolytes for Efficient Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. N. F. Yusuf

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Phthaloylchitosan-based gel polymer electrolytes were prepared with tetrapropylammonium iodide, Pr4NI, as the salt and optimized for conductivity. The electrolyte with the composition of 15.7 wt.% phthaloylchitosan, 31.7 wt.% ethylene carbonate (EC, 3.17 wt.% propylene carbonate (PC, 19.0 wt.% of Pr4NI, and 1.9 wt.% iodine exhibits the highest room temperature ionic conductivity of 5.27 × 10−3 S cm−1. The dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC fabricated with this electrolyte exhibits an efficiency of 3.5% with JSC of 7.38 mA cm−2, VOC of 0.72 V, and fill factor of 0.66. When various amounts of lithium iodide (LiI were added to the optimized gel electrolyte, the overall conductivity is observed to decrease. However, the efficiency of the DSSC increases to a maximum value of 3.71% when salt ratio of Pr4NI : LiI is 2 : 1. This cell has JSC, VOC and fill factor of 7.25 mA cm−2, 0.77 V and 0.67, respectively.

  1. Relationships among cytochromes P450 and dioxin equivalents in pipping heron embryos from Virginia, the Great Lakes and San Francisco Bay

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rattner, B.A.; Hatfield, J.S.; Melancon, M.J.; Custer, T.W.; Tillett, D.E.

    1993-01-01

    Pipping black-crowned night-heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) embryos were collected from undisturbed (Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, VA) and industrialized (Cat Island, Green Bay, WI; San Francisco Bay, CA) locations. Hepatic P450 associated monooxygenases (AHH, EROD, BROD, ECOD) and P450 proteins (CYP1A, CYP2B) were induced up to 85-fold, and were associated with burdens of total PCBs and 11 AHH-active PCB congeners. Dioxin equivalents (TCDD-EQs) of sample extracts, derived by bioassay (H4I1E rat hepatoma cell) and mathematically (product of PCB congener concentration and relative TCDD potency), revealed greatest TCDD-EQs in Cat Island samples. TCDD-EQs were associated with P450s, especially BROD, EROD and CYP1A (r2 = 0.35 to 0.66). TCDD-EQs derived by bioassay were highly correlated with TCDD-EQs derived mathematically (r2 = 0.58 to 0.67) . Multiple regressions were also performed to investigate relationships among P450s and PCB congeners. In summary, these data demonstrate that hepatic P450s of heron embryos are biomarkers of exposure to dioxin-like compounds and provide further evidence that this species has considerable value for assessing wetland and estuarine contamination.

  2. Biometric identification of capillariid eggs from archaeological sites in Patagonia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taglioretti, V; Fugassa, M H; Beltrame, M O; Sardella, N H

    2014-06-01

    Numerous eggs of capillariid nematodes have been found in coprolites from a wide range of hosts and in raptor pellets in archaeological samples from Patagonia. The structure and sculpture of the eggshell of these nematodes and their biometry are commonly used for identification. The aim of this study was to determine whether eggs of the genus Calodium with similar morphology, found in different archaeological samples from Patagonia, belong to the same species. For this purpose, capillariid eggs (N= 843) with thick walls and radial striations were studied by permutational multivariate analysis of variance (PERMANOVA). Eggs exhibiting similar shape and structure also showed similar biometry, regardless of the zoological origin of coprolites (P= 0.84), host diet (P= 0.19), character of the archaeological sites (P= 0.67) and chronology (P= 0.66). Thus, they were attributed to the same species. We suggest that an unidentified zoonotic species of the genus Calodium occurred in the digestive tract of a wide range of hosts in Patagonia during the Holocene and that both human and animal populations were exposed to this parasite during the Holocene in the study area.

  3. Association between auditory P300, psychopathology, and memory function in drug-naïve schizophrenia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wei-Hung Chang

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was to explore memory deficits and psychopathology and their relationships with P300 in drug-naïve patients with schizophrenia. The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS and the Wechsler Memory Scale—Revised were administered. Auditory event-related potentials elicited by an oddball paradigm were obtained. After controlling for age, sex, the results showed a statistically significant negative correlation between the total PANSS score and P300 amplitude at the parietal position (r = −0.66, p < 0.05. Moreover, visual memory was significantly positively correlated with P300 amplitude at the parietal position (r = 0.67, p < 0.05. After controlling for the duration of illness, the above correlations remained statistically significant. The correlation between P300 and the severity of psychopathology was reconfirmed in drug-naïve patients with schizophrenia. A possible contribution of memory decompensation in P300 among drug-naïve patients with schizophrenia may be considered, and the compensatory or Default Model Network might be a possible explanation of this association.

  4. Validity and Reliability of the Korean Version of the Utrecht Scale for Evaluation of Rehabilitation-Participation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joo-Hyun Lee

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available This study investigated the reliability and validity of the Korean version of the Utrecht Scale for Evaluation of Rehabilitation-Participation (K-USER-P in patients with stroke. Stroke patients participated in this study. The Utrecht Scale for Evaluation of Rehabilitation-Participation was translated from English into Korean. A total of 120 questionnaires involving the K-USER-P were distributed to rehabilitation hospitals and centers by mail. Of those, 100 questionnaires were returned and 67 were included in the final analysis after exclusion of questionnaires with insufficient responses. We analyzed the questionnaires for internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and construct validity. The results indicated that internal consistency coefficients of the frequency, restriction, and satisfaction domains were 0.69, 0.66, and 0.67, respectively. Test-retest reliability was 0.63, 0.45, and 0.71 for the three domains, respectively. Intercorrelations between the SF-12 and the London Handicap Scale were generally moderate to good. The Korean version of the Utrecht Scale for Evaluation of Rehabilitation-Participation can be used as a measure of the participation level of stroke patients in clinical practice and the local community.

  5. Biomarkers, lactate, and clinical scores as outcome predictors in systemic poisons exposures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lionte, C; Sorodoc, V; Tuchilus, C; Cimpoiesu, D; Jaba, E

    2017-07-01

    Acute exposure to systemic poisons represents an important challenge in clinical toxicology. We aimed to analyze the potential role of cardiac biomarkers, routine laboratory tests, and clinical scores as morbidity and in-hospital mortality predictors in patients intoxicated with various systemic poisons. We conducted a prospective study on adults acutely exposed to systemic poisons. We determined the PSS, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), and we performed electrocardiogram, laboratory tests, lactate and cardiac biomarkers (which were reassessed 4 h, respectively 6 h later). Of 120 patients included, 45% developed complications, 19.2% had a poor outcome, and 5% died. Multivariate logistic regression sustained lactate (odds ratio (OR) 1.58; confidence interval (CI) 95%: 0.97-2.59; p 0.066), MB isoenzyme of creatine kinase (6h-CKMB; OR 1.08; CI 95%: 1.02-1.16; p 0.018) as predictors for a poor outcome. A GCS poisons exposure. Receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that brain natriuretic peptide (area under the curve (AUC), 0.96; CI 95%: 0.92-0.99; p poisons exposure.

  6. La{sub 0.67}Pb{sub 0.33-x}K{sub x}MnO{sub 3} perovskites synthesized by sol-gel method: the effect of potassium substitution on the magnetic and electrical properties

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zaidi, Asma; Dhahri, J. [University of Monastir, Physics Laboratory of the Condensed Material and the Nanoscience' s, Faculty of Science, Monastir (Tunisia); Alharbi, T.; Alzobaidi, S.; Zaidi, M.A. [Majmaah University, College of Science of Zulfi, Riyadh (Saudi Arabia); Hlil, E.K. [CNRS-Universite J. Fourier, Institut Neel, BP 166, Gronoble (France)

    2017-01-15

    The influence of the potassium substitution for Pb ions in the mixed valence perovskites La{sub 0.67}Pb{sub 0.33-x}K{sub x}MnO{sub 3} (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.15) was investigated by X-ray diffraction, magnetic and electric transport measurements. All the compositions were synthesized using the sol-gel technique. X-ray diffraction and structure refinement showed that they crystallize in the rhombohedral structure with R anti 3c space group. Upon K doping on Pb sites, the lattice parameters, unit cell volume, and the Mn-O-Mn bond angle were reduced. All the samples exhibited a ferromagnetic-paramagnetic transition and metallic-semiconductor one with increasing temperature. The analysis of the electrical resistivity data concluded that the metallic (ferromagnetic) part of the resistivity (below T{sub M-Sc}) can be explained by the following equation ρ(T) = ρ{sub 0} + ρ{sub 2}T{sup 2} + ρ{sub 4.5}T{sup 4.5}, signifying the importance of the domain boundary/grain, combination of electron-magnon, electron-electron and electron-phonon scattering processes. At higher-temperature (T > T{sub M-Sc}) paramagnetic semiconducting regime, the adiabatic small polarons hopping mechanism (ASPH) was found to fit well. (orig.)

  7. Information system design of inventory control spare parts maintenance (valuation class 5000) (case study: plant kw)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fitriana, Rina; Moengin, Parwadi; Riana, Mega

    2016-02-01

    Plat KW hadn't using optimal inventory level planning yet and hadn't have an information system that well computerized. The research objective is to be able to design an information system related inventory control of spare parts maintenance. The study focused on five types of spare parts with the highest application rate during February 2013- March 2015 and included in the classification of fast on FSN analysis Grinding stones Cut 4". Cable Tie 15". Welding RB 26-32MM. Ring Plat ½" and Ring Plate 5/8 ". Inventory calculation used Economic Order Quantity (EOQ). Safety Stock (SS) and Reorder Point (ROP) methods. System analysis conducted using the framework PIECES with the proposed inventory control system. the performance of the plant KW relating to the supply of spare parts maintenance needs can be more efficient as well as problems at the company can be answered and can perform inventory cost savings amounting Rp.267.066. A computerized information system of inventory control spare parts maintenance provides a menu that can be accessed by each departments as the user needed.

  8. Electric-Field-Tunable Ferroelastic Control of Nonvolatile Resistivity and Ferromagnetic Switching in Multiferroic La0.67Ca0.33MnO3/[PbMg1/3Nb2/3O3] 0.7[PbTiO3]0.3 Heterostructures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Ming; Zheng, Ren-Kui

    2016-04-01

    The electric-field-modulated nonvolatile resistivity and magnetization switching in elastically coupled La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 films grown on (111)-oriented 0.7 Pb (Mg1 /3Nb2 /3)O3-0.3 PbTiO3 substrates is achieved through the ferroelastic effect. By taking advantage of the 180° ferroelectric and non-180° ferroelastic domain switching, we identify that such changes in order parameters stem from domain-switching-induced strain rather than accumulation or depletion of charge carriers at the interface. Specifically, the strong correlation between the ferroelastic strain and the magnetic field is manifested not only by the strain-tunable magnetoresistance effect but also by the magnetically manipulated strain effect, which is essentially driven by the electronic phase separation. These findings present a potential strategy for elucidating the essential physics of the ferroelastic-strain effect and delivering prototype devices for energy-efficient and nonvolatile information storage.

  9. Metal-insulator transition in SrTi{sub 1−x}V{sub x}O{sub 3} thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gu, Man [Department of Physics, University of Virginia, 382 McCormick Rd., Charlottesville, Virginia 22904 (United States); Wolf, Stuart A. [Department of Physics, University of Virginia, 382 McCormick Rd., Charlottesville, Virginia 22904 (United States); Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Virginia, 395 McCormick Rd., Charlottesville, Virginia 22904 (United States); Lu, Jiwei [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Virginia, 395 McCormick Rd., Charlottesville, Virginia 22904 (United States)

    2013-11-25

    Epitaxial SrTi{sub 1−x}V{sub x}O{sub 3} (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) thin films were grown on (001)-oriented (LaAlO{sub 3}){sub 0.3}(Sr{sub 2}AlTaO{sub 6}){sub 0.7} (LSAT) substrates using the pulsed electron-beam deposition technique. The transport study revealed a temperature driven metal-insulator transition (MIT) at 95 K for x = 0.67. The films with higher vanadium concentration (x > 0.67) were metallic corresponding to a Fermi liquid system. In the insulating phase (x < 0.67), the resistivity behavior was governed by Mott's variable range hopping mechanism. The possible mechanisms for the induced MIT are discussed, including the effects of electron correlation, lattice distortion, and Anderson localization.

  10. Effect of Mn-Site for Al Substitution on Structural, Electrical and Magnetic Properties in La0.67Sr0.33Mn1-xAlxO3 Thin Films by Sol-Gel Method

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    H. Abdullah

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Nanocrystalline La0.67Sr0.33Mn1-xAlxO3 (x=0.00, 0.05, 0.10, 0.15, 0.20, and 0.25 thin films have been prepared on quartz substrates by sol-gel method. The structural and morphology studies were investigated via X-ray diffraction (XRD and field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM. XRD graph patterns show rhombohedral distorted perovskite structures. FESEM images show that the average grain size decreased as the concentration of x increased. Electrical property was investigated using four-point probe technique. Resistivity results show that metal-insulator transition (MIT temperatures (Tp decreased when the concentration of x increased. Tp shifted to lower temperature when the concentration of x increased. The data was analyzed based on theoretical models, where the ferromagnetic resistivity is followed with the equation ρ=ρo+ρ2T2, where ρo is due to the significance of grain boundary effects and a second-term ~ρ2T2 appears that might be applied to the electrons scattering. In the high temperature regime (T>Tp, the resistivity data can be well described by small polaron hopping (SPH and variable range hopping (VRH mechanisms. Magnetic property was investigated using a vibration sample magnetometer. All samples that were obtained showed hysteresis curve with the highest value of magnetization for sample x=0.10.

  11. Particle size effect on microwave absorbing of La0.67Ba0.33Mn0.94Ti0.06O3 powders prepared by mechanical alloying with the assistance of ultrasonic irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saptari, Sitti Ahmiatri; Manaf, Azwar; Kurniawan, Budhy

    2016-01-01

    Doped manganites have attracted substantial interest due to their unique chemical and physics properties, which makes it possible to be used for microwave absorbing materials. In this paper we report synthesizes and characterization of La 0.67 Ba 0.33 Mn 0.94 Ti 0.06 O 3 powders prepared by mechanical alloying with the assistance of a high power ultrasonic treatment. After solid state reaction, the presence of single phase was confirmed by X-ray Diffraction (XRD). Refinement results showed that samples are single phase with monoclinic structure. It was found that powder materials derived from mechanical alloying results in large variation in the particle size. A significant improvement was obtained upon subjecting the mechanically milled powder materials to an ultrasonication treatment for a relatively short period of time. As determined by particle size analyzer (PSA), the mean particle size gradually decreased from the original size of 5.02 µm to 0.36 µm. Magnetic properties were characterized by VSM, and hysteresis loops results showed that samples are soft magnetic. It was found that when the mean particle size decreases, saturation was increases and coersitivity was decreases. Microwave absorption properties were investigated in the frequency range of 8-12 GHz using vector network analyzer. An optimal reflection loss of 24.44 dB is reached at 11.4 GHz.

  12. Performance of experienced dentists in Switzerland after an e-learning program on ICDAS occlusal caries detection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodrigues, Jonas Almeida; de Oliveira, Renata Schlesner; Hug, Isabel; Neuhaus, Klaus; Lussi, Adrian

    2013-08-01

    This study aimed to evaluate the effect of an e-learning program on the validity and reproducibility of the International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS) in detecting occlusal caries. For the study, 170 permanent molars were selected. Four dentists in Switzerland who had no previous contact with ICDAS examined the teeth before and after the e-learning program and scored the sites according to ICDAS. Teeth were histologically prepared and assessed for caries extension. The significance level was set at 0.05. Sensitivity before and after the e-learning program was 0.80 and 0.77 (D1), 0.72 and 0.63 (D2), and 0.74 and 0.67 (D3,4), respectively. Specificity was 0.64 and 0.69 (D1), 0.70 and 0.81 (D2), and 0.81 and 0.87 (D3,4). A McNemar test did not show any difference between the values of sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and area under the ROC curve (AUC) before and after the e-learning program. The averages of wK values for interexaminer reproducibility were 0.61 (before) and 0.66 (after). Correlation with histology presented wK values of 0.62 (before) and 0.63 (after). A Wilcoxon test showed a statistically significant difference between before and after the e-learning program. In conclusion, even though ICDAS performed well in detecting occlusal caries, the e-learning program did not have any statistically significant effect on its performance by these experienced dentists.

  13. Design of a Competency Evaluation Model for Clinical Nursing Practicum, Based on Standardized Language Systems: Psychometric Validation Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iglesias-Parra, Maria Rosa; García-Guerrero, Alfonso; García-Mayor, Silvia; Kaknani-Uttumchandani, Shakira; León-Campos, Álvaro; Morales-Asencio, José Miguel

    2015-07-01

    To develop an evaluation system of clinical competencies for the practicum of nursing students based on the Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC). Psychometric validation study: the first two phases addressed definition and content validation, and the third phase consisted of a cross-sectional study for analyzing reliability. The study population was undergraduate nursing students and clinical tutors. Through the Delphi technique, 26 competencies and 91 interventions were isolated. Cronbach's α was 0.96. Factor analysis yielded 18 factors that explained 68.82% of the variance. Overall inter-item correlation was 0.26, and total-item correlation ranged between 0.66 and 0.19. A competency system for the nursing practicum, structured on the NIC, is a reliable method for assessing and evaluating clinical competencies. Further evaluations in other contexts are needed. The availability of standardized language systems in the nursing discipline supposes an ideal framework to develop the nursing curricula. © 2015 Sigma Theta Tau International.

  14. Journal of Earth System Science | Indian Academy of Sciences

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    The groundwater level depletion during this period ranged from 0.03 to 0.67 m per year, whereas the corresponding trend of rising EC ranged from 0.52 to 46.91 S/cm per year. Moreover, the water quality studies reveal that groundwater from more than 50% of the dug wells of the WR-2 watershed is not suitable for ...

  15. Improving 18F-Fluoro-D-Glucose-Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography Imaging in Alzheimer's Disease Studies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Knešaurek, Karin

    2015-01-01

    The goal was to improve Alzheimer's 2-deoxy-2- 18 F-fluoro-D-glucose ( 18 F FDG)-positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) imaging through application of a novel, hybrid Fourier-wavelet windowed Fourier transform (WFT) restoration technique, in order to provide earlier and more accurate clinical results. General Electric Medical Systems downward-looking sonar PET/CT 16 slice system was used to acquire studies. Patient data were acquired according the Alzheimer's disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) protocol. Here, we implemented Fourier-wavelet regularized restoration, with a Butterworth low-pass filter, order n = 6 and a cut-off frequency f = 0.35 cycles/pixel and wavelet (Daubechies, order 2) noise suppression. The original (PET-O) and restored (PET-R) ADNI subject PET images were compared using the Alzheimer's discrimination analysis by dedicated software. Forty-two PET/CT scans were used in the study. They were performed on eleven ADNI subjects at intervals of approximately 6 months. The final clinical diagnosis was used as a gold standard. For three subjects, the final clinical diagnosis was mild cognitive impairment and those 13 PET/CT studies were not included in the final comparison, as the result was considered as inconclusive. Using the reminding 29 PET/CT studies (23 AD and 6 normal), the sensitivity and specificity of the PET-O and PET-R were calculated. The sensitivity was 0.65 and 0.96 for PET-O and PET-R, respectively, and the specificity was 0.67 and 0.50 for PET-O and PET-R. The accuracy was 0.66 and 0.86 for PET-O and PET-R, respectively. The results of the study demonstrated that the accuracy of three-dimensional brain F-18 FDG PET images was significantly improved by Fourier-wavelet restoration filtering

  16. Automated grading system for evaluation of ocular redness associated with dry eye.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodriguez, John D; Johnston, Patrick R; Ousler, George W; Smith, Lisa M; Abelson, Mark B

    2013-01-01

    We have observed that dry eye redness is characterized by a prominence of fine horizontal conjunctival vessels in the exposed ocular surface of the interpalpebral fissure, and have incorporated this feature into the grading of redness in clinical studies of dry eye. To develop an automated method of grading dry eye-associated ocular redness in order to expand on the clinical grading system currently used. Ninety nine images from 26 dry eye subjects were evaluated by five graders using a 0-4 (in 0.5 increments) dry eye redness (Ora Calibra™ Dry Eye Redness Scale [OCDER]) scale. For the automated method, the Opencv computer vision library was used to develop software for calculating redness and horizontal conjunctival vessels (noted as "horizontality"). From original photograph, the region of interest (ROI) was selected manually using the open source ImageJ software. Total average redness intensity (Com-Red) was calculated as a single channel 8-bit image as R - 0.83G - 0.17B, where R, G and B were the respective intensities of the red, green and blue channels. The location of vessels was detected by normalizing the blue channel and selecting pixels with an intensity of less than 97% of the mean. The horizontal component (Com-Hor) was calculated by the first order Sobel derivative in the vertical direction and the score was calculated as the average blue channel image intensity of this vertical derivative. Pearson correlation coefficients, accuracy and concordance correlation coefficients (CCC) were calculated after regression and standardized regression of the dataset. The agreement (both Pearson's and CCC) among investigators using the OCDER scale was 0.67, while the agreement of investigator to computer was 0.76. A multiple regression using both redness and horizontality improved the agreement CCC from 0.66 and 0.69 to 0.76, demonstrating the contribution of vessel geometry to the overall grade. Computer analysis of a given image has 100% repeatability and zero

  17. Delineation of phase fields at the Te-rich end of the Ru Te binary system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ali (Basu), M.; Bharadwaj, S. R.; Das, D.

    2005-04-01

    The tellurium rich side of the ruthenium-tellurium binary system was studied by differential thermal analysis. To avoid reported problems of Te loss by evaporation and reactive interference of Te to the thermocouples of the thermal analyzer, the present study made use of specially designed sealed quartz capsules as DTA containers. The thermal analyses were carried out over the compositional range of 0.66 ⩽ xTe ⩽ 1.00 with the help of SETARAM TG/DTA and other indigenously built thermal analyzers available in this laboratory. The thermal data generated for fifteen different compositions were interpreted for the nature of phase transitions occurring at their characteristic temperatures. The Ru-Te binary system was found to have a eutectic transformation at 444 °C at a composition of xTe = 0.918 and a monotectic transformation at 447 °C at a composition of xTe = 0.700. Up to 6 at.% Ru is soluble in Te at about 440 °C.

  18. Delineation of phase fields at the Te-rich end of the Ru-Te binary system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ali, M.; Bharadwaj, S.R.; Das, D.

    2005-01-01

    The tellurium rich side of the ruthenium-tellurium binary system was studied by differential thermal analysis. To avoid reported problems of Te loss by evaporation and reactive interference of Te to the thermocouples of the thermal analyzer, the present study made use of specially designed sealed quartz capsules as DTA containers. The thermal analyses were carried out over the compositional range of 0.66 x Te 1.00 with the help of SETARAM TG/DTA and other indigenously built thermal analyzers available in this laboratory. The thermal data generated for fifteen different compositions were interpreted for the nature of phase transitions occurring at their characteristic temperatures. The Ru-Te binary system was found to have a eutectic transformation at 444 deg. C at a composition of x Te = 0.918 and a monotectic transformation at 447 deg. C at a composition of x Te = 0.700. Up to 6 at.% Ru is soluble in Te at about 440 deg. C

  19. Avaliação agronômica e química de dezessete acessos de erva-cidreira [Lippia alba (Mill. N.E.Brown] - quimiotipo citral, cultivados no Distrito Federal Agronomic and chemical evaluation of seventeen accessions of "erva-cidreira" [Lippia alba (Mill. N.E.Brown] - citral chemotype, cultivated at the Federal District, Brazil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    H. Jannuzzi

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available A erva-cidreira [Lippia alba (Mill. N.E.Brown] é uma espécie nativa utilizada como planta medicinal em todo o Brasil. O citral é responsável pela ação sedativa da erva cidreira, sendo um dos principais componentes do óleo essencial. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o comportamento agronômico, teor e rendimento de óleo essencial e de citral em 17 acessos de L. alba da coleção da Universidade de Brasília - UnB. O experimento foi realizado no período de 19/02/2005 a 18/03/2006, em latossolo vermelho, no Distrito Federal. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o de blocos ao acaso, com três repetições, contendo três plantas por parcela. Foram avaliados os parâmetros área foliar, comprimento da haste, produção de massa fresca (folhas e hastes, produção de massa foliar seca, teor de óleo essencial e de citral, rendimento estimado de óleo essencial e de citral por planta, além da caracterização do perfil aromático do óleo essencial. Os acessos L.41 (0,75%, L.45 (0,66% e L.08 (0,62% apresentaram os maiores teores de óleo essencial. O acesso L.45 (1,32 g pl-1 apresentou o maior rendimento de óleo, seguido dos acessos L.47 (0,73 g pl-1, L.41 (0,67 g pl-1, L.34 (0,67 g pl-1 e L.33 (0,62 g pl-1. Os acessos apresentaram teores de citral variando de 51,7% (L.34 a 75,1% (L.09, com média de 63,6% e predominância do isômero geranial (36,4% sobre o neral (27,8%. O acesso L.45 (0,83 g pl-1 apresentou o maior rendimento de citral. Treze acessos apresentaram o quimiotipo citral; três o quimiotipo citral-limoneno e apenas um apresentou o quimiotipo citral-mirceno. Os resultados evidenciam o potencial de produção de citral do acesso L.45, o qual poderá ser utilizado para melhorar a qualidade da matéria prima de erva-cidreira utilizada nos programas de fitoterapia no país ou em programas de melhoramento genético para esta finalidade."Erva-cidreira" [Lippia alba (Mill. N.E.Brown] is a native species used as a medicinal

  20. Feasibility Study of Standalone PV-Wind-Diesel Energy Systems for Coastal Residential Application in Pekan, Pahang

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zailan Roziah

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Techno economic study is feasible to optimize the usage of renewable energy components that targeting low cost of electricity generation system. The selected case study area is coastal area in Pekan, Pahang, Malaysia. The autonomous system designed in this study is hybrid standalone PV-wind-diesel energy system to fulfil a basic power demand of 20.1 kWh/day. Such power system was designed and optimized further to meet the power demand at a minimum cost of energy using energy optimization software, Hybrid Optimization Model for Electric Renewables (HOMER. The analysis focused on the operational characteristics and economics. The standalone PV-wind-diesel energy system has total net present cost about $61, 911 with cost of energy $0.66/kWh. Apparently, the generation of electricity from both wind turbine and PV can be inflated with the diesel generator. In comparison, return of investment (ROI value turned out lower for Feed in Tariff (FIT as compared to self-sustained house. Payback period also longer for FIT program that makes the selling back of electricity generated to Tenaga National Berhad (TNB is considered not favourable.

  1. PREDIKSI HUJAN BULANAN MENGGUNAKAN ADAPTIVE STATISTICAL DOWNSCALING

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Agus Safril

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available Permasalahan pada prediksi hujan bulanan menggunakan Global Circulation Model (GCM adalah resolusi yang rendah  sehingga tidak dapat memberikan informasi yang rinci sampai tingkat regional. Permasalahan lain adalah akurasi prediksi yang rendah yang disebabkan pola curah hujan yang non linier dan non stasioner. Prediksi  hujan dengan adaptive statistical downscaling diaplikasikan untuk memecahkan permasalahan tersebut. Variabel prediktor prediktor dipilih dari korelasi tertinggi  antara prediktor dan curah hujan menggunakan Singular Value Decomposition (SVD. Hasil prediksi hujan bulanan dengan metoda adaptif  menggunakan ANFIS (Adaptif Neuro Fuzzy Inference System menunjukkan nilai korelasi antara prediksi dan observasi lebih tinggi dari pada hasil prediksi curah hujan  keluaran model sirkulasi global (GCM. Nilai  RMSE (Root Mean Square Error pada prediksi statistical downscaling juga menunjukkan nilai yang lebih kecil dibandingkan prediksi hasil keluaran model sirkulasi global. Hasil prediksi hujan menunjukkan bahwa nilai korelasi (r antara prediksi dan hujan observasi di daerah dengan siklus hujan tahunan > 0,66, di daerah dengan siklus hujan semi tahunan adalah sedang (0,33 ≤ r  ≤ 0,66 kecuali di Meulaboh, Sibolga, dan Lhokseumawe dengan kategori r 0,66, in the semi annual cycle was moderate (0,33 ≤ r ≤ 0,66,  except in Meulaboh, Sibolga, and Lhokseumawe stations (r < 0,33.

  2. Magnetization processes in amorphous R-Co/R'-Co/R-Co sandwiches (R, R'=Y, Nd, Gd, Er)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dieny, B.; Givord, D.; Ndjaka, J.M.B.; Alameda, J.M.

