Deactivation of nickel catalysts in the methanization of hydrogen/carbon monoxide mixtures under pressure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zeeb, H P

1979-01-01

The deactivation course of nickel methanization catalysts was investigated in the temperature range of 310/sup 0/C to 370/sup 0/C and in the pressure region of 20 to 80 bar. Raising the CO partial pressure accelerated the deactivation whereas raising the H/sub 2/ partial pressure slowed it down. An influence of the temperature could not be clearly recognized. The deactivation got slower with greater dwell time and larger degree of conversion. Two hypotheses to explain the deactivation are given.

PUREX/UO{sub 3} facilities deactivation lessons learned history

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hamrick, D.G.; Gerber, M.S.

1995-01-01

The Plutonium-Uranium Extraction (PUREX) Facility operated from 1956-1972, from 1983-1988, and briefly during 1989-1990 to produce for national defense at the Hanford Site in Washington State. The Uranium Trioxide (UO{sub 3}) Facility operated at the Hanford Site from 1952-1972, 1984-1988, and briefly in 1993. Both plants were ordered to permanent shutdown by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in December 1992, thus initiating their deactivation phase. Deactivation is that portion of a facility`s life cycle that occurs between operations and final decontamination and decommissioning (D&D). This document details the history of events, and the lessons learned, from the time of the PUREX Stabilization Campaign in 1989-1990, through the end of the first full fiscal year (FY) of the deactivation project (September 30, 1994).

Regeneration of a deactivated USY alkylation catalyst using supercritical isobutane

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Daniel M. Ginosar; David N. Ghompson; Kyle C. Burch

2005-01-01

Off-line, in-situ alkylation activity recovery from a completely deactivated solid acid catalyst was examined in a continuous-flow reaction system employing supercritical isobutane. A USY zeolite catalyst was initially deactivated during the liquid phase alkylation of butene with isobutane in a single-pass reactor and then varying amounts of alkylation activity were recovered by passing supercritical isobutane over the catalyst bed at different reactivation conditions. Temperature, pressure and regeneration time were found to play important roles in the supercritical isobutane regeneration process when applied to a completely deactivated USY zeolite alkylation catalyst. Manipulation of the variables that influence solvent strength, diffusivity, surface desorption, hydride transfer rates, and coke aging, strongly influence regeneration effectiveness.

Implementing RCRA during facility deactivation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lebaron, G.J.

1997-01-01

RCRA regulations require closure of permitted treatment, storage and disposal (TSD) facilities within 180 days after cessation of operations, and this may essentially necessitate decommissioning to complete closure. A more cost effective way to handle the facility would be to significantly reduce the risk to human health and the environment by taking it from its operational status to a passive, safe, inexpensive-to-maintain surveillance and maintenance condition (deactivation) prior to decommissioning. This paper presents an innovative approach to the cost effective deactivation of a large, complex chemical processing facility permitted under RCRA. The approach takes into account risks to the environment posed by this facility in comparison to risks posed by neighboring facilities at the site. The paper addresses the manner in which: 1) stakeholders and regulators were involved; 2) identifies a process by which the project proceeds and regulators and stakeholders were involved; 3) end points were developed so completion of deactivation was clearly identified at the beginning of the project, and 4) innovative practices were used to deactivate more quickly and cost effectively

Study on radiation-induced deactivation and post-deactivation of some oxidoreductases in dilute aqueous solution and protective effect: Pt. 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Yiqing; Ha Hongfei

1993-01-01

In this work the radiation-induced deactivation of catalase in dilute aqueous solution was reported. The effects of irradiation atmosphere, temperature and original concentration of catalase in dilute aqueous solutions on the deactivation of catalase were investigated. The protective effect by some additives (CH 3 CH 2 OH, HCOONa and EDTA) to radiation deactivation in dilute aqueous solutions was also studied. Remarkable protective effect by those additives was observed. The mechanism of radiation deactivation and protective effect have been discussed

Faster than light motion does not imply time travel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andréka, Hajnal; Madarász, Judit X; Németi, István; Székely, Gergely; Stannett, Mike

2014-01-01

Seeing the many examples in the literature of causality violations based on faster than light (FTL) signals one naturally thinks that FTL motion leads inevitably to the possibility of time travel. We show that this logical inference is invalid by demonstrating a model, based on (3+1)-dimensional Minkowski spacetime, in which FTL motion is permitted (in every direction without any limitation on speed) yet which does not admit time travel. Moreover, the Principle of Relativity is true in this model in the sense that all observers are equivalent. In short, FTL motion does not imply time travel after all. (paper)

UO3 deactivation end point criteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stefanski, L.D.

1994-01-01

The UO 3 Deactivation End Point Criteria are necessary to facilitate the transfer of the UO 3 Facility from the Office of Facility Transition and Management (EM-60) to the office of Environmental Restoration (EM-40). The criteria were derived from a logical process for determining end points for the systems and spaces at the UO 3 , Facility based on the objectives, tasks, and expected future uses pertinent to that system or space. Furthermore, the established criteria meets the intent and supports the draft guidance for acceptance criteria prepared by EM-40, open-quotes U.S. Department of Energy office of Environmental Restoration (EM-40) Decontamination and Decommissioning Guidance Document (Draft).close quotes For the UO 3 Facility, the overall objective of deactivation is to achieve a safe, stable and environmentally sound condition, suitable for an extended period, as quickly and economically as possible. Once deactivated, the facility is kept in its stable condition by means of a methodical surveillance and maintenance (S ampersand M) program, pending ultimate decontamination and decommissioning (D ampersand D). Deactivation work involves a range of tasks, such as removal of hazardous material, elimination or shielding of radiation fields, partial decontamination to permit access for inspection, installation of monitors and alarms, etc. it is important that the end point of each of these tasks be established clearly and in advance, for the following reasons: (1) End points must be such that the central element of the deactivation objective - to achieve stability - is unquestionably achieved. (2) Much of the deactivation work involves worker exposure to radiation or dangerous materials. This can be minimized by avoiding unnecessary work. (3) Each task is, in effect, competing for resources with other deactivation tasks and other facilities. By assuring that each task is appropriately bounded, DOE's overall resources can be used most fully and effectively

Influence of mass transport towards deactivation in tert-butyl-source driven isobutane/2-butene alkylation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aschauer, S.J.; Jess, A. [Bayreuth Univ. (Germany). Dept. of Chemical Engineering

2011-07-01

The deactivation of i-butane/trans-2-butene alkylation using tert-butyl-halide promoted ionic liquid catalysts is studied.Here, the mass transport was modified by varying the feed rate and the type of promoter addition. The experimental data show that the deactivation increases with increasing feed rate. Moreover, a biliquid foam is formed when feed rates above 1 g/min are adjusted. As the results indicate a strong influence of the biliquid foam and its formation on deactivation, both aspects are also discussed.When the promoter is added to the feed mixture an increase of conversion with time on stream is observed. A deactivation in continuous promoter addition mode could not be noted in the investigated time-on-stream range. (orig.)

Information Subsystem of Shadow Economy Deactivation

OpenAIRE

Filippova, Tatyana V.

2015-01-01

The article presents information subsystem of shadow economy deactivation aimed at minimizing negative effects caused by its reproduction. In Russia, as well as in other countries, efficient implementation of the suggested system of shadow economy deactivation can be ensured by the developed information subsystem.

Thalamic deactivation at sleep onset precedes that of the cerebral cortex in humans

Science.gov (United States)

Magnin, Michel; Rey, Marc; Bastuji, Hélène; Guillemant, Philippe; Mauguière, François; Garcia-Larrea, Luis

2010-01-01

Thalamic and cortical activities are assumed to be time-locked throughout all vigilance states. Using simultaneous intracortical and intrathalamic recordings, we demonstrate here that the thalamic deactivation occurring at sleep onset most often precedes that of the cortex by several minutes, whereas reactivation of both structures during awakening is synchronized. Delays between thalamus and cortex deactivations can vary from one subject to another when a similar cortical region is considered. In addition, heterogeneity in activity levels throughout the cortical mantle is larger than previously thought during the descent into sleep. Thus, asynchronous thalamo-cortical deactivation while falling asleep probably explains the production of hypnagogic hallucinations by a still-activated cortex and the common self-overestimation of the time needed to fall asleep. PMID:20142493

Real-time vehicle detection and tracking in video based on faster R-CNN

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yongjie; Wang, Jian; Yang, Xin

2017-08-01

Vehicle detection and tracking is a significant part in auxiliary vehicle driving system. Using the traditional detection method based on image information has encountered enormous difficulties, especially in complex background. To solve this problem, a detection method based on deep learning, Faster R-CNN, which has very high detection accuracy and flexibility, is introduced. An algorithm of target tracking with the combination of Camshift and Kalman filter is proposed for vehicle tracking. The computation time of Faster R-CNN cannot achieve realtime detection. We use multi-thread technique to detect and track vehicle by parallel computation for real-time application.

Writing faster Python

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva

2016-01-01

Did you know that Python preallocates integers from -5 to 257 ? Reusing them 1000 times, instead of allocating memory for a bigger integer, can save you a couple of milliseconds of code’s execution time. If you want to learn more about this kind of optimizations then, … well, probably this presentation is not for you :) Instead of going into such small details, I will talk about more "sane" ideas for writing faster code. After a very brief overview of how to optimize Python code (rule 1: don’t do this; rule 2: don’t do this yet; rule 3: ok, but what if I really want to do this ?), I will show simple and fast ways of measuring the execution time and finally, discuss examples of how some code structures could be improved. You will see: - What is the fastest way of removing duplicates from a list - How much faster your code is when you reuse the built-in functions instead of trying to reinvent the wheel - What is faster than the good ol’ for loop - If the lookup is faster in a list or a set (and w...

N Reactor Deactivation Program Plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walsh, J.L.

1993-12-01

This N Reactor Deactivation Program Plan is structured to provide the basic methodology required to place N Reactor and supporting facilities · in a radiologically and environmentally safe condition such that they can be decommissioned at a later date. Deactivation will be in accordance with facility transfer criteria specified in Department of Energy (DOE) and Westinghouse Hanford Company (WHC) guidance. Transition activities primarily involve shutdown and isolation of operational systems and buildings, radiological/hazardous waste cleanup, N Fuel Basin stabilization and environmental stabilization of the facilities. The N Reactor Deactivation Program covers the period FY 1992 through FY 1997. The directive to cease N Reactor preservation and prepare for decommissioning was issued by DOE to WHC on September 20, 1991. The work year and budget data supporting the Work Breakdown Structure in this document are found in the Activity Data Sheets (ADS) and the Environmental Restoration Program Baseline, that are prepared annually

Deactivating a major nuclear fuels reprocessing facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

LeBaron, G.J.

1997-01-01

This paper describes three key processes used in deactivating the Plutonium Uranium Extraction (PUREX) Facility, a large, complex nuclear reprocessing facility, 15 months ahead of schedule and $77 million under budget. The organization was reengineered to refine its business processes and more effectively organize around the deactivation work scope. Multi-disciplined work teams were formed to be self-sufficient and empowered to make decisions and perform work. A number of benefits were realized by reengineering. A comprehensive process to develop end points which clearly identified specific results and the post-project facility configuration was developed so all areas of a facility were addressed. Clear and specific end points allowed teams to focus on completing deactivation activities and helped ensure there were no unfulfilled end-of-project expectations. The RCRA regulations require closure of permitted facilities within 180 days after cessation of operations which may essentially necessitate decommissioning. A more cost effective approach was adopted which significantly reduced risk to human health and the environment by taking the facility to a passive, safe, inexpensive-to-maintain surveillance and maintenance condition (deactivation) prior to disposition. PUREX thus became the first large reprocessing facility with active TSD [treatment, storage, and disposal] units to be deactivated under the RCRA regulations

Earlier time to aerobic exercise is associated with faster recovery following acute sport concussion.

Science.gov (United States)

Lawrence, David Wyndham; Richards, Doug; Comper, Paul; Hutchison, Michael G

2018-01-01

To determine whether earlier time to initiation of aerobic exercise following acute concussion is associated with time to full return to (1) sport and (2) school or work. A retrospective stratified propensity score survival analysis of acute (≤14 days) concussion was used to determine whether time (days) to initiation of aerobic exercise post-concussion was associated with, both, time (days) to full return to (1) sport and (2) school or work. A total of 253 acute concussions [median (IQR) age, 17.0 (15.0-20.0) years; 148 (58.5%) males] were included in this study. Multivariate Cox regression models identified that earlier time to aerobic exercise was associated with faster return to sport and school/work adjusting for other covariates, including quintile propensity strata. For each successive day in delay to initiation of aerobic exercise, individuals had a less favourable recovery trajectory. Initiating aerobic exercise at 3 and 7 days following injury was associated with a respective 36.5% (HR, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.53-0.76) and 73.2% (HR, 0.27; 95% CI, 0.16-0.45) reduced probability of faster full return to sport compared to within 1 day; and a respective 45.9% (HR, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.44-0.66) and 83.1% (HR, 0.17; 95% CI, 0.10-0.30) reduced probability of faster full return to school/work. Additionally, concussion history, symptom severity, LOC deleteriously influenced concussion recovery. Earlier initiation of aerobic exercise was associated with faster full return to sport and school or work. This study provides greater insight into the benefits and safety of aerobic exercise within the first week of the injury.

Data quality objectives for PUREX deactivation flushing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhatia, R.K.

1995-01-01

This Data Quality Objection (DQO) defines the sampling and analysis requirements necessary to support the deactivation of the Plutonium-Uranium Extraction (PUREX) facility vessels that are regulated by WAC 173-303. Specifically, sampling and analysis requirements are identified for the flushing operations that are a major element of PUREX deactivation

LMR deactivation information exchange

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guttenberg, S.

1998-01-01

This report contains vugraphs of presentations given at the meeting. The topics covered include the following: FFTF Deactivation Strategy; Sodium Drain and Disposition; Sodium Processing; and Fuel Storage and Disposition

1997 project of the year, PUREX deactivation project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bailey, R.W.

1998-01-01

At the end of 1992, the PUREX and UO 3 plants were deemed no longer necessary for the defense needs of the United States. Although no longer necessary, they were very costly to maintain in their post-operation state. The DOE embarked on a deactivation strategy for these plants to reduce the costs of providing continuous surveillance of the facilities and their hazards. Deactivation of the PUREX and UO 3 plants was estimated to take 5 years and cost $222.5 million and result in an annual surveillance and maintenance cost of $2 million. Deactivation of the PUREX/UO 3 plants officially began on October 1, 1993. The deactivation was 15 months ahead of the original schedule and $75 million under the original cost estimate. The annual cost of surveillance and maintenance of the plants was reduced to less than $1 million

Identification and root cause analysis of cell culture media precipitates in the viral deactivation treatment with high-temperature/short-time method.

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Xiaolin; Stimpfl, Gregory; Wen, Zai-Qing; Frank, Gregory; Hunter, Glenn

2013-01-01

High-temperature/short-time (HTST) treatment of cell culture media is one of the proven techniques used in the biopharmaceutical manufacturing industry for the prevention and mitigation of media viral contamination. With the HTST method, the formulated media is pasteurized (virus-deactivated) by heating and pumping the media continuously through the preset high-temperature holding tubes to achieve a specified period of time at a specific temperature. Recently, during the evaluation and implementation of HTST method in multiple Amgen, Inc. manufacturing facilities, media precipitates were observed in the tests of HTST treatments. The media precipitates may have adverse consequences such as clogging the HTST system, altering operating conditions and compromising the efficacy of viral deactivation, and ultimately affecting the media composition and cell growth. In this study, we report the identification of the composition of media precipitates from multiple media HTST runs using combined microspectroscopic methods including Raman, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The major composition in the precipitates was determined to be metal phosphates, including calcium phosphate, magnesium phosphate, and iron (III) phosphate. Based on the composition, stoichiometry, and root-cause study of media precipitations, methods were implemented for the mitigation and prevention of the occurrence of the media precipitation. Viral contamination in cell culture media is an important issue in the biopharmaceutical manufacturing industry and may have serious consequences on product quality, efficacy, and safety. High-temperature/short-time (HTST) treatment of cell culture media is one of the proven techniques used in the industry for the prevention and mitigation of media viral contamination. With the HTST method, the formulated media is pasteurized (virus-deactivated) by heating at preset conditions. This

N Area Post-Deactivation ALARA Report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nellesen, A. L.

1998-01-01

This report provides information about a wide range of radiological work activities at the N Area Deactivation Project. The report is divided into sections that are based on specific N Area scopes of work. Each section contains specific information that was of significant radiological importance in completing N Area Deactivation work. The information presented in this report may be applicable and beneficial to similar projects throughout the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) complex, and in commercial industry

Robot Work Platform for Large Hot Cell Deactivation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

BITTEN, E.J.

2000-01-01

The 324 Building, located at the Hanford Site near Richland, Washington, is being deactivated to meet state and federal cleanup commitments. The facility is currently in its third year of a nine-year project to complete deactivation and closure for long-term surveillance and maintenance. The 324 building contains large hot cells that were used for high-radiation, high-contamination chemical process development and demonstrations. A major obstacle for the 324 deactivation project is the inability to effectively perform deactivation tasks within highly radioactive, contaminated environments. Current strategies use inefficient, resource intensive technologies that significantly impact the cost and schedule for deactivation. To meet mandated cleanup commitments, there is a need to deploy rapid, more efficient remote/robot technologies to minimize worker exposure, accelerate work tasks, and eliminate the need for multiple specialized tool design and procurement efforts. This paper describes the functions and performance requirements for a crane-deployed remote/robot Work Platform possessing full access capabilities. The remote/robot Work Platform will deploy commercially available off-the-shelf tools and end effectors to support Project cleanup goals and reduce overall project risk and cost. The intent of this system is to maximize the use of off-the-shelf technologies that minimize additional new, unproven, or novel designs. This paper further describes procurement strategy, the selection process, the selected technology, and the current status of the procurement and lessons learned. Funding, in part, has been provided by the US Department of Energy, Office of Science and Technology, Deactivation and Decommissioning Focus Area

Metal-deactivating additives for liquid fuels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Boneva, M.I. [Institute of Organic Chemistry, Sofia (Bulgaria); Ivanov, S.K.; Kalitchin, Z.D. [SciBulCom, Ltd., Sofia (Bulgaria); Tanielyan, S.K. [Seton Hall Univ., South Orange, NJ (United States); Terebenina, A.; Todorova, O.I. [Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Sofia (Bulgaria)

1995-05-01

The metal-deactivating and the antioxidant properties of 1-phenyl-3-methylpyrazolone-5 derivatives have been investigated both in the model reaction of low temperature oxidation of ethylbenzene and in gasoline oxidation. The study of the ability of these derivatives to reduce the catalytic effect of copper naphthenate demonstrates that they are promising as metal deactivating additives for light fuels. Some of the pyrazolone compounds appear to be of special interest for the long-term storage of liquid fuels due to their action as multifunctional inhibitors.

Deactivation, Decontamination and Decommissioning Project Summaries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Peterson, David Shane; Webber, Frank Laverne

2001-07-01

This report is a compilation of summary descriptions of Deactivation, Decontamination and Decommissioning, and Surveillance and Maintenance projects planned for inactive facilities and sites at the INEEL from FY-2002 through FY-2010. Deactivations of contaminated facilities will produce safe and stable facilities requiring minimal surveillance and maintenance pending further decontamination and decommissioning. Decontamination and decommissioning actions remove contaminated facilities, thus eliminating long-term surveillance and maintenance. The projects are prioritized based on risk to DOE-ID, the public, and the environment, and the reduction of DOE-ID mortgage costs and liability at the INEEL.

Long term deactivation test of high dust SCR catalysts by straw co-firing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Weigang Lin; Degn Jensen, A.; Bjerkvig, J.

2009-12-15

The consequences of carbon dioxide induced global warming cause major concern worldwide. The consumption of energy produced with fossil fuels is the major factor that contributes to the global warming. Biomass is a renewable energy resource and has a nature of CO{sub 2} neutrality. Co-combustion of biomass in existing coal fired power plants can maintain high efficiency and reduce the emission of CO{sub 2} at same time. However, one of the problems faced by co-firing is deactivation of the SCR catalysts. Understanding of the mechanisms of deactivation of the catalyst elements at co-firing conditions is crucial for long term runs of the power plants. Twenty six SCR catalyst elements were exposed at two units (SSV3 and SSV4) in the Studstrup Power Plant for a long period. Both units co-fire coal and straw with a typical fraction of 8-10% straw on an energy basis during co-firing. SSV4 unit operated in co-firing mode most of the time; SSV3 unit co-fired straw half of the operating time. The main objective of this PSO-project is to gain knowledge of a long term influence on catalyst activity when co-firing straw in coal-fired power plants, thus, to improve the basis for operating the SCR-plants for NO{sub x}-reduction. The exposure time of the applied catalyst elements (HTAS and BASF) varied from approximately 5000 to 19000 hours in the power plant by exchanging the element two times. The activity of all elements was measured before and after exposure in a bench scale test rig at the Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark. The results show that the activity, estimated by exclusion of channel clogging of the elements, decreases gradually with the total exposure time. It appears that the exposure time under co-firing condition has little effect on the deactivation of the catalyst elements and no sharp decrease of the activity was observed. The average deactivation rate of the catalyst elements is 1.6 %/1000 hours. SEM

PUREX/UO3 Facilities deactivation lessons learned history

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gerber, M.S.