    1990-01-01

    Sandwiches consisting of three amorphous layers (R 0.33 ,Co 0.67 )( 1000 A / R ' 0.33 ,Co 0.67 ) 1000 A / (R 0.33 Co 0.67 ) 1000 A , have been prepared by dc triode sputtering (R, R' are rare-earth elements). The systems chosen are such that the bulk magnetization alternates from one layer to the next or the coercivity of each layer is significantly different. Magnetic transitions are observed under field. They have been quantitatively analyzed in terms of successive reversals of magnetization in the different layers. The creation or annihilation of planar Bloch walls parallel to the surface are associated with the magnetic transitions. The wall energy and wall width depend essentially on the competition between exchange energy and Zeeman energy. It is suggested that the existence of such Bloch walls may favor magnetization reversal in thin films by coherent processes

  3. Predicting AKI in emergency admissions: an external validation study of the acute kidney injury prediction score (APS).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hodgson, L E; Dimitrov, B D; Roderick, P J; Venn, R; Forni, L G

    2017-03-08

    Hospital-acquired acute kidney injury (HA-AKI) is associated with a high risk of mortality. Prediction models or rules may identify those most at risk of HA-AKI. This study externally validated one of the few clinical prediction rules (CPRs) derived in a general medicine cohort using clinical information and data from an acute hospitals electronic system on admission: the acute kidney injury prediction score (APS). External validation in a single UK non-specialist acute hospital (2013-2015, 12 554 episodes); four cohorts: adult medical and general surgical populations, with and without a known preadmission baseline serum creatinine (SCr). Performance assessed by discrimination using area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCROC) and calibration. HA-AKI incidence within 7 days (kidney disease: improving global outcomes (KDIGO) change in SCr) was 8.1% (n=409) of medical patients with known baseline SCr, 6.6% (n=141) in those without a baseline, 4.9% (n=204) in surgical patients with baseline and 4% (n=49) in those without. Across the four cohorts AUCROC were: medical with known baseline 0.65 (95% CIs 0.62 to 0.67) and no baseline 0.71 (0.67 to 0.75), surgical with baseline 0.66 (0.62 to 0.70) and no baseline 0.68 (0.58 to 0.75). For calibration, in medicine and surgical cohorts with baseline SCr, Hosmer-Lemeshow p values were non-significant, suggesting acceptable calibration. In the medical cohort, at a cut-off of five points on the APS to predict HA-AKI, positive predictive value was 16% (13-18%) and negative predictive value 94% (93-94%). Of medical patients with HA-AKI, those with an APS ≥5 had a significantly increased risk of death (28% vs 18%, OR 1.8 (95% CI 1.1 to 2.9), p=0.015). On external validation the APS on admission shows moderate discrimination and acceptable calibration to predict HA-AKI and may be useful as a severity marker when HA-AKI occurs. Harnessing linked data from primary care may be one way to achieve more accurate

  4. Prospective comparison of three risk scoring systems in non-variceal and variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thanapirom, Kessarin; Ridtitid, Wiriyaporn; Rerknimitr, Rungsun; Thungsuk, Rattikorn; Noophun, Phadet; Wongjitrat, Chatchawan; Luangjaru, Somchai; Vedkijkul, Padet; Lertkupinit, Comson; Poonsab, Swangphong; Ratanachu-ek, Thawee; Hansomburana, Piyathida; Pornthisarn, Bubpha; Thongbai, Thirada; Mahachai, Varocha; Treeprasertsuk, Sombat

    2016-04-01

    Data regarding the efficacy of the Glasgow Blatchford score (GBS), full Rockall score (FRS) and pre-endoscopic Rockall scores (PRS) in comparing non-variceal and variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) are limited. Our aim was to determine the performance of these three risk scores in predicting the need for treatment, mortality, and re-bleeding among patients with non-variceal and variceal UGIB. During January, 2010 and September, 2011, patients with UGIB from 11 hospitals were prospectively enrolled. The GBS, FRS, and PRS were calculated. Discriminative ability for each score was assessed using the receiver operated characteristics curve (ROC) analysis. A total of 981 patients presented with acute UGIB, 225 patients (22.9%) had variceal UGIB. The areas under the ROC (AUC) of the GBS, FRS, and PRS for predicting the need for treatment were 0.77, 0.69, and 0.61 in non-variceal versus 0.66, 0.66, and 0.59 in variceal UGIB. The AUC for predicting mortality and re-bleeding during admission were 0.66, 0.80, and 0.76 in non-variceal versus 0.63, 0.57, and 0.63 in variceal UGIB. AUC score was not statistically significant for predicting need for therapy and clinical outcome in variceal UGIB. The GBS ≤ 2 and FRS ≤ 1 identified low-risk non-variceal UGIB patients for death and re-bleeding during hospitalization. In contrast to non-variceal UGIB, the GBS, FRS, and PRS were not precise scores for assessing the need for therapy, mortality, and re-bleeding during admission in variceal UGIB. © 2015 Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Foundation and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

  5. Breath holding endurance: stability over time and relationship with self-assessed persistence

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daisy G.Y. Thompson-Lake

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Breath holding (BH endurance has been suggested as a measure of the distress tolerance that could predict the outcome of attempts to implement behavior changes, such as stopping smoking or illicit substance use. It is not known however, to what degree BH endurance is a variable trait that may vary depending on situational context, or a stable state characteristic. We measured BH in two groups of participants at baseline and 22 and 89 days (N = 62 and N = 41 post-baseline and in a third group at multiple times points across a 5-week period (N = 44. Participants also filled out a questionnaire created to assess their perceived persistence compared to peers. Correlations were found between baseline and final BH measures (r’s > 0.67, p’s < 0.0001 at all time points. When groups were combined, regardless of time point, Spearman’s rank correlation showed a strong positive correlation (rs = 0.66, p < 0.0001. Self-assessed persistence was not related to BH endurance. This study provides evidence of the stability of BH across time when tested under the same conditions in young adults. Further research is needed to clarify whether BH is linked to behavioral outcomes.

  6. Reliability of the Pictorial Scale of Perceived Movement Skill Competence in 2 Diverse Samples of Young Children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barnett, Lisa M; Robinson, Leah E; Webster, E Kipling; Ridgers, Nicola D

    2015-08-01

    The purpose was to determine the reliability of an instrument designed to assess young children's perceived movement skill competence in 2 diverse samples. A pictorial instrument assessed 12 perceived Fundamental Movement Skills (FMS) based on the Test of Gross Motor Development 2nd edition. Intra-Class Correlations (ICC) and internal consistency analyses were conducted. Paired sample t tests assessed change in mean perceived skill scores. Bivariate correlations between the intertrial difference and the mean of the trials explored proportional bias. Sample 1 (S1) were culturally diverse Australian children (n = 111; 52% boys) aged 5 to 8 years (mean = 6.4, SD = 1.0) with educated parents. Sample 2 (S2) were racially diverse and socioeconomically disadvantaged American children (n = 110; 57% boys) aged 5 to 10 years (mean = 6.8, SD = 1.1). For all children, the internal consistency for 12 FMS was acceptable (S1 = 0.72, 0.75, S2 = 0.66, 0.67). ICCs were higher in S1 (0.73) than S2 (0.50). Mean changes between trials were small. There was little evidence of proportional bias. Lower values in S2 may be due to differences in study demographic and execution. While the instrument demonstrated reliability/internal consistency, further work is recommended in diverse samples.

  7. Effects of tofacitinib on nucleic acid metabolism in human articular chondrocytes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koizumi, Hideki; Arito, Mitsumi; Endo, Wataru; Kurokawa, Manae S; Okamoto, Kazuki; Omoteyama, Kazuki; Suematsu, Naoya; Beppu, Moroe; Kato, Tomohiro

    2015-07-01

    In our previous screening of chondrocyte protein profiles, the amount of adenosine monophosphate deaminase (AMPD) 2 was found to be decreased by tofacitinib. Extending the study, here we confirmed the decrease of AMPD2 by tofacitinib and further investigated effects of tofacitinib on purine nucleotide metabolism. Human articular chondrocytes and a chondrosarcoma cell line: OUMS-27 were stimulated with tofacitinib. Then the levels of AMPD2 and its related enzymes were investigated by Western blot. The levels of AMP and adenosine were assessed by mass spectrometry. We confirmed the significant decrease of AMPD2 by tofacitinib in chondrocytes (p = 0.025). The levels of adenosine kinase and 5'-nucleotidase were decreased in chondrocytes, although they did not meet statistical significance (p = 0.067 and p = 0.074, respectively). The results from OUMS-27 were similar to those from the chondrocytes. The cellular adenosine levels were significantly decreased by tofacitinib in OUMS-27 (p = 0.014). The cellular AMP levels were increased, although they did not meet statistical significance in OUMS-27 (p = 0.066). Our data indicate that tofacitinib increases the cellular levels of adenosine, which is known to have anti-inflammatory activity, through the downregulation of AMPD2. This would be a novel functional aspect of tofacitinib.

  8. Mosquito larvicidal activity of seaweeds extracts against Anopheles stephensi, Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohamed Yacoob Syed Ali

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To identify the larvicidal activity of the seaweed extracts against Anopheles stephensi, Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus Methods: Seaweed extracts of Ulva lactuca, Caulerpa racemosa (C. racemosa, Sargassum microystum, Caulerpa scalpelliformis, Gracilaria corticata, Turbinaria decurrens, Turbinaria conoides and Caulerpa toxifolia were dissolved in DMSO to prepare a graded series of concentration. The test for the larvicidal effect of seaweeds against mosquitos larvae was conducted in accordance with the WHO standard method. Batches of 25 early 4th instar larvae of three mosquitoes were transferred to 250 mL enamel bowl containing 199 mL of distilled water and 1 mL of plant extracts (10-100 µg. Each experiment was conducted with triplicate with concurrent a control group. Results: Among the seaweeds extract, C. racemosa showed toxicity against 4th instar larvae of Aedes aegypti, Culex quinquefasciatus, Anopheles stephensi with equivalent LC 50 value (0.055 6依0.010 3 µg/mL, (0.067 5依0.136 0 µg/mL and (0.066 1 依0.007 6 µg/mL, respectively. Conclusions: The present study concluded that, the mosquito larvicidal property of C. racemosa might be the prospective alternative source to control the mosquitoes.

  9. Pulmonary extraction of serotonin and propranolol in patients with adult respiratory distress syndrome

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morel, D.R.; Dargent, F.; Bachmann, M.; Suter, P.M.; Junod, A.F.

    1985-01-01

    Because injury to the pulmonary vascular endothelium is associated with the development of the adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), the authors assessed the metabolic function of pulmonary endothelial cells by the measurements of the first-pass pulmonary extraction of [ 14 C]serotonin and [ 3 H]propranolol in 15 patients with ARDS and 15 patients at risk for developing ARDS. Serotonin extraction ratio was lower in patients with ARDS (0.85 +/- 0.10, mean +/- SD) than in patients at risk (0.91 +/- 0.04) (p less than 0.025), and both values were significantly reduced (p less than 0.005) when compared with a control group value (0.97 +/- 0.01). The decrease in serotonin extraction was correlated with the severity of ARDS (r = -0.67) (p less than 0.001) and with pulmonary function changes over time. Propranolol extraction ratio was decreased in patients at risk (0.66 +/- 0.11) (p less than 0.005) but not in patients with ARDS (0.75 +/- 0.11), when compared with those in the control group (0.81 +/- 0.03). Low values in patients at risk were restored to normal by continuous positive airway pressure breathing. The authors conclude that pulmonary extraction of serotonin, an index of pulmonary endothelial cell function, correlates with the severity of ARDS

  10. Application of single- and dual-energy CT brain tissue segmentation to PET monitoring of proton therapy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berndt, Bianca; Landry, Guillaume; Schwarz, Florian; Tessonnier, Thomas; Kamp, Florian; Dedes, George; Thieke, Christian; Würl, Matthias; Kurz, Christopher; Ganswindt, Ute; Verhaegen, Frank; Debus, Jürgen; Belka, Claus; Sommer, Wieland; Reiser, Maximilian; Bauer, Julia; Parodi, Katia

    2017-03-01

    The purpose of this work was to evaluate the ability of single and dual energy computed tomography (SECT, DECT) to estimate tissue composition and density for usage in Monte Carlo (MC) simulations of irradiation induced β + activity distributions. This was done to assess the impact on positron emission tomography (PET) range verification in proton therapy. A DECT-based brain tissue segmentation method was developed for white matter (WM), grey matter (GM) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The elemental composition of reference tissues was assigned to closest CT numbers in DECT space (DECTdist). The method was also applied to SECT data (SECTdist). In a validation experiment, the proton irradiation induced PET activity of three brain equivalent solutions (BES) was compared to simulations based on different tissue segmentations. Five patients scanned with a dual source DECT scanner were analyzed to compare the different segmentation methods. A single magnetic resonance (MR) scan was used for comparison with an established segmentation toolkit. Additionally, one patient with SECT and post-treatment PET scans was investigated. For BES, DECTdist and SECTdist reduced differences to the reference simulation by up to 62% when compared to the conventional stoichiometric segmentation (SECTSchneider). In comparison to MR brain segmentation, Dice similarity coefficients for WM, GM and CSF were 0.61, 0.67 and 0.66 for DECTdist and 0.54, 0.41 and 0.66 for SECTdist. MC simulations of PET treatment verification in patients showed important differences between DECTdist/SECTdist and SECTSchneider for patients with large CSF areas within the treatment field but not in WM and GM. Differences could be misinterpreted as PET derived range shifts of up to 4 mm. DECTdist and SECTdist yielded comparable activity distributions, and comparison of SECTdist to a measured patient PET scan showed improved agreement when compared to SECTSchneider. The agreement between predicted and measured PET

  11. A study on multi-point gravity compensation of mirror bending system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sun Fuquan; Fu Yuan; Zhu Wanqian; Xue Song

    2011-01-01

    The sag of mirror due to gravity induces unacceptable slope errors in beamline mirror-bending system of a synchrotron radiation facility, and approaches must be found to eliminate the unwanted gravity effect. According to the beam bending theory, the multi-point gravity compensation method is applicable. Taking an example of the bent collimating mirror for the XAFS beam-line (BL14W) at Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility (SSRF), the best position and value of the equilibrant were calculated through minimizing the gravity effect. With two, three and four points gravity compensation, slope errors were 0.179, 0.067 and 0.032 μrad,respectively, i.e.the multi-point gravity compensation is better than the two-point gravity compensation, which is used for the Phase I beamlines of SSRF. The four-point gravity compensation method reduces more slope error and stress due to four support points. (authors)

  12. Pilot-scale cooling tower to evaluate corrosion, scaling, and biofouling control strategies for cooling system makeup water.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chien, S H; Hsieh, M K; Li, H; Monnell, J; Dzombak, D; Vidic, R

    2012-02-01

    Pilot-scale cooling towers can be used to evaluate corrosion, scaling, and biofouling control strategies when using particular cooling system makeup water and particular operating conditions. To study the potential for using a number of different impaired waters as makeup water, a pilot-scale system capable of generating 27,000 kJ∕h heat load and maintaining recirculating water flow with a Reynolds number of 1.92 × 10(4) was designed to study these critical processes under conditions that are similar to full-scale systems. The pilot-scale cooling tower was equipped with an automatic makeup water control system, automatic blowdown control system, semi-automatic biocide feeding system, and corrosion, scaling, and biofouling monitoring systems. Observed operational data revealed that the major operating parameters, including temperature change (6.6 °C), cycles of concentration (N = 4.6), water flow velocity (0.66 m∕s), and air mass velocity (3660 kg∕h m(2)), were controlled quite well for an extended period of time (up to 2 months). Overall, the performance of the pilot-scale cooling towers using treated municipal wastewater was shown to be suitable to study critical processes (corrosion, scaling, biofouling) and evaluate cooling water management strategies for makeup waters of complex quality.

  13. No influence of smoking status on the performance of urine markers for the detection of bladder cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deininger, Susanne; Hennenlotter, J; Rausch, S; Docktor, K; Neumann, E; da Costa, I A; Bedke, J; Stenzl, A; Todenhöfer, T

    2018-04-19

    The performance of urinary markers for detecting bladder cancer (BC) is influenced by various factors. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the influence of smoking habits on the performance of four commonly used urine markers. Urine samples of 723 patients with suspected BC were analysed using urine cytology, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), immunocytology (uCyt+ test), and quantitative nuclear matrix protein 22 (NMP22) immunoassay. The smoking habits of all patients were recorded and a cystoscopy performed within 2 weeks after urinary marker testing. Rates of false negative and false positive results were compared between non-smokers, former smokers, and current smokers by contingency analyses. We included 723 patients in this study, 431 (59.6%) of which were non-smokers, 215 former smokers (29.7%), and 77 (10.7%) current smokers. 148 patients (20.5%) had a tumour at the time of urinary marker testing. Respective rates of false positive test results among non-smokers, former smokers, and current smokers were: 16.3, 19.1, and 11.5% (p = 0.81) for urine cytology; 36.8, 42.0, and 32.7% for the uCyt+ test (p = 0.88); 18.0, 19.1, and 13.5% for FISH (p = 0.66); and 69.5, 71.6, and 71.2% for NMP22 (p = 0.67). Respective rates of false negatives among non-smokers, former smokers, and current smokers were: 31.4, 15.1, and 28.0% for cytology (p = 0.34); 21.4, 22.6, and 16.0% for uCyt+ test (p = 0.67); 24.3, 13.2, and 28.0% for FISH (p = 0.88); and 10.0, 18.9, and 8.0% for NMP22 (p = 0.80). Our results strongly suggest that smoking habits do not affect performance characteristics of urinary markers in the diagnostics of BC.

  14. Mid - infrared transmission of polycrystalline (LaSr) (MnNi)O3

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Laksanawati, W. D.; Kurniawan, B.; Saptari, S. A.

    2016-01-01

    Polycrystalline (LaSr)(MnNi)O 3 was shintesized using sol gel methods with nitrat precursors La(NO 3 ) 3 , Sr(NO 3 ) 2 , Mn(NO 3 ) 2 .4H 2 O, and Ni(NO3)2.6H2O and the different heating process. Sample (LaSr)(MnNi)O 3 with chemical formulation La 0,67 Sr 0,33 Mn 1-x Ni x O 3 with × = 0,05 and 0,10. We report the crystallite structure of La 0,67 Sr 0,33 Mn 1-x Ni x O 3 with x= 0,00 and 0,10 are single phase with characterization by X-ray diffraction. Refinement has result that crystallite size of La 0,67 Sr 0,33 Mn 0,95 Ni 0,05 O 3 is 24,67 and La 0,67 Sr 0,33 Mn 0,9 Ni 0,1 O 3 is 21,84 with crystallite system rombohedral, it show us that increasing at Ni composition influence of decreased crystallite size. Sampel (LaSr)(MnNi)O3 has been characterization with Fourier Transform Infrared with range of wave number from 450 to 4000 cm -1 were chategories at mid infrared wave. The FTIR pattern show to us that the Mn-O-Mn bounded has absorp infrared at wave number 605 cm -1 and the dominant peak at wave number 3750 cm -1 caused the hidroxy compound in sampel La 0,67 Sr 0,33 Mn 0,95 Ni 0,05 O 3 . (paper)

  15. Combining nonlinear multiresolution system and vector quantization for still image compression

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wong, Y.

    1993-12-17

    It is popular to use multiresolution systems for image coding and compression. However, general-purpose techniques such as filter banks and wavelets are linear. While these systems are rigorous, nonlinear features in the signals cannot be utilized in a single entity for compression. Linear filters are known to blur the edges. Thus, the low-resolution images are typically blurred, carrying little information. We propose and demonstrate that edge-preserving filters such as median filters can be used in generating a multiresolution system using the Laplacian pyramid. The signals in the detail images are small and localized to the edge areas. Principal component vector quantization (PCVQ) is used to encode the detail images. PCVQ is a tree-structured VQ which allows fast codebook design and encoding/decoding. In encoding, the quantization error at each level is fed back through the pyramid to the previous level so that ultimately all the error is confined to the first level. With simple coding methods, we demonstrate that images with PSNR 33 dB can be obtained at 0.66 bpp without the use of entropy coding. When the rate is decreased to 0.25 bpp, the PSNR of 30 dB can still be achieved. Combined with an earlier result, our work demonstrate that nonlinear filters can be used for multiresolution systems and image coding.

  16. Using Clinical Factors and Mammographic Breast Density to Estimate Breast Cancer Risk: Development and Validation of a New Predictive Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tice, Jeffrey A.; Cummings, Steven R.; Smith-Bindman, Rebecca; Ichikawa, Laura; Barlow, William E.; Kerlikowske, Karla

    2009-01-01

    Background Current models for assessing breast cancer risk are complex and do not include breast density, a strong risk factor for breast cancer that is routinely reported with mammography. Objective To develop and validate an easy-to-use breast cancer risk prediction model that includes breast density. Design Empirical model based on Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results incidence, and relative hazards from a prospective cohort. Setting Screening mammography sites participating in the Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium. Patients 1 095 484 women undergoing mammography who had no previous diagnosis of breast cancer. Measurements Self-reported age, race or ethnicity, family history of breast cancer, and history of breast biopsy. Community radiologists rated breast density by using 4 Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System categories. Results During 5.3 years of follow-up, invasive breast cancer was diagnosed in 14 766 women. The breast density model was well calibrated overall (expected–observed ratio, 1.03 [95% CI, 0.99 to 1.06]) and in racial and ethnic subgroups. It had modest discriminatory accuracy (concordance index, 0.66 [CI, 0.65 to 0.67]). Women with low-density mammograms had 5-year risks less than 1.67% unless they had a family history of breast cancer and were older than age 65 years. Limitation The model has only modest ability to discriminate between women who will develop breast cancer and those who will not. Conclusion A breast cancer prediction model that incorporates routinely reported measures of breast density can estimate 5-year risk for invasive breast cancer. Its accuracy needs to be further evaluated in independent populations before it can be recommended for clinical use. PMID:18316752

  17. Determination of trace uranium by resonance fluorescence method coupled with photo-catalytic technology and dual cloud point extraction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Jiekang; Li, Guirong; Han, Qian

    2016-12-05

    In this paper, two kinds of salophens (Sal) with different solubilities, Sal1 and Sal2, have been respectively synthesized, and they all can combine with uranyl to form stable complexes: [UO2(2+)-Sal1] and [UO2(2+)-Sal2]. Among them, [UO2(2+)-Sal1] was used as ligand to extract uranium in complex samples by dual cloud point extraction (dCPE), and [UO2(2+)-Sal2] was used as catalyst for the determination of uranium by photocatalytic resonance fluorescence (RF) method. The photocatalytic characteristic of [UO2(2+)-Sal2] on the oxidized pyronine Y (PRY) by potassium bromate which leads to the decrease of RF intensity of PRY were studied. The reduced value of RF intensity of reaction system (ΔF) is in proportional to the concentration of uranium (c), and a novel photo-catalytic RF method was developed for the determination of trace uranium (VI) after dCPE. The combination of photo-catalytic RF techniques and dCPE procedure endows the presented methods with enhanced sensitivity and selectivity. Under optimal conditions, the linear calibration curves range for 0.067 to 6.57ngmL(-1), the linear regression equation was ΔF=438.0 c (ngmL(-1))+175.6 with the correlation coefficient r=0.9981. The limit of detection was 0.066ngmL(-1). The proposed method was successfully applied for the separation and determination of uranium in real samples with the recoveries of 95.0-103.5%. The mechanisms of the indicator reaction and dCPE are discussed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Intra- and inter-rater reliability of the Knee Society Knee Score when used by two physiotherapists in patients post total knee arthroplasty

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Gopal

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Background and Purpose: It has yet to be shown whether routine physiotherapy plays a role in the rehabilitation of patients post totalknee arthroplasty (Rajan et al 2004. Physiotherapists should be using validoutcome measures to provide evidence of the benefit of their intervention. The aim of this study was to establish the intra and inter-rater reliability of the Knee Society Knee Score, a scoring system developed by Insall et al(1989. The Knee Society Knee Score can be used to assess the integrity of theknee joint of patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty. Since the scoreinvolves clinical testing, the intra-rater reliability of the clinician should be established prior to using the scores as datain clinical research. W here multiple clinicians are involved, inter-rater reliability should also be established.Design: This was a correlation study.Subjects: A  sample of thirty patients post total knee arthroplasty attending the arthroplasty clinic at Johannesburg Hospital between six weeks and twelve months postoperatively.M ethod: Recruited patients were evaluated twice with a time interval of one hour between each assessment. Statistical A nalysis: The intra- and inter-rater reliability were estimated using Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC. R esults: The intra-rater reliability showed excellent reliability (h= 0.95 for Examiner A  and good reliability (h= 0.71for Examiner B. The inter-rater reliability showed moderate reliability (h= 0.67 during test one and h= 0.66 during test two.Conclusion: The KSKS has good intra-rater reliability when tested within a period of one hour. The KSKS demonstrated moderate agreement for inter rater reliability.

  19. Strong red-emission of Eu{sup 3+}:Li{sub 4}Ti{sub 5}O{sub 12} powders for phosphor applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yang, Yan [Kazuo Inamori School of Engineering, New York State College of Ceramics, Alfred University, Alfred, NY 14802 (United States); Jiménez, José A. [Department of Chemistry, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, FL 32224 (United States); Wu, Yiquan, E-mail: wuy@alfred.edu [Kazuo Inamori School of Engineering, New York State College of Ceramics, Alfred University, Alfred, NY 14802 (United States)

    2016-08-15

    The synthesis and photoluminescence properties of trivalent europium doped lithium titanate (Eu{sup 3+}:Li{sub 4}Ti{sub 5}O{sub 12}) with different Eu{sup 3+} concentrations (0.1 mol%, 0.3 mol%, 1.0 mol%, 3.0 mol%) are reported and analyzed as a phosphor. Europium (III) nitrate (Eu(NO{sub 3}){sub 3}) was employed as Eu{sup 3+} source, while lithium acetate dihydrate (CH{sub 3}COOLi·2H{sub 2}O) and titanium n-butoxide (Ti(OC{sub 4}H{sub 9}){sub 4}) were adopted as raw materials to synthesize the host lithium titanate with a Li:Ti stoichiometry of 4.5:1. Phase identification was performed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), and morphology was examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Eu{sup 3+}:Li{sub 4}Ti{sub 5}O{sub 12} powders showed strong red emission at 612 nm, corresponding to the {sup 5}D{sub 0}–{sup 7}F{sub 2} transition, with the strongest excitation peak observed in the blue light region at 464 nm. Decay time analyses revealed relatively short lifetimes accompanying typical exponential decay rates. The effect of Eu{sup 3+} concentration (0.1 mol%, 0.3 mol%, 1.0 mol%, 3.0 mol%) on photoluminescence intensity and decay time was explored, and is reported here. It was determined that the CIE color coordinates (0.66, 0.34) of the doped Li{sub 4}Ti{sub 5}O{sub 12} powders were independent of Eu{sup 3+} concentration, and that the coordinates are very similar to the ideal red chromaticity (0.67, 0.33) designated by the National Television Standard Committee (NTSC) system.

  20. Changes in Breast Density Reporting Patterns of Radiologists After Publication of the 5th Edition BI-RADS Guidelines: A Single Institution Experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Irshad, Abid; Leddy, Rebecca; Lewis, Madelene; Cluver, Abbie; Ackerman, Susan; Pavic, Dag; Collins, Heather

    2017-10-01

    The objective of our study was to determine the impact of 5th edition BI-RADS breast density assessment guidelines on density reporting patterns in our clinical practice. PenRad reporting system was used to collect mammographic breast density data reported by five radiologists: 16,907 density assignments using 5th edition BI-RADS guidelines were compared with 19,066 density assessments using 4th edition guidelines. Changes in the density assessment pattern were noted between the 4th and 5th edition guidelines, and agreement in density distribution was compared using the intraclass correlation coefficient. A chi-square analysis was conducted for each reader to examine the change in the proportion of dense versus nondense assignments and on each category type to examine specific changes in proportion of density assignments from the 4th to the 5th edition. All reported p values are two-sided, and statistical significance was considered at the p densities (p < 0.001), 2.6% increase in heterogeneously dense (p < 0.001), and 0.4% decrease in extremely dense assessments (p = 0.15). Comparing the dense with nondense categories, there was a 2.3% overall increase in the dense assessments (p < 0.001) using 5th edition guidelines, mainly in the heterogeneously dense category. Two radiologists showed increased dense assessments (p < 0.001) using the 5th edition, and three radiologists showed no change (p = 0.39, 0.67, and 0.76). There was an overall increase in the dense assessments using the 5th edition, but individual radiologists in our clinical practice showed a variable adaptation to new guidelines.

  1. Assessment of colorectal length using the electromagnetic capsule tracking system

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mark, E B; Poulsen, J L; Haase, A M

    2017-01-01

    AIM: We aimed to determine colorectal length with the 3D-Transit system by describing a 'centerline' of capsule movement and compare it to known anatomy, as determined by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Further, we aimed to test the day-to-day variation of colorectal length assessed......: Computation of colorectal length from capsule passage was possible in 60 of the 67 3D-Transit recordings. Length of the colorectum measured with MRI and 3D-Transit was respectively 95 cm (75-153 cm) and 99 cm (77-147 cm), P = 0.15. Coefficient of variation (CV) between MRI and 3D-Transit was 7.8%. Apart from...... the cecum / ascending colon being 26% (P = 0.002) shorter on MRI, there were no other differences in total or segmental colorectal lengths between methods (all P > 0.05). Length of the colorectum measured with 3D-Transit on two consecutive days was 102 cm (73-119 cm) and 103 cm (75-123 cm), P = 0.67. CV...