1996-09-19

Disconnecting the criticality alarm permanently in June 1996 signified that the hazards in the PUREX (plutonium-uranium extraction) plant had been so removed and reduced that criticality was no longer a credible event. Turning off the PUREX criticality alarm also marked a salient point in a historic deactivation project, 1 year before its anticipated conclusion. The PUREX/UO3 Deactivation Project began in October 1993 as a 5-year, $222.5- million project. As a result of innovations implemented during 1994 and 1995, the project schedule was shortened by over a year, with concomitant savings. In 1994, the innovations included arranging to send contaminated nitric acid from the PUREX Plant to British Nuclear Fuels, Limited (BNFL) for reuse and sending metal solutions containing plutonium and uranium from PUREX to the Hanford Site tank farms. These two steps saved the project $36.9- million. In 1995, reductions in overhead rate, work scope, and budget, along with curtailed capital equipment expenditures, reduced the cost another $25.6 million. These savings were achieved by using activity-based cost estimating and applying technical schedule enhancements. In 1996, a series of changes brought about under the general concept of ``reengineering`` reduced the cost approximately another $15 million, and moved the completion date to May 1997. With the total savings projected at about $75 million, or 33.7 percent of the originally projected cost, understanding how the changes came about, what decisions were made, and why they were made becomes important. At the same time sweeping changes in the cultural of the Hanford Site were taking place. These changes included shifting employee relations and work structures, introducing new philosophies and methods in maintaining safety and complying with regulations, using electronic technology to manage information, and, adopting new methods and bases for evaluating progress. Because these changes helped generate cost savings and were

Deactivation of Pacemaker: Ethical Approach or Managerial Failure?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Macková Marie

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The decision about the deactivation of a pacemaker must be the result of a multicriteria decision-making process where the legal, ethical and effectiveness aspects must be taken into account and delicately balanced, while also considering the risk of managerial failure. Academic as well as professional discussion is necessary because there is a whole range of question marks on this topic and all the aspects mentioned above. The aim of this paper is to contribute to the debate by presenting the views of Czech physicians about the possibility of deactivation of the pacemaker in patients in terminal states. Based on the results of our research, the following steps are recommended to enable the deactivation of pacemakers in the Czech environment. Before the patient’s own indication of pacemaker therapy, treatment should be discussed with the patient in detail, including complications and deactivation options. Czech ethical consultant services should be set up in Czech hospitals. And last but not least, they should take an opinion on this issue as well as the professional society.

Deactivation of vanadia-based commercial SCR catalysts by polyphosphoric acids

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Castellino, Francesco; Rasmussen, Søren Birk; Jensen, Anker Degn

2008-01-01

Commercial vanadia-based SCR monoliths have been exposed to flue gases in a pilot-scale Setup into which phosphoric acid has been added and the deactivation has been followed during the exposure time. Separate measurements by SMPS showed that the phosphoric acid formed polyphosphoric acid aerosols...

Deactivation of nickel hydroxide-gold modified electrodes

OpenAIRE

Caram, Bruno; Tucceri, Ricardo

2013-01-01

The aim of the present work was to study how the charge-transport process of a nickel hydroxide film electrochemically synthesized on a gold substrate is modified when the electrode is stored for a long time. It was found that nickel hydroxide films are deactivated under storage, that is, films became less conductive than films immediately prepared (nondeactivated). This study was carried out in the context of the rotating disc electrode voltammetry when the modified electrode contacts an ele...

Deactivation completed at historic Hanford Fuels Laboratory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gerber, M.S.

1994-03-01

This report discusses deactivation work which was completed as of March 31, 1994 at the 308 Fuels Development Laboratory (FDL) at the Hanford Site near Richland, Washington. The decision to deactivate the structure, formerly known as the Plutonium Fabrication Pilot Plant (PFPP), was driven by a 1980s Department of Energy (DOE) decision that plutonium fuels should not be fabricated in areas near the Site`s boundaries, as well as by changing facility structural requirements. Inventory transfer has been followed by the cleanout and stabilization of plutonium oxide (PuO{sub 2}) and enriched uranium oxide (UO{sub 2}) residues and powders in the facility`s equipment and duct work. The Hanford Site, located in southeastern Washington state, was one of America`s primary arsenals of nuclear defense production for nearly 50 years beginning in World War II. Approximately 53 metric tons of weapons grade plutonium, over half of the national supply and about one quarter of the world`s supply, were produced at Hanford between 1944 and 1989. Today, many Site buildings are undergoing deactivation, a precursor phase to decontamination and decommissioning (D&D). The primary difference between the two activities is that equipment and structural items are not removed or torn down in deactivation. However, utilities are disconnected, and special nuclear materials (SNM) as well as hazardous and pyrophoric substances are removed from structures undergoing this process.

Deactivation completed at historic Hanford Fuels Laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gerber, M.S.

1994-03-01

This report discusses deactivation work which was completed as of March 31, 1994 at the 308 Fuels Development Laboratory (FDL) at the Hanford Site near Richland, Washington. The decision to deactivate the structure, formerly known as the Plutonium Fabrication Pilot Plant (PFPP), was driven by a 1980s Department of Energy (DOE) decision that plutonium fuels should not be fabricated in areas near the Site's boundaries, as well as by changing facility structural requirements. Inventory transfer has been followed by the cleanout and stabilization of plutonium oxide (PuO 2 ) and enriched uranium oxide (UO 2 ) residues and powders in the facility's equipment and duct work. The Hanford Site, located in southeastern Washington state, was one of America's primary arsenals of nuclear defense production for nearly 50 years beginning in World War II. Approximately 53 metric tons of weapons grade plutonium, over half of the national supply and about one quarter of the world's supply, were produced at Hanford between 1944 and 1989. Today, many Site buildings are undergoing deactivation, a precursor phase to decontamination and decommissioning (D ampersand D). The primary difference between the two activities is that equipment and structural items are not removed or torn down in deactivation. However, utilities are disconnected, and special nuclear materials (SNM) as well as hazardous and pyrophoric substances are removed from structures undergoing this process

Structure of the Deactive State of Mammalian Respiratory Complex I.

Science.gov (United States)

Blaza, James N; Vinothkumar, Kutti R; Hirst, Judy

2018-02-06

Complex I (NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase) is central to energy metabolism in mammalian mitochondria. It couples NADH oxidation by ubiquinone to proton transport across the energy-conserving inner membrane, catalyzing respiration and driving ATP synthesis. In the absence of substrates, active complex I gradually enters a pronounced resting or deactive state. The active-deactive transition occurs during ischemia and is crucial for controlling how respiration recovers upon reperfusion. Here, we set a highly active preparation of Bos taurus complex I into the biochemically defined deactive state, and used single-particle electron cryomicroscopy to determine its structure to 4.1 Å resolution. We show that the deactive state arises when critical structural elements that form the ubiquinone-binding site become disordered, and we propose reactivation is induced when substrate binding to the NADH-reduced enzyme templates their reordering. Our structure both rationalizes biochemical data on the deactive state and offers new insights into its physiological and cellular roles. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Prognostic value of posteromedial cortex deactivation in mild cognitive impairment.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jeffrey R Petrella

2007-10-01

Full Text Available Normal subjects deactivate specific brain regions, notably the posteromedial cortex (PMC, during many tasks. Recent cross-sectional functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI data suggests that deactivation during memory tasks is impaired in Alzheimer's disease (AD. The goal of this study was to prospectively determine the prognostic significance of PMC deactivation in mild cognitive impairment (MCI.75 subjects (34 MCI, 13 AD subjects and 28 controls underwent baseline fMRI scanning during encoding of novel and familiar face-name pairs. MCI subjects were followed longitudinally to determine conversion to AD. Regression and analysis of covariance models were used to assess the effect of PMC activation/deactivation on conversion to dementia as well as in the longitudinal change in dementia measures. At longitudinal follow up of up to 3.5 years (mean 2.5+/-0.79 years, 11 MCI subjects converted to AD. The proportion of deactivators was significantly different across all groups: controls (79%, MCI-Nonconverters (73%, MCI-converters (45%, and AD (23% (p<0.05. Mean PMC activation magnitude parameter estimates, at baseline, were negative in the control (-0.57+/-0.12 and MCI-Nonconverter (-0.33+/-0.14 groups, and positive in the MCI-Converter (0.37+/-0.40 and AD (0.92+/-0.30 groups. The effect of diagnosis on PMC deactivation remained significant after adjusting for age, education and baseline Mini-Mental State Exam (p<0.05. Baseline PMC activation magnitude was correlated with change in dementia ratings from baseline.Loss of physiological functional deactivation in the PMC may have prognostic value in preclinical AD, and could aid in profiling subgroups of MCI subjects at greatest risk for progressive cognitive decline.

Criticality safety for deactivation of the Rover dry headend process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Henrikson, D.J.

1995-01-01

The Rover dry headend process combusted Rover graphite fuels in preparation for dissolution and solvent extraction for the recovery of 235 U. At the end of the Rover processing campaign, significant quantities of 235 U were left in the dry system. The Rover Dry Headend Process Deactivation Project goal is to remove the remaining uranium bearing material (UBM) from the dry system and then decontaminate the cells. Criticality safety issues associated with the Rover Deactivation Project have been influenced by project design refinement and schedule acceleration initiatives. The uranium ash composition used for calculations must envelope a wide range of material compositions, and yet result in cost effective final packaging and storage. Innovative thinking must be used to provide a timely safety authorization basis while the project design continues to be refined

Intention retrieval and deactivation following an acute psychosocial stressor.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Moritz Walser

Full Text Available We often form intentions but have to postpone them until the appropriate situation for retrieval and execution has come, an ability also referred to as event-based prospective memory. After intention completion, our cognitive system has to deactivate no-more-relevant intention representations from memory to avoid interference with subsequent tasks. In everyday life, we frequently rely on these abilities also in stressful situations. Surprisingly, little is known about potential stress effects on these functions. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine the reliability of event-based prospective memory and of intention deactivation in conditions of acute psychosocial stress. To this aim, eighty-two participants underwent the Trier Social Stress Test, a standardized stress protocol, or a standardized control situation. Following this treatment, participants performed a computerized event-based prospective memory task with non-salient and focal prospective memory cues in order to assess prospective memory performance and deactivation of completed intentions. Although the stress group showed elevated levels of salivary cortisol as marker of a stress-related increase in hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis activity throughout the cognitive testing period compared to the no-stress group, prospective memory performance and deactivation of completed intentions did not differ between groups. Findings indicate that cognitive control processes subserving intention retrieval and deactivation after completion may be mostly preserved even under conditions of acute stress.

The nonadiabatic deactivation paths of pyrrole

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barbatti, Mario; Vazdar, Mario; Aquino, Adelia J. A.; Eckert-Maksic, Mirjana; Lischka, Hans

2006-01-01

Multireference configuration interaction (MRCI) calculations have been performed for pyrrole with the aim of providing an explanation for the experimentally observed photochemical deactivation processes. Potential energy curves and minima on the crossing seam were determined using the analytic MRCI gradient and nonadiabatic coupling features of the COLUMBUS program system. A new deactivation mechanism based on an out-of-plane ring deformation is presented. This mechanism directly couples the charge transfer 1 ππ* and ground states. It may be responsible for more than 50% of the observed photofragments of ππ*-excited pyrrole. The ring deformation mechanism should act complementary to the previously proposed NH-stretching mechanism, thus offering a more complete interpretation of the pyrrole photodynamics

Characterization and Regeneration of Pt-Catalysts Deactivated in Municipal Waste Flue Gas

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Søren Birk; Kustov, Arkadii; Due-Hansen, Johannes

2006-01-01

Severe deactivation was observed for industrially aged catalysts used in waste incineration plants and tested in lab-scale. Possible compounds that cause deactivation of these Pt-based CO oxidation catalysts have been studied. Kinetic observations of industrial and model catalysts showed...... that siloxanes were the most severe catalyst poisons, although acidic sulfur compounds also caused deactivation. Furthermore, a method for on-site regeneration without shutdown of the catalytic flue gas cleaning system has been developed, i.e. an addition of H-2/N-2 gas to the off-gas can completely restore...... the activity of the deactivated catalysts. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved....

Attention-induced deactivations in very low frequency EEG oscillations: differential localisation according to ADHD symptom status.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Samantha J Broyd

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The default-mode network (DMN is characterised by coherent very low frequency (VLF brain oscillations. The cognitive significance of this VLF profile remains unclear, partly because of the temporally constrained nature of the blood oxygen-level dependent (BOLD signal. Previously we have identified a VLF EEG network of scalp locations that shares many features of the DMN. Here we explore the intracranial sources of VLF EEG and examine their overlap with the DMN in adults with high and low ADHD ratings. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: DC-EEG was recorded using an equidistant 66 channel electrode montage in 25 adult participants with high- and 25 participants with low-ratings of ADHD symptoms during a rest condition and an attention demanding Eriksen task. VLF EEG power was calculated in the VLF band (0.02 to 0.2 Hz for the rest and task condition and compared for high and low ADHD participants. sLORETA was used to identify brain sources associated with the attention-induced deactivation of VLF EEG power, and to examine these sources in relation to ADHD symptoms. There was significant deactivation of VLF EEG power between the rest and task condition for the whole sample. Using s-LORETA the sources of this deactivation were localised to medial prefrontal regions, posterior cingulate cortex/precuneus and temporal regions. However, deactivation sources were different for high and low ADHD groups: In the low ADHD group attention-induced VLF EEG deactivation was most significant in medial prefrontal regions while for the high ADHD group this deactivation was predominantly localised to the temporal lobes. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Attention-induced VLF EEG deactivations have intracranial sources that appear to overlap with those of the DMN. Furthermore, these seem to be related to ADHD symptom status, with high ADHD adults failing to significantly deactivate medial prefrontal regions while at the same time showing significant attenuation of

ALARA review for the deactivation of 105-N Lift Station

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nellesen, A.L.

1997-01-01

This ALARA review provides a description of the engineering and administrative controls used to manage personnel exposure and to control contamination levels and airborne radioactivity concentrations, while removing water, sludge, stabilizing surfaces, and all other associated work involved in the deactivation of the 105-N Lift Station. The lift station was used as a sump and received contaminated water from the 105-N Fuel Storage Basin weirs and contaminated drains in the 105-N Building. During operation water from the lift station was pumped to the 1310-N and 1325-N cribs. Deactivation of the lift station is a critical step in completing the deactivation of N-Area

Deactivation of Legionella Pneumophila in municipal wastewater by ozone generated in arrays of microchannel plasmas

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Shengkun; Li, Jun; Kim, Min-Hwan; Cho, Jinhoon; Park, Sung-Jin; Nguyen, Thanh H.; Eden, J. Gary

2018-06-01

A greater than four log10 reduction in the concentration of Legionella pneumophila in municipal wastewater has been achieved in 1 min with ozone produced by a microchannel plasma reactor. Requiring less than 22 W of electrical power, and ambient air as the feedstock gas, the microplasma ozone generator is robust and a promising alternative to conventional corona and dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) technologies. Contrary to previous studies, the Ct model for pathogen deactivation (i.e. rate proportional to the product of the available disinfectant concentration and the exposure duration) is found to be valid for L. pneumophila. Accordingly, wastewater-specific Ct equations have been developed to predict the deactivation of L. pneumophila in the secondary wastewater environment. Inactivation of this pathogen was found to be dependent on temperature only in the absence of wastewater organic matter (WOM). In the presence of WOM, pathogen deactivation is controlled by the disinfection contact time, initial ozone concentration (varied between 15 and 281 µg l‑1), and initial WOM loading. The data reported here will assist in the implementation of plasma ozone generators for L. pneumophila deactivation in cooling towers, point-of-use systems, and wastewater reclamation facilities.

Deactivation and Regeneration of Commercial Type Fischer-Tropsch Co-Catalysts—A Mini-Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erling Rytter

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Deactivation of commercially relevant cobalt catalysts for Low Temperature Fischer-Tropsch (LTFT synthesis is discussed with a focus on the two main long-term deactivation mechanisms proposed: Carbon deposits covering the catalytic surface and re-oxidation of the cobalt metal. There is a great variety in commercial, demonstration or pilot LTFT operations in terms of reactor systems employed, catalyst formulations and process conditions. Lack of sufficient data makes it difficult to correlate the deactivation mechanism with the actual process and catalyst design. It is well known that long term catalyst deactivation is sensitive to the conditions the actual catalyst experiences in the reactor. Therefore, great care should be taken during start-up, shutdown and upsets to monitor and control process variables such as reactant concentrations, pressure and temperature which greatly affect deactivation mechanism and rate. Nevertheless, evidence so far shows that carbon deposition is the main long-term deactivation mechanism for most LTFT operations. It is intriguing that some reports indicate a low deactivation rate for multi-channel micro-reactors. In situ rejuvenation and regeneration of Co catalysts are economically necessary for extending their life to several years. The review covers information from open sources, but with a particular focus on patent literature.

PUREX Plant deactivation function analysis report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lund, D.P.

1995-09-01

The document contains the functions, function definitions, function interfaces, function interface definitions, Input Computer Automated Manufacturing Definition (IDEFO) diagrams, and a function hierarchy chart that describe what needs to be performed to deactivate PUREX

PUREX/UO3 facilities deactivation lessons learned history

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gerber, M.S.

1997-01-01

In May 1997, a historic deactivation project at the PUREX (Plutonium URanium EXtraction) facility at the Hanford Site in south-central Washington State concluded its activities (Figure ES-1). The project work was finished at $78 million under its original budget of $222.5 million, and 16 months ahead of schedule. Closely watched throughout the US Department of Energy (DOE) complex and by the US Department of Defense for the value of its lessons learned, the PUREX Deactivation Project has become the national model for the safe transition of contaminated facilities to shut down status

308 Building deactivation function analysis report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lund, D.P.

1995-09-01

The document contains the functions, function definitions, function interfaces, function interface definitions, Input Computer Automated Manufacturing Definition (IDEFO) diagrams, and a function hierarchy chart that describes what needs to be performed to deactivate the 308 Building

309 Building deactivation function analysis report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lund, D.P.

1995-09-01

The document contains the functions, function definitions, function interfaces, function interface definitions, Input Computer Automated Manufacturing Definition (IDEFO) diagrams, and a function hierarchy chart that describe what needs to be performed to deactivate the 309 Building

Faster-than-real-time robot simulation for plan development and robot safety

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crane, C.D. III; Dalton, R.; Ogles, J.; Tulenko, J.S.; Zhou, X.

1990-01-01

The University of Florida, in cooperation with the Universities of Texas, Tennessee, and Michigan and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), is developing an advanced robotic system for the US Department of Energy under the University Program for Robotics for Advanced Reactors. As part of this program, the University of Florida has been pursuing the development of a faster-than-real-time robotic simulation program for planning and control of mobile robotic operations to ensure the efficient and safe operation of mobile robots in nuclear power plants and other hazardous environments

Deactivation of waste waters in the Czechoslovak Uranium Industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Priban, V.

1978-01-01

Deactivation techniques are described used for the treatment of waste waters from uranium mines and uranium chemical treatment plants. With treatment plant waters this is done either by precipitation of radium with barium sulfate or using multistage evaporating units. Mine waste waters are deactivated by sorption on ion exchangers; strongly basic anion exchangers, mostly Wofatit SBW, Varion AP or Ostion AU are used for uranium, while the strongly acidic Ostion KS is used for radium. (Z.M.)

Hydrotreating catalyst deactivation by coke from SRC-II oil

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yamamoto, Y.; Kumata, F.; Massoth, F.E.

1988-10-01

Samples of a CoMo/Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ catalyst were partially deactivated with SRC-II feed in an autoclave reactor to give coked samples of 5 to 18% C. The coked catalysts were analyzed for surface area, pore volume, coronene adsorption and diffusivity, and their catalytic activity determined for hydrodesulfurization (HDS), hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) and C-N hydrogenolysis (CNH) using model compounds. All of the above measurements decreased with increase in coke content. Property data indicate that some pores are blocked by coke and diffusivity results show narrowing of pore mouths with increasing coke content. Catalyst deactivation versus coke level was identical for HDS and HDO, but less for CNH. A simple model of coke deactivation was developed to relate activity to coke content. Coke is envisioned as forming wedge-like deposits in the catalyst pores. 11 refs., 5 figs., 3 tabs.

Specialization in the default mode: Task-induced brain deactivations dissociate between visual working memory and attention.

Science.gov (United States)

Mayer, Jutta S; Roebroeck, Alard; Maurer, Konrad; Linden, David E J

2010-01-01

The idea of an organized mode of brain function that is present as default state and suspended during goal-directed behaviors has recently gained much interest in the study of human brain function. The default mode hypothesis is based on the repeated observation that certain brain areas show task-induced deactivations across a wide range of cognitive tasks. In this event-related functional resonance imaging study we tested the default mode hypothesis by comparing common and selective patterns of BOLD deactivation in response to the demands on visual attention and working memory (WM) that were independently modulated within one task. The results revealed task-induced deactivations within regions of the default mode network (DMN) with a segregation of areas that were additively deactivated by an increase in the demands on both attention and WM, and areas that were selectively deactivated by either high attentional demand or WM load. Attention-selective deactivations appeared in the left ventrolateral and medial prefrontal cortex and the left lateral temporal cortex. Conversely, WM-selective deactivations were found predominantly in the right hemisphere including the medial-parietal, the lateral temporo-parietal, and the medial prefrontal cortex. Moreover, during WM encoding deactivated regions showed task-specific functional connectivity. These findings demonstrate that task-induced deactivations within parts of the DMN depend on the specific characteristics of the attention and WM components of the task. The DMN can thus be subdivided into a set of brain regions that deactivate indiscriminately in response to cognitive demand ("the core DMN") and a part whose deactivation depends on the specific task. 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Deactivation of group III acceptors in silicon during keV electron irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sah, C.; Sun, J.Y.; Tzou, J.J.; Pan, S.C.