  2. THEODORE, a two-step heating system for the EC/OC determination of radiocarbon (14C) in the environment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Szidat, S.; Jenk, T.M.; Gaeggeler, H.W.; Synal, H.-A.; Hajdas, I.; Bonani, G.; Saurer, M.

    2004-01-01

    Measurements of 14 C in the organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) fractions, respectively, of fine aerosol particles bear the potential to apportion anthropogenic and biogenic emission sources. For this purpose, the system THEODORE (two-step heating system for the EC/OC determination of radiocarbon in the environment) was developed. In this device, OC and EC are transformed into carbon dioxide in a stream of oxygen at 340 and 650 deg. C, respectively, and reduced to filamentous carbon. This is the target material for subsequent accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) 14 C measurements, which were performed on sub-milligram carbon samples at the PSI/ETH compact 500 kV AMS system. Quality assurance measurements of SRM 1649a, Urban Dust, yielded a fraction of modern f M in total carbon (TC) of 0.522 ± 0.018 (n=5, 95% confidence level) in agreement with reported values. The results for OC and EC are 0.70 ± 0.05 (n=3) and 0.066 ± 0.020 (n=4), respectively

  3. Synthesis and structural characteristics of the spinel-type solid solutions in the Mn-V-Fe-O system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ponomaryov, V.I.; Dubrovina, I.N.; Zakharov, R.G.

    1976-01-01

    The part of the spinel region bounded by the compounds Mn 3 O 4 , Mn 2 VO 4 , Fe 2 VO 4 , and Fe 3 O 4 in the four-component system Mn-V-Fe-O was studied. The compounds were synthesized by ceramic technology. Samples were heated in a CO 2 atmosphere free of oxygen at 1100 0 C for 25-50 hr. It was found that the average composition of the spinel compound in the system had the formula Mnsub(1.00)Fesub(1.33)Vsub(0.67)O 4 . X-ray and neutron radiogrphic analyses were made. Crystallo-chemical formulas of the solid solutions considered are tabulated. The magnetic moments of saturation, calculated by the Neel model, are shown, and their experimental values are presented. The crystallo-chemical formulas of the spinel solid solutions in the Mn-V-Fe-O system are of interest in interpreting the concentration dependence of the physico-chemical properties of solid solutions of oxides based on metals with varying valence

  4. Categorization of intraoperative ureteroscopy complications using modified Satava classification system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tepeler, Abdulkadir; Resorlu, Berkan; Sahin, Tolga; Sarikaya, Selcuk; Bayindir, Mirze; Oguz, Ural; Armagan, Abdullah; Unsal, Ali

    2014-02-01

    To review our experience with ureteroscopy (URS) in the treatment of ureteral calculi and stratify intraoperative complications of URS according to the modified Satava classification system. We performed a retrospective analysis of 1,208 patients (672 males and 536 females), with a mean age of 43.1 years (range 1-78), who underwent ureteroscopic procedures for removal of ureteral stones. Intraoperative complications were recorded according to modified Satava classification system. Grade 1 complications included incidents without consequences for the patient; grade 2 complications, which are treated intraoperatively with endoscopic surgery (grade 2a) or required endoscopic re-treatment (grade 2b); and grade 3 complications included incidents requiring open or laparoscopic surgery. The stones were completely removed in 1,067 (88.3%) patients after primary procedure by either simple extraction or after fragmentation. The overall incidence of intraoperative complications was 12.6%. The most common complications were proximal stone migration (3.9%), mucosal injury (2.8%), bleeding (1.9%), inability to reach stone (1.8%), malfunctioning or breakage of instruments (0.8%), ureteral perforation (0.8%) and ureteral avulsion (0.16%). According to modified Satava classification system, there were 4.5% grade 1; 4.4% grade 2a; 3.2% grade 2b; and 0.57% grade 3 complications. We think that modified Satava classification is a quick and simple system for describing the severity of intraoperative URS complications and this grading system will facilitate a better comparison for the surgical outcomes obtained from different centers.

  5. Performance evaluation of siemens CTI ECAT EXACT 47 scanner using NEMA NU2-2001

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Jin Su; Lee, Jae Sung; Lee, Dong Soo; Chung, June Key; Lee, Myung Chul

    2004-01-01

    NEMA NU2-2001 was proposed as a new standard for performance evaluation of whole body PET scanners. In this study, system performance of Siemens CTI ECAT EXACT 47 PET scanner including spatial resolution, sensitivity, scatter fraction, and count rate performance in 2D and 3D mode was evaluated using this new standard method. ECAT EXACT 47 is a BGO crystal based PET scanner and covers an axial field of view (FOV) of 16.2 cm. Retractable septa allow 2D and 3D data acquisition. All the PET data were acquired according to the NEMA NU2-2001 protocols (coincidence window: 12 ns, energy window: 250 ∼ 650 keV). For the spatial resolution measurement, F-18 point source was placed at the center of the axial FOV((a) x=0, and y=1, (b)x=0, and y=10, (c)x=10, and y=0cm) and a position one fourth of the axial FOV from the center ((a) x=0, and y=1, (b)x=0, and y=10, (c)x=10, and y=0cm). In this case, x and y are transaxial horizontal and vertical, and z is the scanner's axial direction. Images were reconstructed using FBP with ramp filter without any post-processing. To measure the system sensitivity, NEMA sensitivity phantom filled with F-18 solution and surrounded by 1∼5 aluminum sleeves were scanned at the center of transaxial FOV and 10 cm offset from the center. Attenuation free values of sensitivity were estimated by extrapolating data to the zero wall thickness. NEMA scatter phantom with length of 70 cm was filled with F-18 or C-11solution (2D: 2,900 MBq, 3D: 407 MBq), and coincidence count rates were measured for 7 half-lives to obtain noise equivalent count rate (NECR) and scatter fraction. We confirmed that dead time loss of the last frame were below 1%. Scatter fraction was estimated by averaging the true to background (scatter + random) ratios of last 3 frames in which the fractions of random rate are negligibly small. Axial and transverse resolutions at 1cm offset from the center were 0.62 and 0.66 cm (FBP in 2D and 3D), and 0.67 and 0.69 cm (FBP in 2D and 3D

  6. Is there an association between glaucoma and capillaroscopy in patients with systemic sclerosis?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gomes, Beatriz Fiuza; Souza, Rebeca; Valadão, Thiago; Kara-Junior, Newton; Moraes, Haroldo Vieira; Santhiago, Marcony R

    2018-02-01

    To evaluate the relationship between glaucoma diagnosis and the nailfold capillaroscopy pattern in patients with systemic sclerosis. An observational study in a cohort of patients with SSc was conducted. Patients with at least one nailfold videocapillaroscopy and one ophthalmology examination at the same year were included. Data collected were: age, sex; type of systemic sclerosis according to the degree of skin impairment, self-reported ethnicity, disease duration, current use and dosage of systemic corticosteroid, current use and dosage of bosentan ® , intraocular pressure, central corneal thickness, diagnosis of glaucoma and capillaroscopy pattern. Thirty-one patients with systemic sclerosis were enrolled, 23% had glaucoma. There was no statistically significant association between glaucoma diagnosis and the capillaroscopic pattern (p = 0.86). There was also no significant difference (p = 0.66) regarding intraocular pressure between patients with mild (13.9 ± 3.8 mmHg) and severe capillaroscopic pattern (14.4 ± 2.8 mmHg). The odds ratio of glaucoma for severe capillaroscopic pattern compared to mild was 1.6 (95% confidence interval: 0.3-9.5). Up to 23% of patients with SSc have glaucoma. The high prevalence of glaucoma in SSc suggests a possible systemic vascular disturbance as the cause. However, there seems to be no significant association between the capillaroscopy pattern and glaucoma in systemic sclerosis. Further research is required to improve the understanding of glaucoma in the context of systemic sclerosis.

  7. An update of hydrologic conditions and distribution of selected constituents in water, Snake River Plain aquifer and perched groundwater zones, Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho, emphasis 2006-08

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davis, Linda C.

    2010-01-01

    or October 2008, reportable concentrations of tritium in groundwater ranged from 810 ? 70 to 8,570 ? 190 picocuries per liter (pCi/L), and the tritium plume extended south-southwestward in the general direction of groundwater flow. Tritium concentrations in water from wells completed in shallow perched groundwater at the ATRC were less than the reporting levels. Tritium concentrations in deep perched groundwater exceeded the reporting level in 11 wells during at least one sampling event during 2006-08 at the ATRC. Tritium concentrations from one or more zones in each well were reportable in water samples collected at various depths in six wells equipped with multi-level WestbayTM packer sampling systems. Concentrations of strontium-90 in water from 24 of 52 aquifer wells sampled during April or October 2008 exceeded the reporting level. Concentrations ranged from 2.2 ? 0.7 to 32.7 ? 1.2 pCi/L. Strontium-90 has not been detected within the eastern Snake River Plain aquifer beneath the ATRC partly because of the exclusive use of waste-disposal ponds and lined evaporation ponds rather than using the disposal well for radioactive-wastewater disposal at ATRC. At the ATRC, the strontium-90 concentration in water from one well completed in shallow perched groundwater was less than the reporting level. During at least one sampling event during 2006-08, concentrations of strontium-90 in water from nine wells completed in deep perched groundwater at the ATRC were greater than reporting levels. Concentrations ranged from 2.1?0.7 to 70.5?1.8 pCi/L. At the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC), the reporting level was exceeded in water from two wells completed in deep perched groundwater. During 2006-08, concentrations of cesium-137, plutonium-238, and plutonium-239, -240 (undivided), and americium-241 were less than the reporting level in water samples from all wells and all zones in wells equipped with multi-level WestbayTM packer sampling systems

  8. Mushroom drying with solar assisted heat pump system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Şevik, Seyfi; Aktaş, Mustafa; Doğan, Hikmet; Koçak, Saim

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: • Experimental investigation of a simple and cost effective solar assisted heat pump system. • Developing of a computer program for a drying system with different scenarios by using PLC. • Obtained less energy input with high coefficients of performance of system and more quality products. • Determination of mushroom drying properties such as moisture content, moisture ratio and drying ratio. - Abstract: In this study, a simple and cost effective solar assisted heat pump system (SAHP) with flat plate collectors and a water source heat pump has been proposed. Mushroom drying was examined experimentally in the drying system. Solar energy (SE) system and heat pump (HP) system can be used separately or together. A computer program has been developed for the system. Drying air temperature, relative humidity, weight of product values, etc. were monitored and controlled with different scenarios by using PLC. This system is cheap, good quality and sustainable and it is modeled for good quality product and increased efficiency. Thus, products could be dried with less energy input and more controlled conditions. Mushrooms were dried at 45 °C and 55 °C drying air temperature and 310 kg/h mass flow rate. Mushrooms were dried from initial moisture content 13.24 g water/g dry matter (dry basis) to final moisture content 0.07 g water/g dry matter (dry basis). Mushrooms were dried by using HP system, SE system and SAHP system respectively at 250–220 min, at 270–165 min and at 230–190 min. The coefficients of performance of system (COP) are calculated in a range from 2.1 to 3.1 with respect to the results of experiments. The energy utilization ratios (EURs) were found to vary between 0.42 and 0.66. Specific moisture extraction rate (SMER) values were found to vary between 0.26 and 0.92 kg/kW h

  9. Integrated removal of organic load, P, N, on a filters serial system, anaerobic, anoxic and aerobic on dynamic conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Correa Mauricio Andres; Sierra, Jorge Humberto

    2004-01-01

    This paper shows the results obtained during the operation under dynamic conditions of a three biofilters serial system, anaerobic, anoxic and aerobic at lab scale to evaluate the N, P, and organic matter removal. The reactors were continuously fed for 200 days, including the adherence and stability periods, with hydraulic retention time among 2,27 and 0,66 d. for the ANABF and among 1,5 and 0,5 d. for the ANXBF. The adherence period was followed by a control of SSV and the DQO removal in each BF. After good results of adherence the system was fed with an initial average volumetric organic load of 0,441 kg DQO/m 3 /d. and gradually increase during the results of DQO removal over the 50%, until the achievement of the system stability for a maximum organic load of 1,5 kg. The reactor control was made by DQO, PO 4 3 , NTK, NO 2 , NO 3 , SS and alkalinity, determined at enter and exit of each reactor. The removal results for the system of growing adherence was among 90-96% for DQO, 80-90% for total P, and 65-70% for total N

  10. Particle size effect on microwave absorbing of La{sub 0.67}Ba{sub 0.33}Mn{sub 0.94}Ti{sub 0.06}O{sub 3} powders prepared by mechanical alloying with the assistance of ultrasonic irradiation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Saptari, Sitti Ahmiatri, E-mail: siti-ahmiatri@yahoo.co.id [Faculty of Science and Technology, State Islamic University, Jakarta (Indonesia); Manaf, Azwar; Kurniawan, Budhy [Departement of Physics, University of Indonesia, Depok (Indonesia)

    2016-03-11

    Doped manganites have attracted substantial interest due to their unique chemical and physics properties, which makes it possible to be used for microwave absorbing materials. In this paper we report synthesizes and characterization of La{sub 0.67}Ba{sub 0.33}Mn{sub 0.94}Ti{sub 0.06}O{sub 3} powders prepared by mechanical alloying with the assistance of a high power ultrasonic treatment. After solid state reaction, the presence of single phase was confirmed by X-ray Diffraction (XRD). Refinement results showed that samples are single phase with monoclinic structure. It was found that powder materials derived from mechanical alloying results in large variation in the particle size. A significant improvement was obtained upon subjecting the mechanically milled powder materials to an ultrasonication treatment for a relatively short period of time. As determined by particle size analyzer (PSA), the mean particle size gradually decreased from the original size of 5.02 µm to 0.36 µm. Magnetic properties were characterized by VSM, and hysteresis loops results showed that samples are soft magnetic. It was found that when the mean particle size decreases, saturation was increases and coersitivity was decreases. Microwave absorption properties were investigated in the frequency range of 8-12 GHz using vector network analyzer. An optimal reflection loss of 24.44 dB is reached at 11.4 GHz.

  11. Assessment of the Mexican Board of Pediatric Surgery Certification System.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Porras-Hernandez, Juan D; Mora-Fol, Jose R; Lezama-Del Valle, Pablo; Yanowsky-Reyes, Guillermo; Perez-Lorenzana, Hector; Ortega-Salgado, Arturo; Aguirre-Jauregui, Oscar; Bracho-Blanchet, Eduardo; Sanchez-Mendiola, Melchor

    2015-01-01

    To evaluate the quality of the Mexican Board of Pediatric Surgery (MBPS) certifying system, using contemporary international guidelines. Retrospective assessment of evidence collected during the design and implementation processes of 2 consecutive applications of the MBPS certifying examination, using Cizek's checklist for evaluating credential-testing programs. It includes the relevant guidelines from the American Education Research Association, the American Psychological Association, the National Council on Measurement in Education, and the National Commission for Certifying Agencies. Four independent and previously trained raters used the checklist. They underwent a 2-week training using frame-of-reference and performance dimensions methodologies. Certification examinations of MBPS. The 2013 and 2014 MBPS certification examinations, with 111 evidence items of the processes, followed for the assessment of 86 examinees. The checklist internal consistency was 0.89. Absolute interrater agreement was 0.34 for the 2013 and 0.66 for the 2014 editions of the examination. The 2013 examination complied with 55 (64%) of the checklist 86 items, in 2014 with 72 (84%). In 2014, the certifying system reached a quality of 84%. For optimal fulfillment of its social responsibility, the MBPS is required to maintain its level of quality and attempt to improve its performance. Copyright © 2015 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Automated Quantification of the Landing Error Scoring System With a Markerless Motion-Capture System.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mauntel, Timothy C; Padua, Darin A; Stanley, Laura E; Frank, Barnett S; DiStefano, Lindsay J; Peck, Karen Y; Cameron, Kenneth L; Marshall, Stephen W

    2017-11-01

      The Landing Error Scoring System (LESS) can be used to identify individuals with an elevated risk of lower extremity injury. The limitation of the LESS is that raters identify movement errors from video replay, which is time-consuming and, therefore, may limit its use by clinicians. A markerless motion-capture system may be capable of automating LESS scoring, thereby removing this obstacle.   To determine the reliability of an automated markerless motion-capture system for scoring the LESS.   Cross-sectional study.   United States Military Academy.   A total of 57 healthy, physically active individuals (47 men, 10 women; age = 18.6 ± 0.6 years, height = 174.5 ± 6.7 cm, mass = 75.9 ± 9.2 kg).   Participants completed 3 jump-landing trials that were recorded by standard video cameras and a depth camera. Their movement quality was evaluated by expert LESS raters (standard video recording) using the LESS rubric and by software that automates LESS scoring (depth-camera data). We recorded an error for a LESS item if it was present on at least 2 of 3 jump-landing trials. We calculated κ statistics, prevalence- and bias-adjusted κ (PABAK) statistics, and percentage agreement for each LESS item. Interrater reliability was evaluated between the 2 expert rater scores and between a consensus expert score and the markerless motion-capture system score.   We observed reliability between the 2 expert LESS raters (average κ = 0.45 ± 0.35, average PABAK = 0.67 ± 0.34; percentage agreement = 0.83 ± 0.17). The markerless motion-capture system had similar reliability with consensus expert scores (average κ = 0.48 ± 0.40, average PABAK = 0.71 ± 0.27; percentage agreement = 0.85 ± 0.14). However, reliability was poor for 5 LESS items in both LESS score comparisons.   A markerless motion-capture system had the same level of reliability as expert LESS raters, suggesting that an automated system can accurately assess movement. Therefore, clinicians can use

  13. Confined Li ion migration in the silicon-graphene complex system: An ab initio investigation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Guoqing; Xu, Bo; Shi, Jing; Lei, Xueling; Ouyang, Chuying

    2018-04-01

    Silicon-Carbon complex systems play an important role in enhancing the performance of Si-based anode materials for Li ion batteries. In this work, the Li migration property of the Silicon-Graphene (Si-Gr) complex systems are investigated by using first-principles calculations. Especially, the effects of graphene coating on the migration of Li ions are discussed in detail. The distance between Si surface and graphene in the Si-Gr system significantly affects the lateral migration of Li ions. With the decrease of the distance from 4.715 to 3.844 Å, the energy barrier of Li ion migration also decreases from 0.115 to 0.067 eV, which are all lower than that of the case without graphene d(0.135 eV). However, smaller distance (3.586 Å) brings the high energy barrier (0.237 eV). Through AIMD calculations, it is found that the graphene coating in the Si-Gr complex system would result in the larger intercalation depths, more uniform distributions, and higher migration coefficients of Li ions. Further calculations of migration coefficients of Li ions at different temperature are used to obtained the activation energy for Li ions migration in the Si-Gr system, which is as low as 0.028 eV. This low activation energy shows that it is easy for Li ions migrating in the Si-Gr system. Our study provided the basically information to understand the migration mechanism of Li ions in Si-C system.

  14. Thermodynamic analysis and theoretical study of a continuous operation solar-powered adsorption refrigeration system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hassan, H.Z.; Mohamad, A.A.

    2013-01-01

    Due to the intermittent nature of the solar radiation, the day-long continuous production of cold is a challenge for solar-driven adsorption cooling systems. In the present study, a developed solar-powered adsorption cooling system is introduced. The proposed system is able to produce cold continuously along the 24-h of the day. The theoretical thermodynamic operating cycle of the system is based on adsorption at constant temperature. Both the cooling system operating procedure as well as the theoretical thermodynamic cycle are described and explained. Moreover, a steady state differential thermodynamic analysis is performed for all components and processes of the introduced system. The analysis is based on the energy conservation principle and the equilibrium dynamics of the adsorption and desorption processes. The Dubinin–Astakhov adsorption equilibrium equation is used in this analysis. Furthermore, the thermodynamic properties of the refrigerant are calculated from its equation of state. The case studied represents a water chiller which uses activated carbon–methanol as the working pair. The chiller is found to produce a daily mass of 2.63 kg cold water at 0 °C from water at 25 °C per kg of adsorbent. Moreover, the proposed system attains a cooling coefficient of performance of 0.66. - Highlights: • A new continuous operation solar-driven adsorption refrigeration system is introduced. • The theoretical thermodynamic cycle is presented and explained. • A complete thermodynamic analysis is performed for all components and processes of the system. • Activated carbon–methanol is used as the working pair in the case study

  15. Benchmarking Non-Hardware Balance-of-System (Soft) Costs for U.S. Photovoltaic Systems Using a Bottom-Up Approach and Installer Survey

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ardani, Kristen [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Margolis, Robert [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Feldman, David [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Ong, Sean [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Barbose, Galen [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Wiser, Ryan [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

    2012-11-01

    This report presents results from the first U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) sponsored, bottom-up data-collection and analysis of non-hardware balance-of-system costs—often referred to as “business process” or “soft” costs—for residential and commercial photovoltaic (PV) systems. Annual expenditure and labor-hour-productivity data are analyzed to benchmark 2010 soft costs related to the DOE priority areas of (1) customer acquisition; (2) permitting, inspection, and interconnection; (3) installation labor; and (4) installer labor for arranging third-party financing. Annual expenditure and labor-hour data were collected from 87 PV installers. After eliminating outliers, the survey sample consists of 75 installers, representing approximately 13% of all residential PV installations and 4% of all commercial installations added in 2010. Including assumed permitting fees, in 2010 the average soft costs benchmarked in this analysis total $1.50/W for residential systems (ranging from $0.66/W to $1.66/W between the 20th and 80th percentiles). For commercial systems, the median 2010 benchmarked soft costs (including assumed permitting fees) are $0.99/W for systems smaller than 250 kW (ranging from $0.51/W to $1.45/W between the 20th and 80th percentiles) and $0.25/W for systems larger than 250 kW (ranging from $0.17/W to $0.78/W between the 20th and 80th percentiles). Additional soft costs not benchmarked in the present analysis (e.g., installer profit, overhead, financing, and contracting) are significant and would add to these figures. The survey results provide a benchmark for measuring—and helping to accelerate—progress over the next decade toward achieving the DOE SunShot Initiative’s soft-cost-reduction targets. We conclude that the selected non-hardware business processes add considerable cost to U.S. PV systems, constituting 23% of residential PV system price, 17% of small commercial system price, and 5% of large commercial system price (in 2010

  16. Electromagnetic form factors of composite systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nowak, E.J.

    1978-01-01

    Electromagnetic form factors are examined for a spin-zero, two-body composite system with emphasis on the case of small momentum transfer and/or deep (relativistic) binding. Perturbation theory calculations are first performed using spin-zero and then spin-one-half constituents. A dispersion representation of the bound-state vertex function is conjectured first for scalar and then for fermion constituents. Then a relativistic effective range approximation (RERA) is developed for each case and applied to the calculation of the electromagnetic form factor. The approach is applied to the study of the charge radii of the K 0 and K + mesons. The K/sub l3/ form factor is calculated in the fermion constituent RERA model, and restrictions are imposed on the model parameters from available experimental data. With these restrictions the limits 0.24fm less than or equal to √[abs. value ( 2 >/sub K 0 /)] less than or equal to = 0.36fm and 0.66fm less than or equal to = √( 2 >/sub K + /) less than or equal to 0.79fm are obtained for the kaon charge radii, and -.22 less than or equal to xi less than or equal to -.13 is found for the ratio of the neutral to charged kaon charge radius squared

  17. Brasfield and Wisconsin scoring systems have equal value as outcome assessment tools of cystic fibrosis lung disease

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cleveland, Robert H.; Stamoulis, Catherine; Sawicki, Gregory; Kelliher, Emma; Wood, Christopher; Zurakowski, David; Lee, Edward [Boston Children' s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Department of Radiology, Boston, MA (United States); Zucker, Evan J. [Tufts Medical School, Boston, MA (United States)

    2014-05-15

    Several imaging-based scoring systems have been used as outcome measures in assessing the severity of cystic fibrosis (CF) lung disease. It has been shown that chest radiography performs equally to computed tomography (CT). There is the opinion that of the two most commonly used chest radiograph (CXR) systems, the Brasfield system is less sensitive and reliable than the Wisconsin system. This report assesses the reproducibility and reliability of the two systems. Thirty patients with CXRs during a 5-year period were randomly selected. One hundred eighty-two studies had data for all CXRs and pulmonary function tests (PFTs), Forced Expiratory Volume in One Second (FEV-1) and Forced Vital Capacity (FVC). PFT values closest to the date of each CXR were recorded. Four radiologists scored each image twice by both the Brasfield and Wisconsin systems. Intra- and inter-rater reliability, correlation with PFTs and direct correlation of the two systems were calculated. Intra-rater agreement: r = 0.86-0.99 Brasfield, r = 0.78-0.96 Wisconsin. Inter-rater agreement: 0.76-0.90 Brasfield, r = 0.74-0.97 Wisconsin. Brasfield vs. FEV-1: r = 0.55, vs. FVC r = 0.61. Wisconsin vs. FEV-1: r = 0.57, vs. FVC r = 0.66. Correlation of the two systems: r = 0.86 (all P < 0.001). The Brasfield and Wisconsin systems performed very similarly providing equally reproducible, robust and reliable measures. (orig.)

  18. Impaired systemic tetrahydrobiopterin bioavailability and increased dihydrobiopterin in adult falciparum malaria: association with disease severity, impaired microvascular function and increased endothelial activation.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tsin W Yeo

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Tetrahydrobiopterin (BH₄ is a co-factor required for catalytic activity of nitric oxide synthase (NOS and amino acid-monooxygenases, including phenylalanine hydroxylase. BH4 is unstable: during oxidative stress it is non-enzymatically oxidized to dihydrobiopterin (BH₂, which inhibits NOS. Depending on BH₄ availability, NOS oscillates between NO synthase and NADPH oxidase: as the BH₄/BH₂ ratio decreases, NO production falls and is replaced by superoxide. In African children and Asian adults with severe malaria, NO bioavailability decreases and plasma phenylalanine increases, together suggesting possible BH₄ deficiency. The primary three biopterin metabolites (BH₄, BH₂ and B₀ [biopterin] and their association with disease severity have not been assessed in falciparum malaria. We measured pterin metabolites in urine of adults with severe falciparum malaria (SM; n=12, moderately-severe malaria (MSM, n=17, severe sepsis (SS; n=5 and healthy subjects (HC; n=20 as controls. In SM, urinary BH₄ was decreased (median 0.16 ¼mol/mmol creatinine compared to MSM (median 0.27, SS (median 0.54, and HC (median 0.34]; p<0.001. Conversely, BH₂ was increased in SM (median 0.91 ¼mol/mmol creatinine, compared to MSM (median 0.67, SS (median 0.39, and HC (median 0.52; p<0.001, suggesting increased oxidative stress and insufficient recycling of BH2 back to BH4 in severe malaria. Overall, the median BH₄/BH₂ ratio was lowest in SM [0.18 (IQR: 0.04-0.32] compared to MSM (0.45, IQR 0.27-61, SS (1.03; IQR 0.54-2.38 and controls (0.66; IQR 0.43-1.07; p<0.001. In malaria, a lower BH₄/BH₂ ratio correlated with decreased microvascular reactivity (r=0.41; p=0.03 and increased ICAM-1 (r=-0.52; p=0.005. Decreased BH4 and increased BH₂ in severe malaria (but not in severe sepsis uncouples NOS, leading to impaired NO bioavailability and potentially increased oxidative stress. Adjunctive therapy to regenerate BH4 may have a role in improving NO

  19. Precise Masses in the WASP-47 System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vanderburg, Andrew; Becker, Juliette C.; Buchhave, Lars A.; Mortier, Annelies; Lopez, Eric; Malavolta, Luca; Haywood, Raphaëlle D.; Latham, David W.; Charbonneau, David; López-Morales, Mercedes; Adams, Fred C.; Bonomo, Aldo Stefano; Bouchy, François; Collier Cameron, Andrew; Cosentino, Rosario; Di Fabrizio, Luca; Dumusque, Xavier; Fiorenzano, Aldo; Harutyunyan, Avet; Johnson, John Asher; Lorenzi, Vania; Lovis, Christophe; Mayor, Michel; Micela, Giusi; Molinari, Emilio; Pedani, Marco; Pepe, Francesco; Piotto, Giampaolo; Phillips, David; Rice, Ken; Sasselov, Dimitar; Ségransan, Damien; Sozzetti, Alessandro; Udry, Stéphane; Watson, Chris

    2017-12-01

    We present precise radial velocity observations of WASP-47, a star known to host a hot Jupiter, a distant Jovian companion, and, uniquely, two additional transiting planets in short-period orbits: a super-Earth in a ≈19 hr orbit, and a Neptune in a ≈9 day orbit. We analyze our observations from the HARPS-N spectrograph along with previously published data to measure the most precise planet masses yet for this system. When combined with new stellar parameters and reanalyzed transit photometry, our mass measurements place strong constraints on the compositions of the two small planets. We find that, unlike most other ultra-short-period planets, the inner planet, WASP-47 e, has a mass (6.83 ± 0.66 {M}\\oplus ) and a radius (1.810 ± 0.027 {R}\\oplus ) that are inconsistent with an Earth-like composition. Instead, WASP-47 e likely has a volatile-rich envelope surrounding an Earth-like core and mantle. We also perform a dynamical analysis to constrain the orbital inclination of WASP-47 c, the outer Jovian planet. This planet likely orbits close to the plane of the inner three planets, suggesting a quiet dynamical history for the system. Our dynamical constraints also imply that WASP-47 c is much more likely to transit than a geometric calculation would suggest. We calculate a transit probability for WASP-47 c of about 10%, more than an order of magnitude larger than the geometric transit probability of 0.6%.