1983-01-01

Experimental results on p-Si metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitors (MOSC's) are presented which demonstrate the electrical deactivation of the acceptor dopant impurity during 8-keV electron irradiation not only in boron but also aluminum and indium-doped silicon. The deactivation rates of the acceptors during the 8-keV electron irradiation are nearly independent of the acceptor impurity type. The final density of the remaining active acceptor approaches nonzero values N/sub infinity/, with N/sub infinity/(B) Al--H>In-H. These deactivation results are consistent with our hydrogen bond model. The thermal annealing or regeneration rate of the deactivated acceptors in the MOSC's irradiated by 8-keV electron is much smaller than that in the MOSC's that have undergone avalanche electron injection, indicating that the keV electron irradiation gives rise to stronger hydrogen-acceptor bond

Deactivation of SCR catalysts in biomass fired power plants

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olsen, Brian Kjærgaard

composition and operating conditions, is not available. The main objective of the work presented in this thesis has been to conduct an in depth investigation of the deactivation mechanism of vanadia based SCR catalysts, when subjected to potassium rich aerosols. It has furthermore been a goal to suggest...... for up to 600 hours. The activity of fresh and exposed catalysts was measured in the temperature range 250-400 °C in a laboratory-scale reactor. All samples exposed for more than 240 hours proved to have deactivated significantly, however, catalysts exposed at 150 °C showed higher remaining activity......-scale setup at 350 °C for up to 1100 hours, and their activities were followed by in situ measurements. A 3%V2O5-7%WO3/TiO2 reference catalyst deactivated with a rate of 0.91 %/day during 960 hours of exposure, and a subsequent SEM-EDS analysis showed complete potassium penetration of the catalyst wall...

Deactivation by carbon of iron catalysts for indirect liquefaction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bartholomew, C.H.

1990-10-11

This report describes recent progress in a fundamental, three-year investigation of carbon formation and its effects on the activity and selectivity of promoted iron catalysts for Fischer-Tropsch (FT) synthesis, the objectives of which are: determine rates and mechanisms of carbon deactivation of unsupported Fe and Fe/K catalysts during CO hydrogenation over a range of CO concentrations, CO:H{sub 2} ratios, and temperatures; model the rates of deactivation of the same catalysts in fixed-bed reactors. During the thirteenth quarter design of software for a computer-automated reactor system to be used in the kinetic and deactivation studies was continued. Further progress was made toward the completion of the control language, control routines, and software for operating this system. Progress was also made on the testing of the system hardware and software. H{sub 2} chemisorption capacities and activity selectivity data were also measured for three iron catalysts promoted with 1% alumina. 47 refs., 8 figs., 1 tab.

Deactivation of Escherichia coli by the plasma needle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sladek, R E J; Stoffels, E

2005-01-01

In this paper we present a parameter study on deactivation of Escherichia coli (E. coli) by means of a non-thermal plasma (plasma needle). The plasma needle is a small-sized (1 mm) atmospheric glow sustained by radio-frequency excitation. This plasma will be used to disinfect heat-sensitive objects; one of the intended applications is in vivo deactivation of dental bacteria: destruction of plaque and treatment of caries. We use E. coli films plated on agar dishes as a model system to optimize the conditions for bacterial destruction. Plasma power, treatment time and needle-to-sample distance are varied. Plasma treatment of E. coli films results in formation of a bacteria-free void with a size up to 12 mm. 10 4 -10 5 colony forming units are already destroyed after 10 s of treatment. Prolongation of treatment time and usage of high powers do not significantly improve the destruction efficiency: short exposure at low plasma power is sufficient. Furthermore, we study the effects of temperature increase on the survival of E. coli and compare it with thermal effects of the plasma. The population of E. coli heated in a warm water bath starts to decrease at temperatures above 40 deg. C. Sample temperature during plasma treatment has been monitored. The temperature can reach up to 60 deg. C at high plasma powers and short needle-to-sample distances. However, thermal effects cannot account for bacterial destruction at low power conditions. For safe and efficient in vivo disinfection, the sample temperature should be kept low. Thus, plasma power and treatment time should not exceed 150 mW and 60 s, respectively

Deactivation of Escherichia coli by the plasma needle

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sladek, R E J; Stoffels, E [Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, PO Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven (Netherlands)

2005-06-07

In this paper we present a parameter study on deactivation of Escherichia coli (E. coli) by means of a non-thermal plasma (plasma needle). The plasma needle is a small-sized (1 mm) atmospheric glow sustained by radio-frequency excitation. This plasma will be used to disinfect heat-sensitive objects; one of the intended applications is in vivo deactivation of dental bacteria: destruction of plaque and treatment of caries. We use E. coli films plated on agar dishes as a model system to optimize the conditions for bacterial destruction. Plasma power, treatment time and needle-to-sample distance are varied. Plasma treatment of E. coli films results in formation of a bacteria-free void with a size up to 12 mm. 10{sup 4}-10{sup 5} colony forming units are already destroyed after 10 s of treatment. Prolongation of treatment time and usage of high powers do not significantly improve the destruction efficiency: short exposure at low plasma power is sufficient. Furthermore, we study the effects of temperature increase on the survival of E. coli and compare it with thermal effects of the plasma. The population of E. coli heated in a warm water bath starts to decrease at temperatures above 40 deg. C. Sample temperature during plasma treatment has been monitored. The temperature can reach up to 60 deg. C at high plasma powers and short needle-to-sample distances. However, thermal effects cannot account for bacterial destruction at low power conditions. For safe and efficient in vivo disinfection, the sample temperature should be kept low. Thus, plasma power and treatment time should not exceed 150 mW and 60 s, respectively.

Gamification of learning deactivates the Default Mode Network

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paul Alexander Howard-Jones

2016-01-01

Full Text Available We hypothesised that embedding educational learning in a game would improve learning outcomes, with increased engagement and recruitment of cognitive resources evidenced by increased activation of working memory network (WMN and deactivation of Default Mode Network (DMN regions. In an fMRI study, we compared activity during periods of learning in three conditions that were increasingly game-like: Study-only (when periods of learning were followed by an exemplar question together with its correct answer, Self-quizzing (when periods of learning were followed by a multiple choice question in return for a fixed number of points and Game-based (when, following each period of learning, participants competed with a peer to answer the question for escalating, uncertain rewards. DMN hubs deactivated as conditions became more game-like, alongside greater self-reported engagement and, in the Game-based condition, higher learning scores. These changes did not occur with any detectable increase in WMN activity. Additionally, ventral striatal activation was associated with responding to questions and receiving positive question feedback. Results support the significance of DMN deactivation for educational learning, and are aligned with recent evidence suggesting DMN and WMN activity may not always be anti-correlated.

Gamification of Learning Deactivates the Default Mode Network.

Science.gov (United States)

Howard-Jones, Paul A; Jay, Tim; Mason, Alice; Jones, Harvey

2015-01-01

We hypothesized that embedding educational learning in a game would improve learning outcomes, with increased engagement and recruitment of cognitive resources evidenced by increased activation of working memory network (WMN) and deactivation of default mode network (DMN) regions. In an fMRI study, we compared activity during periods of learning in three conditions that were increasingly game-like: Study-only (when periods of learning were followed by an exemplar question together with its correct answer), Self-quizzing (when periods of learning were followed by a multiple choice question in return for a fixed number of points) and Game-based (when, following each period of learning, participants competed with a peer to answer the question for escalating, uncertain rewards). DMN hubs deactivated as conditions became more game-like, alongside greater self-reported engagement and, in the Game-based condition, higher learning scores. These changes did not occur with any detectable increase in WMN activity. Additionally, ventral striatal activation was associated with responding to questions and receiving positive question feedback. Results support the significance of DMN deactivation for educational learning, and are aligned with recent evidence suggesting DMN and WMN activity may not always be anti-correlated.

Kinetics with deactivation of methylcyclohexane dehydrogenation for hydrogen energy storage

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maria, G; Marin, A; Wyss, C; Mueller, S; Newson, E [Paul Scherrer Inst. (PSI), Villigen (Switzerland)

1997-06-01

The methylcyclohexane dehydrogenation step to recycle toluene and release hydrogen is being studied as part of a hydrogen energy storage project. The reaction is performed catalytically in a fixed bed reactor, and the efficiency of this step significantly determines overall system economics. The fresh catalyst kinetics and the deactivation of the catalyst by coke play an important role in the process analysis. The main reaction kinetics were determined from isothermal experiments using a parameter sensitivity analysis for model discrimination. An activation energy for the main reaction of 220{+-}11 kJ/mol was obtained from a two-parameter model. From non-isothermal deactivation in PC-controlled integral reactors, an activation energy for deactivation of 160 kJ/mol was estimated. A model for catalyst coke content of 3-17 weight% was compared with experimental data. (author) 3 figs., 6 refs.

Nuclear fuel reprocessing deactivation plan for the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant, Revision 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patterson, M.W.

1994-10-01

The decision was announced on April 28, 1992 to cease all United States Department of Energy (DOE) reprocessing of nuclear fuels. This decision leads to the deactivation of all fuels dissolution, solvent extraction, krypton gas recovery operations, and product denitration at the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant (ICPP). The reprocessing facilities will be converted to a safe and stable shutdown condition awaiting future alternate uses or decontamination and decommissioning (D ampersand D). This ICPP Deactivation Plan includes the scope of work, schedule, costs, and associated staffing levels necessary to achieve a safe and orderly deactivation of reprocessing activities and the Waste Calcining Facility (WCF). Deactivation activities primarily involve shutdown of operating systems and buildings, fissile and hazardous material removal, and related activities. A minimum required level of continued surveillance and maintenance is planned for each facility/process system to ensure necessary environmental, health, and safety margins are maintained and to support ongoing operations for ICPP facilities that are not being deactivated. Management of the ICPP was transferred from Westinghouse Idaho Nuclear Company, Inc. (WINCO) to Lockheed Idaho Technologies Company (LITCO) on October 1, 1994 as part of the INEL consolidated contract. This revision of the deactivation plan (formerly the Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing Phaseout Plan for the ICPP) is being published during the consolidation of the INEL site-wide contract and the information presented here is current as of October 31, 1994. LITCO has adopted the existing plans for the deactivation of ICPP reprocessing facilities and the plans developed under WINCO are still being actively pursued, although the change in management may result in changes which have not yet been identified. Accordingly, the contents of this plan are subject to revision

PUREX/UO{sub 3} facilities deactivation lessons learned: History

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gerber, M.S.

1997-11-25

In May 1997, a historic deactivation project at the PUREX (Plutonium URanium EXtraction) facility at the Hanford Site in south-central Washington State concluded its activities (Figure ES-1). The project work was finished at $78 million under its original budget of $222.5 million, and 16 months ahead of schedule. Closely watched throughout the US Department of Energy (DOE) complex and by the US Department of Defense for the value of its lessons learned, the PUREX Deactivation Project has become the national model for the safe transition of contaminated facilities to shut down status.

A novel tarantula toxin stabilizes the deactivated voltage sensor of bacterial sodium channel.

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Cheng; Zhou, Xi; Nguyen, Phuong Tran; Zhang, Yunxiao; Hu, Zhaotun; Zhang, Changxin; Yarov-Yarovoy, Vladimir; DeCaen, Paul G; Liang, Songping; Liu, Zhonghua

2017-07-01

Voltage-gated sodium channels (Na V s) are activated by transiting the voltage sensor from the deactivated to the activated state. The crystal structures of several bacterial Na V s have captured the voltage sensor module (VSM) in an activated state, but structure of the deactivated voltage sensor remains elusive. In this study, we sought to identify peptide toxins stabilizing the deactivated VSM of bacterial Na V s. We screened fractions from several venoms and characterized a cystine knot toxin called JZTx-27 from the venom of tarantula Chilobrachys jingzhao as a high-affinity antagonist of the prokaryotic Na V s Ns V Ba (nonselective voltage-gated Bacillus alcalophilus ) and NaChBac (bacterial sodium channel from Bacillus halodurans ) (IC 50 = 112 nM and 30 nM, respectively). JZTx-27 was more efficacious at weaker depolarizing voltages and significantly slowed the activation but accelerated the deactivation of Ns V Ba, whereas the local anesthetic drug lidocaine was shown to antagonize Ns V Ba without affecting channel gating. Mutation analysis confirmed that JZTx-27 bound to S3-4 linker of Ns V Ba, with F98 being the critical residue in determining toxin affinity. All electrophysiological data and in silico analysis suggested that JZTx-27 trapped VSM of Ns V Ba in one of the deactivated states. In mammalian Na V s, JZTx-27 preferably inhibited the inactivation of Na V 1.5 by targeting the fourth transmembrane domain. To our knowledge, this is the first report of peptide antagonist for prokaryotic Na V s. More important, we proposed that JZTx-27 stabilized the Ns V Ba VSM in the deactivated state and may be used as a probe to determine the structure of the deactivated VSM of Na V s.-Tang, C., Zhou, X., Nguyen, P. T., Zhang, Y., Hu, Z., Zhang, C., Yarov-Yarovoy, V., DeCaen, P. G., Liang, S., Liu, Z. A novel tarantula toxin stabilizes the deactivated voltage sensor of bacterial sodium channel. © FASEB.

Mechanism of acetaldehyde-induced deactivation of microbial lipases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jaeger Karl E

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Microbial lipases represent the most important class of biocatalysts used for a wealth of applications in organic synthesis. An often applied reaction is the lipase-catalyzed transesterification of vinyl esters and alcohols resulting in the formation of acetaldehyde which is known to deactivate microbial lipases, presumably by structural changes caused by initial Schiff-base formation at solvent accessible lysine residues. Previous studies showed that several lipases were sensitive toward acetaldehyde deactivation whereas others were insensitive; however, a general explanation of the acetaldehyde-induced inactivation mechanism is missing. Results Based on five microbial lipases from Candida rugosa, Rhizopus oryzae, Pseudomonas fluorescens and Bacillus subtilis we demonstrate that the protonation state of lysine ε-amino groups is decisive for their sensitivity toward acetaldehyde. Analysis of the diverse modification products of Bacillus subtilis lipases in the presence of acetaldehyde revealed several stable products such as α,β-unsaturated polyenals, which result from base and/or amino acid catalyzed aldol condensation of acetaldehyde. Our studies indicate that these products induce the formation of stable Michael-adducts at solvent-accessible amino acids and thus lead to enzyme deactivation. Further, our results indicate Schiff-base formation with acetaldehyde to be involved in crosslinking of lipase molecules. Conclusions Differences in stability observed with various commercially available microbial lipases most probably result from different purification procedures carried out by the respective manufacturers. We observed that the pH of the buffer used prior to lyophilization of the enzyme sample is of utmost importance. The mechanism of acetaldehyde-induced deactivation of microbial lipases involves the generation of α,β-unsaturated polyenals from acetaldehyde which subsequently form stable Michael-adducts with the

Planning for closure and deactivation of the EBR-II complex

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Michelbacher, J.A.; Henslee, S.P.; Poland, H.F.; Wells, P.B.

1997-01-01

In January 1994, DOE terminated the Integral Fast Reactor (IFR) Program. Argonne National Laboratory-West (ANL-W) prepared a detailed plan to put Experimental Breeder Reactor-II (EBR-II) in a safe condition, including removal of irradiated fueled subassemblies from the plant, transfer of subassemblies, and removal and stabilization of primary and secondary sodium liquid heat transfer metal. The goal of deactivation is to stabilize the EBR-II complex until decontamination and decommissioning (D ampersand D) is implemented, thereby minimizing maintenance and surveillance. Deactivation of a sodium cooled reactor presents unique concerns. Residual sodium in the primary and secondary systems must be either reacted or inerted to preclude concerns with explosive sodium-air reactions. Also, residual sodium on components will effectively solder these items in place, making removal unfeasible. Several special cases reside in the primary system, including primary cold traps, a cesium trap, a cover gas condenser, and systems containing sodium-potassium alloy. The sodium or sodium-potassium alloy in these components must be reacted in place or the components removed. The Sodium Components Maintenance Shop at ANL-W provides the capability for washing primary components, removing residual quantities of sodium while providing some decontamination capacity. Considerations need to be given to component removal necessary for providing access to primary tank internals for D ampersand D activities, removal of hazardous materials, and removal of stored energy sources. ANL-W's plan for the deactivation of EBR-II addresses these issues, providing for an industrially and radiologically safe complex, requiring minimal surveillance during the interim period between deactivation and D ampersand D. Throughout the deactivation and closure of the EBR-II complex, federal environmental concerns will be addressed, including obtaining the proper permits for facility condition and waste processing

Deactivation and regeneration of refinery catalysts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Furimsky, E.

1979-08-01

A discussion covers the mechanisms of catalyst aging, poisoning, coke deposition, and metals deposition; feedstock pretreatment to extend catalyst life; the effects of operating conditions; the effects of catalyst composition and structure on its stability; nonchemical deactivation processes; and methods of catalyst regeneration, including coke burn-off and solvent extraction.

Vibrational deactivation and atom exchange in O(3P)+CO(X 1Σ+) collisions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kelley, J.D.; Thommarson, R.L.

1977-01-01

A quasiclassical Monte Carlo averaged trajectory study of the ground-state O, CO collision system is presented. An ''effective'' adiabatic potential surface is constructed using pertinent theoretical and experimental data. Vibrational deactivation rates for CO(v=1, 3) and atom exchange rates for CO(v=0, 1, 3) are calculated and compared with experimental data. The high-temperature (400 K< T<2000 K) and low-temperature (270 K< T<400 K) CO deactivation data, and the low-temperature (300 K< T<400 K) atom exchange data are all fit reasonably well by the calculation. However, comparison of the deactivation data to the atom exchange data suggests that at temperatures below 400 K an additional nonadiabatic mechanism may be contributing to the overall deactivation rate

Dedicated workspaces: Faster resumption times and reduced cognitive load in sequential multitasking

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jeuris, Steven; Bardram, Jakob Eyvind

2016-01-01

Studies show that virtual desktops have become a widespread approach to window management within desktop environments. However, despite their success, there is no experimental evidence of their effect on multitasking. In this paper, we present an experimental study incorporating 16 participants...... to perform the same tasks. Results show that adopting virtual desktops as dedicated workspaces allows for faster task resumption (10 s faster on average) and reduced cognitive load during sequential multitasking. Within our experiment the majority of users already benefited from using dedicated workspaces...

Dopamine Transporters in Striatum Correlate with Deactivation in the Default Mode Network during Visuospatial Attention

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tomasi, D.; Fowler, J.; Tomasi, D.; Volkow, N.D.; Wang, R.L.; Telang, F.; Wang, Chang L.; Ernst, T.; Fowler, J.S.

2009-01-01

Dopamine and dopamine transporters (DAT, which regulate extracellular dopamine in the brain) are implicated in the modulation of attention but their specific roles are not well understood. Here we hypothesized that dopamine modulates attention by facilitation of brain deactivation in the default mode network (DMN). Thus, higher striatal DAT levels, which would result in an enhanced clearance of dopamine and hence weaker dopamine signals, would be associated to lower deactivation in the DMN during an attention task. For this purpose we assessed the relationship between DAT in striatum (measured with positron emission tomography and [ 11 C]cocaine used as DAT radiotracer) and brain activation and deactivation during a parametric visual attention task (measured with blood oxygenation level dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging) in healthy controls. We show that DAT availability in caudate and putamen had a negative correlation with deactivation in ventral parietal regions of the DMN (precuneus, BA 7) and a positive correlation with deactivation in a small region in the ventral anterior cingulate gyrus (BA 24/32). With increasing attentional load, DAT in caudate showed a negative correlation with load-related deactivation increases in precuneus. These findings provide evidence that dopamine transporters modulate neural activity in the DMN and anterior cingulate gyrus during visuospatial attention. Our findings suggest that dopamine modulates attention in part by regulating neuronal activity in posterior parietal cortex including precuneus (region involved in alertness) and cingulate gyrus (region deactivated in proportion to emotional interference). These findings suggest that the beneficial effects of stimulant medications (increase dopamine by blocking DAT) in inattention reflect in part their ability to facilitate the deactivation of the DMN.

Differential deactivation during mentalizing and classification of autism based on default mode network connectivity.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Donna L Murdaugh

Full Text Available The default mode network (DMN is a collection of brain areas found to be consistently deactivated during task performance. Previous neuroimaging studies of resting state have revealed reduced task-related deactivation of this network in autism. We investigated the DMN in 13 high-functioning adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD and 14 typically developing control participants during three fMRI studies (two language tasks and a Theory-of-Mind (ToM task. Each study had separate blocks of fixation/resting baseline. The data from the task blocks and fixation blocks were collated to examine deactivation and functional connectivity. Deficits in the deactivation of the DMN in individuals with ASD were specific only to the ToM task, with no group differences in deactivation during the language tasks or a combined language and self-other discrimination task. During rest blocks following the ToM task, the ASD group showed less deactivation than the control group in a number of DMN regions, including medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC, anterior cingulate cortex, and posterior cingulate gyrus/precuneus. In addition, we found weaker functional connectivity of the MPFC in individuals with ASD compared to controls. Furthermore, we were able to reliably classify participants into ASD or typically developing control groups based on both the whole-brain and seed-based connectivity patterns with accuracy up to 96.3%. These findings indicate that deactivation and connectivity of the DMN were altered in individuals with ASD. In addition, these findings suggest that the deficits in DMN connectivity could be a neural signature that can be used for classifying an individual as belonging to the ASD group.

Application, Deactivation, and Regeneration of Heterogeneous Catalysts in Bio-Oil Upgrading

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shouyun Cheng

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The massive consumption of fossil fuels and associated environmental issues are leading to an increased interest in alternative resources such as biofuels. The renewable biofuels can be upgraded from bio-oils that are derived from biomass pyrolysis. Catalytic cracking and hydrodeoxygenation (HDO are two of the most promising bio-oil upgrading processes for biofuel production. Heterogeneous catalysts are essential for upgrading bio-oil into hydrocarbon biofuel. Although advances have been achieved, the deactivation and regeneration of catalysts still remains a challenge. This review focuses on the current progress and challenges of heterogeneous catalyst application, deactivation, and regeneration. The technologies of catalysts deactivation, reduction, and regeneration for improving catalyst activity and stability are discussed. Some suggestions for future research including catalyst mechanism, catalyst development, process integration, and biomass modification for the production of hydrocarbon biofuels are provided.