  20. Antiferromagnetic-ferromagnetic crossover in UO2-TiOx multi-phase systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nakamura, Akio; Tsutsui, Satoshi; Yoshii, Kenji

    2001-01-01

    An antiferromagnetic (AF)-weakly ferromagnetic (WF) crossover has been found for UO 2 -TiO x multi-phase systems, (1-y)UO 2 +yTiO x (y=0.05-0.72, x=0, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0), when these mixtures are heat treated at high temperature in vacuum. From the powder X-ray diffraction and electron-microprobe analyses, their phase assemblies were as follows: for x=0, 1.0 and 1.5, a heterogeneous two-phase mixture of UO 2 +TiO x ; for x=2.0, that of UO 2 +UTi 2 O 6 for y 0.67 that of UTi 2 O 6 +TiO 2 (plus residual minor UO 2 ). Magnetic susceptibility (χ) of the present UO 2 powder was confirmed to exhibit an antiferromagnetic sharp drop at T N (=30.5 K). In contrast, χ of these multi-phase systems was found to exhibit a sharp upturn at the respective T N , while their T N values remained almost constant with varying y. This χ upturn at T N is most pronounced for UO 2 +Ti-oxide (titania) systems (x=1.0, 1.5 and 2.0) over the wide mixture ratio above y∼0.10. These observations indicate that an AF-WF crossover is induced for these multi-phase systems, plausibly due to the interfacial magnetic modification of UO 2 in contact with the oxide partners

  1. Probing quantum spin glass like system with a double quantum dot

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koh, C. Y.; Kwek, L. C.

    2016-06-01

    We study the ground state properties of a 4-qubit spin glass like (SGL) chain with probes at the end of the chain and compare our results with the non-spin glass like (NSGL) case. The SGL is modeled as a spin chain with nearest-neighbor couplings, taking on normal variates with mean J and variance Δ2. The entanglement between the probes is used to detect any discontinuity in the ground state energy spectrum. For the NSGL case, it was found that the concurrence of the probes exhibits sharp transitions whenever there are abrupt changes in the energy spectrum. In particular, for the 4-qubit case, there is a sudden change in the ground state energy at an external magnetic field B of around 0.66 (resulting in a drop in concurrence of the probes) and 1.7 (manifest as a spike). The latter spike persists for finite temperature case. For the SGL sample with sufficiently large Δ, however, the spike is absent. Thus, an absence in the spike could act as a possible signature of the presence of SGL effects. Moreover, the sudden drop in concurrence at B ≈ 0.66 does not disappear but gets smeared with increasing Δ. However, this drop can be accentuated with a smaller probe coupling. The finite temperature case is also briefly discussed.

  2. FY 1977 Annual report on Sunshine Project results. Research and development of solar energy systems for air conditioning and hot water supply (Research and development of solar systems for existing residential buildings); 1977 nendo taiyo reidanbo oyobi kyuto system no kenkyu kaihatsu seika hokokusho. Kison kojin jutakuyo system no kenkyu kaihatsu

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1978-05-31

    As part of the research and development of the solar energy systems for air conditioning and hot water supply for existing residential buildings, the following efforts are made: (1) system analysis, (2) studies on devices and materials, and (3) installation and operation of the facilities in test buildings, and collection of the data. For the item (1), the sensible heat type heat-accumulating tank is replaced by the latent heat type to reduce heat losses and auxiliary power requirements by improving heat-accumulating tank efficiency and revising the control procedure. For the item (2), the devices installed in the test buildings are tested to improve their performance and reliability, in which, e.g., results of operation, under commercial conditions, of the Rankine cycle refrigerator installed in the test building are taken into consideration. The empirical correlation {eta} 0.66 - 1.7{delta}T/I is obtained for instantaneous heat-collecting efficiency of a vacuum collector, made on a trial basis. Its heat loss is sufficiently small, which is in agreement with the results of the nighttime heat release tests. For the latent heat type heat-accumulating tank, stability of the materials therefor are investigated. For the Rankine cycle refrigerator, development of its parts is continued. For the item (3), the facilities are tested for around 7 months, and problems involved in each device are clarified. (NEDO)

  3. The Consumption of Dairy Products Is Associated with Reduced Risks of Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome in Korean Women but not in Men

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kyung Won Lee

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available We aimed to investigate the association between dairy product consumption and the risk of obesity and metabolic syndrome (MetS in Korean adults. Data from 13,692 Korean adults aged ≥19 years from the KNHANES 2010–2013 were used. The study participants were divided into three groups according to the serving size of dairy products they consumed based on a single 24-h recall. About 58% of the Korean adults did not consume any dairy products in one day. In both the sexes, only those who adhered to the recommendation for dairy products (≥1 serving/day achieved the daily requirement of calcium. Women who consumed ≥1 serving/day of dairy products had lower risks of obesity (body mass index ≥ 25 kg/m2 (adjusted odds ratio (AOR, 0.77; 95% confidence interval (CI, 0.66–0.89; p for trend < 0.01 and MetS (AOR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.56–0.80; p for trend < 0.01 than women who did not consume dairy products. However, these significant associations were not observed in men. In conclusion, consuming ≥ 1 serving/day of dairy products could be an easy and efficient strategy for meeting daily calcium requirement as well as lowering risks of obesity and MetS among Korean women.

  4. Safety and efficacy of a drug regimen to control heart rate during 64-slice ECG-gated coronary CTA in children

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rigsby, Cynthia K.; Nicholas, Angela C.; deFreitas, R.A.; Leidecker, Christianne; Johanek, Andrew J.; Anley, Peter; Wang, Deli; Uejima, Tetsu

    2010-01-01

    The adult practice for ECG-gated single-source 64-slice coronary CTA (CCTA) includes administering beta-blockers to reduce heart rate. There are limited data on this process in children. To evaluate the safety and efficacy of a drug regimen to decrease heart rate before performing CCTA in children. IV remifentanil and esmolol infusion were chosen to decrease heart rate in 41 children (mean age 6.5 years) while they were under general anesthesia (GA) for CCTA. Drug doses, changes in heart rate and procedural complications were recorded. CCTA image quality was graded on a scale of 1 to 5. The relationships between image quality and heart rate and image quality and age were evaluated. Patient effective radiation doses were calculated. Heart rates were lowered utilizing esmolol (4 children), remifentanil (2 children) or both (35 children); 26 children received nitroglycerin for coronary vasodilation. The mean decrease in heart rate was 26%. There were no major complications. The average image-quality score was 4.4. Higher heart rates were associated with worse image quality (r = 0.67, P < 0.0001). Older age was associated with better image quality (r = 0.66, P < 0.0001). Effective radiation doses were 0.7 to 7.0 mSv. Heart rate reduction for pediatric CCTA can be safely and effectively achieved while yielding high-quality images. (orig.)

  5. Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors and fracture risk in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A meta-analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruanpeng, Darin; Ungprasert, Patompong; Sangtian, Jutarat; Harindhanavudhi, Tasma

    2017-09-01

    Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors could potentially alter calcium and phosphate homeostasis and may increase the risk of bone fracture. The current meta-analysis was conducted to investigate the fracture risk among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus treated with SGLT2 inhibitors. Randomized controlled trials that compared the efficacy of SGLT2 inhibitors to placebo were identified. The risk ratios of fracture among patients who received SGLT2 inhibitors versus placebo were extracted from each study. Pooled risk ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated using a random-effect, Mantel-Haenszel analysis. A total of 20 studies with 8286 patients treated with SGLT2 inhibitors were included. The pooled risk ratio of bone fracture in patients receiving SGLT2 inhibitors versus placebo was 0.67 (95% confidence interval, 0.42-1.07). The pooled risk ratio for canagliflozin, dapagliflozin, and empagliflozin was 0.66 (95% confidence interval, 0.37-1.19), 0.84 (95% confidence interval, 0.22-3.18), and 0.57 (95% confidence interval, 0.20-1.59), respectively. Increased risk of bone fracture among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus treated with SGLT2 inhibitors compared with placebo was not observed in this meta-analysis. However, the results were limited by short duration of treatment/follow-up and low incidence of the event of interest. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  6. Blastomere nucleation: Predictive factors and influence of blastomere with no apparent nuclei on blastocyst development and implantation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Setti, Amanda Souza; Figueira, Rita Cássia Sávio; Braga, Daniela Paes de Almeida Ferreira; Iaconelli, Assumpto; Borges, Edson

    2018-06-01

    To investigate whether embryos presenting blastomere(s) with no apparent nucleus (BNAN) on days 2 and 3 are more likely to fail to develop into blastocysts, hatch and implant. A total of 5705 zygotes obtained from 743 intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles were analyzed. The presence and incidence of BNAN on days 2 and 3 of embryo development were recorded and then associated with ICSI outcomes. The occurrence of BNAN on day 2 of embryo development was determinant to the decreased odds of blastocyst formation (OR: 0.57, CI: 0.50-0.65), quality (OR: 0.56, CI: 0.43-0.73) and hatching status (OR: 0.66, CI: 0.50-0.87). The presence of BNAN on day 3 of embryo development was determinant to the decreased odds of blastocyst formation (OR: 0.67, CI: 0.58-0.78) and hatching status (OR: 0.61, CI: 0.45-0.83). The occurrence of BNAN on day 2 of embryo development was determinant to the decreased odds of blastocyst implantation (OR: 0.50, CI: 0.27-0.94). The presence of BNAN on day 2 or day 3 reduces development to blastocyst stage, hatching and implantation. Careful nuclear observation, taking into account the absence of blastomere nucleus, should be part of the strategies used for embryo selection.

  7. Construct validation of a non-exercise measure of cardiorespiratory fitness in older adults

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kramer Arthur F

    2010-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF is associated with a decreased risk of all-cause mortality but is rarely assessed in medical settings due to burdens of time, cost, risk, and resources. The purpose of this study was to test the construct validity of a regression equation developed by Jurca and colleagues (2005 to estimate CRF without exercise testing in community dwelling older adults. Methods Participants (n = 172 aged 60 to 80 years with no contraindications to submaximal or maximal exercise testing completed a maximal graded exercise test (GXT and the submaximal Rockport 1-mile walk test on separate occasions. Data included in the regression equation (age, sex, body mass index, resting heart rate, and physical activity were obtained via measurement or self-report. Participants also reported presence of cardiovascular conditions. Results The multiple R for the regression equation was .72, p and CRF estimated from this equation was significantly correlated with the MET value from the GXT (r = 0.66 and with CRF estimated from submaximal field testing (r = 0.67. All three CRF indices were significantly and inversely associated with reporting more cardiovascular conditions. Conclusions This research provides preliminary evidence that a non-exercise estimate of CRF is at least as valid as field test estimates of CRF and represents a low-risk, low-cost, and expedient method for estimating fitness in older adults.

  8. Utilization of 15N-labelled urea in laying hens. 8

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gruhn, K.; Graf, H.

    1987-01-01

    3 colostomized laying hybrids received orally with a conventional ration 1% urea with 96.06 atom-% 15 N excess ( 15 N') over a period of 6 days. In the period of the experiment every hen consumed 2.87 g 15 N'. After another 2 days, on which they received conventional feed urea, the animals were butchered. 15 N' was determined in the total N and in 15 amino acids of the oviduct. Of the 15 amino acids the labelling of glutamic acid, glycine and serine was highest and on average amounted to 0.80, 0.66 and 0.67 atom-% 15 N', resp. In lysine and arginine only 0.10 and 0.11 atom-% 15 N' could be detected. The amino acid N with natural isotopic frequency amounted to a quarter for the basic amino acids, a tenth for the branched chain ones and for the non-essential ones (glutamic acid, aspartic acid, serine, glycine, alanine, proline) a third of the total oviduct 14 N. The average quota of 15 N' is only 3.6%, that of the branched chain amino acids 4.5 and that of the non-essential ones 21.1%. Consequently, the 15 N' of the urea is mainly used for the synthesis of the non-essential amino acids of the oviduct. (author)

  9. External Validation of Risk Prediction Scores for Invasive Candidiasis in a Medical/Surgical Intensive Care Unit: An Observational Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmed, Armin; Baronia, Arvind Kumar; Azim, Afzal; Marak, Rungmei S. K.; Yadav, Reema; Sharma, Preeti; Gurjar, Mohan; Poddar, Banani; Singh, Ratender Kumar

    2017-01-01

    Background: The aim of this study was to conduct external validation of risk prediction scores for invasive candidiasis. Methods: We conducted a prospective observational study in a 12-bedded adult medical/surgical Intensive Care Unit (ICU) to evaluate Candida score >3, colonization index (CI) >0.5, corrected CI >0.4 (CCI), and Ostrosky's clinical prediction rule (CPR). Patients' characteristics and risk factors for invasive candidiasis were noted. Patients were divided into two groups; invasive candidiasis and no-invasive candidiasis. Results: Of 198 patients, 17 developed invasive candidiasis. Discriminatory power (area under receiver operator curve [AUROC]) for Candida score, CI, CCI, and CPR were 0.66, 0.67, 0.63, and 0.62, respectively. A large number of patients in the no-invasive candidiasis group (114 out of 181) were exposed to antifungal agents during their stay in ICU. Subgroup analysis was carried out after excluding such patients from no-invasive candidiasis group. AUROC of Candida score, CI, CCI, and CPR were 0.7, 0.7, 0.65, and 0.72, respectively, and positive predictive values (PPVs) were in the range of 25%–47%, along with negative predictive values (NPVs) in the range of 84%–96% in the subgroup analysis. Conclusion: Currently available risk prediction scores have good NPV but poor PPV. They are useful for selecting patients who are not likely to benefit from antifungal therapy. PMID:28904481

  10. High RBM3 expression is associated with an improved survival and oxaliplatin response in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christina Siesing

    Full Text Available High expression of the RNA-binding motif protein 3 (RBM3 has been shown to correlate, with prolonged survival in several malignant diseases and with the benefit of platinum-based chemotherapy in ovarian cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate RBM3 in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC as a prognostic factor for overall survival and in relation to benefit of first-line chemotherapy.Immunohistochemical staining was conducted and evaluated in tumours from 455 mCRC patients. Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox regression proportional hazards models were used to access the impact of RBM3 expression on overall survival (OS and progression-free survival (PFS.High RBM3 expression, both nuclear and cytoplasmic, was an independent prognostic factor for prolonged OS (hazard ratio [HR] 0.67, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.50-0.90 and HR 0.66, 95% CI 0.48-0.91, respectively. PFS was significantly longer in patients with high RBM3 expression who had received first-line oxaliplatin based treatment, compared to those who had received irinotecan based treatment, both regarding nuclear and cytoplasmic expression (p-value 0.020 and 0.022 respectively.High RBM3 expression is an independent predictor of prolonged survival in mCRC patients, in particular in patients treated with first-line oxaliplatin based chemotherapy.

  11. Reliability and validity of the persian version of the scoliosis research society-22r questionnaire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mousavi, Sayed Javad; Mobini, Bahram; Mehdian, Hossein; Akbarnia, Behrouz; Bouzari, Behshad; Askary-Ashtiani, Ahmadreza; Montazeri, Ali; Parnianpour, Mohamad

    2010-04-01

    Cross-sectional validation study to investigate psychometric properties of adapted Persian version of the Scoliosis Research Society-22r (SRS-22r) questionnaire. OBJECTIVES.: To translate the SRS-22r into Persian and to evaluate the internal consistency, reliability, and validity of the Persian SRS-22r. The SRS-22r has not been translated and validated for Persian-speaking patients with idiopathic scoliosis. This was to provide a validated instrument to measure health-related quality of life in patients with idiopathic scoliosis in Iran. The translation and cultural adaptation of the original questionnaire were carried out in accordance with the published guidelines. About 84 patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis were participated in the study. The Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) was used to test convergent validity of the Persian SRS-22r. Moderate to high correlations were found between the SRS-22r domains and SF-36 subscales. The correlations ranged from 0.54 to 0.67 (function/activity domain), 0.48 to 0.74 (pain domain), 0.45 to 0.55 (self image domain), 0.66 to 0.85 (mental health domain), and 0.35 to 0.55 (satisfaction domain) (P adolescent patients with scoliosis in Iran. It is simple and easy to use and now can be applied in clinical settings and future outcome studies in Iran.

  12. Altered balance of vasoactive systems in experimental hypertension: The role of relative NO deficiency

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Kuneš, Jaroslav; Hojná, Silvie; Kadlecová, Michaela; Dobešová, Zdenka; Rauchová, Hana; Vokurková, Martina; Loukotová, Jana; Pecháňová, Olga; Zicha, Josef

    2004-01-01

    Roč. 53, Suppl.1 (2004), s. S23-S34 ISSN 0862-8408 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA305/03/0769; GA ČR GP305/02/P066; GA AV ČR IAA7011805; GA MŠk LN00A069 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z5011922 Keywords : NO deficiency * reactive oxygen species * calcium influx Subject RIV: ED - Physiology Impact factor: 1.140, year: 2004

  13. Surviving a childhood cancer: impact on education and employment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maule, Milena; Zugna, Daniela; Migliore, Enrica; Alessi, Daniela; Merletti, Franco; Onorati, Roberta; Zengarini, Nicolás; Costa, Giuseppe; Spadea, Teresa

    2017-07-01

    Long-term consequences of childhood cancer encompass adverse psychosocial effects that may severely limit the opportunity to live a satisfying and productive life. We assessed the social integration of adults cured of a cancer in their first 14 years of life by record linkage between the population-based Childhood Cancer Registry of Piedmont and the Turin Longitudinal Study. We compared education and employment outcomes within the cohort of survivors and between the cohort of survivors and their peers in the general population through logistic regression. Individuals cured of a childhood tumour have a higher risk of not obtaining educational qualifications [odds ratio (OR) 0.67 (95% confidence interval 0.40-1.11) for compulsory school, OR 0.81 (0.61-1.07) for higher education] or employment, OR 0.66 (0.45-0.98), than the general population. This problem is particularly severe for individuals cured of a central nervous system neoplasm: OR 0.56 (0.31-1.01) for higher education and OR 0.28 (0.13-0.58) for employment. Within-cohort comparisons show that men are less likely to obtain educational goals than women, OR 0.72 (0.40-1.29), but more likely to be employed, OR 2.18 (0.90-5.28); parental education (university qualifications) is positively associated with the success of the child's education, OR 9.54 (2.60-35.02), but not with their employment status, OR 1.02 (0.21-4.85). Strategies should be put in place to mitigate the risk of adverse psychosocial effects from the beginning of treatment to cure and beyond to offer those suffering a cancer at a young age the possibility of full integration into society.

  14. Venous responses during exercise in rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss : [alpha]-adrenergic control and the antihypotensive function of the renin-angiotensin system

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sandblom, E.; Axelsson, M.; McKenzie, David

    2006-01-01

    ) was investigated during exercise after [alpha]-adrenoceptor blockade. Fish were subjected to a 20-min exercise challenge at 0.66 body lengths s-1 (BL s-1) while Pven, dorsal aortic blood pressure (Pda) and relative cardiac output (Q) was recorded continuously. Heart rate (fH), cardiac stroke volume (SV) and total...

  15. Bundle Adjustment-Based Stability Analysis Method with a Case Study of a Dual Fluoroscopy Imaging System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al-Durgham, K.; Lichti, D. D.; Detchev, I.; Kuntze, G.; Ronsky, J. L.

    2018-05-01

    A fundamental task in photogrammetry is the temporal stability analysis of a camera/imaging-system's calibration parameters. This is essential to validate the repeatability of the parameters' estimation, to detect any behavioural changes in the camera/imaging system and to ensure precise photogrammetric products. Many stability analysis methods exist in the photogrammetric literature; each one has different methodological bases, and advantages and disadvantages. This paper presents a simple and rigorous stability analysis method that can be straightforwardly implemented for a single camera or an imaging system with multiple cameras. The basic collinearity model is used to capture differences between two calibration datasets, and to establish the stability analysis methodology. Geometric simulation is used as a tool to derive image and object space scenarios. Experiments were performed on real calibration datasets from a dual fluoroscopy (DF; X-ray-based) imaging system. The calibration data consisted of hundreds of images and thousands of image observations from six temporal points over a two-day period for a precise evaluation of the DF system stability. The stability of the DF system - for a single camera analysis - was found to be within a range of 0.01 to 0.66 mm in terms of 3D coordinates root-mean-square-error (RMSE), and 0.07 to 0.19 mm for dual cameras analysis. It is to the authors' best knowledge that this work is the first to address the topic of DF stability analysis.

  16. Metionina mais cistina digestível e relação metionina mais cistina digestível: lisina para codornas japonesas Digestible methionine plus cystine and relation digestible methionine plus cystine: lysine for japanese quails

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Julio Francisco Valiati Marin

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available Objetivou-se determinar o melhor nível de metionina mais cistina digestível e a melhor relação metionina mais cistina digestível:lisina digestível em diferentes níveis de proteína para codorna em postura. Foram utilizadas 400 codornas japonesas produtoras de ovos de consumo com 45 dias de idade, em delineamento inteiramente casualizado, num esquema fatorial 2 x 5, dois níveis de proteína bruta (19,5% e 21,5% e cinco níveis de metionina mais cistina digestível (0,60%; 0,67%; 0,74%; 0,81% e 0,88%, com cinco repetições e oito aves por unidade experimental. Foram analisadas as taxas de postura (%, peso médio dos ovos (g, massa de ovos (g de ovos/ave/dia, consumo de ração (g/ave/dia, conversão alimentar (g de ração/g de ovos, peso e porcentagem de gema (g e %, peso e porcentagem de clara (g e % e peso e porcentagem de casca (g e %. Para o nível de 19,5% de proteína 0,60% de metionina mais cistina digestível e relação metionina mais cistina digestível:lisina digestível de 0,66% foram suficientes para otimizar a produção. Para o nível de 21,5% de proteína 0,851% de metionina mais cistina digestível com relação metionina mais cistina digestível:lisina digestível de 0,935% com consumo diário de 223,3mg/ave levou a uma melhor produção de ovos de codornas.This research had the purpose to determine the best level of digestible methionine plus cystine and the best relation of digestible methionine plus cystine:digestible lysine in different levels of protein for laying Japanese quails. 400 laying Japanese quails, with 45 days of age were used in a completely randomized design, with a factorial 2 x 5, two crude protein levels (19,5% and 21,5% and five levels of digestible methionine plus cystine (0,60%; 0,67%; 0,74%; 0,81% e 0,88%, with five replicates and eight quails per experimental unity. There were analysis of the posture rate (%, egg average weight (g egg mass (egg grams/bird/day, feed intake (g/bird/day, feed

  17. Perceived corruption, distributive justice, and the legitimacy of the system of social stratification in the Czech Republic

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Smith, Michael

    2010-01-01

    Roč. 43, č. 4 (2010), s. 439-451 ISSN 0967-067X R&D Projects: GA MV VG20102013029; GA ČR GA403/08/0109 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z70280505 Keywords : Corruption * Social stratification * Social justice Subject RIV: AO - Sociology, Demography Impact factor: 0.211, year: 2010 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.postcomstud.2010.10.005

  18. Automated grading system for evaluation of ocular redness associated with dry eye

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rodriguez JD

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available John D Rodriguez,1 Patrick R Johnston,1 George W Ousler III,1 Lisa M Smith,1 Mark B Abelson1,21Ora, Inc, Andover, MA, USA; 2Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USABackground: We have observed that dry eye redness is characterized by a prominence of fine horizontal conjunctival vessels in the exposed ocular surface of the interpalpebral fissure, and have incorporated this feature into the grading of redness in clinical studies of dry eye.Aim: To develop an automated method of grading dry eye-associated ocular redness in order to expand on the clinical grading system currently used.Methods: Ninety nine images from 26 dry eye subjects were evaluated by five graders using a 0–4 (in 0.5 increments dry eye redness (Ora CalibraTM Dry Eye Redness Scale [OCDER] scale. For the automated method, the Opencv computer vision library was used to develop software for calculating redness and horizontal conjunctival vessels (noted as "horizontality". From original photograph, the region of interest (ROI was selected manually using the open source ImageJ software. Total average redness intensity (Com-Red was calculated as a single channel 8-bit image as R − 0.83G − 0.17B, where R, G and B were the respective intensities of the red, green and blue channels. The location of vessels was detected by normalizing the blue channel and selecting pixels with an intensity of less than 97% of the mean. The horizontal component (Com-Hor was calculated by the first order Sobel derivative in the vertical direction and the score was calculated as the average blue channel image intensity of this vertical derivative. Pearson correlation coefficients, accuracy and concordance correlation coefficients (CCC were calculated after regression and standardized regression of the dataset.Results: The agreement (both Pearson's and CCC among investigators using the OCDER scale was 0.67, while the agreement of investigator to computer was 0.76. A multiple

  19. Optimization of 10 kW solar photovoltaic – diesel generator hybrid energy system for different load factors at Jaisalmer location of Rajasthan, India

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saraswat, S. K.; Rao, K. V. S.

    2018-03-01

    Jaisalmer town in Rajasthan, India is having annual average solar insolation of 5.80 kWh/m2/day and 270 – 300 clear sky days in a year. A 10 kW off-grid hybrid energy system (HES) consisting of solar photovoltaic panels – diesel generator – bidirectional converter and batteries with zero percentage loss of load for Jaisalmer is designed using HOMER (version 3.4.3) software. Different system load factors of 0.33, 0.50, 0.67, 0.83 and 1 corresponding to fraction of running hours per day of the system are considered. The system is analyzed for all three aspects, namely, electrical, economic and emission point of view. Least levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) of Rs. 8.43/kWh is obtained at a load factor value of 0.5. If diesel generator alone (without Solar PV) is used to fulfil the demand for a load factor of 0.5the value of LCOE is obtained Rs.19.23/kWh. Comparison of results obtained for HES and diesel generator are made for load factor of 0.5 and 1.

  20. Nanostructured platinum-free electrocatalysts in alkaline direct alcohol fuel cells: catalyst design, principles and applications

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Ozoemena, Kenneth I

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available in nanoparticles and semi-innite surfaces. Table 1Table 1 Typical calculated segregation energies (eV) for binary alloy nanoparticles Core Shell Ag Pd Ni Ir Co Fe Ag 0 �0.82 �2.29 �3.54 �2.15 �5.20 Pd 0.70 0 �1.09 �1.71 �1.29 �3.26 Ni 0.67 0.46 0 �0.67 �0.20 �2... compares the Wigner–Seitz radii and electron densities of somemetallic elements that are useful for making alloy catalysts for AFC systems. Table 2 clearly indicates that Pd, for example, has a stronger tendency to surface-segregate in Ni, Fe, or Fe...

  1. Advanced Lithium Ion Systems for Military Vehicle Applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    2007-06-11

    VL10Fe VL12V Cathode LiFePO4 NCA Nominal Voltage (V) 3.3 3.6 Nominal Capacity at C rate (Ah) 10 12 V = f(SOC) at 50% DoD at C rate (mV/SOC%) 0.13 0.66...applications. Saft has successfully developed a very high power LiFePO4 cell using the standard VL12V NCA cell design as a baseline. Table III compares the...capable of delivering 75% of the energy of the NCA cell. At 1,500A, the Iron Phosphate cell can only deliver 50% of the energy of the NCA cell. The

  2. [Reducing the levels of formaldehyde exposure during a gross anatomy dissection course with a local ventilation system].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kikuta, Akio; Yamato, Hiroshi; Kunugita, Naoki; Nakashima, Tamiji; Hayashi, Haruki

    2010-03-01

    Reducing the levels of formaldehyde (FA) exposure in gross anatomy laboratories has been urgently required. We improved the environment of our gross anatomy laboratory by changing the existing general ventilation to local ventilation. We developed a local ventilation apparatus (grid-type of hood with downward suction) that can be attached to an ordinary dissection table. Furthermore, in order to make this local ventilation apparatus an enclosure hood, the upper plate of the dissection table was surrounded by flexible vertical flanges. The apparatus works as an effective enclosure hood without interfering with students' practice of dissection. We installed 26 local ventilation apparatuses and connected them to the ventilation duct. The ventilation ducts were installed above the ceiling or along the pillars not to interfere with students' vision and movements in the room. Adopting the local ventilation system reduced dramatically the students' and lecturers' exposure to formaldehyde. The geometric mean formaldehyde concentration was 0.066 ppm in the anatomy laboratory in 2005. Since 2005, the new system has enabled us to comply with safety and health regulations and providing a smell- and irritant-free dissection room with an excellent environment for anatomy study.

  3. On the weak solutions to the equations of a compressible heat conducting gas

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Chiodaroli, E.; Feireisl, Eduard; Kreml, O.

    2015-01-01

    Roč. 32, č. 1 (2015), s. 225-243 ISSN 0294-1449 EU Projects: European Commission(XE) 320078 - MATHEF Institutional support: RVO:67985840 Keywords : Euler-Fourier system * convex integration * weak solution Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 2.066, year: 2015 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0294144913001339

  4. Competitive cation binding computations of proton balance for reactions of the phosphagen and glycolytic energy systems within skeletal muscle

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-01-01

    Limited research and data has been published for the H+ coefficients for the metabolites and reactions involved in non-mitochondrial energy metabolism. The purpose of this investigation was to compute the fractional binding of H+, K+, Na+ and Mg2+ to 21 metabolites of skeletal muscle non-mitochondrial energy metabolism, resulting in 104 different metabolite-cation complexes. Fractional binding of H+ to these metabolite-cation complexes were applied to 17 reactions of skeletal muscle non-mitochondrial energy metabolism, and 8 conditions of the glycolytic pathway based on the source of substrate (glycogen vs. glucose), completeness of glycolytic flux, and the end-point of pyruvate vs. lactate. For pH conditions of 6.0 and 7.0, respectively, H+ coefficients (-‘ve values = H+ release) for the creatine kinase, adenylate kinase, AMP deaminase and ATPase reactions were 0.8 and 0.97, -0.13 and -0.02, 1.2 and 1.09, and -0.01 and -0.66, respectively. The glycolytic pathway is net H+ releasing, regardless of lactate production, which consumes 1 H+. For glycolysis fueled by glycogen and ending in either pyruvate or lactate, H+ coefficients for pH 6.0 and 7.0 were -3.97 and -2.01 (pyruvate), and -1.96 and -0.01 (lactate), respectively. When starting with glucose, the same conditions result in H+ coefficients of -3.98 and -2.67, and -1.97 and –0.67, respectively. The most H+ releasing reaction of glycolysis is the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase reaction, with H+ coefficients for pH 6.0 and 7.0 of -1.58 and -0.76, respectively. Incomplete flux of substrate through glycolysis would increase net H+ release due to the absence of the pyruvate kinase and lactate dehydrogenase reactions, which collectively result in H+ coefficients for pH 6.0 and 7.0 of 1.35 and 1.88, respectively. The data presented provide an extensive reference source for academics and researchers to accurately profile the balance of protons for all metabolites and reactions of non-mitochondrial energy

  5. Competitive cation binding computations of proton balance for reactions of the phosphagen and glycolytic energy systems within skeletal muscle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robergs, Robert Andrew

    2017-01-01

    Limited research and data has been published for the H+ coefficients for the metabolites and reactions involved in non-mitochondrial energy metabolism. The purpose of this investigation was to compute the fractional binding of H+, K+, Na+ and Mg2+ to 21 metabolites of skeletal muscle non-mitochondrial energy metabolism, resulting in 104 different metabolite-cation complexes. Fractional binding of H+ to these metabolite-cation complexes were applied to 17 reactions of skeletal muscle non-mitochondrial energy metabolism, and 8 conditions of the glycolytic pathway based on the source of substrate (glycogen vs. glucose), completeness of glycolytic flux, and the end-point of pyruvate vs. lactate. For pH conditions of 6.0 and 7.0, respectively, H+ coefficients (-'ve values = H+ release) for the creatine kinase, adenylate kinase, AMP deaminase and ATPase reactions were 0.8 and 0.97, -0.13 and -0.02, 1.2 and 1.09, and -0.01 and -0.66, respectively. The glycolytic pathway is net H+ releasing, regardless of lactate production, which consumes 1 H+. For glycolysis fueled by glycogen and ending in either pyruvate or lactate, H+ coefficients for pH 6.0 and 7.0 were -3.97 and -2.01 (pyruvate), and -1.96 and -0.01 (lactate), respectively. When starting with glucose, the same conditions result in H+ coefficients of -3.98 and -2.67, and -1.97 and -0.67, respectively. The most H+ releasing reaction of glycolysis is the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase reaction, with H+ coefficients for pH 6.0 and 7.0 of -1.58 and -0.76, respectively. Incomplete flux of substrate through glycolysis would increase net H+ release due to the absence of the pyruvate kinase and lactate dehydrogenase reactions, which collectively result in H+ coefficients for pH 6.0 and 7.0 of 1.35 and 1.88, respectively. The data presented provide an extensive reference source for academics and researchers to accurately profile the balance of protons for all metabolites and reactions of non-mitochondrial energy

  6. Competitive cation binding computations of proton balance for reactions of the phosphagen and glycolytic energy systems within skeletal muscle.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Robert Andrew Robergs

    Full Text Available Limited research and data has been published for the H+ coefficients for the metabolites and reactions involved in non-mitochondrial energy metabolism. The purpose of this investigation was to compute the fractional binding of H+, K+, Na+ and Mg2+ to 21 metabolites of skeletal muscle non-mitochondrial energy metabolism, resulting in 104 different metabolite-cation complexes. Fractional binding of H+ to these metabolite-cation complexes were applied to 17 reactions of skeletal muscle non-mitochondrial energy metabolism, and 8 conditions of the glycolytic pathway based on the source of substrate (glycogen vs. glucose, completeness of glycolytic flux, and the end-point of pyruvate vs. lactate. For pH conditions of 6.0 and 7.0, respectively, H+ coefficients (-'ve values = H+ release for the creatine kinase, adenylate kinase, AMP deaminase and ATPase reactions were 0.8 and 0.97, -0.13 and -0.02, 1.2 and 1.09, and -0.01 and -0.66, respectively. The glycolytic pathway is net H+ releasing, regardless of lactate production, which consumes 1 H+. For glycolysis fueled by glycogen and ending in either pyruvate or lactate, H+ coefficients for pH 6.0 and 7.0 were -3.97 and -2.01 (pyruvate, and -1.96 and -0.01 (lactate, respectively. When starting with glucose, the same conditions result in H+ coefficients of -3.98 and -2.67, and -1.97 and -0.67, respectively. The most H+ releasing reaction of glycolysis is the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase reaction, with H+ coefficients for pH 6.0 and 7.0 of -1.58 and -0.76, respectively. Incomplete flux of substrate through glycolysis would increase net H+ release due to the absence of the pyruvate kinase and lactate dehydrogenase reactions, which collectively result in H+ coefficients for pH 6.0 and 7.0 of 1.35 and 1.88, respectively. The data presented provide an extensive reference source for academics and researchers to accurately profile the balance of protons for all metabolites and reactions of non

  7. Quantitative method to assess caries via fluorescence imaging from the perspective of autofluorescence spectral analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, Q G; Xu, Y; Zhu, H H; Chen, H; Lin, B

    2015-01-01

    A quantitative method to discriminate caries lesions for a fluorescence imaging system is proposed in this paper. The autofluorescence spectral investigation of 39 teeth samples classified by the International Caries Detection and Assessment System levels was performed at 405 nm excitation. The major differences in the different caries lesions focused on the relative spectral intensity range of 565–750 nm. The spectral parameter, defined as the ratio of wavebands at 565–750 nm to the whole spectral range, was calculated. The image component ratio R/(G + B) of color components was statistically computed by considering the spectral parameters (e.g. autofluorescence, optical filter, and spectral sensitivity) in our fluorescence color imaging system. Results showed that the spectral parameter and image component ratio presented a linear relation. Therefore, the image component ratio was graded as <0.66, 0.66–1.06, 1.06–1.62, and >1.62 to quantitatively classify sound, early decay, established decay, and severe decay tissues, respectively. Finally, the fluorescence images of caries were experimentally obtained, and the corresponding image component ratio distribution was compared with the classification result. A method to determine the numerical grades of caries using a fluorescence imaging system was proposed. This method can be applied to similar imaging systems. (paper)

  8. Thermodynamic Description of Liquid-Liquid Equilibria in Systems 1-Ethyl-3-methylimidazolium Ethylsulfate + C7-Hydrocarbons by Polymer-Solution Models

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Bendová, Magdalena; Wagner, Zdeněk

    2009-01-01

    Roč. 284, č. 2 (2009), s. 80-85 ISSN 0378-3812 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA104/07/0444; GA ČR GP104/06/P066; GA AV ČR IAA400720710 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40720504 Keywords : liquid-liquid equilibrium * ionic liquids * thermodynamic model Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry Impact factor: 1.857, year: 2009

  9. A comparative clinical study of the failure rate of orthodontic brackets bonded with two adhesive systems: conventional and self-etching primer (SEP).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dominguez, Gladys Cristina; Tortamano, André; Lopes, Luiz Vicente de Moura; Catharino, Priscilla Campanatti Chibebe; Morea, Camillo

    2013-01-01

    This study compared the clinical performance of orthodontic brackets bonded with Transbond adhesive paste after two primer systems: a two-stage conventional system (acid etching + Transbond XT adhesive primer) and a single-stage self-etching primer (SEP) (Transbond Plus). The sample comprised 480 metal brackets bonded to the teeth of 24 consecutive patients treated for 36 to 48 months. A split-mouth design was used for bonding, and both systems were used in each patient. Bracket failure rates for each system were analyzed; and failure causes as reported by the patients and the quadrant of teeth for which brackets failed were recorded. The conventional system group had a failure rate of 5.41%, whereas the rate for SEP was 4.58%. In this group, there were 5 failures (38.4%) in the right maxillary quadrant, 2 (15.4%) in the left maxillary quadrant, 4 (30.8%) in the right mandibular quadrant, and 2 (15.4%) in the left mandibular quadrant. In the SEP group, there were 4 (36.4%) failures in the right maxillary quadrant, 1 (9%) in the left maxillary quadrant, 3 (27.3%) in the right mandibular quadrant, and 3 (27.3%) in the left mandibular quadrant. Results of descriptive statistical analysis and odds ratio did not show any significant differences between rates (p = 0.67). The clinical efficiency of SEP was similar to that of the conventional system.

  10. Evaluation of changes in central airway dimensions, lung area and mean lung density at paired inspiratory/expiratory high-resolution computed tomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ederle, J.R.; Heussel, C.P.; Hast, J.; Ley, S.; Thelen, M.; Kauczor, H.U.; Fischer, B.; Beek, E.J.R. van

    2003-01-01

    The aim of this study was to improve the understanding of interdependencies of dynamic changes in central airway dimensions, lung area and lung density on HRCT. The HRCT scans of 156 patients obtained at full inspiratory and expiratory position were evaluated retrospectively. Patients were divided into four groups according to lung function tests: normal subjects (n=47); obstructive (n=74); restrictive (n=19); or mixed ventilatory impairment (n=16). Mean lung density (MLD) was correlated with cross-sectional area of the lung (CSA L ), cross-sectional area of the trachea (CSA T ) and diameter of main-stem bronchi (D B ). The CSA L was correlated with CSA T and D B . MLD correlated with CSA L in normal subjects (r=-0.66, p T in the control group (r=-0.50, p B was found (r=-0.52, p L and CSA T correlated in the control group (r=0.67, p L and D B correlated in the control group (r=0.42, p<0.0001) and in patients with obstructive lung disease (r=0.24, p<0.05). Correlations for patients with restrictive and mixed lung disease were constantly lower. Dependencies between central and peripheral airway dimensions and lung parenchyma are demonstrated by HRCT. Best correlations are observed in normal subjects and patients with obstructive lung disease. Based on these findings we postulate that the dependencies are the result of air-flow and pressure patterns. (orig.)

  11. Fully automatic GBM segmentation in the TCGA-GBM dataset: Prognosis and correlation with VASARI features.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rios Velazquez, Emmanuel; Meier, Raphael; Dunn, William D; Alexander, Brian; Wiest, Roland; Bauer, Stefan; Gutman, David A; Reyes, Mauricio; Aerts, Hugo J W L

    2015-11-18

    Reproducible definition and quantification of imaging biomarkers is essential. We evaluated a fully automatic MR-based segmentation method by comparing it to manually defined sub-volumes by experienced radiologists in the TCGA-GBM dataset, in terms of sub-volume prognosis and association with VASARI features. MRI sets of 109 GBM patients were downloaded from the Cancer Imaging archive. GBM sub-compartments were defined manually and automatically using the Brain Tumor Image Analysis (BraTumIA). Spearman's correlation was used to evaluate the agreement with VASARI features. Prognostic significance was assessed using the C-index. Auto-segmented sub-volumes showed moderate to high agreement with manually delineated volumes (range (r): 0.4 - 0.86). Also, the auto and manual volumes showed similar correlation with VASARI features (auto r = 0.35, 0.43 and 0.36; manual r = 0.17, 0.67, 0.41, for contrast-enhancing, necrosis and edema, respectively). The auto-segmented contrast-enhancing volume and post-contrast abnormal volume showed the highest AUC (0.66, CI: 0.55-0.77 and 0.65, CI: 0.54-0.76), comparable to manually defined volumes (0.64, CI: 0.53-0.75 and 0.63, CI: 0.52-0.74, respectively). BraTumIA and manual tumor sub-compartments showed comparable performance in terms of prognosis and correlation with VASARI features. This method can enable more reproducible definition and quantification of imaging based biomarkers and has potential in high-throughput medical imaging research.

  12. Ultrasonographic study and Doppler flow velocimetry of maternal kidneys and liver in low-risk pregnancy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Daher, Cibele Helena; Gomes, Andrea Cavalanti; Kobayashi, Sergio; Chammas, Maria Cristina, E-mail: cibeledaher@hotmail.com [Universidade de Sao Paulo (In-Rad/HC-FMUSP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil). Hospital das Clinicas. Inst. de Radiologia; Cerri, Giovanni Guido [Universidade de Sao Paulo (FMUSP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil). Fac. de Medicina

    2015-05-15

    Objective: longitudinal study with B-mode ultrasonography and Doppler ultrasonography of maternal kidneys and liver in low-risk pregnancy, to establish and quantify normality parameters, correlating them with physiological changes. Materials and methods: twenty-five pregnant women were assessed and selected to participate in the study, each of them undergoing four examinations at the first, second, third trimesters and postpartum. Results: findings during pregnancy were the following: increased renal volume, pyelocaliceal dilatation with incidence of 45.4% in the right kidney, and 9% in the left kidney; nephrolithiasis, 18.1% in the right kidney, 13.6% in the left kidney. With pyelocaliceal dilatation, mean values for resistivity index were: 0.68 for renal arteries; 0.66 for segmental arteries; 0.64 for interlobar arteries; 0.64 for arcuate arteries. Without pyelocaliceal dilatation, 0.67 for renal arteries; 0.64 for segmental arteries; 0.63 for interlobar arteries; and 0.61 for arcuate arteries. Portal vein flow velocities presented higher values in pregnancy, with mean value for maximum velocity of 28.9 cm/s, and 22.6 cm/s postpartum. The waveform pattern of the right hepatic vein presented changes persisting in the postpartum period in 31.8% of the patients. Cholelithiasis was observed in 18.1% of the patients. Conclusion: alterations in renal volume, pyelocaliceal dilatation, nephrolithiasis, cholelithiasis, changes in portal vein flow velocity, alterations in waveform pattern of the right hepatic vein, proved to be significant. (author)

  13. Regression of the increased common carotid artery-intima media thickness in subclinical hypothyroidism after thyroid hormone replacement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Soo-Kyung; Kim, Se-Hwa; Park, Kyung-Sun; Park, Seok-Won; Cho, Yong-Wook

    2009-01-01

    The association between subclinical hypothyroidism and cardiovascular disease and the beneficial effect of levothyroxine replacement in subclinical hypothyroidism are still under debate. The present study was designed to determine whether subclinical hypothyroidism is associated with an increase in the intima-media thickness of the common carotid artery (C-IMT) and whether thyroid hormone replacement can reverse this change in the C-IMT. Patients with newly-diagnosed subclinical (n=36) and overt (n=40) hypothyroidism and healthy euthyroid individuals (n=32) participated in this study. All the patients were examined for clinical characteristics, and the serum lipid levels and the C-IMT were measured. Patients with subclinical hypothyroidism had a C-IMT measurement after 18 months of levothyroxine replacement. There were meaningful differences in total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol levels between patients with subclinical hypothyroidism and euthyroidism. The subjects with subclinical and overt hypothyroidism had a greater C-IMT compared with euthyroid controls (0.66+/- 0.10 and 0.70+/- 0.11 vs. 0.57+/- 0.08 mm, respectively; P replacement significantly decreased the C-IMT (0.67+/- 0.11 to 0.60+/- 0.10 mm; P = 0.021) and improved the lipid profile. Based on multiple regression analysis, the decrement in LDL-cholesterol was independently associated with the regression of the C-IMT. Subclinical hypothyroidism was closely related to an increased C-IMT. Thyroid hormone replacement resulted in regression of the increased C-IMT, which was attributed to the improvement in the lipid profile.

  14. Live weight and body measurement of Hungarian Thoroughbred broodmares

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Szabolcs Bene

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available Live weights and 21 body measurements of 110 adult brood mares from Thoroughbred breed were evaluated in Hungary. Body measurements and some body measure indices were determined. One way ANOVA was used to compare the studs. Regression equations were developed to estimate the live weight from body measurements. Population genetic parameters of the examined traits were estimated. Only few differences among studs, concerning evaluated body measurements, were presented - firstly: body measurements, related to the kilter and nutritional status (hearth girth - were significant. Between the mentioned traits and the live weight medium positive correlation (r = 0.47 - 0.79; P<0.01 was found. For the estimation of live weight with regression model the necessary data are as follows: hearth girth, 2nd width of rump and diagonal length of body. The determination coefficient was 0.80 (P<0.01. Height at withers, of back and at rump (h2 = 0.66, 0.67 and 0.51 showed medium heritability values. The heritability of depth of chest and height of bieler-point were 0.32 and 0.48, respectively. Quite small differences were found between the stallions in most of the body measurements. The live weight and height measurements were exceptions, as here the differences between the sires were slightly higher. As a conclusion it can be stated that the Thoroughbred population in Hungary is quite homogenous in terms of the most important body measurements.

  15. Local structure of Th1-xMO2 solid solutions (M = U, Pu)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hubert, S.; Heisbourg, G.; Moisy, Ph.; Dacheux, N.; Purans, J.E.

    2004-01-01

    X-ray absorption spectroscopy of Th 1-x U x O 2 and Th 1-x Pu x O 2 solid solutions was carried out on the Th, U L 3 -edges, and Pu L 3 edge to study the local structure environment of actinide mixed oxides. Various compositions of Th 1-x M x O 2 solid solutions have been prepared through the coprecipitation of the mixed oxalates from chloride or nitrate solutions: x = 0.11, 0.24, 0.37, 0.53, 0.67, 0.81, 0.91 and 1 for Th 1-x U x O 2 , and x = 0.13, 0.32, 0.66 and 1 for Th 1-x Pu x O 2 . They were characterized using X- ray diffraction. XRD analysis allowed to confirm that the variation of the lattice parameters varies linearly with the composition between the end members, suggesting that the atomic volume was conserved regardless of the details of the local distortions of the lattice, following the Vegard's law. Extending X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) provides a direct characterization of the local distortions present in solid solutions. We found that opposite to the lattice parameter obtained by XRD, the interatomic distances given by EXAFS do not follow completely to neither the Vegard's law nor the virtual crystal approximation (VCA). However, the average lattice parameter obtained from EXAFS data for the first and the second shells agrees well with the one calculated from XRD data. (authors)

  16. Biohydrogen production by dark fermentation of glycerol using Enterobacter and Citrobacter Sp.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maru, Biniam T; Constanti, Magda; Stchigel, Alberto M; Medina, Francesc; Sueiras, Jesus E

    2013-01-01

    Glycerol is an attractive substrate for biohydrogen production because, in theory, it can produce 3 mol of hydrogen per mol of glycerol. Moreover, glycerol is produced in substantial amounts as a byproduct of producing biodiesel, the demand for which has increased in recent years. Therefore, hydrogen production from glycerol was studied by dark fermentation using three strains of bacteria: namely, Enterobacter spH1, Enterobacter spH2, and Citrobacter freundii H3 and a mixture thereof (1:1:1). It was found that, when an initial concentration of 20 g/L of glycerol was used, all three strains and their mixture produced substantial amounts of hydrogen ranging from 2400 to 3500 mL/L, being highest for C. freundii H3 (3547 mL/L) and Enterobacter spH1 (3506 mL/L). The main nongaseous fermentation products were ethanol and acetate, albeit in different ratios. For Enterobacter spH1, Enterobacter spH2, C. freundii H3, and the mixture (1:1:1), the ethanol yields (in mol EtOH/mol glycerol consumed) were 0.96, 0.67, 0.31, and 0.66, respectively. Compared to the individual strains, the mixture (1:1:1) did not show a significantly higher hydrogen level, indicating that there was no synergistic effect. Enterobacter spH1 was selected for further investigation because of its higher yield of hydrogen and ethanol. Copyright © 2012 American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE).

  17. Correlation between dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI and quantitative histopathologic microvascular parameters in organ-confined prostate cancer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Niekerk, Cornelis G. van; Laak, Jeroen A.W.M. van der; Kaa, Christina A.H. de [Radboud University Medical Centre, Department of Pathology, P.O. Box 9101, Nijmegen (Netherlands); Hambrock, Thomas; Huisman, Henk-Jan; Barentsz, Jelle O. [Radboud University Medical Centre, Department of Radiology, Nijmegen (Netherlands); Witjes, J.A. [Radboud University Medical Centre, Department of Urology, Nijmegen (Netherlands)

    2014-10-15

    To correlate pharmacokinetic parameters of 3-T dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE-)MRI with histopathologic microvascular and lymphatic parameters in organ-confined prostate cancer. In 18 patients with unilateral peripheral zone (pT2a) tumours who underwent DCE-MRI prior to radical prostatectomy (RP), the following pharmacokinetic parameters were assessed: permeability surface area volume transfer constant (K{sup trans}), extravascular extracellular volume (Ve) and rate constant (K{sub ep}). In the RP sections blood and lymph vessels were visualised immunohistochemically and automatically examined and analysed. Parameters assessed included microvessel density (MVD), area (MVA) and perimeter (MVP) as well as lymph vessel density (LVD), area (LVA) and perimeter (LVP). A negative correlation was found between age and K{sup trans} and K{sub ep} for tumour (r = -0.60, p = 0.009; r = -0.67, p = 0.002) and normal (r = -0.54, p = 0.021; r = -0.46, p = 0.055) tissue. No correlation existed between absolute values of microvascular parameters from histopathology and DCE-MRI. In contrast, the ratio between tumour and normal tissue (correcting for individual microvascularity variations) significantly correlated between K{sub ep} and MVD (r = 0.61, p = 0.007) and MVP (r = 0.54, p = 0.022). The lymphovascular parameters showed only a correlation between LVA and K{sub ep} (r = -0.66, p = 0.003). Significant correlations between DCE-MRI and histopathologic parameters were found when correcting for interpatient variations in microvascularity. (orig.)

  18. Discriminación de sedimentos contaminados con jales mineros por medio de la forma de granos de cuarzo

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Raúl Miranda-Avilés

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available En este trabajo se presenta un método alterno al análisis geoquímico para identificar la existencia de jales mineros en sedimentos y/o suelos por medio del análisis digital de imagen y parámetros de forma de cristales de cuarzo. El método se aplicó a jales mineros, sedimentos naturales y antropogénicos del Distrito Minero de Guanajuato. El parámetro que mejor discriminó los 3 grupos de granos de cuarzo (jales, antropogénico y natural es la circularidad (C. La (C promedio de cuarzo natural es 0.73, mientras que los cuarzos de jales presentan un promedio de 0.64 y los cuarzos de origen antropogénico presentan una (C entre 0.66 a 0.67. La metodología empleada puede aplicarse en la identificación de antiguos depósitos de jales mineros que actualmente estén mezclados y/o cubiertos por la mancha urbana en antiguos distritos mineros, donde no se cuenta con referencias de su distribución. También en zonas de cultivo que contengan jales mezclados y que potencialmente aporten metales. Otra aplicación potencial puede ser en sondeos de suelos como complemento a la geoquímica, permitiendo la identificación de jales e interpolación en horizontes donde solo se cuente con pocas muestras geoquímicas.

  19. Genetic parameter estimates among scale activity score and farrowing disposition with reproductive traits in swine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schneider, J F; Rempel, L A; Rohrer, G A; Brown-Brandl, T M

    2011-11-01

    The primary objective of this study was to determine if certain behavior traits were genetically correlated with reproduction. If 1 or both of the behavior traits were found to be correlated, a secondary objective was to determine if the behavior traits could be useful in selecting for more productive females. A scale activity score taken at 5 mo of age and a farrowing disposition score taken at farrowing were selected as the behavioral traits. Scale activity score ranged from 1 to 5 and farrowing disposition ranged from 1 to 3. Reproductive traits included age at puberty, number born alive, number born dead, litter birth weight, average piglet birth weight, number weaned, litter weaning weight, average weaning weight, wean-to-estrus interval, ovulation rate including gilts, and postweaning ovulation rate. Genetic correlations between scale activity score and reproduction ranged from -0.79 to 0.61. Three of the correlations, number born alive (P < 0.01), average piglet birth weight (P < 0.001), and wean-to-estrus interval (P = 0.014), were statistically significant but included both favorable and antagonistic correlations. In contrast, all but 1 of the farrowing disposition correlations was favorable and ranged from -0.66 to 0.67. Although only the correlation with litter birth weight was significant (P = 0.018), the consistent favorable direction of all farrowing disposition correlations, except average weaning weight, shows a potential for inclusion of farrowing disposition into a selection program.

  20. Validity and reliability of the TED-QOL: a new three-item questionnaire to assess quality of life in thyroid eye disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fayers, Tessa; Dolman, Peter J

    2011-12-01

    To develop and test a user-friendly questionnaire for rapidly assessing quality of life (QOL) in thyroid eye disease (TED). A three-item questionnaire, the TED-QOL, was designed and compared to the 16-item Graves Ophthalmopathy (GO)-QOL and the nine-item GO-Quality of Life Scale (QLS). 100 patients with TED were administered all three questionnaires on two occasions. Results were compared to clinical severity scores (Vision, Inflammation, Strabismus, Appearance (VISA) classification). Main outcomes were construct and criterion validity, test-retest reliability, duration, comprehension and completion rates. TED-QOL correlated strongly with the other questionnaires for corresponding items (Pearson correlation: appearance 0.71, 0.62; functioning 0.69, 0.66; overall QOL 0.53). Test-retest analysis demonstrated good reliability for all three questionnaires (intraclass correlations: TED-QOL 0.81, 0.74, 0.87; GO-QOL 0.81, 0.82; GO-QLS 0.74, 0.86, 0.67). TED-QOL was significantly faster to complete (1.6 min vs GO-QOL 3.1 min, GO-QLS 2.7 min, p<0.0001) and had a higher completion rate (100% vs GO-QOL 78%, GO-QLS 94%). There was only moderate correlation between items on all three questionnaires and VISA scores. The TED-QOL is rapid and easy to complete and analyse and has similar validity and reliability to longer questionnaires. All questionnaires showed only moderate correlation with disease severity, emphasising the discrepancy between objective and subjective assessments and the importance of measuring both.