Deactivation of the EBR-II complex

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Michelbacher, J.A.; Earle, O.K.; Henslee, S.P. [and others

1997-12-31

In January of 1994, the Department of Energy mandated the termination of the Integral Fast Reactor (IFR) Program, effective October 1, 1994. To comply with this decision, Argonne National Laboratory-West (ANL-W) prepared a plan providing detailed requirements to place the Experimental Breeder Reactor-II (EBR-II) in a radiologically and industrially safe condition, including removal of all irradiated fuel assemblies from the reactor plant, and removal and stabilization of the primary and secondary sodium, a liquid metal used to transfer heat within the reactor plant. The ultimate goal of the deactivation process is to place the EBR-II complex in a stable condition until a decontamination and decommissioning (D&D) plan can be prepared, thereby minimizing requirements for maintenance and surveillance and maximizing the amount of time for radioactive decay. The final closure state will be achieved in full compliance with federal, state and local environmental, safety, and health regulations and requirements. The decision to delay the development of a detailed D&D plan has necessitated this current action. The EBR-II is a pool-type reactor. The primary system contains approximately 87,000 gallons of sodium, while the secondary system has 13,000 gallons. In order to properly dispose of the sodium in compliance with the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), a facility has been built to react the sodium to a dry carbonate powder in a two stage process. Deactivation of a liquid metal fast breeder reactor (LMFBR) presents unique concerns. Residual amounts of sodium remaining in the primary and secondary systems must be either reacted or inerted to preclude future concerns with sodium-air reactions that generate explosive mixtures of hydrogen and leave corrosive compounds. Residual amounts of sodium on components will effectively {open_quotes}solder{close_quotes} components in place, making future operation or removal unfeasible.

Deactivation of the EBR-II complex

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Michelbacher, J.A.; Earle, O.K.; Henslee, S.P.

1997-01-01

In January of 1994, the Department of Energy mandated the termination of the Integral Fast Reactor (IFR) Program, effective October 1, 1994. To comply with this decision, Argonne National Laboratory-West (ANL-W) prepared a plan providing detailed requirements to place the Experimental Breeder Reactor-II (EBR-II) in a radiologically and industrially safe condition, including removal of all irradiated fuel assemblies from the reactor plant, and removal and stabilization of the primary and secondary sodium, a liquid metal used to transfer heat within the reactor plant. The ultimate goal of the deactivation process is to place the EBR-II complex in a stable condition until a decontamination and decommissioning (D ampersand D) plan can be prepared, thereby minimizing requirements for maintenance and surveillance and maximizing the amount of time for radioactive decay. The final closure state will be achieved in full compliance with federal, state and local environmental, safety, and health regulations and requirements. The decision to delay the development of a detailed D ampersand D plan has necessitated this current action. The EBR-II is a pool-type reactor. The primary system contains approximately 87,000 gallons of sodium, while the secondary system has 13,000 gallons. In order to properly dispose of the sodium in compliance with the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), a facility has been built to react the sodium to a dry carbonate powder in a two stage process. Deactivation of a liquid metal fast breeder reactor (LMFBR) presents unique concerns. Residual amounts of sodium remaining in the primary and secondary systems must be either reacted or inerted to preclude future concerns with sodium-air reactions that generate explosive mixtures of hydrogen and leave corrosive compounds. Residual amounts of sodium on components will effectively open-quotes solderclose quotes components in place, making future operation or removal unfeasible

Time flies faster under time pressure.

Science.gov (United States)

Rattat, Anne-Claire; Matha, Pauline; Cegarra, Julien

2018-04-01

We examined the effects of time pressure on duration estimation in a verbal estimation task and a production task. In both temporal tasks, participants had to solve mazes in two conditions of time pressure (with or without), and with three different target durations (30 s, 60 s, and 90 s). In each trial of the verbal estimation task, participants had to estimate in conventional time units (minutes and seconds) the amount of time that had elapsed since they started to solve the maze. In the production task, they had to press a key while solving the maze when they thought that the trial's duration had reached a target value. Results showed that in both tasks, durations were judged longer with time pressure than without it. However, this temporal overestimation under time pressure did not increase with the length of the target duration. These results are discussed within the framework of scalar expectancy theory. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Work plan for the Isotopes Facilities Deactivation Project at Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1995-05-01

The purpose of the Isotopes Facilities Deactivation Project (IFDP) is to place former isotopes production facilities at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in a safe, stable, and environmentally sound condition; suitable for an extended period of minimum surveillance and maintenance (S&M) and as quickly and economical as possible. Implementation and completion of the deactivation project will further reduce the risks to the environment and to public safety and health. Furthermore, completion of the project will result in significant S&M cost savings in future years. The IFDP work plan defines the project schedule, the cost estimate, and the technical approach for the project. A companion document, the IFDP management plan, has been prepared to document the project objectives, define organizational relationships and responsibilities, and outline the management control systems to be employed in the management of the project. The project has adopted the strategy of deactivating the simple facilities first, to reduce the scope of the project and to gain experience before addressing more difficult facilities. A decision support system is being developed to identify the activities that best promote the project mission and result in the largest cost savings. This work plan will be reviewed and revised annually. Deactivation of IFDP facilities was initiated in FY 1994 and will be completed in FY 1999. The schedule for deactivation of facilities is shown. The total cost of the project is estimated to be $36M. The costs are summarized. Upon completion of deactivation, annual S&M costs of these facilities will be reduced from the current level of $5M per year to less than $1M per year.

Deactivation of Streptococcus mutans Biofilms on a Tooth Surface Using He Dielectric Barrier Discharge at Atmospheric Pressure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Molnar Imola; Papp Judit; Simon Alpar; Anghel Sorin Dan

2013-01-01

This paper presents a study of the effect of the low temperature atmospheric helium dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) on the Streptococcus mutans biofilms formed on tooth surface. Pig jaws were also treated by plasma to detect if there is any harmful effect on the gingiva. The plasma was characterized by using optical emission spectroscopy. Experimental data indicated that the discharge is very effective in deactivating Streptococcus mutans biofilms. It can destroy them with an average decimal reduction time (D-time) of 19 s and about 98% of them were killed after a treatment time of 30 s. According to the survival curve kinetic an overall 32 s treatment time would be necessary to perform a complete sterilization. The experimental results presented in this study indicated that the helium dielectric barrier discharge, in plan-parallel electrode configuration, could be a very effective tool for deactivation of oral bacteria and might be a promising technique in various dental clinical applications.

Deactivation of Streptococcus mutans Biofilms on a Tooth Surface Using He Dielectric Barrier Discharge at Atmospheric Pressure

Science.gov (United States)

Imola, Molnar; Judit, Papp; Alpar, Simon; Sorin, Dan Anghel

2013-06-01

This paper presents a study of the effect of the low temperature atmospheric helium dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) on the Streptococcus mutans biofilms formed on tooth surface. Pig jaws were also treated by plasma to detect if there is any harmful effect on the gingiva. The plasma was characterized by using optical emission spectroscopy. Experimental data indicated that the discharge is very effective in deactivating Streptococcus mutans biofilms. It can destroy them with an average decimal reduction time (D-time) of 19 s and about 98% of them were killed after a treatment time of 30 s. According to the survival curve kinetic an overall 32 s treatment time would be necessary to perform a complete sterilization. The experimental results presented in this study indicated that the helium dielectric barrier discharge, in plan-parallel electrode configuration, could be a very effective tool for deactivation of oral bacteria and might be a promising technique in various dental clinical applications.

Patients' perspective on deactivation of the implantable cardioverter-defibrillator near the end of life

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Susanne S.; Chaitsing, Rismy; Szili-Torok, Tamas

2013-01-01

(67%) completed the survey. Most patients (68%) were aware that it is possible to turn the ICD off, and 95% believed it is important to inform patients about the possibility. Of the patients completing the survey, 84% indicated a choice for or against deactivation. Psychological morbidity......Recent guidelines have emphasized the importance of discussing the issue of deactivation near the end of life with patients with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD). Few studies have examined the patient perspective and patients' wishes. We examined patients' knowledge and wishes...... for information; and the prevalence and correlates of a favorable attitude toward deactivation. Three cohorts of ICD patients (n = 440) extracted from our institutional database were asked to complete a survey that included a vignette about deactivation near the end of life. Of the 440 patients approached, 294...

Activation and deactivation of neutral palladium(II) phosphinesulfonato polymerization catalysts

KAUST Repository

Rünzi, Thomas

2012-12-10

13C-Labeled ethylene polymerization (pre)catalysts [κ2-(anisyl)2P,O]Pd(13CH3)(L) (1-13CH3-L) (L = pyridine, dmso) based on di(2-anisyl)phosphine benzenesulfonate were used to assess the degree of incorporation of 13CH3 groups into the formed polyethylenes. Polymerizations of variable reaction time reveal that ca. 60-85% of the 13C-label is found in the polymer after already 1 min polymerization time, which provides evidence that the pre-equilibration between the catalyst precursor 1-13CH3-L and the active species 1-13CH3-(ethylene) is fast with respect to chain growth. The fraction of 1-13CH3-L that initiates chain growth is likely higher than the 60-85% determined from the 13C-labeled polymer chain ends since (a) chain walking results in in-chain incorporation of the 13C-label, (b) irreversible catalyst deactivation by formation of saturated (and partially volatile) alkanes diminishes the amount of 13CH3 groups incorporated into the polymer, and (c) palladium-bound 13CH3 groups, and more general palladium-bound alkyl(polymeryl) chains, partially transfer to phosphorus by reductive elimination. NMR and ESI-MS analyses of thermolysis reactions of 1-13CH3-L provide evidence that a mixture of phosphonium salts (13CH3)xP+(aryl)4-x (2-7) is formed in the absence of ethylene. In addition, isolation and characterization of the mixed bis(chelate) palladium complex [κ2-(anisyl)2P,O]Pd[κ2-(anisyl) (13CH3)P,O] (11) by NMR and X-ray diffraction analyses from these mixtures indicate that oxidative addition of phosphonium salts to palladium(0) species is also operative. The scrambling of palladium-bound carbyls and phosphorus-bound aryls is also relevant under NMR, as well as preparative reactor polymerization conditions exemplified by the X-ray diffraction analysis of [κ2-(anisyl)2P,O] Pd[κ2-(anisyl)(CH2CH3)P,O] (12) and [κ2-(anisyl)2P,O]Pd[κ2-(anisyl) ((CH2)3CH3)P,O] (13) isolated from pressure reactor polymerization experiments. In addition, ESI-MS analyses of reactor

308 Building deactivation mission analysis report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lund, D.P.

1995-01-01

This report presents the results of the 308 Building (Fuels Development Laboratory) Deactivation Project mission analysis. Hanford systems engineering (SE) procedures call for a mission analysis. The mission analysis is an important first step in the SE process. The functions and requirements to successfully accomplish this mission, the selected alternatives and products will later be defined using the SE process

309 Building deactivation mission analysis report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lund, D.P.

1995-01-01

This report presents the results of the 309 Building (Plutonium Fuels Utilization Program) Deactivation Project mission analysis. Hanford systems engineering (SE) procedures call for a mission analysis. The mission analysis is an important first step in the SE process. The functions and requirements to successfully accomplish this mission, the selected alternatives and products will later be defined using the SE process

Removal of toluene by sequential adsorption-plasma oxidation: Mixed support and catalyst deactivation.

Science.gov (United States)

Qin, Caihong; Huang, Xuemin; Zhao, Junjie; Huang, Jiayu; Kang, Zhongli; Dang, Xiaoqing

2017-07-15

A sequential adsorption-plasma oxidation system was used to remove toluene from simulated dry air using γ-Al 2 O 3 , HZSM-5, a mixture of the two materials or their supported Mn-Ag catalyst as adsorbents under atmospheric pressure and room temperature. After 120min of plasma oxidation, γ-Al 2 O 3 had a better carbon balance (∼75%) than HZSM-5, but the CO 2 yield of γ-Al 2 O 3 was only ∼50%; and there was some desorption of toluene when γ-Al 2 O 3 was used. When a mixture of HZSM-5 and γ-Al 2 O 3 with a mass ratio of 1/2 was used, the carbon balance was up to 90% and 82% of this was CO 2 . The adsorption performance and electric discharge characteristics of the mixed supports were tested in order to rationalize this high CO x yield. After seven cycles of sequential adsorption-plasma oxidation, support and Mn-Ag catalyst deactivation occurred. The support and catalyst were characterized before and after deactivation by SEM, a BET method, XRD, XPS and GC-MS in order to probe the mechanism of their deactivation. 97.6% of the deactivated supports and 76% of the deactivated catalysts could be recovered by O 2 temperature-programmed oxidation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Charge separation technique for metal-oxide-silicon capacitors in the presence of hydrogen deactivated dopants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Witczak, Steven C.; Winokur, Peter S.; Lacoe, Ronald C.; Mayer, Donald C.

2000-01-01

An improved charge separation technique for metal-oxide-silicon (MOS) capacitors is presented which accounts for the deactivation of substrate dopants by hydrogen at elevated irradiation temperatures or small irradiation biases. Using high-frequency capacitance-voltage (C-V) measurements, radiation-induced inversion voltage shifts are separated into components due to oxide trapped charge, interface traps and deactivated dopants, where the latter is computed from a reduction in Si capacitance. In the limit of no radiation-induced dopant deactivation, this approach reduces to the standard midgap charge separation technique used widely for the analysis of room-temperature irradiations. The technique is demonstrated on a p-type MOS capacitor irradiated with 60 Co γ-rays at 100 C and zero bias, where the dopant deactivation is significant

Antioxidant Deactivation on Graphenic Nanocarbon Surfaces

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Xinyuan [ORNL; Sen, Sujat [Brown University; Liu, Jingyu [Brown University; Kulaots, Indrek [Brown University; Geohegan, David B [ORNL; Kane, Agnes [Brown University; Puretzky, Alexander A [ORNL; Rouleau, Christopher M [ORNL; More, Karren Leslie [ORNL; Palmore, G. Tayhas R. [Brown University; Hurt, Robert H. [Brown University

2011-01-01

This article reports a direct chemical pathway for antioxidant deactivation on the surfaces of carbon nanomaterials. In the absence of cells, carbon nanotubes are shown to deplete the key physiological antioxidant glutathione (GSH) in a reaction involving dissolved dioxygen that yields the oxidized dimer, GSSG, as the primary product. In both chemical and electrochemical experiments, oxygen is only consumed at a significant steady-state rate in the presence of both nanotubes and GSH. GSH deactivation occurs for single- and multi-walled nanotubes, graphene oxide, nanohorns, and carbon black at varying rates that are characteristic of the material. The GSH depletion rates can be partially unified by surface area normalization, are accelerated by nitrogen doping, and suppressed by defect annealing or addition of proteins or surfactants. It is proposed that dioxygen reacts with active sites on graphenic carbon surfaces to produce surface-bound oxygen intermediates that react heterogeneously with glutathione to restore the carbon surface and complete a catalytic cycle. The direct catalytic reaction between nanomaterial surfaces and antioxidants may contribute to oxidative stress pathways in nanotoxicity, and the dependence on surface area and structural defects suggest strategies for safe material design.

Extended Catalyst Longevity Via Supercritical Isobutane Regeneration of a Partially Deactivated USY Alkylation Catalyst

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Daniel M. Ginosar; David N. Thompson; Kyle C. Burch; David J. Zalewski

2005-05-01

Off-line, in situ activity recovery of a partially deactivated USY zeolite catalyst used for isobutane/butene alkylation was examined in a continuous-flow reaction system employing supercritical isobutane. Catalyst samples were deactivated in a controlled manner by running them to either to a fixed butene conversion level of 95% or a fixed time on stream of three hours, and then exposing the catalyst to supercritical isobutane to restore activity. Activity recovery was determined by comparing alkylation activity before and after the regeneration step. Both single and multiple regenerations were performed. Use of a 95% butene conversion level criterion to terminate the reaction step afforded 86% activity recovery for a single regeneration and provided nine sequential reaction steps for the multiple regeneration studies. Employing a fixed 3 h time on stream criterion resulted in nearly complete activity recovery for a single regeneration, and 24 reaction steps were demonstrated in sequence for the multiple regeneration process, producing only minor product yield declines per step. This resulted in a 12-fold increase in catalyst longevity versus unregenerated catalyst.

Anterior medial prefrontal cortex exhibits activation during task preparation but deactivation during task execution.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hideya Koshino

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The anterior prefrontal cortex (PFC exhibits activation during some cognitive tasks, including episodic memory, reasoning, attention, multitasking, task sets, decision making, mentalizing, and processing of self-referenced information. However, the medial part of anterior PFC is part of the default mode network (DMN, which shows deactivation during various goal-directed cognitive tasks compared to a resting baseline. One possible factor for this pattern is that activity in the anterior medial PFC (MPFC is affected by dynamic allocation of attentional resources depending on task demands. We investigated this possibility using an event related fMRI with a face working memory task. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Sixteen students participated in a single fMRI session. They were asked to form a task set to remember the faces (Face memory condition or to ignore them (No face memory condition, then they were given 6 seconds of preparation period before the onset of the face stimuli. During this 6-second period, four single digits were presented one at a time at the center of the display, and participants were asked to add them and to remember the final answer. When participants formed a task set to remember faces, the anterior MPFC exhibited activation during a task preparation period but deactivation during a task execution period within a single trial. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The results suggest that the anterior MPFC plays a role in task set formation but is not involved in execution of the face working memory task. Therefore, when attentional resources are allocated to other brain regions during task execution, the anterior MPFC shows deactivation. The results suggest that activation and deactivation in the anterior MPFC are affected by dynamic allocation of processing resources across different phases of processing.

Further investigations on removal of 134,137Cs from animal meat

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Il'enko, A.I.; Krapivko, T.P.

1992-01-01

This paper deals with the process of removing cesium radionuclides from the meat of ungulates and fish. The fish, boar and moose were contaminated after the 1986 accident at Chernobyl. The premise of this experiment was that saturation of the deactivating solution with potassium, a chemical analog of cesium, or with an absorbent such as kaolin, would promote faster and more complete washing out of radionuclides from the object to be deactivated. The conclusions reached were that increasing the frequency of changing the deactivating solution reduces with total deactivation time for the meat of ungulates, as well as for fish by almost two times. Moose meat is easier to deactivate that boar meat. The addition of potassium KMnO 4 to the basic solution significantly accelerates washing out of cesium radionuclides. Also, preliminary freezing of fish significantly increases the effectiveness of deactivation

The Approach of Emotional Deactivation of Prejudice

Science.gov (United States)

Boucher, Jean-Nil

2011-01-01

The aim of the approach of emotional deactivation is to help students reduce the prejudice they may feel towards diverse social groups. Be those groups homosexuals, people living with a disability or immigrants, the victims of prejudice are invited to come into classrooms and to confront the preconceptions that students have in their respect.…

Cylinder deactivation for valve trains with roller finger follower; Zylinderabschaltung fuer Ventiltriebe mit Rollenschlepphebeln

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoffmann, Hermann; Loch, Adam; Widmann, Richard [Mahle International GmbH, Stuttgart (Germany). Zentrale Voraussentwicklung; Kreussen, Gerhard; Rebbert, Martin [FEV Motorentechnik GmbH, Aachen (Germany). Abt. Dynamik; Meehsen, Daniel [FEV Motorentechnik GmbH, Aachen (Germany). Abt. Mechanik Versuch

2009-04-15

Cylinder deactivation increases efficiency of gasoline engines without negative effects in terms of exhaust gas emissions or driving dynamics. In particular, the advantageous cost/benefit ratio and great affinity to technologies currently used in gasoline engines support cylinder deactivation as the right path in meeting future market demands. The design and function of cylinder deactivation for valve trains with roller finger follower will be explained and examined with regard to functional aspects, such as stiffness, mass, and kinematic behavior. Based on initial results, design and production characteristics of this new technology are evaluated and technical control interactions in engine applications are presented by Mahle. (orig.)

Deactivation in Continuous Deoxygenation of C₁₈-Fatty Feedstock over Pd/Sibunit

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, Anders Theilgaard; Rozmysłowicz, Bartosz; Mäki-Arvela, Päivi

2013-01-01

Catalytic continuous deoxygenation of stearic acid, ethyl stearate and tristearin without any solvents was investigated using Pd/Sibunit as a catalyst in a trickle bed reactor at 300 °C. The main emphasis was to investigate the effect of gas atmosphere and catalyst deactivation. In addition....... The relative ratios between stearic acid, ethyl stearate and tristearin conversions to alkanes after 3 days time-on-stream were 2.8/2.3/1.0, respectively using 5 % H2/Ar as a gas atmosphere, whereas rapid catalyst deactivation occurred with all substrates under H2-lacking atmosphere. The spent catalyst......’s specific surface area profile along the downward reactor was maximum in the middle of the catalyst beds with the highest pore shrinking in the beginning and at the end of the reactor catalyst segments in the case of stearic acid and tristearin deoxygenation whereas that decreased consecutively as ethyl...