  1. Ultrasonographic study and Doppler flow velocimetry of maternal kidneys and liver in low-risk pregnancy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Daher, Cibele Helena; Gomes, Andrea Cavalanti; Kobayashi, Sergio; Chammas, Maria Cristina; Cerri, Giovanni Guido

    2015-01-01

    Objective: longitudinal study with B-mode ultrasonography and Doppler ultrasonography of maternal kidneys and liver in low-risk pregnancy, to establish and quantify normality parameters, correlating them with physiological changes. Materials and methods: twenty-five pregnant women were assessed and selected to participate in the study, each of them undergoing four examinations at the first, second, third trimesters and postpartum. Results: findings during pregnancy were the following: increased renal volume, pyelocaliceal dilatation with incidence of 45.4% in the right kidney, and 9% in the left kidney; nephrolithiasis, 18.1% in the right kidney, 13.6% in the left kidney. With pyelocaliceal dilatation, mean values for resistivity index were: 0.68 for renal arteries; 0.66 for segmental arteries; 0.64 for interlobar arteries; 0.64 for arcuate arteries. Without pyelocaliceal dilatation, 0.67 for renal arteries; 0.64 for segmental arteries; 0.63 for interlobar arteries; and 0.61 for arcuate arteries. Portal vein flow velocities presented higher values in pregnancy, with mean value for maximum velocity of 28.9 cm/s, and 22.6 cm/s postpartum. The waveform pattern of the right hepatic vein presented changes persisting in the postpartum period in 31.8% of the patients. Cholelithiasis was observed in 18.1% of the patients. Conclusion: alterations in renal volume, pyelocaliceal dilatation, nephrolithiasis, cholelithiasis, changes in portal vein flow velocity, alterations in waveform pattern of the right hepatic vein, proved to be significant. (author)

  2. Value of Resistive lndex of the lntrascrotal Artery in ScrotaI Inflammatory Disease

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jee, Won Hee; Yoon, Yeo Dong; Hwang, Sung Su; Choi, Byung Gil; Son, Kyung Myung; Lee, Sung Yong; Kim, Ki Tae; Shinn, Kyung Sub

    1995-01-01

    This prospective study was designed to investigate the utility of resistive indices(RIs) of intratesticular and epididymal arteries in inflammatory scrotal disease. Gray-scale and color Doppler ultrasonographic images were obtained in 19 consecutive patients of scrotal inflammatory disease from Nov.1993 to Oct. 1994. Eleven cases of epididymitis and 11 of epididymoorchitis(EO) were included. RIs of epididymal and centripetal arteries were calculated in 19 patients and 30 cases of control. All EO and epididymitis cases showed increased color signal at color Doppler ultrasonogram at representative sites. Mean RI of centripetal artery was 0.46±0.06 in EO and 0.66±0.07 in normal control, hence RI in EO was significantly lower than that of normal control(P<0.001). The diagnostic sensitivity was 91% when the value of 0.5 or less is estimated abnormal.Mean RI of centripetal artery was 0.67±0.07 in epididymitis, and was not significantly different from that of normal control(P=0.687). Mean RI of epididymal artery in epididymitis and EO was 0.48±0.12 and resistive index of all patients were below 0.7. Color Doppler can demonstrate the hyperemic response to scrotal inflammatory disease that it can supplement the gray scale finding leading to increased diagnostic confidence. RI of centripetal artery may be confirmative in the diagnosis of inflammatory scrotal inflammatory scrotal diseases when increased color flow on color flow imaging is present

  3. Cumulative energy demand and global warming potential of a building-integrated solar thermal system with/without phase change material.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lamnatou, Chr; Motte, F; Notton, G; Chemisana, D; Cristofari, C

    2018-04-15

    Building-integrated solar thermal (BIST) systems are a specific type of solar thermal systems which are integrated into the building and they participate in building functionality. The present article is about the life-cycle assessment of different options of a BIST system (Mediterranean climatic conditions: Ajaccio, France). The environmental profile of the studied configurations is assessed by means of CED (cumulative energy demand), GWP (global warming potential) and EPBT (energy payback time). The proposed configurations (for the collector) include: i) a system without PCM (phase change material) using only rock wool as insulation and ii) a system with PCM (myristic acid) and rock wool. Concerning life-cycle results based on CED and GWP 100a (scenario without recycling), the configuration without PCM shows 0.67 MJ prim /kWh and 0.06 kg CO 2.eq /kWh while the configuration with PCM presents 0.74 MJ prim /kWh and 0.08 kg CO 2.eq /kWh. Regarding EPBT, if the inputs for pumping/auxiliary heating are not taken into account, both configurations (with/without PCM) have almost the same EPBT (about 1.3 years). On the other hand, if the inputs for pumping/auxiliary heating are considered, EPBT is lower for the system with PCM. In addition, scenarios with recycling have been examined and the results demonstrate that recycling considerably improves the environmental profile of the studied configurations. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Induced motor vehicle travel from improved fuel efficiency and road expansion

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Su Qing, E-mail: suq1@nku.edu [Department of Marketing, Economics and Sports Business, Northern Kentucky University, AST Center, Office 338, Nunn Drive, Highland Heights, KY 41099 (United States)

    2011-11-15

    This paper investigates the impact of improved fuel efficiency and road network expansion on motor vehicle travel using a system dynamic panel data estimator and panel data at the state level for the 2001-2008 period. Our model accounts for endogenous changes in fuel efficiency, congestion, fuel cost per mile, and vehicle stock. Our regression results suggest that the short run rebound effect is 0.0276 while the long run rebound effect is 0.11. The short run effect of road capacity per capita is 0.066 while the long run effect is 0.26. - Highlights: > We estimate two effects: the rebound effect and induced travel effect at the state level. > System dynamic panel data approach is used to address endogeneity issue. > In the period of 2001-2008, the rebound effect is 0.0276 in the short run and 0.11 in the long run. > Increase in road capacity induces motor vehicle travel. > Induced travel effect is 0. 0.066 in the short run and 0.26 in the long run.

  5. Induced motor vehicle travel from improved fuel efficiency and road expansion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Su Qing

    2011-01-01

    This paper investigates the impact of improved fuel efficiency and road network expansion on motor vehicle travel using a system dynamic panel data estimator and panel data at the state level for the 2001-2008 period. Our model accounts for endogenous changes in fuel efficiency, congestion, fuel cost per mile, and vehicle stock. Our regression results suggest that the short run rebound effect is 0.0276 while the long run rebound effect is 0.11. The short run effect of road capacity per capita is 0.066 while the long run effect is 0.26. - Highlights: → We estimate two effects: the rebound effect and induced travel effect at the state level. → System dynamic panel data approach is used to address endogeneity issue. → In the period of 2001-2008, the rebound effect is 0.0276 in the short run and 0.11 in the long run. → Increase in road capacity induces motor vehicle travel. → Induced travel effect is 0. 0.066 in the short run and 0.26 in the long run.

  6. Isozyme Analysis on Different Varieties of Sugarcane

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Johnson M.

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available Isozymic and protein diversity among five sugarcane varieties viz., Co 6304, Co 85019, Co 8371, Co 89003 and Co 91010 were studied to understand the varietal interrelationship and to identify the biochemical marker for the disease resistance and stress tolerance. The standard technique of vertical gel electrophoresis PAGE was employed for size separation of isozymes. The gel was stained with different staining solutions for different isozyme systems viz. peroxidase, esterase, acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase and proteins. Rf values of the banding profiles, similarity index and variation between the varieties were analysed. Among the four enzyme systems, peroxidase profile reveals the difference between the disease resistant / susceptible and abiotic stress tolerant / non tolerant varieties. The two isoperoxidase bands with Rf values 0.62 and 0.66 showed their presence in disease resistant and abiotic tolerant varieties. The presence of two marker bands (0.62, 0.66 of resistant and stress tolerant varieties suggest that the variety Co 6304 may also be resistant to smut, wilt and moderately resistant to red rot and tolerant to drought.

  7. Carbon nanotube torsional springs for regenerative braking systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Sanwei; Martin, Corbin; Lashmore, David; Schauer, Mark; Livermore, Carol

    2015-10-01

    The modeling and demonstration of large stroke, high energy density and high power density torsional springs based on carbon nanotube (CNT) yarns is reported, as well as their application as energy-storing actuators for regenerative braking systems. An originally untwisted CNT yarn is cyclically loaded and unloaded in torsion, with the maximum rotation angle increasing incrementally until failure. The measured average extractable energy density values are 2.9 kJ kg-1  ±  1.2 kJ kg-1 and 3.4 kJ kg-1  ±  0.4 kJ kg-1 for 1-ply CNT yarns and 2-ply CNT yarns, respectively. Additionally, a regenerative braking system is demonstrated to capture the kinetic energy of a wheel and store it as elastic energy in twisted CNT yarns. When the yarn’s twist is released, the stored energy reaccelerates the wheel. The measured energy and mean power densities of the CNT yarns in the simple regenerative braking setup are on average 3.3 kJ kg-1 and 0.67 kW kg-1, respectively, with maximum measured values of up to 4.7 kJ kg-1 and 1.2 kW kg-1, respectively. A slightly lower energy density of up to 1.2 kJ kg-1 and a 0.29 kW kg-1 mean power density are measured for CNT yarns in a more complex setup that mimics a unidirectional rotating regenerative braking mechanism.

  8. Strain, size and field effects in (La,Ca)MnO3 thin films

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Beekman, Christianne

    2010-01-01

    Doped manganese oxides such as La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 (LCMO) are strongly correlated electron systems which display an insulator to metal transition upon cooling at a temperature T_MI. At low temperature the material is ferromagnetic. Above the transition the material is a paramagnetic insulator in which

  9. Polymorphism of tungsten perovskite compounds Ba/sub 2/SEsub(0. 67)WO/sub 6/

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schittenhelm, H J; Kemmler-Sack, S [Tuebingen Univ. (F.R. Germany). Inst. fuer Anorganische Chemie

    1976-09-01

    The compounds Ba/sub 2/SEsub(0.67)WO/sub 6/ with SE = Gd-Lu are polymorphic. Above 1200/sup 0/C the instable cubic modification (ordered perovskite with 4 formula units Ba/sub 2/SEsub(0.67)vacantsub(0.33)WO/sub 6/ per cell) transforms irreversibly into a hexagonal modification with completely filled cationic lattice. For Ba/sub 2/Eusub(0.67)WO/sub 6/ the transformation is incomplete. With SE = Nd and Sm only the cubic modification is formed.

  10. DoD Components Did Not Properly Use the Acquisition and Cross Service Agreement Automated Tracking and Reporting System

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-03-24

    Secretary of Defense and Congress; and informs the public. Vision Our vision is to be a model oversight organization in the Federal Government by leading...valued at $223 million, were accurate or had been reimbursed . We nonstatistically-selected and reviewed 175 of 576 ARCENT and AFCENT ACSA orders...DSN 664-9187). Michael J. Roark Assistant Inspector General Contract Management and Payments iv │ DODIG-2016-067 Distribution: UNDER SECRETARY OF

  11. Photonic Technologies for Ultra-High-Speed Information Highways

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bouchoule, S; Lèfevre, R.; Legros, E.

    1999-01-01

    The ACTS project HIGHWAY (AC067) addresses promising ultra-high speed optoelectronic components and system technologies for 40 Gbit/s time-division-multiplexed (TDM) transport systems. Advanced 40 Gbit/s TDM system lab demonstrators are to be realized and tested over installed field fiber testbeds....... This paper reviews the current status of 40 Gbit/s TDM components and subsystem technologies achieved in HIGHWAY. The results of HIGHWAY 40 Gbit/s TDM systems and field tests will be reported in a subsequent paper. (C) 1999 Academic Press....

  12. Manipulation of polar order in the “empty” tetragonal tungsten bronzes: Ba{sub 4-x}Sr{sub x}Dy{sub 0.67}□{sub 1.33}Nb{sub 10}O{sub 30}, x = 0, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 3

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gardner, Jonathan; Morrison, Finlay D., E-mail: finlay.morrison@st-andrews.ac.uk [EaStCHEM School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews KY16 9ST (United Kingdom)

    2016-08-15

    A series of “empty” tetragonal tungsten bronze (TTB) ferroelectrics, Ba{sub 4-x}Sr{sub x}Dy{sub 0.67}□{sub 1.33}Nb{sub 10}O{sub 30} (x = 0, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 3; □ = vacancy), is reported. With increasing x the unit cell contracts in both the ab plane and c-axis; x ≤ 1 compounds are normal ferroelectrics (FE) with decreasing T{sub C} as x increases, while x ≥ 2 are relaxor ferroelectrics (RFE) with associated frequency dependent permittivity peaks and with similar T{sub m} and T{sub f} (Vogel-Fulcher freezing temperatures) values. This observation is rationalised by differing cation occupancies: for x ≤ 1, Sr{sup 2+} principally occupies the A2-site (co-occupied by Ba{sup 2+} with the A1-site occupied by Dy{sup 3+} and vacancies); for x ≥ 2 significant Sr A1-site occupation leads to the observed RFE characteristics. This FE to RFE crossover is consistent with a previously proposed TTB crystal chemical framework where both a decrease in average A-site size and concurrent increase in A1-site tolerance factor (t{sub A1}) favour destabilization of long range polar order and relaxor behaviour. The effect of increasing t{sub A1} as a result of Sr occupancy at the A1 site is dominant in the compounds reported here.

  13. Reproducibilidad del diagnóstico histopatológico de lesiones precursoras del carcinoma gástrico en tres países latinoamericanos Reproducibility of histopathologic diagnosis of precursor lesions of gastric carcinoma in three Latin American countries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elena Kasamatsu

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available Objetivo. Evaluar la concordancia en el diagnóstico de lesiones precursoras del carcinoma gástrico de tipo intestinal entre observadores con diferente experiencia. Material y métodos. Se estudiaron 1 056 casos de biopsias gástricas: 341 de Colombia, 382 de México y 333 de Paraguay. En el diagnóstico de cada caso participaron patólogos sin experiencia en patología gastrointestinal (A, patólogos con experiencia en patología gastrointestinal (B y expertos que trabajan en un centro de referencia internacional (C. Resultados. La concordancia (k entre patólogos inexpertos y expertos fue pobre en el diagnóstico de gastritis atrófica (k=0.04 a 0.12 y displasia (k=0.11 a 0.05 y buena en el diagnóstico de metaplasia intestinal (k=0.52 a 0.58; la supervisión de un patólogo inexperto por un experto mejoró notablemente la concordancia en el diagnóstico de gastritis atrófica (k=0.65 y metaplasia intestinal (k=0.91 y, en un menor grado, de displasia (k=0.28. Al comparar la concordancia entre expertos antes y después de la reunión de consenso no hubo variación en el diagnóstico de gastritis atrófica (k=0.57; la concordancia varió de buena a excelente en el de metaplasia intestinal (k=0.67 a 0.81 y de pobre a buena en el de displasia (k=0.18 a 0.66. Conclusión. Los principales problemas se presentan en el diagnóstico de la gastritis crónica atrófica y la displasia. La concordancia interobservador depende de la experiencia del observador y la lectura de consenso.Objective. The aim was to evaluate the concordance in the diagnosis of precursor lesions of intestinal-type gastric carcinoma among observers with different levels of experience. Material and Methods. Gastric biopsies from 1 056 cases were studied: 341 from Colombia, 382 from Mexico, and 333 from Paraguay. Pathologists without experience (A and with experience (B in gastrointestinal pathology, as well as experts working in an international reference center (C participated in

  14. Composição centesimal, lisina disponível e digestibilidade in vitro de proteínas de fórmulas para nutrição oral ou enteral Proximate composition, available lysine and in vitro digestibility of proteins in formulae for oral or enteral nutrition

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Edma M. Araújo

    2005-12-01

    Full Text Available Ultimamente tem-se verificado aumento do uso de nutrição enteral (NE em domicílio, objetivando reduzir custos e melhorar a qualidade de vida. Contudo, é importante monitorar o valor nutricional das dietas. Nesse estudo foram avaliadas as formulações F1 e F2 (ARAÚJO; GALEAZZI, 1999 contendo carne bovina, ovo (F1, chicória, cenoura, fubá de milho, extrato hidrossolúvel de soja, óleo de soja, Nidex® e sal, para uso em NE ou oral domiciliar, objetivando obter dados mais confiáveis e seguros. Foram determinadas: composição centesimal, digestibilidade in vitro e lisina disponível. As composições centesimais (base seca foram as seguintes: F1: calorias 454,69, umidade 79,29±0,07, proteína 17,04±0,06, lipídios 14,85±0,11, carboidratos 63,22, fibra alimentar solúvel 0,67±0,66 e insolúvel 1,65±0,73, cinzas 2,57±0,01; F2: calorias 463,92, umidade 78,96±0,09, proteína 16,56±0,09, lipídios 15,12±0,20, fibra alimentar solúvel 1,09±0,11 e insolúvel 1,84±0,09, carboidratos 65,40 e cinzas 2,63±0,08. A distribuição calórica mostrou-se adequada. Os teores de lisina eram 80 mg/g de proteína para F1 e 139 para F2. A digestibilidade (% das proteínas foi 95 para F1 e 93 para F2. As formulações são factíveis de preparo em domicílio, possuem fontes de proteína de boa qualidade, baixo custo, podendo atender às necessidades nutricionais de indivíduos em terapia nutricional domiciliar e promover a recuperação nutricional.Recently the use of home enteral nutrition (EN has increased, aimed at reducing costs and improving the quality of life. Monitoring the nutritional value of these diets is therefore important. In this study the formulations F1 and F2 (ARAÚJO; GALEAZZI, 1999 containing beef, egg (F1, chicory, carrot, corn grits, ater-soluble soybean extract, soybean oil, Nidex ater-soluble soybean extract, soybean oil, Nidex® and salt, ere evaluated for use in home EN, aiming at obtaining more reliable, safer data. The

  15. Monitoring the growth of SrTiO{sub 3} and La{sub 0.66}Sr{sub 0.33}MnO{sub 3} thin films using a low-pressure Reflection High Energy Electron Diffraction system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mercey, Bernard; David, Adrian; Copie, Olivier; Prellier, Wilfrid, E-mail: wilfrid.prellier@ensicaen.fr

    2016-12-15

    Oxides display a variety of electronic phenomena, including ferroelectricity, magnetism or multiferroicity. Recently, a large interest has raised from the interfaces between two oxides of few unit cells, which show unexpected electronic properties such as superconductivity or magnetism. Thus, the structural quality of interfaces as well as a precise control of the thickness are main challenges for researchers who grow oxide films. To achieve such a high quality interface and a careful control of the growth, Reflection High Energy Electron Diffraction in-situ monitoring, is often used and mounted in a pulsed laser ablation system. While high pressure is widely utilized, low pressure is rarely utilized for oxides except when coupled to a molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) chamber. Here, the preparation of high-quality oxide thin films is reported and the different factors which affect the reliability of such an approach are presented, i.e. the correlation between the observed intensity oscillations and the deposited thickness. It is shown that oxides thin films grown on SrTiO{sub 3} single crystals, in a low-pressure environment with the laser-MBE system, possess extremely high physical characteristics (magnetoresistance, ferroelectricity, ferromagnetism, metal/insulating transition) very close to the bulk values and that the interface is nearly perfect, of the same quality as found for semiconductors.

  16. Alcohol, tobacco and breast cancer--collaborative reanalysis of individual data from 53 epidemiological studies, including 58,515 women with breast cancer and 95,067 women without the disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamajima, N; Hirose, K; Tajima, K; Rohan, T; Calle, E E; Heath, C W; Coates, R J; Liff, J M; Talamini, R; Chantarakul, N; Koetsawang, S; Rachawat, D; Morabia, A; Schuman, L; Stewart, W; Szklo, M; Bain, C; Schofield, F; Siskind, V; Band, P; Coldman, A J; Gallagher, R P; Hislop, T G; Yang, P; Kolonel, L M; Nomura, A M Y; Hu, J; Johnson, K C; Mao, Y; De Sanjosé, S; Lee, N; Marchbanks, P; Ory, H W; Peterson, H B; Wilson, H G; Wingo, P A; Ebeling, K; Kunde, D; Nishan, P; Hopper, J L; Colditz, G; Gajalanski, V; Martin, N; Pardthaisong, T; Silpisornkosol, S; Theetranont, C; Boosiri, B; Chutivongse, S; Jimakorn, P; Virutamasen, P; Wongsrichanalai, C; Ewertz, M; Adami, H O; Bergkvist, L; Magnusson, C; Persson, I; Chang-Claude, J; Paul, C; Skegg, D C G; Spears, G F S; Boyle, P; Evstifeeva, T; Daling, J R; Hutchinson, W B; Malone, K; Noonan, E A; Stanford, J L; Thomas, D B; Weiss, N S; White, E; Andrieu, N; Brêmond, A; Clavel, F; Gairard, B; Lansac, J; Piana, L; Renaud, R; Izquierdo, A; Viladiu, P; Cuevas, H R; Ontiveros, P; Palet, A; Salazar, S B; Aristizabel, N; Cuadros, A; Tryggvadottir, L; Tulinius, H; Bachelot, A; Lê, M G; Peto, J; Franceschi, S; Lubin, F; Modan, B; Ron, E; Wax, Y; Friedman, G D; Hiatt, R A; Levi, F; Bishop, T; Kosmelj, K; Primic-Zakelj, M; Ravnihar, B; Stare, J; Beeson, W L; Fraser, G; Bullbrook, R D; Cuzick, J; Duffy, S W; Fentiman, I S; Hayward, J L; Wang, D Y; McMichael, A J; McPherson, K; Hanson, R L; Leske, M C; Mahoney, M C; Nasca, P C; Varma, A O; Weinstein, A L; Moller, T R; Olsson, H; Ranstam, J; Goldbohm, R A; van den Brandt, P A; Apelo, R A; Baens, J; de la Cruz, J R; Javier, B; Lacaya, L B; Ngelangel, C A; La Vecchia, C; Negri, E; Marubini, E; Ferraroni, M; Gerber, M; Richardson, S; Segala, C; Gatei, D; Kenya, P; Kungu, A; Mati, J G; Brinton, L A; Hoover, R; Schairer, C; Spirtas, R; Lee, H P; Rookus, M A; van Leeuwen, F E; Schoenberg, J A; McCredie, M; Gammon, M D; Clarke, E A; Jones, L; Neil, A; Vessey, M; Yeates, D; Appleby, P; Banks, E; Beral, V; Bull, D; Crossley, B; Goodill, A; Green, J; Hermon, C; Key, T; Langston, N; Lewis, C; Reeves, G; Collins, R; Doll, R; Peto, R; Mabuchi, K; Preston, D; Hannaford, P; Kay, C; Rosero-Bixby, L; Gao, Y T; Jin, F; Yuan, J-M; Wei, H Y; Yun, T; Zhiheng, C; Berry, G; Cooper Booth, J; Jelihovsky, T; MacLennan, R; Shearman, R; Wang, Q-S; Baines, C-J; Miller, A B; Wall, C; Lund, E; Stalsberg, H; Shu, X O; Zheng, W; Katsouyanni, K; Trichopoulou, A; Trichopoulos, D; Dabancens, A; Martinez, L; Molina, R; Salas, O; Alexander, F E; Anderson, K; Folsom, A R; Hulka, B S; Bernstein, L; Enger, S; Haile, R W; Paganini-Hill, A; Pike, M C; Ross, R K; Ursin, G; Yu, M C; Longnecker, M P; Newcomb, P; Bergkvist, L; Kalache, A; Farley, T M M; Holck, S; Meirik, O

    2002-11-18

    Alcohol and tobacco consumption are closely correlated and published results on their association with breast cancer have not always allowed adequately for confounding between these exposures. Over 80% of the relevant information worldwide on alcohol and tobacco consumption and breast cancer were collated, checked and analysed centrally. Analyses included 58,515 women with invasive breast cancer and 95,067 controls from 53 studies. Relative risks of breast cancer were estimated, after stratifying by study, age, parity and, where appropriate, women's age when their first child was born and consumption of alcohol and tobacco. The average consumption of alcohol reported by controls from developed countries was 6.0 g per day, i.e. about half a unit/drink of alcohol per day, and was greater in ever-smokers than never-smokers, (8.4 g per day and 5.0 g per day, respectively). Compared with women who reported drinking no alcohol, the relative risk of breast cancer was 1.32 (1.19-1.45, P/=45 g per day alcohol. The relative risk of breast cancer increased by 7.1% (95% CI 5.5-8.7%; P<0.00001) for each additional 10 g per day intake of alcohol, i.e. for each extra unit or drink of alcohol consumed on a daily basis. This increase was the same in ever-smokers and never-smokers (7.1% per 10 g per day, P<0.00001, in each group). By contrast, the relationship between smoking and breast cancer was substantially confounded by the effect of alcohol. When analyses were restricted to 22 255 women with breast cancer and 40 832 controls who reported drinking no alcohol, smoking was not associated with breast cancer (compared to never-smokers, relative risk for ever-smokers=1.03, 95% CI 0.98-1.07, and for current smokers=0.99, 0.92-1.05). The results for alcohol and for tobacco did not vary substantially across studies, study designs, or according to 15 personal characteristics of the women; nor were the findings materially confounded by any of these factors. If the observed relationship

  17. Pramana – Journal of Physics | Indian Academy of Sciences

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Author Affiliations. Amitabha Nandi1 Ram Ramaswamy1 2. School of Physical Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110 067, India; Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, School of Information Technology, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110 067, India ...

  18. A comparative clinical study of the failure rate of orthodontic brackets bonded with two adhesive systems: conventional and self-etching primer (SEP

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gladys Cristina Dominguez

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: This study compared the clinical performance of orthodontic brackets bonded with Transbond adhesive paste after two priming systems: a two-stage conventional system (acid etching + Transbond XT adhesive primer and a singlestage self-etching primer (SEP (Transbond Plus. METHODS: The sample comprised 480 metal brackets bonded to the teeth of 24 consecutive patients treated for 36 to 48 months. A split-mouth design was used for bonding, and both systems were used in each patient. Bracket failure rates for each system were analyzed; and failure causes as reported by the patients and the quadrant of teeth for which brackets failed were recorded. RESULTS: The conventional system group had a failure rate of 5.41%, whereas the rate for SEP was 4.58%. In this group, there were 5 failures (38.4% in the right maxillary quadrant, 2 (15.4% in the left maxillary quadrant, 4 (30.8% in the right mandibular quadrant, and 2 (15.4% in the left mandibular quadrant. In the SEP group, there were 4 (36.4% failures in the right maxillary quadrant, 1 (9% in the left maxillary quadrant, 3 (27.3% in the right mandibular quadrant, and 3 (27.3% in the left mandibular quadrant. Results of descriptive statistical analysis and odds ratio did not show any significant differences between rates (p = 0.67. CONCLUSION: The clinical efficiency of SEP was similar to that of the conventional system.

  19. Arrhythmias in the developing heart

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Sedmera, David; Kočková, Radka; Vostárek, František; Raddatz, E.

    2015-01-01

    Roč. 213, č. 2 (2015), s. 303-320 ISSN 1748-1708 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GAP302/11/1308; GA ČR(CZ) GA13-12412S Institutional support: RVO:67985823 Keywords : anti-arrhythmic drugs * cardiac development * chick embryo * conduction system * hypoxia * mouse Subject RIV: FA - Cardiovascular Diseases incl. Cardiotharic Surgery Impact factor: 4.066, year: 2015

  20. British athletics muscle injury classification: a reliability study for a new grading system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Patel, A.; Chakraverty, J.; Pollock, N.; Chakraverty, R.; Suokas, A.K.; James, S.L.

    2015-01-01

    Aim: To implement and validate the newly proposed British athletics muscle injury classification in the assessment of hamstring injuries in track and field athletes and to analyse the nature and frequency of the discrepancies. Materials and methods: This was a retrospective study analysing hamstring injuries in elite British athletes using the proposed classification system. Classification of 65 hamstring injuries in 45 high-level athletes by two radiologists at two time points 4 months apart to determine interrater variability, intrarater variability, and feasibility of the classification system was undertaken. Results: Interrater Kappa values of 0.80 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.67–0.92; p<0.0001) for Round 1 and 0.88 (95% CI: 0.76–1.00; p<0.0001) for Round 2 of the review were observed. Percentages of agreement were 85% for Round 1 and 91% for Round 2. The intrarater Kappa value for the two reviewers were 0.76 (95% CI: 0.63–0.88; p<0.0001) and 0.65 (95% CI: 0.53–0.76; p<0.0001) and the average was 0.71 suggesting substantial overall agreement. The percentages of agreement were 82% and 72%, respectively. Conclusions: This classification system is straightforward to use and produces both reproducible and consistent results based on interrater and intrarater Kappa values with at least substantial agreement in all groups. Further work is ongoing to investigate whether individual grades within this classification system provide prognostic information and could guide clinical management. - Highlights: • This classification system is based on MRI parameters shown to have prognostic relevance. • It is simple to use, reproducible and clinically relevant which will enhance clinical practice. • Once clinicians are familiar with the classification inter & intrarater reliability will improve.

  1. Carbon nanotube torsional springs for regenerative braking systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, Sanwei; Martin, Corbin; Livermore, Carol; Lashmore, David; Schauer, Mark

    2015-01-01

    The modeling and demonstration of large stroke, high energy density and high power density torsional springs based on carbon nanotube (CNT) yarns is reported, as well as their application as energy-storing actuators for regenerative braking systems. An originally untwisted CNT yarn is cyclically loaded and unloaded in torsion, with the maximum rotation angle increasing incrementally until failure. The measured average extractable energy density values are 2.9 kJ kg −1   ±  1.2 kJ kg −1 and 3.4 kJ kg −1   ±  0.4 kJ kg −1 for 1-ply CNT yarns and 2-ply CNT yarns, respectively. Additionally, a regenerative braking system is demonstrated to capture the kinetic energy of a wheel and store it as elastic energy in twisted CNT yarns. When the yarn’s twist is released, the stored energy reaccelerates the wheel. The measured energy and mean power densities of the CNT yarns in the simple regenerative braking setup are on average 3.3 kJ kg −1 and 0.67 kW kg −1 , respectively, with maximum measured values of up to 4.7 kJ kg −1 and 1.2 kW kg −1 , respectively. A slightly lower energy density of up to 1.2 kJ kg −1 and a 0.29 kW kg −1 mean power density are measured for CNT yarns in a more complex setup that mimics a unidirectional rotating regenerative braking mechanism. (paper)

  2. State of health of persons deprived of their liberty when entering the Uruguayan Penitentiary System between January and June 2016

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gimena Calero

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available In Uruguay, there are no studies that keep a record of the state of health of persons deprived of their liberty (PDL when entering the prison system. We carried out a descriptive cross sectional study in a population of 1959 persons of male sex that entered the Diagnosis and Referral of Prosecuted Persons Center (CDDPP, for its Spanish acronym in the period comprising 1 January and 30 June 2016. The objective was to characterize said population according to the following variables: age, communicable diseases and prophylactic measures, substance abuse, homelessness, recidivism, chronic diseases and vaccination schedule. The methodology applied consisted of the analysis of data gathered by the health team of the CDDPP when PDL entered said institution. The studied population is mainly young: more than 90 % are younger than 45 years old. Homelessness accounts for 11.8 % and 34 % reentered the penitentiary system. Chronic carriers represent 9.6 % of said population and 63.3 % are smokers. The cases of HIV (Human Immunodeficiency virus, syphilis and tuberculosis (BK represent 1.32 %; 1.53 % and 0.66 % respectively; 65 % of PDL suffer from substance abuse (pasta base de cocaína -cocaine paste-, marijuana, cocaine, alcohol and others. Conclusions: there exist deficiencies in DPL´s heath when entering the penitentiary system. The healthcare system has the opportunity to act, improve and respect the right to health of this vulnerable population. Improving the health of this population would also benefit general population.

  3. The Relationship of Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D and Insulin Resistance among Nondiabetic Canadians: A Longitudinal Analysis of Participants of a Preventive Health Program.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Truong-Minh Pham

    Full Text Available Observational and intervention studies have revealed inconsistent findings with respect to the relationship between vitamin D and insulin resistance. No intervention studies have been conducted in community samples whereas this may be particularly relevant to the primary prevention of type 2 diabetes (T2D and cardiovascular disease (CVD. In the present study we examined whether temporal improvements in vitamin D status, measured as serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OHD], reduce the risk of insulin resistance among individuals without T2D. We accessed and analyzed data from 5730 nondiabetic participants with repeated measures of serum 25(OHD who enrolled in a preventive health program. We used the homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR and applied logistic regression to quantify the independent contribution of baseline serum 25(OHD and temporal increases in 25(OHD on HOMA-IR. The median time between baseline and follow up was 1.1 year. On average serum 25(OHD concentrations increased from 89 nanomoles per liter (nmol/L at baseline to 122 nmol/L at follow up. Univariate analyses showed that relative to participants with baseline serum 25(OHD less than 50 nmol/L, participants with baseline concentrations of "50-<75", "75-<100", "100-<125", and ≥125 nmol/L were 0.76 (95% confidence intervals: 0.61-0.95, 0.54 (0.43-0.69, 0.48 (0.36-0.64 and 0.36 (0.27-0.49 times as likely to have insulin resistance at follow up, respectively. More importantly, relative to participants without temporal increases in 25(OHD, those with increases in serum 25(OHD of "<25", "25-<50", "50-<75", "≥75" nmol/L were 0.92 (0.72-1.17, 0.86 (0.65-1.13, 0.66 (0.47-0.93, and 0.74 (0.55-0.99 times as likely to have insulin resistance at follow up, respectively. In the subgroup of participants without insulin resistance at baseline, this was 0.96 (0.72-1.27, 0.78 (0.56-1.10, 0.66 (0.44-0.99, and 0.67 (0.48-0.94, respectively. These observations suggest that

  4. Improvement of Risk Prediction After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement by Combining Frailty With Conventional Risk Scores.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schoenenberger, Andreas W; Moser, André; Bertschi, Dominic; Wenaweser, Peter; Windecker, Stephan; Carrel, Thierry; Stuck, Andreas E; Stortecky, Stefan

    2018-02-26

    This study sought to evaluate whether frailty improves mortality prediction in combination with the conventional scores. European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation (EuroSCORE) or Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) score have not been evaluated in combined models with frailty for mortality prediction after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). This prospective cohort comprised 330 consecutive TAVR patients ≥70 years of age. Conventional scores and a frailty index (based on assessment of cognition, mobility, nutrition, and activities of daily living) were evaluated to predict 1-year all-cause mortality using Cox proportional hazards regression (providing hazard ratios [HRs] with confidence intervals [CIs]) and measures of test performance (providing likelihood ratio [LR] chi-square test statistic and C-statistic [CS]). All risk scores were predictive of the outcome (EuroSCORE, HR: 1.90 [95% CI: 1.45 to 2.48], LR chi-square test statistic 19.29, C-statistic 0.67; STS score, HR: 1.51 [95% CI: 1.21 to 1.88], LR chi-square test statistic 11.05, C-statistic 0.64; frailty index, HR: 3.29 [95% CI: 1.98 to 5.47], LR chi-square test statistic 22.28, C-statistic 0.66). A combination of the frailty index with either EuroSCORE (LR chi-square test statistic 38.27, C-statistic 0.72) or STS score (LR chi-square test statistic 28.71, C-statistic 0.68) improved mortality prediction. The frailty index accounted for 58.2% and 77.6% of the predictive information in the combined model with EuroSCORE and STS score, respectively. Net reclassification improvement and integrated discrimination improvement confirmed that the added frailty index improved risk prediction. This is the first study showing that the assessment of frailty significantly enhances prediction of 1-year mortality after TAVR in combined risk models with conventional risk scores and relevantly contributes to this improvement. Copyright © 2018 American College of Cardiology Foundation

  5. Effects of Chinese herbal medicine on hyperlipidemia and the risk of cardiovascular disease in HIV-infected patients in Taiwan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsai, Fuu-Jen; Li, Te-Mao; Cheng, Chi-Fung; Wu, Yang-Chang; Lai, Chih-Ho; Ho, Tsung-Jung; Liu, Xiang; Tsang, Hsinyi; Lin, Ting-Hsu; Liao, Chiu-Chu; Huang, Shao-Mei; Li, Ju-Pi; Lin, Jung-Chun; Lin, Chih-Chien; Liang, Wen-Miin; Lin, Ying-Ju

    2018-03-10

    Due to the development of antiretroviral therapy (ART), HIV/AIDS is now regarded as a treatable chronic disease. Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) is a type of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) that has been widely applied in the healthcare system in Taiwan. The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of use and patterns of prescription for the CHM-based treatment of HIV-infected patients and to assess the long-term effects of CHM on hyperlipidemia and cardiovascular disease events in these patients. We identified 21,846 HIV-infected patients (ICD-9-CM: 042-044, 079, and V08 codes). Of these, 1083 and 2166 patients who used CHM and were non-users, respectively, were matched for age, gender, and ART use before CHM. The chi-squared test, Cox proportional hazard model, Kaplan-Meier method, and the log-rank test were used for comparisons between these two groups. CHM users had a lower risk of hyperlipidemia compared with non-users after adjusting for comorbidities by using a multivariate Cox proportional hazard model (P = 0.0011; HR: 0.66, 95% CI: 0.52-0.85). In addition, the CHM users had a lower risk of cardiovascular disease compared with non-users after adjusting for comorbidities (P = 0.0004; HR: 0.67, 95% CI: 0.53-0.83). The 10-year cumulative incidences of hyperlipidemia and cardiovascular disease were lower in the CHM group (P herbs. A CHM network analysis showed that JG was the core CHM in one cluster, and BM, MXSGT, and HQin were important CHMs in that cluster. In the other cluster, YHS was the core CHM, and SYGCT and JWXYS were important CHMs. CHM as adjunctive therapy may reduce hyperlipidemia and the risk for cardiovascular disease in HIV-infected patients. The list of the comprehensive herbal medicines that the patients used might be useful in further scientific investigations or therapeutic interventions for preventing atherosclerosis among HIV-infected patients. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. SU-E-T-473: A Patient-Specific QC Paradigm Based On Trajectory Log Files and DICOM Plan Files

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    DeMarco, J; McCloskey, S; Low, D; Moran, J

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: To evaluate a remote QC tool for monitoring treatment machine parameters and treatment workflow. Methods: The Varian TrueBeamTM linear accelerator is a digital machine that records machine axis parameters and MLC leaf positions as a function of delivered monitor unit or control point. This information is saved to a binary trajectory log file for every treatment or imaging field in the patient treatment session. A MATLAB analysis routine was developed to parse the trajectory log files for a given patient, compare the expected versus actual machine and MLC positions as well as perform a cross-comparison with the DICOM-RT plan file exported from the treatment planning system. The parsing routine sorts the trajectory log files based on the time and date stamp and generates a sequential report file listing treatment parameters and provides a match relative to the DICOM-RT plan file. Results: The trajectory log parsing-routine was compared against a standard record and verify listing for patients undergoing initial IMRT dosimetry verification and weekly and final chart QC. The complete treatment course was independently verified for 10 patients of varying treatment site and a total of 1267 treatment fields were evaluated including pre-treatment imaging fields where applicable. In the context of IMRT plan verification, eight prostate SBRT plans with 4-arcs per plan were evaluated based on expected versus actual machine axis parameters. The average value for the maximum RMS MLC error was 0.067±0.001mm and 0.066±0.002mm for leaf bank A and B respectively. Conclusion: A real-time QC analysis program was tested using trajectory log files and DICOM-RT plan files. The parsing routine is efficient and able to evaluate all relevant machine axis parameters during a patient treatment course including MLC leaf positions and table positions at time of image acquisition and during treatment

  7. Comparative evaluation of the QIAsymphony RGQ system with the easyMAG/R-gene combination for the quantitation of cytomegalovirus DNA load in whole blood

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pillet Sylvie

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The detection of cytomegalovirus (CMV DNA in blood is a key feature of the virological surveillance of immunocompromised patients. Methods The QIAsymphony RGQ system (QIAGEN S.A.S., France combines the extraction/distribution steps on QIAsymphony SP/AS instruments with amplification on a Rotor-Gene Q RT-PCR machine. This system was compared to a strategy combining an extraction step on the NUCLISENS easyMAG platform (bioMérieux with the CMV R-gene kit (Argene on 100 whole blood specimens collected from immunocompromised patients of the University Hospital of Saint-Etienne, France. Results The overall agreement between the two strategies was 86% (kappa coefficient of 0.67; the 14 discrepant results corresponded to low DNA loads. The 62 samples found positive with both tests were correlated (Pearson r coefficient of 0.70, P 10 copies/ml with the easyMAG/Argene strategy (P 10 copies/ml. The inter-run and intra-run variability was consistently lower with the QIAGEN platform. Conclusions These results validate the performance of the QIAsymphony RGQ system for the routine quantitation of CMV DNA. This fully-automated platform reduces the hands-on time and improves standardization, traceability and quality control assessment.

  8. Solvation-based vapour pressure model for (solvent + salt) systems in conjunction with the Antoine equation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Senol, Aynur

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: • Vapour pressures of (solvent + salt) systems have been estimated through a solvation-based model. • Two structural forms of the generalized solvation model using the Antoine equation have been performed. • A simplified concentration-dependent vapour pressure model has been also processed. • The model reliability analysis has been performed in terms of a log-ratio objective function. • The reliability of the models has been interpreted in terms of the statistical design factors. -- Abstract: This study deals with modelling the vapour pressure of a (solvent + salt) system on the basis of the principles of LSER. The solvation model framework clarifies the simultaneous impact of several physical variables such as the vapour pressure of a pure solvent estimated by the Antoine equation, the solubility and solvatochromic parameters of the solvent and the physical properties of the ionic salt. It has been analyzed independently the performance of two structural forms of the generalized model, i.e., a relation depending on an integration of the properties of the solvent and the ionic salt and a relation on a reduced property-basis. A simplified concentration-dependent vapour pressure model has been also explored and implemented on the relevant systems. The vapour pressure data of sixteen (solvent + salt) systems have been processed to analyze statistically the reliability of existing models in terms of a log–ratio objective function. The proposed vapour pressure models match relatively well the observed performance, yielding the overall design factors of 1.066 and 1.073 for the solvation-based models with the integrated and reduced properties, and 1.008 for the concentration-based model, respectively

  9. Discovery of novel poly(ADP-ribose) glycohydrolase inhibitors by a quantitative assay system using dot-blot with anti-poly(ADP-ribose)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Okita, Naoyuki; Ashizawa, Daisuke; Ohta, Ryo; Abe, Hideaki; Tanuma, Sei-ichi

    2010-01-01

    Poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation, which is mainly regulated by poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) and poly(ADP-ribose) glycohydrolase (PARG), is a unique protein modification involved in cellular responses such as DNA repair and replication. PARG hydrolyzes glycosidic linkages of poly(ADP-ribose) synthesized by PARP and liberates ADP-ribose residues. Recent studies have suggested that inhibitors of PARG are able to be potent anti-cancer drug. In order to discover the potent and specific Inhibitors of PARG, a quantitative and high-throughput screening assay system is required. However, previous PARG assay systems are not appropriate for high-throughput screening because PARG activity is measured by radioactivities of ADP-ribose residues released from radioisotope (RI)-labeled poly(ADP-ribose). In this study, we developed a non-RI and quantitative assay system for PARG activity based on dot-blot assay using anti-poly(ADP-ribose) and nitrocellulose membrane. By our method, the maximum velocity (V max ) and the michaelis constant (k m ) of PARG reaction were 4.46 μM and 128.33 μmol/min/mg, respectively. Furthermore, the IC50 of adenosine diphosphate (hydroxymethyl) pyrrolidinediol (ADP-HPD), known as a non-competitive PARG inhibitor, was 0.66 μM. These kinetics values were similar to those obtained by traditional PARG assays. By using our assay system, we discovered two novel PARG inhibitors that have xanthene scaffold. Thus, our quantitative and convenient method is useful for a high-throughput screening of PARG specific inhibitors.

  10. Journal of Biosciences | Indian Academy of Sciences

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Sarbashis Das1 Ragothaman M Yennamalli1 Anchal Vishnoi1 Parul Gupta1 Alok Bhattacharya1 2. Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, School of Information Technology, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110 067, India; School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110 067, ...

  11. La regulación del proceso de selección del consultor: ¿fuente de inseguridad jurídica?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Felipe de Vivero

    2008-05-01

    Full Text Available Las recientes modificaciones introducidas por la Ley 1150/07 y por el decreto 066/08 en los procesos de selección de consultores por parte del Estado están produciendo inseguridad jurídica en el sistema legal. Los procesos de selección para consultores, en esta regulación, permiten al empleado público aplicar normas que pueden proteger intereses personales en vez de proteger intereses públicos, lo cual va en contra de la transparencia y eficiencia, aspectos que inspiraron estas modificaciones./ The recent modifications introduced by the law 1150/07 and by the decret 066/08 in the bidding process for State consultants are producing a lack of reliance in the legal system. The bidding process for consultants in this new regulation allows the public employee to apply rules that might protect personal interests instead of the public interest, going against the clearness and efficiency that was the scope of the modification.

  12. Analysis on the effect of risk from containment failure by over-pressurization during the operation of containment filtered venting system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ham, Jaehyun; Kang, Hyun Gook; Chang, Soon Heung

    2015-01-01

    Passive safety systems which are operated without power source are suggested as a solution SBO. For containment protection system, Containment Filtered Venting System (CFVS) is suggested. CFVS controls the containment pressure by releasing the containment gas through filter passively without any power source. But because still small amount of radioactive material have no choice but to release to the environment, starting time and operation method of CFVS have to be determined carefully. Later starting time brings not only lower release but also higher risk from containment failure by over-pressurization, so it is a problem. In this research, the effect of risk from containment failure by over-pressurization during the operation of containment filtered venting system was analyzed. In this research, optimized values for variables of the CFVS operation method are found as 0.67 MPa, 9 cm, 0.1 MPa each for open pressure, pressure interval, and vent pipe diameter when DF as a function of time and risk from containment over-pressurization failure are considered. Generally in this research, release without risk get lower values in higher pressure, and lower vent pipe diameter. Release with risk get sharply high values when the containment pressure exceeds the design pressure because of the effect of risk from containment failure by over-pressurization. In conclusion, highest pressure, and lowest vent pipe diameter which are not influenced by risk is the optimized values for CFVS operation method because amount of risk is much larger than release through the CFVS

  13. Smoke-free air laws and asthma prevalence, symptoms, and severity among nonsmoking youth.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dove, Melanie S; Dockery, Douglas W; Connolly, Gregory N

    2011-01-01

    We investigated the association between smoke-free laws and asthma prevalence, symptoms, and severity among nonsmoking youth (aged 3-15 years). We examined data from the 1999-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a cross-sectional survey designed to monitor the health and nutritional status of the US population. Survey locations were dichotomized as having or not having at least 1 smoke-free workplace, restaurant, or bar law at the county or state level that covered the entire county population. Asthma prevalence was assessed as self-reported current asthma and as ever having asthma with current symptoms. Asthmatic symptoms included persistent wheeze, chronic night cough, and wheeze-medication use. We also examined asthma severity (asthma attack or emergency-department visit for asthma) and persistent ear infection. Smoke-free laws were not associated with current asthma but were significantly associated with lower odds of asthmatic symptoms (odds ratio [OR]: 0.67 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.48-0.93]) among nonsmoking youth. The association between smoke-free laws and ever having asthma with current symptoms approached significance (OR: 0.74 [95% CI: 0.53-1.03]). Smoke-free laws were associated with lower odds of asthma attacks (OR: 0.66 [95% CI: 0.28-1.56]) and emergency-department visits for asthma (OR: 0.55 [95% CI: 0.27-1.13]), although these results were not statistically significant. Our results suggest that smoke-free laws reduce asthmatic symptoms, including persistent wheeze, chronic night cough, and wheeze-medication use in nonsmoking youth.

  14. 17D yellow fever vaccine elicits comparable long-term immune responses in healthy individuals and immune-compromised patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wieten, R W; Goorhuis, A; Jonker, E F F; de Bree, G J; de Visser, A W; van Genderen, P J J; Remmerswaal, E B M; Ten Berge, I J M; Visser, L G; Grobusch, M P; van Leeuwen, E M M

    2016-06-01

    The 17D live attenuated yellow fever (YF) vaccine is contra-indicated in immune-compromised individuals and may elicit a suboptimal immunologic response. The aim of this study is to assess whether long-term immune responses against the YF vaccine are impaired in immune-compromised patients. Fifteen patients using different immunosuppressive drugs and 30 healthy individuals vaccinated 0-22 years ago were included. The serological response was measured using the plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT). CD8(+) and CD4(+) T-cell responses were measured following proliferation and re-stimulation with YFV peptide pools. Phenotypic characteristics and cytokine responses of CD8(+) T-cells were determined using class I tetramers. The geometric mean titre of neutralizing antibodies was not different between the groups (p = 0.77). The presence of YFV-specific CD4(+) and CD8(+) T-cell did not differ between patients and healthy individuals (15/15, 100.0% vs. 29/30, 96.7%, p = 0.475). Time since vaccination correlated negatively with the number of YFV-specific CD8(+) T-cells (r = -0.66, p = 0.0045). Percentages of early-differentiated memory cells increased (r = 0.67, p = 0.017) over time. These results imply that YF vaccination is effective despite certain immunosuppressive drug regimens. An early-differentiated memory-like phenotype persisted, which is associated with effective expansion upon re-encounter with antigen, suggesting a potent memory T-cell pool remains. Copyright © 2016 The British Infection Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Applicability of Two International Risk Scores in Cardiac Surgery in a Reference Center in Brazil

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Garofallo, Silvia Bueno; Machado, Daniel Pinheiro; Rodrigues, Clarissa Garcia; Bordim, Odemir Jr.; Kalil, Renato A. K.; Portal, Vera Lúcia, E-mail: veraportal.pesquisa@gmail.com [Post-Graduation Program in Health Sciences: Cardiology, Instituto de Cardiologia/Fundação Universitária de Cardiologia, Porto Alegre, RS (Brazil)

    2014-06-15

    The applicability of international risk scores in heart surgery (HS) is not well defined in centers outside of North America and Europe. To evaluate the capacity of the Parsonnet Bernstein 2000 (BP) and EuroSCORE (ES) in predicting in-hospital mortality (IHM) in patients undergoing HS at a reference hospital in Brazil and to identify risk predictors (RP). Retrospective cohort study of 1,065 patients, with 60.3% patients underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), 32.7%, valve surgery and 7.0%, CABG combined with valve surgery. Additive and logistic scores models, the area under the ROC (Receiver Operating Characteristic) curve (AUC) and the standardized mortality ratio (SMR) were calculated. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to identify the RP. Overall mortality was 7.8%. The baseline characteristics of the patients were significantly different in relation to BP and ES. AUCs of the logistic and additive BP were 0.72 (95% CI, from 0.66 to 0.78 p = 0.74), and of ES they were 0.73 (95% CI; 0.67 to 0.79 p = 0.80). The calculation of the SMR in BP was 1.59 (95% CI; 1.27 to 1.99) and in ES, 1.43 (95% CI; 1.14 to 1.79). Seven RP of IHM were identified: age, serum creatinine > 2.26 mg/dL, active endocarditis, systolic pulmonary arterial pressure > 60 mmHg, one or more previous HS, CABG combined with valve surgery and diabetes mellitus. Local scores, based on the real situation of local populations, must be developed for better assessment of risk in cardiac surgery.

  16. Mortality due to lung, laryngeal and bladder cancer in towns lying in the vicinity of combustion installations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Garcia-Perez, Javier; Pollan, Marina; Boldo, Elena; Perez-Gomez, Beatriz; Aragones, Nuria; Lope, Virginia; Ramis, Rebeca; Vidal, Enrique; Lopez-Abente, Gonzalo

    2009-01-01

    Background: Installations that burn fossil fuels to generate power may represent a health problem due to the toxic substances which they release into the environment. Objectives: To investigate whether there might be excess mortality due to tumors of lung, larynx and bladder in the population residing near Spanish combustion installations included in the European Pollutant Emission Register. Methods: Ecologic study designed to model sex-specific standardized mortality ratios for the above three tumors in Spanish towns, over the period 1994-2003. Population exposure to pollution was estimated on the basis of distance from town of residence to pollution source. Using mixed Poisson regression models, we analyzed: risk of dying from cancer in a 5-kilometer zone around installations that commenced operations before 1990; effect of type of fuel used; and risk gradient within a 50-kilometer radius of such installations. Results: Excess mortality (relative risk, 95% confidence interval) was detected in the vicinity of pre-1990 installations for lung cancer (1.066, 1.041-1.091 in the overall population; 1.084, 1.057-1.111 in men), and laryngeal cancer among men (1.067, 0.992-1.148). Lung cancer displayed excess mortality for all types of fuel used, whereas in laryngeal and bladder cancer, the excess was associated with coal-fired industries. There was a risk gradient effect in the proximity of a number of installations. Conclusions: Our results could support the hypothesis of an association between risk of lung, laryngeal and bladder cancer mortality and proximity to Spanish combustion installations

  17. [PSYCHOTHERAPEUTIC INTERVENTIONS IN PATIENTS WITH AUTO-AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR DURING THE FIRST PSYCHOTIC EPISODE].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mudrenko, I; Potapov, A; Sotnikov, D; Kolenko, O; Kmyta, A

    2017-09-01

    In this article the formation of psychopathological predictors auto-aggressive behavior in patients with a first psychotic episode were identified, which became "targets" in the framework of a comprehensive emergency suicide assistance to conduct the crisis psychotherapy. The work was done on the basis of the Sumy regional psychoneurologic dispensary, where 100 patients with a first psychotic episode were examined: 52 of them (core group) had suicidal symptoms and 48 (control group) had not. According to the test results of severity of auto-aggressive predictors (pre-suicidal syndrome) to clinicopsychopathological predictors of auto-aggressive behavior include: the narrowing of the cognitive function (p≤0,001), the avoidance of interpersonal contact (r≤0,001), the presence of affective (p≤0,001) and vegetative (p≤0,01) violations, the autoaggression of moderate severity (p≤0,001) and impulsivity (p≤0,001). Patients of the core group with the auto-aggressive behavior (n=58) completed a course of a crisis psychotherapy comprising the stages of crisis support, crisis intervention and increase the adaptation layer. After a psychotherapy course levels of aggression (6,45±0,41), auto-aggression (of 9,68±0,67), disorders in the affective sphere (18,58±0,66) and impulsivity (of 4,23±0,30) decreased, which was manifested in increasing tolerance to emotional stress factors, control over their emotions and reduce their affective valence (p≤0,001). The expansion of interpersonal interaction, the increase of patients social activity, the blood relationships establishment (of 9,23±0,40) was observed.

  18. Mortality due to lung, laryngeal and bladder cancer in towns lying in the vicinity of combustion installations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Garcia-Perez, Javier [Environmental and Cancer Epidemiology Unit, National Center for Epidemiology, Carlos III Institute of Health, C/Sinesio Delgado, 6, 28029 Madrid (Spain); CIBER en Epidemiologia y Salud Publica (CIBERESP) (Spain)], E-mail: jgarcia@isciii.es; Pollan, Marina; Boldo, Elena; Perez-Gomez, Beatriz; Aragones, Nuria; Lope, Virginia; Ramis, Rebeca; Vidal, Enrique; Lopez-Abente, Gonzalo [Environmental and Cancer Epidemiology Unit, National Center for Epidemiology, Carlos III Institute of Health, C/Sinesio Delgado, 6, 28029 Madrid (Spain); CIBER en Epidemiologia y Salud Publica (CIBERESP) (Spain)

    2009-04-01

    Background: Installations that burn fossil fuels to generate power may represent a health problem due to the toxic substances which they release into the environment. Objectives: To investigate whether there might be excess mortality due to tumors of lung, larynx and bladder in the population residing near Spanish combustion installations included in the European Pollutant Emission Register. Methods: Ecologic study designed to model sex-specific standardized mortality ratios for the above three tumors in Spanish towns, over the period 1994-2003. Population exposure to pollution was estimated on the basis of distance from town of residence to pollution source. Using mixed Poisson regression models, we analyzed: risk of dying from cancer in a 5-kilometer zone around installations that commenced operations before 1990; effect of type of fuel used; and risk gradient within a 50-kilometer radius of such installations. Results: Excess mortality (relative risk, 95% confidence interval) was detected in the vicinity of pre-1990 installations for lung cancer (1.066, 1.041-1.091 in the overall population; 1.084, 1.057-1.111 in men), and laryngeal cancer among men (1.067, 0.992-1.148). Lung cancer displayed excess mortality for all types of fuel used, whereas in laryngeal and bladder cancer, the excess was associated with coal-fired industries. There was a risk gradient effect in the proximity of a number of installations. Conclusions: Our results could support the hypothesis of an association between risk of lung, laryngeal and bladder cancer mortality and proximity to Spanish combustion installations.

  19. One-year results of vital pulp therapy in permanent molars with irreversible pulpitis: an ongoing multicenter, randomized, non-inferiority clinical trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Asgary, Saeed; Eghbal, Mohammad Jafar; Ghoddusi, Jamileh; Yazdani, Shahram

    2013-03-01

    Root canal therapy (RCT) and tooth extraction have been conventional treatment options for management of human mature teeth with irreversible pulpitis. Excellent short-term treatment outcomes of vital pulp therapy with calcium-enriched mixture cement (VPT/CEM), as a new treatment option, on postoperative pain relief was demonstrated; if intermediate- and long-term treatment outcomes of the new treatment are also non-inferior compared to RCT, then VPT/CEM may become a viable treatment option for management of mature teeth with irreversible pulpitis. In 23 healthcare centers, 407 9- to 65-year-old patients were randomly allocated into two study arms including one-visit RCT (reference treatment; n = 202) and VPT/CEM (alternative treatment; n = 205). Six- and twelve-month clinical and radiographic successes were assessed. Mean follow-up times at 6- and 12-month follow-ups were "6.70 ± 0.68 and 6.72 ± 0.71 months" and "12.96 ± 0.67 and 12.90 ± 0.66 months" in the available cases of RCT and VPT/CEM arms, respectively. Favorable clinical success rates in the two study arms did not show statistical difference; however, the radiographic success rate in the VPT/CEM was significantly greater than RCT arm at the two follow-ups (P pulpitis. The performance of biomaterials such CEM cement may assist in the shift towards more biologic treatments. VPT/CEM may be a realistic alternative treatment for human mature molar teeth with symptoms of irreversible pulpitis; the use of VPT/CEM is highly beneficial for patients as well as general dentists.

  20. Effects of 18-week in-season heavy-resistance and power training on throwing velocity, strength, jumping, and maximal sprint swim performance of elite male water polo players.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramos Veliz, Rafael; Requena, Bernardo; Suarez-Arrones, Luis; Newton, Robert U; Sáez de Villarreal, Eduardo

    2014-04-01

    We examined the effects of 18 weeks of strength and high-intensity training on key sport performance measures of elite male water polo (WP) players. Twenty-seven players were randomly assigned to 2 groups, control (in-water training only) and strength group, (strength training sessions [twice per week] + in-water training). In-water training was conducted 5 d·wk. Twenty-meter maximal sprint swim, maximal dynamic strength 1-repetition maximum (1RM) for upper bench press (BP) and lower full squat (FS) body, countermovement jump (CMJ), and throwing velocity were measured before and after the training. The training program included upper and lower body strength and high-intensity exercises (BP, FS, military press, pull-ups, CMJ loaded, and abs). Baseline-training results showed no significant differences between the groups in any of the variables tested. No improvement was found in the control group; however, meaningful improvement was found in all variables in the experimental group: CMJ (2.38 cm, 6.9%, effect size [ES] = 0.48), BP (9.06 kg, 10.53%, ES = 0.66), FS (11.06 kg, 14.21%, ES = 0.67), throwing velocity (1.76 km·h(-1), 2.76%, ES = 0.25), and 20-m maximal sprint swim (-0.26 seconds, 2.25%, ES = 0.29). Specific strength and high-intensity training in male WP players for 18 weeks produced a positive effect on performance qualities highly specific to WP. Therefore, we propose modifications to the current training methodology for WP players to include strength and high-intensity training for athlete preparation in this sport.