Highly controlled nest homeostasis of honey bees helps deactivate phenolics in nectar

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Fanglin; He, Jianzhong; Fu, Wenjun

2005-06-01

Honey bees have a highly developed nest homeostasis, for example, maintaining low CO2 levels and stable nest temperatures at 35°C.We investigate the role of nest homeostasis in deactivating phenolic compounds present in the nectar of Aloe littoralis. We show that the phenolic content in nectar was reduced (from 0.65% to 0.49%) after nectar was incubated in a nest of Apis cerana, and that it was reduced still more (from 0.65% to 0.37%) if nectar was mixed with hypopharyngeal gland proteins (HGP) of worker bees before being placed inside a nest. HGP had little effect on samples outside a nest, indicating that nest conditions are necessary for HGP to deactivate phenolics in nectar. Consequently, the highly controlled nest homeostasis of honey bees facilitates direct deactivation of phenolics in nectar, and plays a role in the action of HGP as well.

Investigation and deactivation of B Plant HEPA filters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roege, P.E.

1997-01-01

This paper describes the integrated approach used to manage environmental, safety, and health considerations related to the B Plant canyon exhaust air filters at the US Department of Energy (DOE) Hanford Site. The narrative illustrates the development and implementation of integrated safety management as applied to a facility and its systems undergoing deactivation. During their lifetime, the high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters prevented the release of significant quantities of radioactive materials into the air. As the material in B Plant AVESF accumulated on the filters, it created an unusual situation. Over long periods of time, the radiation dose from the filter loading, combined with aging and chemical exposure actually degrade those filters which were intended to protect against any release to the environment

Long time experience with deactivation and regeneration of DENOX catalysts and evaluation with the Internet database LEONID; Langzeiterfahrung mit der Deaktivierung und Regeneration von DENOX-Katalysatoren sowie Auswertung mit der Internet-Datenbank LEONID

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brandenstein, J.; Dieckmann, H.J.; Gutberlet, H. [E.ON Engineering GmbH, Gelsenkirchen (Germany)

2008-07-01

The paper gives an overview over the long-term catalyst deactivation and the main reasons for catalyst aging. The chemical composition of de-activated catalysts provides information on the optimum catalyst regeneration process. The long-term deactivation behaviour of regenerated catalysts is compared to new catalysts. All characteristic catalyst features are listed in an online 'LEONID'-database, developed by E.ON Engineering. The database provides the basis for long-term catalyst management of all connected SCR systems. (orig.)

The role of silicon interstitials in the deactivation and reactivation of high concentration boron profiles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aboy, Maria [Campus Miguel Delibes, University of Valladolid, 47011 Valladolid (Spain)]. E-mail: marabo@tel.uva.es; Pelaz, Lourdes [Campus Miguel Delibes, University of Valladolid, 47011 Valladolid (Spain); Marques, Luis A. [Campus Miguel Delibes, University of Valladolid, 47011 Valladolid (Spain); Lopez, Pedro [Campus Miguel Delibes, University of Valladolid, 47011 Valladolid (Spain); Barbolla, Juan [Campus Miguel Delibes, University of Valladolid, 47011 Valladolid (Spain); Venezia, V.C. [Philips Research Leuven, Leuven (Belgium); Duffy, R. [Philips Research Leuven, Leuven (Belgium); Griffin, Peter B. [Stanford University, Stanford, CA (United States)

2004-12-15

Boron cluster formation and dissolution in high concentration B profiles and the role of Si interstitials in these processes are analyzed by kinetic non-lattice Monte Carlo atomistic simulations. For this purpose, we use theoretical structures as simplifications of boron implants into preamorphized Si, followed by low-temperature solid phase epitaxial (SPE) regrowth or laser thermal annealing process. We observe that in the presence of high B concentrations (above 10{sup 20} cm{sup -3}), significant deactivation occurs during high temperature anneal, even in the presence of only equilibrium Si interstitials. The presence of additional Si interstitials from an end of range (EOR) damage region accelerates the deactivation process and makes B deactivation slightly higher. We show that B deactivation and reactivation processes can be clearly correlated to the evolution of Si interstitial defects at the EOR. The minimum level of activation occurs when the Si interstitial defects at EOR dissolve or form very stable defects.

Catalyst Deactivation and Regeneration in Low Temperature Ethanol Steam Reforming with Rh/CeO2-ZrO2 Catalysts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Roh, Hyun-Seog; Platon, Alex; Wang, Yong; King, David L.

2006-08-01

Rh/CeO2-ZrO2 catalysts with various CeO2/ZrO2 ratios have been applied to H2 production from ethanol steam reforming at low temperatures. The catalysts all deactivated with time on stream (TOS) at 350 C. The addition of 0.5% K has a beneficial effect on catalyst stability, while 5% K has a negative effect on catalytic activity. The catalyst could be regenerated considerably even at ambient temperature and could recover its initial activity after regeneration above 200 C with 1% O2. The results are most consistent with catalyst deactivation due to carbonaceous deposition on the catalyst.

An Analytical Technique to Determine the Potential for Moisture Accumulation in Deactivated Structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

MINICHAN, RL

2004-01-01

This paper describes an analytical technique developed to predict an order of magnitude volume of moisture accumulation in massive structures after deactivation. This work was done to support deactivation of a Department of Energy nuclear materials processing facility. The structure is a four-story, concrete building with a rectangular footprint that is approximately 250m long by 37m wide by 22m high. Its walls are 1.2m thick. The building will be supplied with unconditioned ventilation air after deactivation. The objective of the work was to provide a cost effective engineering evaluation to determine if the un-conditioned ventilation air would result in condensate accumulating inside the building under study. The analysis described is a simple representation of a complex problem. The modeling method is discussed in sufficient detail to allow its application to the study of similar structures

Deactivation and Regeneration of Commercial Type Fischer-Tropsch Co-Catalysts—A Mini-Review

OpenAIRE

Erling Rytter; Anders Holmen

2015-01-01

Deactivation of commercially relevant cobalt catalysts for Low Temperature Fischer-Tropsch (LTFT) synthesis is discussed with a focus on the two main long-term deactivation mechanisms proposed: Carbon deposits covering the catalytic surface and re-oxidation of the cobalt metal. There is a great variety in commercial, demonstration or pilot LTFT operations in terms of reactor systems employed, catalyst formulations and process conditions. Lack of sufficient data makes it difficult to correlat...

Deactivation of wastewater-derived N-nitrosodimethylamine precursors with chlorine dioxide oxidation and the effect of pH.

Science.gov (United States)

Uzun, Habibullah; Kim, Daekyun; Karanfil, Tanju

2018-09-01

In this study, the effect of chlorine dioxide (ClO 2 ) oxidation on the deactivation of wastewater (WW)-derived N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) precursors was investigated under various conditions (i.e., ClO 2 application pH, dose and contact time). At pH 6.0, decreases in NDMA formation potentials (FPs) or occurrences (under uniform formation conditions [UFC]) were relatively low (NDMA FP removals were significant (up to ~85%) under the same oxidation conditions in WW-impacted waters at pH 7.8. This indicates that the majority of WW-derived NDMA precursors can be deactivated with ClO 2 oxidation above neutral pH. This was attributed to the better oxidative reaction of ClO 2 with amines that have lone pair electrons to be shared at higher oxidation pH conditions. In addition, relatively short oxidation periods with ClO 2 (i.e., ≤10 min) or low Ct (concentration × time, ~10 mg ∗ min/L) values were sufficient for the deactivation of WW-derived NDMA precursors. ClO 2 oxidation was effective in freshly WW-impacted waters. Natural attenuation processes (e.g., sorption, biodegradation, etc.) can change the reactivity of WW-derived NDMA precursors for oxidation with ClO 2 . The effect of ClO 2 on the removal of THM precursors was low (NDMA and regulated DBP formation during water treatment, especially for utilities treating WW-impacted water sources. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

300 Area fuel supply facilities deactivation function analysis report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lund, D.P.

1995-09-01

The document contains the functions, function definitions, function interfaces, function interface definitions, Input Computer Automated Manufacturing Definition (IDEFO) diagrams, and a function hierarchy chart that describe what needs to be performed to deactivate the 300 Area Fuel Supply Facilities

Quenching-induced deactivation of photosensitizer by nanoencapsulation to improve phototherapy of cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Zeisser-Labouèbe, Magali; Mattiuzzo, Marc; Lange, Norbert; Gurny, Robert; Delie, Florence

2009-09-01

Photodynamic therapy has emerged as a promising alternative to current cancer treatment. However, conventional photosensitizers have several limitations due to their unsuitable pharmaceutical formulations and lack of selectivity. Our strategy was to exploit the advantages of nanoparticles and the quenching-induced deactivation of the model photosensitizer hypericin to produce "activatable" drug delivery systems. Efficient fluorescence and activity quenching were achieved by increasing the drug-loading rate of nanoparticles. In vitro assays confirmed the reversibility of hypericin deactivation, as the hypericin fluorescence and photodynamic activity were recovered upon cell internalization.

Recruitment of faster motor units is associated with greater rates of fascicle strain and rapid changes in muscle force during locomotion.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Sabrina S M; de Boef Miara, Maria; Arnold, Allison S; Biewener, Andrew A; Wakeling, James M

2013-01-15

Animals modulate the power output needed for different locomotor tasks by changing muscle forces and fascicle strain rates. To generate the necessary forces, appropriate motor units must be recruited. Faster motor units have faster activation-deactivation rates than slower motor units, and they contract at higher strain rates; therefore, recruitment of faster motor units may be advantageous for tasks that involve rapid movements or high rates of work. This study identified motor unit recruitment patterns in the gastrocnemii muscles of goats and examined whether faster motor units are recruited when locomotor speed is increased. The study also examined whether locomotor tasks that elicit faster (or slower) motor units are associated with increased (or decreased) in vivo tendon forces, force rise and relaxation rates, fascicle strains and/or strain rates. Electromyography (EMG), sonomicrometry and muscle-tendon force data were collected from the lateral and medial gastrocnemius muscles of goats during level walking, trotting and galloping and during inclined walking and trotting. EMG signals were analyzed using wavelet and principal component analyses to quantify changes in the EMG frequency spectra across the different locomotor conditions. Fascicle strain and strain rate were calculated from the sonomicrometric data, and force rise and relaxation rates were determined from the tendon force data. The results of this study showed that faster motor units were recruited as goats increased their locomotor speeds from level walking to galloping. Slow inclined walking elicited EMG intensities similar to those of fast level galloping but different EMG frequency spectra, indicating that recruitment of the different motor unit types depended, in part, on characteristics of the task. For the locomotor tasks and muscles analyzed here, recruitment patterns were generally associated with in vivo fascicle strain rates, EMG intensity and tendon force. Together, these data provide

Recruitment of faster motor units is associated with greater rates of fascicle strain and rapid changes in muscle force during locomotion

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Sabrina S. M.; de Boef Miara, Maria; Arnold, Allison S.; Biewener, Andrew A.; Wakeling, James M.

2013-01-01

SUMMARY Animals modulate the power output needed for different locomotor tasks by changing muscle forces and fascicle strain rates. To generate the necessary forces, appropriate motor units must be recruited. Faster motor units have faster activation–deactivation rates than slower motor units, and they contract at higher strain rates; therefore, recruitment of faster motor units may be advantageous for tasks that involve rapid movements or high rates of work. This study identified motor unit recruitment patterns in the gastrocnemii muscles of goats and examined whether faster motor units are recruited when locomotor speed is increased. The study also examined whether locomotor tasks that elicit faster (or slower) motor units are associated with increased (or decreased) in vivo tendon forces, force rise and relaxation rates, fascicle strains and/or strain rates. Electromyography (EMG), sonomicrometry and muscle-tendon force data were collected from the lateral and medial gastrocnemius muscles of goats during level walking, trotting and galloping and during inclined walking and trotting. EMG signals were analyzed using wavelet and principal component analyses to quantify changes in the EMG frequency spectra across the different locomotor conditions. Fascicle strain and strain rate were calculated from the sonomicrometric data, and force rise and relaxation rates were determined from the tendon force data. The results of this study showed that faster motor units were recruited as goats increased their locomotor speeds from level walking to galloping. Slow inclined walking elicited EMG intensities similar to those of fast level galloping but different EMG frequency spectra, indicating that recruitment of the different motor unit types depended, in part, on characteristics of the task. For the locomotor tasks and muscles analyzed here, recruitment patterns were generally associated with in vivo fascicle strain rates, EMG intensity and tendon force. Together, these

Final deactivation project report on the Integrated Process Demonstration Facility, Building 7602 Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-09-01

The purpose of this report is to document the condition of the Integrated Process Demonstration Facility (Building 7602) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) after completion of deactivation activities by the High Ranking Facilities Deactivation Project (HRFDP). This report identifies the activities conducted to place the facility in a safe and environmentally sound condition prior to transfer to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Environmental Restoration EM-40 Program. This report provides a history and description of the facility prior to commencing deactivation activities and documents the condition of the building after completion of all deactivation activities. Turnover items, such as the Post-Deactivation Surveillance and Maintenance (S ampersand M) Plan, remaining hazardous and radioactive materials inventory, radiological controls, Safeguards and Security, and supporting documentation provided in the Office of Nuclear Material and Facility Stabilization Program (EM-60) Turnover package are discussed

Boron deactivation in heavily boron-doped Czochralski silicon during rapid thermal anneal: Atomic level understanding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao, Chao; Dong, Peng; Yi, Jun; Ma, Xiangyang; Yang, Deren; Lu, Yunhao

2014-01-01

The changes in hole concentration of heavily boron (B)-doped Czochralski silicon subjected to high temperature rapid thermal anneal (RTA) and following conventional furnace anneal (CFA) have been investigated. It is found that decrease in hole concentration, namely, B deactivation, is observed starting from 1050 °C and increases with RTA temperature. The following CFA at 300–500 °C leads to further B deactivation, while that at 600–800 °C results in B reactivation. It is supposed that the interaction between B atoms and silicon interstitials (I) thus forming BI pairs leads to the B deactivation during the high temperature RTA, and, moreover, the formation of extended B 2 I complexes results in further B deactivation in the following CFA at 300–500 °C. On the contrary, the dissociation of BI pairs during the following CFA at 600–800 °C enables the B reactivation. Importantly, the first-principles calculation results can soundly account for the above-mentioned supposition

Boron deactivation in heavily boron-doped Czochralski silicon during rapid thermal anneal: Atomic level understanding

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gao, Chao; Dong, Peng; Yi, Jun; Ma, Xiangyang, E-mail: luyh@zju.edu.cn, E-mail: mxyoung@zju.edu.cn; Yang, Deren [State Key Laboratory of Silicon Materials and Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027 (China); Lu, Yunhao, E-mail: luyh@zju.edu.cn, E-mail: mxyoung@zju.edu.cn [International Center for New-Structured Materials and Laboratory of New-Structured Materials, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027 (China)

2014-01-20

The changes in hole concentration of heavily boron (B)-doped Czochralski silicon subjected to high temperature rapid thermal anneal (RTA) and following conventional furnace anneal (CFA) have been investigated. It is found that decrease in hole concentration, namely, B deactivation, is observed starting from 1050 °C and increases with RTA temperature. The following CFA at 300–500 °C leads to further B deactivation, while that at 600–800 °C results in B reactivation. It is supposed that the interaction between B atoms and silicon interstitials (I) thus forming BI pairs leads to the B deactivation during the high temperature RTA, and, moreover, the formation of extended B{sub 2}I complexes results in further B deactivation in the following CFA at 300–500 °C. On the contrary, the dissociation of BI pairs during the following CFA at 600–800 °C enables the B reactivation. Importantly, the first-principles calculation results can soundly account for the above-mentioned supposition.

Epidemics in Adaptive Social Networks with Temporary Link Deactivation

Science.gov (United States)

Tunc, Ilker; Shkarayev, Maxim S.; Shaw, Leah B.

2013-04-01

Disease spread in a society depends on the topology of the network of social contacts. Moreover, individuals may respond to the epidemic by adapting their contacts to reduce the risk of infection, thus changing the network structure and affecting future disease spread. We propose an adaptation mechanism where healthy individuals may choose to temporarily deactivate their contacts with sick individuals, allowing reactivation once both individuals are healthy. We develop a mean-field description of this system and find two distinct regimes: slow network dynamics, where the adaptation mechanism simply reduces the effective number of contacts per individual, and fast network dynamics, where more efficient adaptation reduces the spread of disease by targeting dangerous connections. Analysis of the bifurcation structure is supported by numerical simulations of disease spread on an adaptive network. The system displays a single parameter-dependent stable steady state and non-monotonic dependence of connectivity on link deactivation rate.

Mathematics anxiety reduces default mode network deactivation in response to numerical tasks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Belinda ePletzer

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Mathematics anxiety is negatively related to mathematics performance, thereby threatening the professional success. Preoccupation with the emotional content of the stimuli may consume working memory resources, which may be reflected in decreased deactivation of areas associated with the default mode network (DMN activated during self-referential and emotional processing. The common problem is that math anxiety is usually associated with poor math performance, so that any group differences are difficult to interpret.Here we compared the BOLD-response of 18 participants with high (HMAs and 18 participants with low mathematics anxiety (LMAs matched for their mathematical performance to two numerical tasks (number comparison, number bisection. During both tasks, we found stronger deactivation within the DMN in LMAs compared to HMAs, while BOLD-response in task-related activation areas did not differ between HMAs and LMAs. The difference in DMN deactivation between the HMA and LMA group was more pronounced in stimuli with additional requirement on inhibitory functions, but did not differ between number magnitude processing and arithmetic fact retrieval.

Mathematics anxiety reduces default mode network deactivation in response to numerical tasks.

Science.gov (United States)

Pletzer, Belinda; Kronbichler, Martin; Nuerk, Hans-Christoph; Kerschbaum, Hubert H

2015-01-01

Mathematics anxiety is negatively related to mathematics performance, thereby threatening the professional success. Preoccupation with the emotional content of the stimuli may consume working memory resources, which may be reflected in decreased deactivation of areas associated with the default mode network (DMN) activated during self-referential and emotional processing. The common problem is that math anxiety is usually associated with poor math performance, so that any group differences are difficult to interpret. Here we compared the BOLD-response of 18 participants with high (HMAs) and 18 participants with low mathematics anxiety (LMAs) matched for their mathematical performance to two numerical tasks (number comparison, number bisection). During both tasks, we found stronger deactivation within the DMN in LMAs compared to HMAs, while BOLD-response in task-related activation areas did not differ between HMAs and LMAs. The difference in DMN deactivation between the HMA and LMA group was more pronounced in stimuli with additional requirement on inhibitory functions, but did not differ between number magnitude processing and arithmetic fact retrieval.

Project management plan for the isotopes facilities deactivation project at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-08-01

Purpose of the deactivation project is to place former isotopes production facilities at ORNL in a safe, stable, and environmentally sound condition suitable for an extended period of minimum surveillance and maintenance. This management plan was prepared to document project objectives, define organizational relationships and responsibilities, and outline the management control systems. The project has adopted the strategy of deactivating the simple facilities first. The plan provides a road map for the quality assurance program and identifies other documents supporting the Isotopes Facilities Deactivation Project

Deactivation of the EBR-II complex

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Michelbacher, J.A.; Earle, O.K.; Henslee, S.P.; Wells, P.B.; Zahn, T.P.

1996-01-01

In January of 1994, the Department of Energy mandated the termination of the Integral Fast Reactor (IFR) Program, effective October 1, 1994. To comply with this decision, Argonne National Laboratory-West (ANL-W) prepared a plan providing detailed requirements to place the Experimental Breeder Reactor-II (EBR-II) in a radiologically and industrially safe condition, including removal of all irradiated fuel assemblies from the reactor plant, and removal and stabilization of the primary and secondary sodium, a liquid metal used to transfer heat within the reactor plant. The ultimate goal of the deactivation process is to place the EBR-II complex in a stable condition until a decontamination and decommissioning (D and D) plan can be prepared, thereby minimizing requirements for maintenance and surveillance and maximizing the amount of time for radioactive decay. The final closure state will be achieved in full compliance with federal, state and local environmental, safety, and health regulations and requirements. The decision to delay the development of a detailed D and D plan has necessitated this current action

Deactivation of the EBR-II complex

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Michelbacher, J A; Earle, O K; Henslee, S P; Wells, P B; Zahn, T P

1996-01-01

In January of 1994, the Department of Energy mandated the termination of the Integral Fast Reactor (IFR) Program, effective October 1, 1994. To comply with this decision, Argonne National Laboratory-West (ANL-W) prepared a plan providing detailed requirements to place the Experimental Breeder Reactor-II (EBR-II) in a radiologically and industrially safe condition, including removal of all irradiated fuel assemblies from the reactor plant, and removal and stabilization of the primary and secondary sodium, a liquid metal used to transfer heat within the reactor plant. The ultimate goal of the deactivation process is to place the EBR-II complex in a stable condition until a decontamination and decommissioning (D and D) plan can be prepared, thereby minimizing requirements for maintenance and surveillance and maximizing the amount of time for radioactive decay. The final closure state will be achieved in full compliance with federal, state and local environmental, safety, and health regulations and requirements. The decision to delay the development of a detailed D and D plan has necessitated this current action.

300 Area fuel supply facilities deactivation mission analysis report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lund, D.P.

1995-01-01

This report presents the results of the 300 Area fuel supply facilities (formerly call ''N reactor fuel fabrication facilities'') Deactivation Project mission analysis. Hanford systems engineering (SE) procedures call for a mission analysis. The mission analysis is an important first step in the SE process

Combustion kinetics of the coke on deactivated dehydrogenation catalysts

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Luo, Sha; He, Songbo; Li, XianRu; Li, Jingqiu; Bi, Wenjun; Sun, Chenglin

2015-01-01

The coke combustion kinetics on the deactivated catalysts for long chain paraffin dehydrogenation was studied by the thermogravimetry and differential thermogravimetry (TG–DTG) technique. The amount and H/C mole ratio of the coke were determined by the TG and elemental analysis. And the

On the Deactivation of Cobalt-based Fischer-Tropsch Catalysts

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cats, K.H.