  1. Model Study To Assess Softwood Hemicellulose Hydrolysates as the Carbon Source for PHB Production in Paraburkholderia sacchari IPT 101.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dietrich, Karolin; Dumont, Marie-Josée; Schwinghamer, Timothy; Orsat, Valérie; Del Rio, Luis F

    2018-01-08

    Softwood hemicellulose hydrolysates are a cheap source of sugars that can be used as a feedstock to produce polyhydroxybutyrates (PHB), which are biobased and compostable bacterial polyesters. To assess the potential of the hemicellulosic sugars as a carbon source for PHB production, synthetic media containing softwood hemicellulose sugars (glucose, mannose, galactose, xylose, arabinose) and the potentially inhibitory lignocellulose degradation products (acetic acid, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), furfural, and vanillin) were fermented with the model strain Paraburkholderia sacchari IPT 101. Relative to pure glucose, individual fermentation for 24 h with 20 g/L mannose or galactose exhibited maximum specific growth rates of 97% and 60%, respectively. On the other hand, with sugar mixtures of glucose, mannose, galactose, xylose, and arabinose, the strain converted all sugars simultaneously to reach a maximum PHB concentration of 5.72 g/L and 80.5% PHB after 51 h. The addition of the inhibitor mixture at the following concentration, sodium acetate (2.11 g/L), HMF (0.67 g/L), furfural (0.66 g/L), and vanillin (0.93 g/L), to the sugar mixture stopped the growth entirely within 24 h. Individually, the inhibitors either had no effect or only reduced growth. Moreover, it was found that a bacterial inoculum with high initial cell density (optical density, OD ≥ 5.6) could overcome the growth inhibition to yield an OD of 13 within 24 h. Therefore, softwood hemicellulose sugars are viable carbon sources for PHB production. Nevertheless, real softwood hemicellulose hydrolysates need detoxification or a high inoculum to overcome inhibitory effects and allow bacterial growth.

  2. Applicability of Two International Risk Scores in Cardiac Surgery in a Reference Center in Brazil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Garofallo, Silvia Bueno; Machado, Daniel Pinheiro; Rodrigues, Clarissa Garcia; Bordim, Odemir Jr.; Kalil, Renato A. K.; Portal, Vera Lúcia

    2014-01-01

    The applicability of international risk scores in heart surgery (HS) is not well defined in centers outside of North America and Europe. To evaluate the capacity of the Parsonnet Bernstein 2000 (BP) and EuroSCORE (ES) in predicting in-hospital mortality (IHM) in patients undergoing HS at a reference hospital in Brazil and to identify risk predictors (RP). Retrospective cohort study of 1,065 patients, with 60.3% patients underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), 32.7%, valve surgery and 7.0%, CABG combined with valve surgery. Additive and logistic scores models, the area under the ROC (Receiver Operating Characteristic) curve (AUC) and the standardized mortality ratio (SMR) were calculated. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to identify the RP. Overall mortality was 7.8%. The baseline characteristics of the patients were significantly different in relation to BP and ES. AUCs of the logistic and additive BP were 0.72 (95% CI, from 0.66 to 0.78 p = 0.74), and of ES they were 0.73 (95% CI; 0.67 to 0.79 p = 0.80). The calculation of the SMR in BP was 1.59 (95% CI; 1.27 to 1.99) and in ES, 1.43 (95% CI; 1.14 to 1.79). Seven RP of IHM were identified: age, serum creatinine > 2.26 mg/dL, active endocarditis, systolic pulmonary arterial pressure > 60 mmHg, one or more previous HS, CABG combined with valve surgery and diabetes mellitus. Local scores, based on the real situation of local populations, must be developed for better assessment of risk in cardiac surgery

  3. Birth weight and order as risk factors for childhood central nervous system tumors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    MacLean, Jane; Partap, Sonia; Reynolds, Peggy; Von Behren, Julie; Fisher, Paul Graham

    2010-09-01

    To determine whether birth characteristics related to maternal-fetal health in utero are associated with the development of childhood central nervous system tumors. We identified, from the California Cancer Registry, 3733 children under age 15 diagnosed with childhood central nervous system tumors between 1988 and 2006 and linked these cases to their California birth certificates. Four controls per case, matched on birth date and sex, were randomly selected from the same birth files. We evaluated associations of multiple childhood CNS tumor subtypes with birth weight and birth order. Low birth weight was associated with a reduced risk of low-grade gliomas (OR=0.67; 95% CI, 0.46 to 0.97) and high birth weight was associated with increased risk of high-grade gliomas (OR=1.57; 95% CI, 1.16 to 2.12). High birth order (fourth or higher) was associated with decreased risk of low-grade gliomas (OR=0.75; 95% CI, 0.56 to 0.99) and increased risk of high-grade gliomas (OR=1.32; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.72 for second order). Factors that drive growth in utero may increase the risk of low-grade gliomas. There may be a similar relationship in high-grade gliomas, although other factors, such as early infection, may modify this association. Additional investigation is warranted to validate and further define these findings. Copyright (c) 2010 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Developing and validating the Communication Function Classification System for individuals with cerebral palsy

    Science.gov (United States)

    HIDECKER, MARY JO COOLEY; PANETH, NIGEL; ROSENBAUM, PETER L; KENT, RAYMOND D; LILLIE, JANET; EULENBERG, JOHN B; CHESTER, KEN; JOHNSON, BRENDA; MICHALSEN, LAUREN; EVATT, MORGAN; TAYLOR, KARA

    2011-01-01

    Aim The purpose of this study was to create and validate a Communication Function Classification System (CFCS) for children with cerebral palsy (CP) that can be used by a wide variety of individuals who are interested in CP. This paper reports the content validity, interrater reliability, and test–retest reliability of the CFCS for children with CP. Method An 11-member development team created comprehensive descriptions of the CFCS levels, and four nominal groups comprising 27 participants critiqued these levels. Within a Delphi survey, 112 participants commented on the clarity and usefulness of the CFCS. Interrater reliability was completed by 61 professionals and 68 parents/relatives who classified 69 children with CP aged 2 to 18 years. Test–retest reliability was completed by 48 professionals who allowed at least 2 weeks between classifications. The participants who assessed the CFCS were all relevant stakeholders: adults with CP, parents of children with CP, educators, occupational therapists, physical therapists, physicians, and speech–language pathologists. Results The interrater reliability of the CFCS was 0.66 between two professionals and 0.49 between a parent and a professional. Professional interrater reliability improved to 0.77 for classification of children older than 4 years. The test–retest reliability was 0.82. Interpretation The CFCS demonstrates content validity and shows very good test–retest reliability, good professional interrater reliability, and moderate parent–professional interrater reliability. Combining the CFCS with the Gross Motor Function Classification System and the Manual Ability Classification System contributes to a functional performance view of daily life for individuals with CP, in accordance with the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health. PMID:21707596

  5. Dicty_cDB: Contig-U02963-1 [Dicty_cDB

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available 3 ( CK246139 ) EST729776 potato callus cDNA library, normalized ... 36 0.066 2 ( CK260957 ) EST707035 potato abiotic stress cDNA libr...ary Sola... 36 0.066 2 ( CK264509 ) EST710587 potato abiotic stress cDNA library So...la... 36 0.066 2 ( CK270438 ) EST716516 potato abiotic stress cDNA library Sola.....e-12 3 ( FD432325 ) Atr01b_127_E02_C010.g1 FGP Male Amborella trichop... 50 4e-09 2 ( CF450348 ) EST686693 normalized cDNA library...GE498851 ) CCFT1427.b1_E22.ab1 CCF(STU) sunflower Helianthus... 42 0.005 2 ( DV105288 ) chiou01187 Subtractive cDNA library

  6. Cost-effectiveness of insulin analogs from the perspective of the Brazilian public health system

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maurílio de Souza Cazarim

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT Human insulin is provided by the Brazilian Public Health System (BPHS for the treatment of diabetes, however, legal proceedings to acquire insulin analogs have burdened the BPHS health system. The aim of this study was to perform a cost-effectiveness analysis to compare insulin analogs and human insulins. This is a pharmacoeconomic study of cost-effectiveness. The direct medical cost related to insulin extracted from the Ministry of Health drug price list was considered. The clinical results, i.e. reduction in glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c, were extracted by meta-analysis. Different scenarios were structured to measure the uncertainties regarding the costs and reduction in HbA1c. Decision tree was developed for sensitivity of Incremental Cost Effectiveness Ratio (ICER. A total of fifteen scenarios were structured. Given the best-case scenario for the insulin analogs, the insulins aspart, lispro, glargine and detemir showed an ICER of R$ 1,768.59; R$ 3,308.54; R$ 11,718.75 and R$ 2,685.22, respectively. In all scenarios in which the minimum effectiveness was proposed, lispro, glargine and detemir were dominant strategies. Sensitivity analysis showed that the aspart had R$ 3,066.98 [95 % CI: 2339.22; 4418.53] and detemir had R$ 6,163.97 [95% CI: 3919.29; 11401.57] for incremental costs. We concluded there was evidence that the insulin aspart is the most cost-effective.

  7. Retinal vasculopathy in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, N; Li, M T; Li, Y H; Zhang, S H; Dai, R P; Zhang, S Z; Zhao, L D; Wang, L; Zhang, F C; Zhao, Y; Zeng, X F

    2017-10-01

    A retrospective case control study was conducted in the Peking Union Medical College Hospital. Medical records were reviewed for demographic data, clinical features, laboratory results, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) disease activity evaluations, and ophthalmic examinations to investigate the clinical characteristics and significance of retinal vasculopathy (RV) in Chinese patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. The prevalence of RV was approximately 0.66% (35/5298) in SLE patients. A total of 60 eyes were involved. The ocular presentations included decrease of visual acuity (48/60, 80%), visual field loss (7/60, 11.7%), and diplopia (3/60, 5%). Ophthalmic fundoscopic examination revealed cotton-wool spots (30/60, 50%), retinal vascular attenuation (31/60, 51.6%), and hemorrhages (41/60, 68.3%). Retinal angiogram showed that 72.7% (16/22) eyes had vaso-occlusion. The ophthalmic episodes could occur at any stage of SLE duration, with a median of 12 months (0-168 months) following SLE onset. Twenty-one (35%) eyes did not recover, or even worsened, during hospital stay. RV was found to be significantly associated with neuropsychiatric lesions (51.4% vs. 21.3%, p = .005) and hematological disturbance (62.9% vs. 34.3%, p = .005). SLE patients with RV had significantly higher SLE disease activity index scores than controls (19.9 ± 0.9 vs. 10.2 ± 0.7, p < .001). An inverse association of anti-SSA antibody with RV was detected (34.3% vs. 67.1%, p = .001). Nervous system disturbance (odds ratio (OR) = 4.340, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.438, 13.094, p = .009) and leukocytopenia (OR = 6.385, 95% CI 1.916, 21.278, p = .003) were independent risk factors, while anti-SSA antibody positivity (OR = 0.249, 95% CI 0.087, 0.710, p = .009) was a protective factor for RV in SLE patients. In certain cases, RV is a threatening condition for SLE patients presenting with clinical ocular manifestations. Ophthalmo

  8. A Cataloger’s Guide to the LMARS Report Number Authority File in Use at the Naval Underwater Systems Center.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1980-09-15

    FORCE CAMBRIDGE AFCRL-70-0018 RESEARCH LAB AFETR AIR FORCE EASTERN TEST RANGE APETR-TR-76-13 AFEWC AIR FORCE ELECTRONIC AFEWC-OP-1-77 WARFARE CENTER... EFFECTS TECHNOLOGY INC ETI-CR79-623 EUDAC EUROPEAN COMMAND DEFENSE EUDAC-DASJ-3-78 ANALYSIS EWIS (Electroniz Warfare EWIS-R-02-76 Inte 11 igence...AEO-76-066 JHU-APL-POR-1999. ..etc. JMEM (Joint Munitions Effectiveness JMEM-61JTCG/ME-1-2 Manual) jpl *See CIT-JPL (California Institute of Technology

  9. Primary care utilisation patterns among an urban immigrant population in the Spanish National Health System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bordonaba-Bosque Daniel

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background There is evidence suggesting that the use of health services is lower among immigrants after adjusting for age and sex. This study takes a step forward to compare primary care (PC utilisation patterns between immigrants and the native population with regard to their morbidity burden. Methods This retrospective, observational study looked at 69,067 individuals representing the entire population assigned to three urban PC centres in the city of Zaragoza (Aragon, Spain. Poisson models were applied to determine the number of annual PC consultations per individual based on immigration status. All models were first adjusted for age and sex and then for age, sex and case mix (ACG System®. Results The age and sex adjusted mean number of total annual consultations was lower among the immigrant population (children: IRR = 0.79, p Conclusions Although immigrants make lower use of PC services than the native population after adjusting the consultation rate for age and sex, these differences decrease significantly when considering their morbidity burden. These results reinforce the 'healthy migration effect' and discount the existence of differences in PC utilisation patterns between the immigrant and native populations in Spain.

  10. Training effects induced by cycling of magnetic field in ferromagnetic rich phase-separated nanocomposite manganites

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Das, Kalipada, E-mail: kalipada.das@saha.ac.in; Das, I.

    2015-12-01

    We have carried out an experimental investigation of magneto-transport and magnetic properties of charge-ordered Pr{sub 0.67}Ca{sub 0.33}MnO{sub 3} (PCMO) and ferromagnetic La{sub 0.67}Sr{sub 0.33}MnO{sub 3} (LSMO) nanoparticles along with a nanocomposite consisting of those two types of nanoparticles. From the magneto-transport measurements, clear irreversibility is observed in the field dependence of resistance due to magnetic field cycling in the case of PCMO nanoparticles. The value of resistance increases during such a field cycling. However such an irreversibility is absent in the case of LSMO nanoparticles as well as nanocomposites. On the other hand, the magnetic measurements indicate the gradual growth of antiferromagnetic phases in all samples leading to a decrease in magnetization. These inconsistencies between magneto-transport and magnetic behaviors are attributed to the magnetic training effects. - Highlights: • The resistance value in Pr{sub 0.67}Ca{sub 0.33}MnO{sub 3} nanoparticles is found to increase owing to the magnetic field cycling. • No anomaly in resistance was found in Pr{sub 0.67}Ca{sub 0.33}MnO{sub 3}–La{sub 0.67}Sr{sub 0.33}MnO{sub 3} nanocomposite. • Magnetic measurements indicate the training effect in nanostructure compounds.

  11. A precision cranial immobilization system for conformal stereotactic fractionated radiation therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rosenthal, Stanley J.; Gall, Kenneth P.; Jackson, Matthew; Thornton, Allan F.

    1995-01-01

    Purpose: Conformal radiotherapy has been shown to benefit from precision alignment of patient target to therapy beam (1, 6, 13). This work describes an optimized immobilization system for the fractionated treatment of intracranial targets. A study of patient motion demonstrates the high degree of immobilization which is available. Methods and Materials: A system using dental fixation and a thermoplastic mask that relocates on a rigid frame is described. The design permits scanning studies using computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MR), conventional photon radiotherapy, and high precision stereotactic proton radiotherapy to be performed with minimal repositioning variation. Studies of both intratreatment motion and daily setup reliability are performed on patients under treatment for paranasal sinus carcinoma. Multiple radiographs taken during single treatments provide the basis for a three-dimensional (3D) motion analysis. Additionally, studies of orthogonal radiographs used to setup for proton treatments and verification port films from photon treatments are used to establish day to day patient position variation in routine use. Results: Net 3D patient motion during any treatment is measured to be 0.9 ± 0.4 mm [mean ± standard deviation (SD)] and rotation about any body axis is 0.14 ± 0.67 degrees (mean ± SD). Day-to-day setup accuracy to laser marks is limited to 2.3 mm (mean) systematic error and 1.6 mm (mean) random error. Conclusion: We conclude that the most stringent immobilization requirements of 3D conformal radiotherapy adjacent to critical normal structures can be met with a high precision system such as the one described here. Without the use of pretreatment verification, additional developments in machine and couch design are needed to assure that patient repositioning accuracy is comparable to the best level of patient immobility achievable

  12. Short communication: Estimates of genetic parameters for dairy fertility in New Zealand.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amer, P R; Stachowicz, K; Jenkins, G M; Meier, S

    2016-10-01

    Reproductive performance of dairy cows in a seasonal calving system is especially important as cows are required to achieve a 365-d calving interval. Prior research with a small data set has identified that the genetic evaluation model for fertility could be enhanced by replacing the binary calving rate trait (CR42), which gives the probability of a cow calving within the first 42d since the planned start of calving at second, third, and fourth calving, with a continuous version, calving season day (CSD), including a heifer calving season day trait expressed at first calving, removing milk yield, retaining a probability of mating trait (PM21) which gives the probability of a cow being mated within the first 21d from the planned start of mating, and first lactation body condition score (BCS), and including gestation length (GL). The aim of this study was to estimate genetic parameters for the proposed new model using a larger data set and compare these with parameters used in the current system. Heritability estimates for CSD and PM21 ranged from 0.013 to 0.019 and from 0.031 to 0.058, respectively. For the 2 traits that correspond with the ones used in the current genetic evaluation system (mating trait, PM21 and BCS) genetic correlations were lower in this study compared with previous estimates. Genetic correlations between CSD and PM21 across different parities were also lower than the correlations between CR42 and PM21 reported previously. The genetic correlation between heifer CSD and CSD in first parity was 0.66. Estimates of genetic correlations of BCS with CSD were higher than those with PM21. For GL, direct heritability was estimated to be 0.67, maternal heritability was 0.11, and maternal repeatability was 0.22. Direct GL had moderate to high and favorable genetic correlations with evaluated fertility traits, whereas corresponding residual correlations remain low, which makes GL a useful candidate predictor trait for fertility in a multiple trait

  13. Utilization of waste heat from a HCCI (homogeneous charge compression ignition) engine in a tri-generation system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sarabchi, N.; Khoshbakhti Saray, R.; Mahmoudi, S.M.S.

    2013-01-01

    The waste heat from exhaust gases and cooling water of Homogeneous charge compression ignition engines (HCCI) are utilized to drive an ammonia-water cogeneration cycle (AWCC) and some heating processes, respectively. The AWCC is a combination of the Rankine cycle and an absorption refrigeration cycle. Considering the chemical kinetic calculations, a single zone combustion model is developed to simulate the natural gas fueled HCCI engine. Also, the performance of AWCC is simulated using the Engineering Equation Solver software (EES). Through combining these two codes, a detailed thermodynamic analysis is performed for the proposed tri-generation system and the effects of some main parameters on the performances of both the AWCC and the tri-generation system are investigated in detail. The cycle performance is then optimized for the fuel energy saving ratio (FESR). The enhancement in the FESR could be up to 28.56%. Under optimized condition, the second law efficiency of proposed system is 5.19% higher than that of the HCCI engine while the reduction in CO 2 emission is 4.067% as compared with the conventional separate thermodynamic systems. Moreover, the results indicate that the engine, in the tri-generation system and the absorber, in the bottoming cycle has the most contribution in exergy destruction. - Highlights: • A new thermodynamic tri-generation system is proposed for waste heat recovery of HCCI engine. • A single zone combustion model is developed to simulate the natural gas fueled HCCI engine. • The proposed tri-generation cycle is analyzed from the view points of both first and second laws of thermodynamics. • In the considered cycle, enhancements of 28.56% in fuel energy saving ratio and 5.19% in exergy efficiency are achieved

  14. Diagnostic accuracy of medical imagings and an integrated statistical approach to diagnosis. With special attention to hepatocellular carcinoma

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kawahira, Kosaburo

    1985-05-01

    Twenty-two patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and 36 without were clinically studied using angiography, computed tomography (CT), ultrasound (US) and Tc-99m phytate scintigraphy (RI). Diagnoses were confirmed by biopsy, surgery or autopsy, in all 58 patients. The judgement of multi-readers was obtained, independently. For a diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma, angiography was the most useful. Sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of this modality were 0.67, 0.85 and 0.78, respectively. Specificity and accuracy of US were 0.84 and 0.67, respectively, thereby US was the second best modality. CT was more useful than than RI for a diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma, in this series. Diagnostic accuracy of the 4 modalities in the diagnosis of liver mass were also discussed. To integrate these 4 images for a diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma, a multivariate analysis was made. The diagnostic accuracy of the system was considerably higher than that of any single modality.

  15. Unigene BLAST: CBRC-DMEL-02-0018 [SEVENS

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available CBRC-DMEL-02-0018 gnl|UG|Dm#S40592688 DMG1A.1_1.C09.C1 MODENCODE_DM_A Drosophila melanogaster cDNA clone DMG...1-chr3L.19.066.a, mRNA sequence /clone=DMG1-chr3L.19.066.a /gb=EW712727 /gi=156141533 /ug=Dm.35847 /len=1518 1.4 35% ...

  16. Transformation from an easy-plane to an easy-axis antiferromagnetic structure in the mixed rare-earth ferroborates Pr x Y1-x Fe3(BO3)4: magnetic properties and crystal field calculations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pankrats, A I; Demidov, A A; Ritter, C; Velikanov, D A; Semenov, S V; Tugarinov, V I; Temerov, V L; Gudim, I A

    2016-10-05

    The magnetic structure of the mixed rare-earth system Pr x Y1-x Fe3(BO3)4 (x  =  0.75, 0.67, 0.55, 0.45, 0.25) was studied via magnetic and resonance measurements. These data evidence the successive spin reorientation from the easy-axis antiferromagnetic structure formed in PrFe3(BO3)4 to the easy-plane one of YFe3(BO3)4 associated with the weakening of the magnetic anisotropy of the Pr subsystem due to its diamagnetic dilution by nonmagnetic Y. This reorientation occurs through the formation of an inclined magnetic structure, as was confirmed by our previous neutron research in the range of x  =  0.67 ÷ 0.45. In the compounds with x  =  0.75 and 0.67 whose magnetic structure is close to the easy-axis one, a two-step spin reorientation takes place in the magnetic field H||c. Such a peculiarity is explained by the formation of an interjacent inclined magnetic structure with magnetic moments of Fe ions located closer to the basal plane than in the initial state, with these intermediate states remaining stable in some ranges of the magnetic field. An approach based on a crystal field model for the Pr(3+) ion and the molecular-field approximation is used to describe the magnetic characteristics of the system Pr x Y1-x Fe3(BO3)4. With the parameters of the d-d and f-d exchange interactions, of the magnetic anisotropy of the iron subsystem and of the crystal field parameters of praseodymium thus determined, it is possible to achieve a good agreement between the experimental and calculated temperature and field dependences of the magnetization curves (up to 90 kOe) and magnetic susceptibilities (2-300 K).

  17. Simple Scoring System and Artificial Neural Network for Knee Osteoarthritis Risk Prediction: A Cross-Sectional Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoo, Tae Keun; Kim, Deok Won; Choi, Soo Beom; Oh, Ein; Park, Jee Soo

    2016-01-01

    Background Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common joint disease of adults worldwide. Since the treatments for advanced radiographic knee OA are limited, clinicians face a significant challenge of identifying patients who are at high risk of OA in a timely and appropriate way. Therefore, we developed a simple self-assessment scoring system and an improved artificial neural network (ANN) model for knee OA. Methods The Fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (KNHANES V-1) data were used to develop a scoring system and ANN for radiographic knee OA. A logistic regression analysis was used to determine the predictors of the scoring system. The ANN was constructed using 1777 participants and validated internally on 888 participants in the KNHANES V-1. The predictors of the scoring system were selected as the inputs of the ANN. External validation was performed using 4731 participants in the Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI). Area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic was calculated to compare the prediction models. Results The scoring system and ANN were built using the independent predictors including sex, age, body mass index, educational status, hypertension, moderate physical activity, and knee pain. In the internal validation, both scoring system and ANN predicted radiographic knee OA (AUC 0.73 versus 0.81, p<0.001) and symptomatic knee OA (AUC 0.88 versus 0.94, p<0.001) with good discriminative ability. In the external validation, both scoring system and ANN showed lower discriminative ability in predicting radiographic knee OA (AUC 0.62 versus 0.67, p<0.001) and symptomatic knee OA (AUC 0.70 versus 0.76, p<0.001). Conclusions The self-assessment scoring system may be useful for identifying the adults at high risk for knee OA. The performance of the scoring system is improved significantly by the ANN. We provided an ANN calculator to simply predict the knee OA risk. PMID:26859664

  18. Association of Physical Activity by Type and Intensity With Digestive System Cancer Risk.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keum, NaNa; Bao, Ying; Smith-Warner, Stephanie A; Orav, John; Wu, Kana; Fuchs, Charles S; Giovannucci, Edward L

    2016-09-01

    Accumulating evidence indicates that common carcinogenic pathways may underlie digestive system cancers. Physical activity may influence these pathways. Yet, to our knowledge, no previous study has evaluated the role of physical activity in overall digestive system cancer risk. To examine the association between physical activity and digestive system cancer risk, accounting for amount, type (aerobic vs resistance), and intensity of physical activity. A prospective cohort study followed 43 479 men from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study from 1986 to 2012. At enrollment, the eligible participants were 40 years or older, were free of cancer, and reported physical activity. Follow-up rates exceeded 90% in each 2-year cycle. The amount of total physical activity expressed in metabolic equivalent of task (MET)-hours/week. Incident cancer of the digestive system encompassing the digestive tract (mouth, throat, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, and colorectum) and digestive accessory organs (pancreas, gallbladder, and liver). Over 686 924 person-years, we documented 1370 incident digestive system cancers. Higher levels of physical activity were associated with lower digestive system cancer risk (hazard ratio [HR], 0.74 for ≥63.0 vs ≤8.9 MET-hours/week; 95% CI, 0.59-0.93; P value for trend = .003). The inverse association was more evident with digestive tract cancers (HR, 0.66 for ≥63.0 vs ≤8.9 MET-hours/week; 95% CI, 0.51-0.87) than with digestive accessary organ cancers. Aerobic exercise was particularly beneficial against digestive system cancers, with the optimal benefit observed at approximately 30 MET-hours/week (HR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.56-0.83; P value for nonlinearity = .02). Moreover, as long as the same level of MET-hour score was achieved from aerobic exercise, the magnitude of risk reduction was similar regardless of intensity of aerobic exercise. Physical activity, as indicated by MET-hours/week, was inversely associated with the risk of

  19. Design considerations, architecture, and use of the Mini-Sentinel distributed data system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Curtis, Lesley H; Weiner, Mark G; Boudreau, Denise M; Cooper, William O; Daniel, Gregory W; Nair, Vinit P; Raebel, Marsha A; Beaulieu, Nicolas U; Rosofsky, Robert; Woodworth, Tiffany S; Brown, Jeffrey S

    2012-01-01

    We describe the design, implementation, and use of a large, multiorganizational distributed database developed to support the Mini-Sentinel Pilot Program of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). As envisioned by the US FDA, this implementation will inform and facilitate the development of an active surveillance system for monitoring the safety of medical products (drugs, biologics, and devices) in the USA. A common data model was designed to address the priorities of the Mini-Sentinel Pilot and to leverage the experience and data of participating organizations and data partners. A review of existing common data models informed the process. Each participating organization designed a process to extract, transform, and load its source data, applying the common data model to create the Mini-Sentinel Distributed Database. Transformed data were characterized and evaluated using a series of programs developed centrally and executed locally by participating organizations. A secure communications portal was designed to facilitate queries of the Mini-Sentinel Distributed Database and transfer of confidential data, analytic tools were developed to facilitate rapid response to common questions, and distributed querying software was implemented to facilitate rapid querying of summary data. As of July 2011, information on 99,260,976 health plan members was included in the Mini-Sentinel Distributed Database. The database includes 316,009,067 person-years of observation time, with members contributing, on average, 27.0 months of observation time. All data partners have successfully executed distributed code and returned findings to the Mini-Sentinel Operations Center. This work demonstrates the feasibility of building a large, multiorganizational distributed data system in which organizations retain possession of their data that are used in an active surveillance system. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  20. Protecting New Zealand children from exposure to the marketing of unhealthy foods and drinks: a comparison of three nutrient profiling systems to classify foods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mhurchu, Cliona Ni; Mackenzie, Tara; Vandevijvere, Stefanie

    2016-09-09

    Promotion of unhealthy foods and drinks is a significant, modifiable risk factor for child obesity and diet-related non-communicable diseases. We compared three accepted nutrient profiling systems: the Health Star Rating (HSR), the Ministry of Health Food and Beverage Classification System (FBCS) and the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Europe Nutrient Profiling Model, to identify the best system to protect New Zealand children from exposure to the marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages. 13,066 packaged foods from the 2014 New Zealand Nutritrack database were classified as 'restricted' or 'not restricted' as per the WHO model; 'everyday/sometimes' or 'occasional' as per the FBCS model; and 'foods that met the criteria for all three systems or none of the systems, and the types of food products classified as 'restricted' under the WHO model but classified as 'everyday/sometimes' (FBCS model) or as having >3.5 stars, were determined. Under any of the three nutrient profiling systems, approximately one-third (29-39%) of New Zealand packaged foods would be permitted to be marketed to children. The WHO Model would permit marketing of 29% of products; the HSR system would permit 36%; and the FBCS system would permit 39%. The WHO Model restricts marketing of unhealthy foods more effectively than the other two systems. The HSR and FBCS systems would permit marketing of a number of food products of concern, particularly high-sugar breakfast cereals, fruit juices and ready meals. The WHO Regional Office for Europe Nutrient Profiling Model should underpin the Advertising Standards Authority revised Children's Code for Advertising Food. The effectiveness of the new Code in reducing New Zealand children's exposure to marketing of unhealthy foods and drinks should be subject to evaluation by an independent body.