2016-01-01

The Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis (FTS) process is an attractive way to obtain synthetic liquid fuel from alternative energy sources such as natural gas, coal or biomass. However, the deactivation of the catalyst, consisting of cobalt nanoparticles supported on TiO2, currently hampers the industrial

200 Area Deactivation Project Facilities Authorization Envelope Document

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

DODD, E.N.

2000-01-01

Project facilities as required by HNF-PRO-2701, Authorization Envelope and Authorization Agreement. The Authorization Agreements (AA's) do not identify the specific set of environmental safety and health requirements that are applicable to the facility. Therefore, the facility Authorization Envelopes are defined here to identify the applicable requirements. This document identifies the authorization envelopes for the 200 Area Deactivation

Immobilized glucose oxidase--catalase and their deactivation in a differential-bed loop reactor.

Science.gov (United States)

Prenosil, J E

1979-01-01

Glucose oxidase containing catalase was immobilized with a copolymer of phenylenediamine and glutaraldehyde on pumice and titania carrier to study the enzymatic oxidation of glucose in a differential-bed loop reactor. The reaction rate was found to be first order with respect to the concentration of limiting oxygen substrate, suggesting a strong external mass-transfer resistance for all the flow rates used. The partial pressure of oxygen was varied from 21.3 up to 202.6 kPa. The use of a differential-bed loop reactor for the determination of the active enzyme concentration in the catalyst with negligible internal pore diffusion resistance is shown. Catalyst deactivation was studied, especially with respect to the presence of catalase. It is believed that the hydrogen peroxide formed in the oxidation reaction deactivates catalase first; if an excess of catalase is present, the deactivation of glucose oxidase remains small. The mathematical model subsequently developed adequately describes the experimental results.

The Study Of Deactivation And Regeneration Of A Fluid Cracking ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The Study Of Deactivation And Regeneration Of A Fluid Cracking Zeolite Catalysts. ... The catalytic activities of modified and unmodified sodium Y-Zeolites catalysts ... sample was seen to completely restore the catalytic activity of both samples.

Work plan for the Isotopes Facilities Deactivation Project at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-08-01

The purpose of the Isotopes Facilities Deactivation Project (IFDP) is to place former isotopes production facilities at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in a safe, stable, and environmentally sound condition; suitable for an extended period of minimum surveillance and maintenance (S and M) and as quickly and economical as possible. Implementation and completion of the deactivation project will further reduce the risks to the environment and to public safety and health. Furthermore, completion of the project will result in significant S and M cost savings in future years. The IFDP work plan defines the project schedule, the cost estimate, and the technical approach for the project. A companion document, the EFDP management plan, has been prepared to document the project objectives, define organizational relationships and responsibilities, and outline the management control systems to be employed in the management of the project. The project has adopted the strategy of deactivating the simple facilities first, to reduce the scope of the project and to gain experience before addressing more difficult facilities. A decision support system is being developed to identify the activities that best promote the project mission and result in the largest cost savings. This work plan will be reviewed and revised annually. Deactivation of EFDP Facilities was initiated in FY 1994 and will be completed in FY 2000. The schedule for deactivation of facilities is shown. The total cost of the project is estimated to be $51M. The costs are summarized. Upon completion of deactivation, annual S and M costs of these facilities will be reduced from the current level of $5M per year to less than $1M per year

Attempts to deactivate tannins in fodder shrubs with physical and chemical treatments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ben Salem, H. [Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique de Tunisie, Laboratoire des Productions Animales et Fourrageres, Ariana (Tunisia)]. E-mail: bensalem.hichem@iresa.agrinet.tn; Saghrouni, L. [Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique de Tunisie, Laboratoire des Productions Animales et Fourrageres, Ariana (Tunisia); Ecole Superieure d' Agriculture de Mateur, Mateur (Tunisia); Nefzaoui, A. [Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique de Tunisie, Laboratoire des Productions Animales et Fourrageres, Ariana (Tunisia)

2005-08-19

Chopping, water sprinkling, storage under aerobic and anaerobic conditions, urea, wood ash, activated charcoal and polyethylene glycol 4000 (PEG) treatments were evaluated for their efficiency in deactivating tannins in shrub foliage. In a first trial, fresh leaves of Acacia cyanophylla Lindl. (acacia) were stored after chopping or without chopping and spraying or without spraying with water under aerobic or anaerobic conditions. The plant material was stored for 1, 7 and 14 days and analysed thereafter for extractable total phenols (TP), extractable total tannins (TT) and extractable condensed tannins (CT) contents. Chopping and water spraying substantially decreased the levels of TP, TT and CT of acacia. The rate of tannin deactivation increased in acacia stored under anaerobic conditions. Acacia stored for 7 days exhibited lower TP, TT and CT contents than that stored for only 1 day. Compared to the 7-day storage period, there was a further non-significant decrease in the level of these phenolic compounds when the storage duration was extended to 14 days. The highest level of rumen degradation of crude protein (CP) in sheep rumen was obtained with chopped, water sprinkled acacia leaves stored under anaerobic conditions. The second trial investigated the effect of increasing levels of urea (0, 20, 40, 60 and 80 g/kg) and treatment duration (7, 14, 21 and 28 days) on CP, TP, TT and CT in acacia leaves. The 20 g/kg urea level was sufficient to totally deactivate tannins in acacia even with the shortest storage period, i.e. 7 days. However, urea treatment increased ash-free neutral detergent fibre content and did not improve in sacco acacia degradation. In the third trial air-dried 1 mm ground samples of acacia and kermes oak (Quercus coccifera L.) leaves were added to water (control), acacia wood ash, activated charcoal or PEG solutions (100 g/kg) at 1:10 (w/v) and shaken for 20 min. All these four treatments decreased TP, TT and CT contents and could be classified

Project Management Plan for the Isotopes Facilities Deactivation Project at Oak Ridge National Laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-04-01

The purpose of the Isotopes Facilities Deactivation Project (IFDP) is to place former isotopes production facilities at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in a safe, stable, and environmentally sound condition suitable for an extended period of minimum surveillance and maintenance (S ampersand M) and as quickly and economically as possible. Implementation and completion of the deactivation project will further reduce the already small risks to the environment and to public safety and health. Furthermore, the project should result in significant S ampersand M cost savings in the future. The IFDP management plan has been prepared to document the project objectives, define organizational relationships and responsibilities, and outline the management control systems to be employed in the management of the project. The project has adopted a strategy to deactivate the simple facilities first, to reduce the scope of the project, and to gain experience before addressing more difficult facilities. A decision support system is being developed to identify those activities, that best promote the project mission and result in largest cost savings. The Work Plan for the Isotopes Facilities Deactivation Project at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (Energy Systems 1994) defines the project schedule, the cost estimate, and the technical approach for the project

The N-terminal tail of hERG contains an amphipathic α-helix that regulates channel deactivation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chai Ann Ng

Full Text Available The cytoplasmic N-terminal domain of the human ether-a-go-go related gene (hERG K+ channel is critical for the slow deactivation kinetics of the channel. However, the mechanism(s by which the N-terminal domain regulates deactivation remains to be determined. Here we show that the solution NMR structure of the N-terminal 135 residues of hERG contains a previously described Per-Arnt-Sim (PAS domain (residues 26-135 as well as an amphipathic α-helix (residues 13-23 and an initial unstructured segment (residues 2-9. Deletion of residues 2-25, only the unstructured segment (residues 2-9 or replacement of the α-helix with a flexible linker all result in enhanced rates of deactivation. Thus, both the initial flexible segment and the α-helix are required but neither is sufficient to confer slow deactivation kinetics. Alanine scanning mutagenesis identified R5 and G6 in the initial flexible segment as critical for slow deactivation. Alanine mutants in the helical region had less dramatic phenotypes. We propose that the PAS domain is bound close to the central core of the channel and that the N-terminal α-helix ensures that the flexible tail is correctly orientated for interaction with the activation gating machinery to stabilize the open state of the channel.

Deactivation Studies of Rh/Ce0.8Zr0.2O2 Catalysts in Low Temperature Ethanol Steam Reforming

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Platon, Alex; Roh, Hyun-Seog; King, David L.; Wang, Yong

2007-10-30

Rapid deactivation of Rh/Ce0.8Zr0.2O2 catalysts in low temperature ethanol steam reforming was studied. A significant build-up of carbonaceous intermediate, instead of carbon deposit, was observed at a lower reaction temperature which was attributed to the rapid catalyst deactivation. Co-feed experiments indicated that acetone and ethylene caused more severe catalyst deactivation than other oxygenates such as acidic acid and acetaldehyde.

High-intensity erotic visual stimuli de-activate the primary visual cortex in women.

Science.gov (United States)

Huynh, Hieu K; Beers, Caroline; Willemsen, Antoon; Lont, Erna; Laan, Ellen; Dierckx, Rudi; Jansen, Monique; Sand, Michael; Weijmar Schultz, Willibrord; Holstege, Gert

2012-06-01

The primary visual cortex, Brodmann's area (BA 17), plays a vital role in basic survival mechanisms in humans. In most neuro-imaging studies in which the volunteers have to watch pictures or movies, the primary visual cortex is similarly activated independent of the content of the pictures or movies. However, in case the volunteers perform demanding non-visual tasks, the primary visual cortex becomes de-activated, although the amount of incoming visual sensory information is the same. Do low- and high-intensity erotic movies, compared to neutral movies, produce similar de-activation of the primary visual cortex? Brain activation/de-activation was studied by Positron Emission Tomography scanning of the brains of 12 healthy heterosexual premenopausal women, aged 18-47, who watched neutral, low- and high-intensity erotic film segments. We measured differences in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in the primary visual cortex during watching neutral, low-intensity erotic, and high-intensity erotic film segments. Watching high-intensity erotic, but not low-intensity erotic movies, compared to neutral movies resulted in strong de-activation of the primary (BA 17) and adjoining parts of the secondary visual cortex. The strong de-activation during watching high-intensity erotic film might represent compensation for the increased blood supply in the brain regions involved in sexual arousal, also because high-intensity erotic movies do not require precise scanning of the visual field, because the impact is clear to the observer. © 2012 International Society for Sexual Medicine.

Stability, Deactivation, and Regeneration of Chloroaluminate Ionic Liquid as Catalyst for Industrial C4 Alkylation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiang Li

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Alkylation of isobutane and 2-butene was carried out in a continuous unit using triethylamine hydrochloride (Et3NHCl-aluminum chloride (AlCl3 ionic liquid (IL as catalyst. The effects of impurities such as water, methanol, and diethyl ether on the stability of the catalytic properties and deactivation of the ionic liquid were studied in the continuous alkylation. In the Et3NHCl-2AlCl3 ionic liquid, only one half of the aluminum chloride could act as the active site. With a molar ratio of 1:1, the active aluminum chloride in the ionic liquid was deactivated by water by reaction or by diethyl ether through complexation while the complexation of aluminum chloride with two molecular proportions of methanol inactivated the active aluminum chloride in the ionic liquid. The deactivation of chloroaluminate ionic liquid was observed when the active aluminum chloride, i.e., one half of the total aluminum chloride in the ionic liquid, was consumed completely. The regeneration of the deactivated ionic liquid was also investigated and the catalytic activity could be recovered by means of replenishment with fresh aluminum chloride.

Deactivation of V2O5-WO3-TiO2 SCR catalyst at a biomass-fired combined heat and power plant

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zheng, Yuanjing; Jensen, Anker; Johnsson, Jan Erik

2005-01-01

. Three catalyst elements were exposed at 350 °C, and one element was exposed at 250 °C for comparison. The catalyst activity was measured in the reactor at the exposure temperature by addition of NH3 and extra NO. The activity, in terms of a first-order rate constant, dropped by 52% after about 1140 h...... indicating a very fast deactivation compared to coal firing. It was also found that the reactor temperature was not of importance for the deactivation rate. SEM-EDX analysis showed that particle deposition and pore blocking contributed to the deactivation by decreasing the diffusion rate of NO and NH3...... decreased as a function of exposure time, which reveals that Brøndsted acid sites had reacted with potassium compounds and thereby rendered inactive. When washed by 0.5 M H2SO4 the regenerated catalyst regains a higher activity than that of the fresh catalyst at temperatures higher than 300 °C, but even...

42 CFR 424.540 - Deactivation of Medicare billing privileges.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... change in practice location, a change of any managing employee, and a change in billing services. A... 42 Public Health 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Deactivation of Medicare billing privileges. 424.540 Section 424.540 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND...

Mediation Analysis of Mode Deactivation Therapy (Reanalysis and Interpretation)

Science.gov (United States)

Bass, Christopher K.; Apsche, Jack A.

2013-01-01

A key component of Mode Deactivation Therapy (MDT) is the development of self-awareness and regulatory skills by the client with the aim of helping adolescent males with conduct disordered behaviors, including sexually inappropriate behaviors and emotional dysregulation. The goal includes altering specific behaviors to fall within socially…

Experimental observation and investigation of reactor Cs-137 isotope deactivation in biological cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vysotskii, V.I.; Tashyrev, A.B.; Kornilova, A.A.

2007-01-01

Complete text of publication follows. The problem of natural accelerated deactivation of radioactive waste (including deactivation in environmental) is studied. In the work the process of direct controlled deactivation of water mixture of selected different longlived radioactive isotopes in growing microbiological cultures has been studied. The process was connected with transmutation of long-lived active nuclei to non-radioactive isotopes during growth and metabolism of special microbiological MCT ('microbial catalyst-transmutator'). The MCT is the special granules that include: concentrated biomass of metabolically active microorganisms, sources of carbon and energy, phosphorus, nitrogen, etc., and gluing substances that keep all components in the form of granules stable in water solutions for a long period of time at any external conditions. The base of the MCT is microbe syntrophin associations of thousands different microorganism kinds that are in the state of complete symbiosis. These microorganisms appertain to different physiological groups that represent practically the whole variety of the microbe metabolism and relevantly all kinds of microbe accumulation mechanisms. The state of complete symbiosis of the syntrophin associations results on the possibility of maximal adaptation of the microorganisms' association to any external conditions change. The mechanism of nuclear transmutation in growing biological system is described in details in the book. The research has been carried out on the basis of the same distilled water that contained different long-lived reactor isotopes (e.g., Eu 154 , Eu 155 , Cs 137 , Am 241 ). In our experiments 8 identical closed glass flasks with 10 ml of the same active water in each were used. The 'microbial catalyst-transmutator' was placed in 7 glass flasks. In six different flasks different pure K, Ca, Mg, Na, Fe and P salts as single admixture were added to the active water. These chemical elements are vitally necessary

Breaking the Myth That Relay Swimming Is Faster Than Individual Swimming.

Science.gov (United States)

Skorski, Sabrina; Etxebarria, Naroa; Thompson, Kevin G

2016-04-01

To investigate if swimming performance is better in a relay race than in the corresponding individual race. The authors analyzed 166 elite male swimmers from 15 nations in the same competition (downloaded from www.swimrankings.net). Of 778 observed races, 144 were Olympic Games performances (2000, 2004, 2012), with the remaining 634 performed in national or international competitions. The races were 100-m (n = 436) and 200-m (n = 342) freestyle events. Relay performance times for the 2nd-4th swimmers were adjusted (+ 0.73 s) to allow for the "flying start." Without any adjustment, mean individual relay performances were significantly faster for the first 50 m and overall time in the 100-m events. Furthermore, the first 100 m of the 200-m relay was significantly faster (P > .001). During relays, swimmers competing in 1st position did not show any difference compared with their corresponding individual performance (P > .16). However, swimmers competing in 2nd-4th relay-team positions demonstrated significantly faster times in the 100-m (P individual events (P team positions were adjusted for the flying start no differences were detected between relay and individual race performance for any event or split time (P > .17). Highly trained swimmers do not swim (or turn) faster in relay events than in their individual races. Relay exchange times account for the difference observed in individual vs relay performance.

Environmental assessment for the deactivation of the N Reactor facilities. Revision 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-11-01

This environmental assessment (EA) provides information for the US Department of Energy (DOE) to decide whether the Proposed Action for the N Reactor facilities warrants a Finding of No Significant Impact or requires the preparation of an environmental impact statement (EIS). The EA describes current conditions at the N Reactor facilities, the need to take action at the facilities, the elements of the Proposed Action and alternatives, and the potential environmental impacts. The N Reactor facilities are currently in a surveillance and maintenance program, and will eventually be decontaminated and decommissioned (D and D). Operation and maintenance of the facilities resulted in conditions that could adversely impact human health or the environment if left as is until final D and D. The Proposed Action would deactivate the facilities to remove the conditions that present a potential threat to human health and the environment and to reduce surveillance and maintenance requirements. The action would include surveillance and maintenance after deactivation. Deactivation would take about three years and would involve about 80 facilities. Surveillance and maintenance would continue until final D and D, which is expected to be complete for all facilities except the N Reactor itself by the year 2018

Life cycle baseline summary for ADS 6504IS Isotopes Facilities Deactivation Project at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-11-01

The purpose of the Isotopes Facility Deactivation Project (IFDP) is to place former isotopes production facilities at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in a safe, stable, and environmentally sound condition; suitable for an extended period of minimum surveillance and maintenance (S ampersand M) and as quickly and economically as possible. This baseline plan establishes the official target schedule for completing the deactivation work and the associated budget required for deactivation and the necessary S ampersand M. Deactivation of the facilities 3026C, 3026D, 3028, 3029, 3038E, 3038M, and 3038AHF, the Center Circle buildings 3047, 3517, and 7025 will continue though Fiscal Year (FY) 1999. The focus of the project in the early years will be on the smaller buildings that require less deactivation and can bring an early return in reducing S ampersand M costs. This baseline plan covers the period from FY1995 throughout FY2000. Deactivation will continue in various facilities through FY1999. A final year of S ampersand M will conclude the project in FY2000. The estimated total cost of the project during this period is $51M

Characteristics of mordenite-type zeolite catalysts deactivated by SO{sub 2} for the reduction of NO with hydrocarbons

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, M.H.; Nam, I.S.; Kim, Y.G. [Pohang Univ. of Science and Technology/Research Inst. of Industrial Science and Technology, Pohang (Korea, Republic of)

1998-10-25

The deactivation of mordenite-type zeolite catalysts for the selective reduction of NO by hydrocarbons in the presence of SO{sub 2} was examined in a packed-bed flow reactor system. The physicochemical properties of the deactivated catalysts by SO{sub 2} were extensively characterized by TGA, TPSR, XPS, Raman, XANES, the measurements of surface area and elemental analysis. Not only the surface area and sulfur content of the deactivated catalysts, but their TGA and TPSR patterns strongly suggest the formation of a sulfur species as a deactivating agent on the catalyst surface. It is also observed that the sulfur species exists in the form of sulfate (SO{sub 4}{sup 2{minus}}) by XPS and Raman. It mainly causes the loss of NO removal activity of the catalysts. The sulfate species formed on the deactivated catalysts by SO{sub 2} did not significantly alter the chemical environment of the copper ions contained in the zeolite catalysts such as CuHM and CuNZA. It does not exist in the form of cupric sulfate pentahydrate on the catalyst surface as revealed by Cu K-edge absorption spectra of the catalysts.

Final Deactivation Project report on the Alpha Powder Facility, Building 3028, at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-04-01

This report documents the condition of the Alpha Powder Facility (APF), Building 3028, after completion of deactivation activities. Activities conducted to place the facility in a safe and environmentally sound condition for transfer to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Environmental Restoration (EM-40) program are outlined. A history and profile of the facility prior to commencing deactivation activities and a profile of the building after completion of deactivation activities are provided. Turnover items, such as the post-deactivation surveillance and maintenance (S ampersand M) plan, remaining hazardous materials, radiological controls, safeguards and security, quality assurance, facility operations, and supporting documentation provided for in the DOE Nuclear Materials and Facility Stabilization Program (EM-60) turnover package are discussed

Final Deactivation Project report on the Alpha Powder Facility, Building 3028, at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1997-04-01

This report documents the condition of the Alpha Powder Facility (APF), Building 3028, after completion of deactivation activities. Activities conducted to place the facility in a safe and environmentally sound condition for transfer to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Environmental Restoration (EM-40) program are outlined. A history and profile of the facility prior to commencing deactivation activities and a profile of the building after completion of deactivation activities are provided. Turnover items, such as the post-deactivation surveillance and maintenance (S&M) plan, remaining hazardous materials, radiological controls, safeguards and security, quality assurance, facility operations, and supporting documentation provided for in the DOE Nuclear Materials and Facility Stabilization Program (EM-60) turnover package are discussed.

Expertise-related deactivation of the right temporoparietal junction during musical improvisation.

Science.gov (United States)

Berkowitz, Aaron L; Ansari, Daniel

2010-01-01

Musical training has been associated with structural changes in the brain as well as functional differences in brain activity when musicians are compared to nonmusicians on both perceptual and motor tasks. Previous neuroimaging comparisons of musicians and nonmusicians in the motor domain have used tasks involving prelearned motor sequences or synchronization with an auditorily presented sequence during the experiment. Here we use functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine expertise-related differences in brain activity between musicians and nonmusicians during improvisation--the generation of novel musical-motor sequences--using a paradigm that we previously used in musicians alone. Despite behaviorally matched performance, the two groups showed significant differences in functional brain activity during improvisation. Specifically, musicians deactivated the right temporoparietal junction (rTPJ) during melodic improvisation, while nonmusicians showed no change in activity in this region. The rTPJ is thought to be part of a ventral attentional network for bottom-up stimulus-driven processing, and it has been postulated that deactivation of this region occurs in order to inhibit attentional shifts toward task-irrelevant stimuli during top-down, goal-driven behavior. We propose that the musicians' deactivation of the rTPJ during melodic improvisation may represent a training-induced shift toward inhibition of stimulus-driven attention, allowing for a more goal-directed performance state that aids in creative thought.

Final deactivation report on the Radioisotope Production Lab-E, Building 3032, at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-09-01

The purpose of this report is to document the condition of Bldg. 3032, after completion of deactivation activities as outlined by the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Nuclear Materials and Facility Stabilization Program (EM-60) guidance documentation. This report outlines the activities conducted to place the facility in a safe and environmentally sound condition for transfer to the DOE Office of Environmental Restoration Program (EM-40). This report provides a history and profile of Bldg. 3032 prior to commencing deactivation activities and a profile of the building after completion of deactivation activities. Turnover items, such as the Postdeactivation Surveillance ampersand Maintenance Plan, remaining hazardous materials, radiological controls, Safeguards and Security, quality assurance, facility operations, and supporting documentation provided in the EM-60 turnover package are discussed. Building 3032 will be used as the Health Physics Office for the Isotopes Facilities Deactivation Program area and will require access for these offices and to facilitate required surveillance and maintenance (S ampersand M) activities to maintain the building safety envelope. Bldg. 3032 was stabilized during deactivation so that when transferred to the EM-40 program, only a minimal S ampersand M effort would be required to maintain the building safety envelope. All materials have been removed from the building, and all utility systems, piping, and alarms have been deactivated except electricity and steam needed for the office areas

Synergistic effect of metal deactivator and antioxidant on oxidation stability of metal contaminated Jatropha biodiesel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sarin, Amit [Department of Applied Sciences, Amritsar College of Engineering and Technology, Amritsar 143001 (India); Arora, Rajneesh; Singh, N.P. [Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar (India); Sarin, Rakesh; Malhotra, R.K. [Indian Oil Corporation Ltd., R and D Centre, Sector-13, Faridabad 121007 (India); Sharma, Meeta [Indian Oil Corporation Ltd., R and D Centre, Sector-13, Faridabad 121007 (India); University School of Basic and Applied Sciences, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Kashmere Gate, Delhi 110403 (India); Khan, Arif Ali [University School of Basic and Applied Sciences, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Kashmere Gate, Delhi 110403 (India)

2010-05-15

Biodiesel is relatively unstable on storage and European biodiesel standard EN-14214 calls for determining oxidation stability at 110 C with a minimum induction time of 6 h by the Rancimat method (EN-14112). According to proposed National Mission on biodiesel in India, we have undertaken studies on stability of biodiesel from tree borne non-edible oil seeds Jatropha. Neat Jatropha biodiesel exhibited oxidation stability of 3.95 h. It is found possible to meet the desired EN specification for neat Jatropha biodiesel and metal contaminated Jatropha biodiesel by using antioxidants; it will have a cost implication, as antioxidants are costly chemicals. Research was conducted to increase the oxidation stability of metal contaminated Jatropha biodiesel by doping metal deactivator with antioxidant, with varying concentrations in order to meet the aforementioned standard required for oxidation stability. It was found that usage of antioxidant can be reduced by 30-50%, therefore the cost, even if very small amount of metal deactivator is doped in Jatropha biodiesel to meet EN-14112 specification. (author)

Photon hormesis deactivates alpha-particle induced bystander effects between zebrafish embryos

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ng, C.Y.P.; Cheng, S.H.; Yu, K.N.

2017-01-01

In the present work, we studied the effects of low-dose X-ray photons on the alpha-particle induced bystander effects between embryos of the zebrafish, Danio rerio. The effects on the naive whole embryos were studied through quantification of apoptotic signals (amounts of cells undergoing apoptosis) at 24 h post fertilization (hpf) using vital dye acridine orange staining, followed by counting the stained cells under a fluorescent microscope. We report data showing that embryos at 5 hpf subjected to a 4.4 mGy alpha-particle irradiation could release a stress signal into the medium, which could induce bystander effect in partnered naive embryos sharing the same medium. We also report that the bystander effect was deactivated when the irradiated embryos were subjected to a concomitant irradiation of 10 or 14 mGy of X-rays, but no such deactivation was achieved if the concomitant X-ray dose dropped to 2.5 or 5 mGy. In the present study, the significant drop in the amount of apoptotic signals on the embryos having received 4.4 mGy alpha particles together X-rays irradiation from 2.5 or 5 mGy to 10 or 14 mGy, together with the deactivation of RIBE with concomitant irradiation of 10 or 14 mGy of X-rays supported the participation of photon hormesis with an onset dose between 5 and 10 mGy, which might lead to removal of aberrant cells through early apoptosis or induction of high-fidelity DNA repair. As we found that photons and alpha particles could have opposite biological effects when these were simultaneously irradiated onto living organisms, these ionizing radiations could be viewed as two different environmental stressors, and the resultant effects could be regarded as multiple stressor effects. The present work presented the first study on a multiple stressor effect which occurred on bystander organisms. In other words, this was a non-targeted multiple stressor effect. The photon hormesis could also explain some failed attempts to observe neutron-induced bystander

Faster-Than-Real-Time Simulation of Lithium Ion Batteries with Full Spatial and Temporal Resolution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sandip Mazumder

2013-01-01

Full Text Available A one-dimensional coupled electrochemical-thermal model of a lithium ion battery with full temporal and normal-to-electrode spatial resolution is presented. Only a single pair of electrodes is considered in the model. It is shown that simulation of a lithium ion battery with the inclusion of detailed transport phenomena and electrochemistry is possible with faster-than-real-time compute times. The governing conservation equations of mass, charge, and energy are discretized using the finite volume method and solved using an iterative procedure. The model is first successfully validated against experimental data for both charge and discharge processes in a LixC6-LiyMn2O4 battery. Finally, it is demonstrated for an arbitrary rapidly changing transient load typical of a hybrid electric vehicle drive cycle. The model is able to predict the cell voltage of a 15-minute drive cycle in less than 12 seconds of compute time on a laptop with a 2.33 GHz Intel Pentium 4 processor.

Final deactivation project report on the Source Development Laboratory, building 3029, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-05-01

The purpose of this report is to document the condition of Building 3029 after completion of deactivation activities as outlined by the DOE Nuclear Materials and Facility Stabilization Program (EM-60) guidance documentation. This report outlines the activities conducted to place the facility in a safe and environmentally sound condition for transfer to the DOE Office of Environmental Restoration (EM-40). This report provides a history and profile of the facility prior to commencing deactivation activities and a profile of the building after completion of deactivation activities. Turnover items, such as the post-deactivation surveillance and maintenance (S ampersand M) plan, remaining hazardous materials, radiological controls, safeguards and security, quality assurance, facility operations, and supporting documentation provided in the EM-60 turnover package are discussed. Building 3029 will require access to facilitate required S ampersand M activities to maintain the building safety envelope. building 3029 was stabilized during deactivation so that when transferred to the EM-40 program, only a minimal S ampersand M effort would be required to maintain the building safety envelope. Other than the minimal S ampersand M activities, the building will be unoccupied and the exterior doors locked to prevent unauthorized access. The building will be entered only to perform the required S ampersand M. 5 refs., 7 figs., 3 tabs

Catalyst Deactivation and Regeneration Processes in Biogas Tri-Reforming Process. The Effect of Hydrogen Sulfide Addition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Urko Izquierdo

2018-01-01

Full Text Available This work studies Ni-based catalyst deactivation and regeneration processes in the presence of H2S under a biogas tri-reforming process for hydrogen production, which is an energy vector of great interest. 25 ppm of hydrogen sulfide were continuously added to the system in order to provoke an observable catalyst deactivation, and once fully deactivated two different regeneration processes were studied: a self-regeneration and a regeneration by low temperature oxidation. For that purpose, several Ni-based catalysts and a bimetallic Rh-Ni catalyst supported on alumina modified with CeO2 and ZrO2 were used as well as a commercial Katalco 57-5 for comparison purposes. Ni/Ce-Al2O3 and Ni/Ce-Zr-Al2O3 catalysts almost recovered their initial activity. For these catalysts, after the regeneration under oxidative conditions at low temperature, the CO2 conversions achieved—79.5% and 86.9%, respectively—were significantly higher than the ones obtained before sulfur poisoning—66.7% and 45.2%, respectively. This effect could be attributed to the support modification with CeO2 and the higher selectivity achieved for the Reverse Water-Gas-Shift (rWGS reaction after catalysts deactivation. As expected, the bimetallic Rh-Ni/Ce-Al2O3 catalyst showed higher resistance to deactivation and its sulfur poisoning seems to be reversible. In the case of the commercial and Ni/Zr-Al2O3 catalysts, they did not recover their activity.

Considering Time in Orthophotography Production: from a General Workflow to a Shortened Workflow for a Faster Disaster Response

Science.gov (United States)

Lucas, G.

2015-08-01

This article overall deals with production time with orthophoto imagery with medium size digital frame camera. The workflow examination follows two main parts: data acquisition and post-processing. The objectives of the research are fourfold: 1/ gathering time references for the most important steps of orthophoto production (it turned out that literature is missing on this topic); these figures are used later for total production time estimation; 2/ identifying levers for reducing orthophoto production time; 3/ building a simplified production workflow for emergency response: less exigent with accuracy and faster; and compare it to a classical workflow; 4/ providing methodical elements for the estimation of production time with a custom project. In the data acquisition part a comprehensive review lists and describes all the factors that may affect the acquisition efficiency. Using a simulation with different variables (average line length, time of the turns, flight speed) their effect on acquisition efficiency is quantitatively examined. Regarding post-processing, the time references figures were collected from the processing of a 1000 frames case study with 15 cm GSD covering a rectangular area of 447 km2; the time required to achieve each step during the production is written down. When several technical options are possible, each one is tested and time documented so as all alternatives are available. Based on a technical choice with the workflow and using the compiled time reference of the elementary steps, a total time is calculated for the post-processing of the 1000 frames. Two scenarios are compared as regards to time and accuracy. The first one follows the "normal" practices, comprising triangulation, orthorectification and advanced mosaicking methods (feature detection, seam line editing and seam applicator); the second is simplified and make compromise over positional accuracy (using direct geo-referencing) and seamlines preparation in order to achieve

Faster Increases in Human Life Expectancy Could Lead to Slower Population Aging

Science.gov (United States)

2015-01-01

Counterintuitively, faster increases in human life expectancy could lead to slower population aging. The conventional view that faster increases in human life expectancy would lead to faster population aging is based on the assumption that people become old at a fixed chronological age. A preferable alternative is to base measures of aging on people’s time left to death, because this is more closely related to the characteristics that are associated with old age. Using this alternative interpretation, we show that faster increases in life expectancy would lead to slower population aging. Among other things, this finding affects the assessment of the speed at which countries will age. PMID:25876033

Deactivation of silica surfaces with a silanol-terminated polysiloxane; Structural characterization by inverse gas chromatography and solid-state NMR

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Scholten, A.B.; Haan, de J.W.; Janssen, J.G.M.; Ven, van de L.J.M.; Cramers, C.A.M.G.

1997-01-01

Retention gape deactivated with Silicone OV-1701-OH show good chromatographic performance and remarkable stability against water induced stationary phase degradrdation. In an attempt to better understand the findamentals off the deactivation process using silanol terminated polysiloxanes, a fumed

A study of fluid flow and combustion with variable valve timing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Soederberg, F

1998-10-01

The effects of variable valve timing (VVT) were examined by in-cylinder Laser Doppler Velocimetry flow measurements and heat-release calculations. A single-cylinder Volvo B5254 engine was used for all experiments and the valve timing was altered by phasing or exchanging the camshaft. Special cam lobes were developed for simulation of throttle-less operation. With the standard double camshaft, a tumbling flow was generated and with valve deactivation, a swirling flow was generated. The turbulence was increased with valve deactivation. This increased the combustion rate making lean burn possible. The standard camshaft with inlet valve deactivation and late cam phasing had a faster combustion at {lambda} = 1.8 than the standard camshaft with normal cam phasing at {lambda} = 1.0. Early and late inlet valve closing was used for enabling throttle-less operation. Early inlet valve closing (EIVC) generated a very slow tumble with low turbulence. Late inlet valve closing generated both very high and low turbulence. The net indicated efficiency was improved with up to 10%. Some reduction was observed for the gross indicated efficiency, due to a too large reduction in effective compression ratio. A very stable combustion was obtained for EIVC with gasoline, possibly due to a sheering flow over the inlet valves resulting in improved fuel-air preparation. Wavelet analysis was used for dividing LDV flow measurements into time and frequency resolved information. The technique rendered the same flow results as the moving window technique, but with a separation of the turbulence into different frequencies. The choice of wavelet was shown not to be crucial. The frequency resolved turbulence was studied for tumble and swirl. A tumbling flow had a larger transfer of energy from low frequency turbulence into high frequency turbulence than a swirling flow. This is caused by the tumble breakdown. A correlation against heat-release indicated that high frequency turbulence have a larger

DMPD: Molecular mechanisms of macrophage activation and deactivation bylipopolysaccharide: roles of the receptor complex. [Dynamic Macrophage Pathway CSML Database

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available 14609719 Molecular mechanisms of macrophage activation and deactivation bylipopolys...acol Ther. 2003 Nov;100(2):171-94. (.png) (.svg) (.html) (.csml) Show Molecular mechanisms of macrophage act...medID 14609719 Title Molecular mechanisms of macrophage activation and deactivation bylipopolysaccharide: ro

Reversible and irreversible deactivation of Cu-CHA NH₃-SCR catalysts by SO₂ and SO₃

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hammershøi, Peter S.; Jangjou, Yasser; Epling, William S.

2018-01-01

be divided into two parts: a reversible deactivation that is restored by the regeneration treatment, and an irreversible part. The irreversible deactivation does not affect the activation energy for NH3-SCR and display a 1:1 correlation with the S-content, consistent with deactivation by Cu-sulfate formation...... is always higher when exposed at 200 °C than at 550 °C, and in wet conditions, compared to a dry feed. The deactivation is predominantly reversible, making regeneration at 550 °C a realistic approach to handle S-poisoning in exhaust systems....

Studies of Deactivation of Methanol to Formaldehyde Selective Oxidation Catalyst

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Raun, Kristian Viegaard; Schumann, Max; Høj, Martin

This work presents a study of the deactivation behavior of Fe-Mo oxide catalyst during selective oxidation of methanol to formaldehyde in a period of 5 days. The structural changes in the catalyst have been investigated in situ for the initial 10 h by Raman spectroscopy, and the structure after 5...

Deactivation kinetics of acid-sensing ion channel 1a are strongly pH-sensitive.

Science.gov (United States)

MacLean, David M; Jayaraman, Vasanthi

2017-03-21

Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) are trimeric cation-selective ion channels activated by protons in the physiological range. Recent reports have revealed that postsynaptically localized ASICs contribute to the excitatory postsynaptic current by responding to the transient acidification of the synaptic cleft that accompanies neurotransmission. In response to such brief acidic transients, both recombinant and native ASICs show extremely rapid deactivation in outside-out patches when jumping from a pH 5 stimulus to a single resting pH of 8. Given that the resting pH of the synaptic cleft is highly dynamic and depends on recent synaptic activity, we explored the kinetics of ASIC1a and 1a/2a heteromers to such brief pH transients over a wider [H + ] range to approximate neuronal conditions better. Surprisingly, the deactivation of ASICs was steeply dependent on the pH, spanning nearly three orders of magnitude from extremely fast (pH 8 to very slow (>300 ms) at pH 7. This study provides an example of a ligand-gated ion channel whose deactivation is sensitive to agonist concentrations that do not directly activate the receptor. Kinetic simulations and further mutagenesis provide evidence that ASICs show such steeply agonist-dependent deactivation because of strong cooperativity in proton binding. This capacity to signal across such a large synaptically relevant bandwidth enhances the response to small-amplitude acidifications likely to occur at the cleft and may provide ASICs with the ability to shape activity in response to the recent history of the synapse.

Deactivation of medial prefrontal and posterior cingulate cortex in anxiety disorders

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao Xiaohu; Wang Peijun; Dong Ningxin; Li Chunbo; Wu Wenyuan; Hu Zhenghui; Tang Xiaowei

2007-01-01

Objective: We used blood oxygenation level dependent-functional MR imaging (BOLD- fMRI) to explore the characteristics of deactivation patterns in patients with anxiety disorders and the underlying neural mechanism of this disease. Methods: Ten patients and ten healthy controls participated the experiments. All subjects performed the trait portion of the State-Trait anxiety Inventory (STAI-T) prior to the fMRI scans. The subjects underwent noninvasive functional magnetic resonance imaging while listening actively to emotionally neutral words alternating with no words (experiment 1) and threat related-words alternating with emotionally neutral words (experiment2). During fMRI scanning, subjects were instructed to closely listen to each stimuli word and to silently make a judgment of the word's valence. Data were analyzed with statistical parametric mapping (SPM 99). Individual and group analysis were conducted. Results: Mean STAI-T score was significantly higher for patients group than that of controls (58 ± 8 for patients group and 33 ± 5 for controls, t=8.3, P<0.01). Our fMRI data revealed sets of deactivation brain regions in Experiment for patients and healthy controls, however, the deactivation can be found in experiment 2 only for patients. Interestingly, all the observed deactivation patterns were similar. The related areas compromise medial prefrontal cortex(BA 10, BA 24/32), posterior cingulate (BA 31/30) and Bilateral inferior parietal cortex (MPFC) (BA 39/40), which nearly overlapping with the organized default model network. Further more, the mean t values in the MPFC area (BA 24/32) was significantly higher for control group than that of patient (5.1 controls and 4.2 for patients, t=4.8, P=0.006), conversely, the mean t values in the posterior cingulate cortex(PCC) area was significantly higher for patients l than that of controls (4.9 controls and 5.8 for patients, t=2.4, P=0.026). Conclusion: Our observations suggest that the default model network

Catalytic Activity and Deactivation of SO2 Oxidation Catalysts in Simulated Power Plant Flue Gases

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Masters, Stephen G.; Chrissanthopoulos, Asthanassios; Eriksen, Kim Michael

1997-01-01

The catalyst deactivation and the simultaneious formation of compounds in commercial SO2 oxidation catalysts have been studied by combined activity measurements and in situ EPR spectroscopy in the temperature range 350-480 C in wet and dry simulated power plant flue gas.......The catalyst deactivation and the simultaneious formation of compounds in commercial SO2 oxidation catalysts have been studied by combined activity measurements and in situ EPR spectroscopy in the temperature range 350-480 C in wet and dry simulated power plant flue gas....

Wall effect in deactivation of excited molecular oxygen {sup 1}{delta}g; Reiki sanso bunshi {sup 1}{delta}g no shikkatsu ni oyobosu hyomen hanno no eikyo

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Takahashi, S.; Hasegawa, Y.; Yamashita, I. [Mechanical Engineering Laboratory, Tsukuba (Japan)

1993-10-25

This paper discusses effects of surface reaction on deactivation of excited molecular oxygen in {sup 1}{Delta}g condition. Gaseous oxygen containing excited oxygen generated by microwave discharge at a concentration of less than 1% is flown into several kinds of tubes to be measured such as quartz tubes (with an inner diameter of about 10 mm), and the light emitting intensity of the excited oxygen was measured upstream and downstream of the tubes to be measured (with in-tube pressure of 1 Torr or 2 Torr) to derive its concentration change. The surface reaction on the tube wall was regarded as a primary reaction, and the concentration change of the excited oxygen in flows in the round tube (attributable to the surface reaction) was analyzed. With respect to effects of tube wall materials on deactivation of the excited molecular oxygen, the surface deactivation probability in the case of using low-activity materials has decreased in the order of Pyrex, PVC, quartz, PFA and PTFE. The surface deactivation probability in the case of using a metallic material, SUS316L, was about 1000 times larger than that in the quartz. 14 refs., 7 figs., 1 tab.

Compressing bitmap indexes for faster search operations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, Kesheng; Otoo, Ekow J.; Shoshani, Arie

2002-01-01

In this paper, we study the effects of compression on bitmap indexes. The main operations on the bitmaps during query processing are bitwise logical operations such as AND, OR, NOT, etc. Using the general purpose compression schemes, such as gzip, the logical operations on the compressed bitmaps are much slower than on the uncompressed bitmaps. Specialized compression schemes, like the byte-aligned bitmap code(BBC), are usually faster in performing logical operations than the general purpose schemes, but in many cases they are still orders of magnitude slower than the uncompressed scheme. To make the compressed bitmap indexes operate more efficiently, we designed a CPU-friendly scheme which we refer to as the word-aligned hybrid code (WAH). Tests on both synthetic and real application data show that the new scheme significantly outperforms well-known compression schemes at a modest increase in storage space. Compared to BBC, a scheme well-known for its operational efficiency, WAH performs logical operations about 12 times faster and uses only 60 percent more space. Compared to the uncompressed scheme, in most test cases WAH is faster while still using less space. We further verified with additional tests that the improvement in logical operation speed translates to similar improvement in query processing speed

Compressing bitmap indexes for faster search operations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wu, Kesheng; Otoo, Ekow J.; Shoshani, Arie

2002-04-25

In this paper, we study the effects of compression on bitmap indexes. The main operations on the bitmaps during query processing are bitwise logical operations such as AND, OR, NOT, etc. Using the general purpose compression schemes, such as gzip, the logical operations on the compressed bitmaps are much slower than on the uncompressed bitmaps. Specialized compression schemes, like the byte-aligned bitmap code(BBC), are usually faster in performing logical operations than the general purpose schemes, but in many cases they are still orders of magnitude slower than the uncompressed scheme. To make the compressed bitmap indexes operate more efficiently, we designed a CPU-friendly scheme which we refer to as the word-aligned hybrid code (WAH). Tests on both synthetic and real application data show that the new scheme significantly outperforms well-known compression schemes at a modest increase in storage space. Compared to BBC, a scheme well-known for its operational efficiency, WAH performs logical operations about 12 times faster and uses only 60 percent more space. Compared to the uncompressed scheme, in most test cases WAH is faster while still using less space. We further verified with additional tests that the improvement in logical operation speed translates to similar improvement in query processing speed.

Annual evaluation of routine radiological survey/monitoring frequencies for the High Ranking Facilities Deactivating Project at Oak Ridge, Tennessee

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-12-01

The Bethel Valley Watershed at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has several Environmental Management (EM) facilities that are designated for deactivation and subsequent decontamination and decommissioning (D and D). The Surplus Facilities Program at ORNL provides surveillance and maintenance support for these facilities as deactivation objectives are completed to reduce the risks associated with radioactive material inventories, etc. The Bechtel Jacobs Company LLC Radiological Control (RADCON) Program has established requirements for radiological monitoring and surveying radiological conditions in these facilities. These requirements include an annual evaluation of routine radiation survey and monitoring frequencies. Radiological survey/monitoring frequencies were evaluated for two High Ranking Facilities Deactivation Project facilities, the Bulk Shielding Facility and Tower Shielding Facility. Considerable progress has been made toward accomplishing deactivation objectives, thus the routine radiological survey/monitoring frequencies are being reduced for 1999. This report identifies the survey/monitoring frequency adjustments and provides justification that the applicable RADCON Program requirements are also satisfied

Green tide deactivation with layered-structure cuboids of Ag/CaTiO3 under UV light

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Soo-Wohn; Lozano-Sánchez, L.M.; Rodríguez-González, V.

2013-01-01

Graphical abstract: Synergic reasons such as mass transfer, morphology, biocide properties, UV-A photoresponse, and electron trapping that reduce recombination on Ag/CaTiO 3 nanocomposites, have the potential for the generation of reactive radicals that promote the fatal irreversible deactivation of Tetraselmis suecica algae in 12 min under UV-A irradiation. -- Highlights: • An alternative to deactivate harmful green tide is proposed by employing Ag/CaTiO 3 . • Particles of perovskite-like have rectangular prisms morphology with AgNPs ∼13 nm. • The cuboids achieve complete inactivation of Tetraselmis suecica algae in 12 min. • AgNPs functionalization induce fatal irreversible damages on the algae surface. -- Abstract: In this work, an alternative to deactivate noxious green tide Tetraselmis suecica in the short-term is proposed by employing Perovskite-like cube-shaped, crystalline CaTiO 3 semiconductors functionalized with atomic silver nanoparticles. CaTiO 3 was prepared by a microwave-assisted hydrothermal method and then Ag 0 NPs (1 wt% of CaTiO 3 ), were added by the photoreduction method. The XRD results show that crystalline CaTiO 3 has an orthorhombic unit cell with a Perovskite-like structure. Images obtained by FESEM and HRTEM microscopies show well-faceted CaTiO 3 rectangular prismatic morphology functionalizated with silver nanoparticles ∼13.5 nm. XPS and EDS-FESEM has confirmed the composition of CaTiO 3 and silver occurring mainly as reduced metal. The UV inactivation of noxious T. suecica with Ag/CaTiO 3 nanocomposites formed on bare materials results in complete deactivation of the algae in 12 min. The direct contact between harmful algae and Ag/CaTiO 3 nanocomposite is necessary to deactivate the algae and inhibits algae viability

Thermal stress analysis of sulfur deactivated solid oxide fuel cells

Science.gov (United States)

Zeng, Shumao; Parbey, Joseph; Yu, Guangsen; Xu, Min; Li, Tingshuai; Andersson, Martin

2018-03-01

Hydrogen sulfide in fuels can deactivate catalyst for solid oxide fuel cells, which has become one of the most critical challenges to stability. The reactions between sulfur and catalyst will cause phase changes, leading to increase in cell polarization and mechanical mismatch. A three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) approach based on the finite element method (FEM) is thus used to investigate the polarization, temperature and thermal stress in a sulfur deactivated SOFC by coupling equations for gas-phase species, heat, momentum, ion and electron transport. The results indicate that sulfur in fuels can strongly affect the cell polarization and thermal stresses, which shows a sharp decrease in the vicinity of electrolyte when 10% nickel in the functional layer is poisoned, but they remain almost unchanged even when the poisoned Ni content was increased to 90%. This investigation is helpful to deeply understand the sulfur poisoning effects and also benefit the material design and optimization of electrode structure to enhance cell performance and lifetimes in various hydrocarbon fuels containing impurities.

QERx- A Faster than Real-Time Emulator for Space Processors

Science.gov (United States)

Carvalho, B.; Pidgeon, A.; Robinson, P.

2012-08-01

Developing software for space systems is challenging. Especially because, in order to be sure it can cope with the harshness of the environment and the imperative requirements and constrains imposed by the platform were it will run, it needs to be tested exhaustively. Software Validation Facilities (SVF) are known to the industry and developers, and provide the means to run the On-Board Software (OBSW) in a realistic environment, allowing the development team to debug and test the software.But the challenge is to be able to keep up with the performance of the new processors (LEON2 and LEON3), which need to be emulated within the SVF. Such processor emulators are also used in Operational Simulators, used to support mission preparation and train mission operators. These simulators mimic the satellite and its behaviour, as realistically as possible. For test/operational efficiency reasons and because they will need to interact with external systems, both these uses cases require the processor emulators to provide real-time, or faster, performance.It is known to the industry that the performance of previously available emulators is not enough to cope with the performance of the new processors available in the market. SciSys approached this problem with dynamic translation technology trying to keep costs down by avoiding a hardware solution and keeping the integration flexibility of full software emulation.SciSys presented “QERx: A High Performance Emulator for Software Validation and Simulations” [1], in a previous DASIA event. Since then that idea has evolved and QERx has been successfully validated. SciSys is now presenting QERx as a product that can be tailored to fit different emulation needs. This paper will present QERx latest developments and current status.

Project management plan for the Isotopes Facilities Deactivation Project at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Environmental Restoration Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-01-01

The purpose of the Isotopes Facilities Deactivation Project (IFDP) is to place nineteen former isotopes production facilities at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in a safe, stable, and environmentally sound condition suitable for an extended period of minimum surveillance and maintenance (S ampersand M) and as quickly and economically as possible. Implementation and completion of the deactivation project win further reduce the already small risks to the environment and to public safety and health. Furthermore, the project should result in significant S ampersand M cost savings in the future. The IFDP management plan has been prepared to document the project objectives, define organizational relationships and responsibilities, and outline the management control systems to be employed in the management of the project. The project has adopted a strategy to deactivate the simple facilities first, to reduce the scope of the project, and to gain experience before addressing more difficult facilities. A decision support system is being developed to identify those activities that best promote the project mission and result in largest cost savings. The Work Plan for the Isotopes Facilities Deactivation Project at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (Energy Systems 1994) defines the project schedule, the cost estimate, and the technical approach for the project

Brain activation and deactivation during location and color working memory tasks in 11-13-year-old children.

Science.gov (United States)

Vuontela, Virve; Steenari, Maija-Riikka; Aronen, Eeva T; Korvenoja, Antti; Aronen, Hannu J; Carlson, Synnöve

2009-02-01

Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and n-back tasks we investigated whether, in 11-13-year-old children, spatial (location) and nonspatial (color) information is differentially processed during visual attention (0-back) and working memory (WM) (2-back) tasks and whether such cognitive task performance, compared to a resting state, results in regional deactivation. The location 0-back task, compared to the color 0-back task, activated segregated areas in the frontal, parietal and occipital cortices whereas no differentially activated voxels were obtained when location and color 2-back tasks were directly contrasted. Several midline cortical areas were less active during 0- and 2-back task performance than resting state. The task-induced deactivation increased with task difficulty as demonstrated by larger deactivation during 2-back than 0-back tasks. The results suggest that, in 11-13-year-old children, the visual attentional network is differently recruited by spatial and nonspatial information processing, but the functional organization of cortical activation in WM in this age group is not based on the type of information processed. Furthermore, 11-13-year-old children exhibited a similar pattern of cortical deactivation that has been reported in adults during cognitive task performance compared to a resting state.

Multiple Object Tracking Using the Shortest Path Faster Association Algorithm

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhenghao Xi

2014-01-01

Full Text Available To solve the persistently multiple object tracking in cluttered environments, this paper presents a novel tracking association approach based on the shortest path faster algorithm. First, the multiple object tracking is formulated as an integer programming problem of the flow network. Then we relax the integer programming to a standard linear programming problem. Therefore, the global optimum can be quickly obtained using the shortest path faster algorithm. The proposed method avoids the difficulties of integer programming, and it has a lower worst-case complexity than competing methods but better robustness and tracking accuracy in complex environments. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm takes less time than other state-of-the-art methods and can operate in real time.

Withholding response to self-face is faster than to other-face.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Min; Hu, Yinying; Tang, Xiaochen; Luo, Junlong; Gao, Xiangping

2015-01-01

Self-face advantage refers to adults' response to self-face is faster than that to other-face. A stop-signal task was used to explore how self-face advantage interacted with response inhibition. The results showed that reaction times of self-face were faster than that of other-face not in the go task but in the stop response trials. The novelty of the finding was that self-face has shorter stop-signal reaction time compared to other-face in the successful inhibition trials. These results indicated the processing mechanism of self-face may be characterized by a strong response tendency and a corresponding strong inhibition control.

Brain deactivation in the outperformance in bimodal tasks: an FMRI study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tzu-Ching Chiang

Full Text Available While it is known that some individuals can effectively perform two tasks simultaneously, other individuals cannot. How the brain deals with performing simultaneous tasks remains unclear. In the present study, we aimed to assess which brain areas corresponded to various phenomena in task performance. Nineteen subjects were requested to sequentially perform three blocks of tasks, including two unimodal tasks and one bimodal task. The unimodal tasks measured either visual feature binding or auditory pitch comparison, while the bimodal task required performance of the two tasks simultaneously. The functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI results are compatible with previous studies showing that distinct brain areas, such as the visual cortices, frontal eye field (FEF, lateral parietal lobe (BA7, and medial and inferior frontal lobe, are involved in processing of visual unimodal tasks. In addition, the temporal lobes and Brodmann area 43 (BA43 were involved in processing of auditory unimodal tasks. These results lend support to concepts of modality-specific attention. Compared to the unimodal tasks, bimodal tasks required activation of additional brain areas. Furthermore, while deactivated brain areas were related to good performance in the bimodal task, these areas were not deactivated where the subject performed well in only one of the two simultaneous tasks. These results indicate that efficient information processing does not require some brain areas to be overly active; rather, the specific brain areas need to be relatively deactivated to remain alert and perform well on two tasks simultaneously. Meanwhile, it can also offer a neural basis for biofeedback in training courses, such as courses in how to perform multiple tasks simultaneously.

Dynamic environmental transmission electron microscopy observation of platinum electrode catalyst deactivation in a proton-exchange-membrane fuel cell.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoshida, Kenta; Xudong, Zhang; Bright, Alexander N; Saitoh, Koh; Tanaka, Nobuo

2013-02-15

Spherical-aberration-corrected environmental transmission electron microscopy (AC-ETEM) was applied to study the catalytic activity of platinum/amorphous carbon electrode catalysts in proton-exchange-membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). These electrode catalysts were characterized in different atmospheres, such as hydrogen and air, and a conventional high vacuum of 10(-5) Pa. A high-speed charge coupled device camera was used to capture real-time movies to dynamically study the diffusion and reconstruction of nanoparticles with an information transfer down to 0.1 nm, a time resolution below 0.2 s and an acceleration voltage of 300 kV. With such high spatial and time resolution, AC-ETEM permits the visualization of surface-atom behaviour that dominates the coalescence and surface-reconstruction processes of the nanoparticles. To contribute to the development of robust PEMFC platinum/amorphous carbon electrode catalysts, the change in the specific surface area of platinum particles was evaluated in hydrogen and air atmospheres. The deactivation of such catalysts during cycle operation is a serious problem that must be resolved for the practical use of PEMFCs in real vehicles. In this paper, the mechanism for the deactivation of platinum/amorphous carbon electrode catalysts is discussed using the decay rate of the specific surface area of platinum particles, measured first in a vacuum and then in hydrogen and air atmospheres for comparison.

Selective deactivation of M13 bacteriophage in E. Coli using femtosecond laser pulses

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Molukanele, P

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Potential for the selective deactivation of viruses while leaving the sensitive material such as the host cell unharmed was studied using a femtosecond laser system, and preliminary results are reported....

β-Arrestin-dependent deactivation of mouse melanopsin.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Evan G Cameron

Full Text Available In mammals, the expression of the unusual visual pigment, melanopsin, is restricted to a small subset of intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs, whose signaling regulate numerous non-visual functions including sleep, circadian photoentrainment and pupillary constriction. IpRGCs exhibit attenuated electrical responses following sequential and prolonged light exposures indicative of an adaptational response. The molecular mechanisms underlying deactivation and adaptation in ipRGCs however, have yet to be fully elucidated. The role of melanopsin phosphorylation and β-arrestin binding in this adaptive process is suggested by the phosphorylation-dependent reduction of melanopsin signaling in vitro and the ubiquitous expression of β-arrestin in the retina. These observations, along with the conspicuous absence of visual arrestin in ipRGCs, suggest that a β-arrestin terminates melanopsin signaling. Here, we describe a light- and phosphorylation- dependent reduction in melanopsin signaling mediated by both β-arrestin 1 and β-arrestin 2. Using an in vitro calcium imaging assay, we demonstrate that increasing the cellular concentration of β-arrestin 1 and β-arrestin 2 significantly increases the rate of deactivation of light-activated melanopsin in HEK293 cells. Furthermore, we show that this response is dependent on melanopsin carboxyl-tail phosphorylation. Crosslinking and co-immunoprecipitation experiments confirm β-arrestin 1 and β-arrestin 2 bind to melanopsin in a light- and phosphorylation- dependent manner. These data are further supported by proximity ligation assays (PLA, which demonstrate a melanopsin/β-arrestin interaction in HEK293 cells and ipRGCs. Together, these results suggest that melanopsin signaling is terminated in a light- and phosphorylation-dependent manner through the binding of a β-arrestin within the retina.

Between-hand difference in ipsilateral deactivation is associated with hand lateralization: fMRI mapping of 284 volunteers balanced for handedness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nathalie eTzourio-Mazoyer

2015-02-01

Full Text Available In right-handers, an increase in the pace of dominant hand movement results in increased ipsilateral deactivation of the primary motor cortex (M1. By contrast, an increase in non-dominant hand movement frequency is associated with reduced ipsilateral deactivation. This pattern suggests that inhibitory processes support right hand dominance in right-handers and raises the issues of whether this phenomenon also supports left hand preference in left-handers, and/or whether it relates to asymmetry of manual ability in either group. Thanks to the BIL&GIN, a database dedicated to the investigation of hemispheric specialization, we studied the variation in M1 activity during right and left finger tapping tasks in a sample of 284 healthy participants balanced for handedness. An M1 fMRI localizer was defined for each participant as an 8 mm diameter sphere centered on the motor activation peak. Right-handers exhibited significantly larger deactivation of the ipsilateral M1 when moving their dominant hand than their non-dominant hand. In contrast, left-handers exhibited comparable ipsilateral M1 deactivation during either hand movement, reflecting a bilateral cortical specialization. This pattern is likely related to left-handers’ good performances with their right hand and consequent lower asymmetry in manual ability compared with right-handers. Finally, inter-individual analyses over the whole sample demonstrated that the larger the difference in manual skill across hands, the larger the difference in ipsilateral deactivation. Overall, we propose that difference in ipsilateral deactivation is a marker of difference in manual ability asymmetry reflecting differences in the strength of transcallosal inhibition when a given hand is moving.

Chemicals and excess materials disposition during deactivation as a means of pollution prevention

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Godfrey, S.D.

1998-01-01

This paper presents several innovative and common sense approaches to pollution prevention that have been employed during facility deactivation at the Hanford Site in South Central Washington. It also presents several pollution prevention principles applicable to other projects. Innovative pollution prevention ideas employed at the Hanford site during facility deactivation included: (1) Recycling more than 185,000 gallons of radioactively contaminated nitric acid by sending it to an operating nuclear fuels reprocessing facility in England; (2) Recycling millions of pounds of chemicals and excess materials to other industries for reuse; (3) Evaporating flush water at a low rate and discharging it into the facility exhaust air stream to avoid discharging thousands of gallons of liquid to the soil column; and (4) Decontaminating and disposing of thousands of gallons of radioactively contaminated organic solvent waste to a RCRA licensed, power-producing, commercial incinerator. Common sense pollution prevention ideas that were employed include recycling office furniture, recycling paper from office files, and redeploying tools and miscellaneous process equipment. Additional pollution prevention occurred as the facility liquid and gaseous discharge streams were deactivated. From the facilities deactivation experiences at Hanford and the ensuing efforts to disposition excess chemicals and materials, several key pollution prevention principles should be considered at other projects and facilities, especially during the operational periods of the facility's mission. These principles include: Institute pollution prevention as a fundamental requirement early in the planning stage of a project or during the operational phase of a facility's mission; Promote recognition and implementation of pollution prevention initiatives; Instill pollution prevention as a value in all participants in the project or facility work scope; Minimize the amount of chemical products and materials

Size matters: bigger is faster.

Science.gov (United States)

Sereno, Sara C; O'Donnell, Patrick J; Sereno, Margaret E

2009-06-01

A largely unexplored aspect of lexical access in visual word recognition is "semantic size"--namely, the real-world size of an object to which a word refers. A total of 42 participants performed a lexical decision task on concrete nouns denoting either big or small objects (e.g., bookcase or teaspoon). Items were matched pairwise on relevant lexical dimensions. Participants' reaction times were reliably faster to semantically "big" versus "small" words. The results are discussed in terms of possible mechanisms, including more active representations for "big" words, due to the ecological importance attributed to large objects in the environment and the relative speed of neural responses to large objects.

Attention, emotion, and deactivation of default activity in inferior medial prefrontal cortex

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Geday, Jacob; Gjedde, Albert

2008-01-01

Attention deactivates the inferior medial prefrontal cortex (IMPC), but it is uncertain if emotions can attenuate this deactivation. To test the extent to which common emotions interfere with attention, we measured changes of a blood flow index of brain activity in key areas of the IMPC...... with positron emission tomography (PET) of labeled water (H(15)2O) uptake in brain of 14 healthy subjects. The subjects performed either a less demanding or a more demanding task of attention while they watched neutral and emotive images of people in realistic indoor or outdoor situations. In the less demanding...... cortices, revealed significant activation in the fusiform gyrus, independently of the task. In contrast, we found no effect of emotional content in the IMPC, where emotions failed to override the effect of the task. The results are consistent with a role of the IMPC in the selection among competitive...

Epidemic Spread in Networks Induced by Deactivation Mechanism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu Xiaoling; Wu Xiao; Zhang Duanming; Li Zhihao; Liang Fang; Wang Xiaoyu

2008-01-01

We have studied the topology and epidemic spreading behaviors on the networks in which deactivation mechanism and long-rang connection are coexisted. By means of numerical simulation, we find that the clustering coefficient C and the Pearson correlation coefficient r decrease with increasing long-range connection μ and the topological state of the network changes into that of BA model at the end (when μ = 1). For the Susceptible-Infect-Susceptible model of epidemics, the epidemic threshold can reach maximum value at μ = 0.4 and presents two different variable states around μ = 0.4

Rupture loop annex ion exchange RLAIX vault deactivation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ham, J.E.; Harris, D.L., Westinghouse Hanford

1996-08-01

This engineering report documents the deactivation, stabilization and final conditions of the Rupture Loop Annex Ion Exchange (RLAIX) Vault located northwest of the 309 Building`s Plutonium Recycle Test Reactor (PRTR). Twelve ion exchange columns, piping debris, and column liquid were removed from the vault, packaged and shipped for disposal. The vault walls and floor were decontaminated, and portions of the vault were painted to fix loose contamination. Process piping and drains were plugged, and the cover blocks and rain cover were installed. Upon closure,the vault was empty, stabilized, isolated.

Family Mode Deactivation Therapy as a Manualized Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Treatment

Science.gov (United States)

Apsche, Jack A.; Bass, Christopher K.; Houston, Marsha-Ann

2008-01-01

This article examines the effectiveness of Mode Deactivation Family Therapy (MDT) in an outpatient setting as compared to Treatment as Usual (TAU). MDT is an evidence-based psychotherapy and has been shown to be effective treating adolescents with a variety of problems involving emotional disorder, physical and sexual aggression, as well as…

Bisphenol A Synthesis - Modeling of Industrial Reactor and Catalyst Deactivation

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Prokop, Zdeněk; Hanková, Libuše; Jeřábek, Karel

2004-01-01

Roč. 60, - (2004), s. 77-83 Sp/Iss/ SI ISSN 1381-5148. [Asia-Pacific Congress on Catalysis /3./. Dalian, 12.10.2003-15.10.2003] R&D Projects: GA ČR GA104/02/1104 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z4072921 Keywords : bisphenol A * catalyst deactivation * ion exchanger catalyst Subject RIV: CI - Industrial Chemistry, Chemical Engineering Impact factor: 1.582, year: 2004

Deactivation and Storage Issues Shared by Fossil and Nuclear Facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thomas S. LaGuardia

1998-01-01

The deactivation of a power plant, be it nuclear or fossil fueled, requires that the facility be placed in a safe and stable condition to prevent unacceptable exposure of the public or the environment to hazardous materials until the facility can be decommissioned. The conditions at two Texas plants are examined. These plants are fossil fueled, but their conditions might be duplicated at a nuclear plant

Faster Smith-Waterman database searches with inter-sequence SIMD parallelisation.

Science.gov (United States)

Rognes, Torbjørn

2011-06-01

The Smith-Waterman algorithm for local sequence alignment is more sensitive than heuristic methods for database searching, but also more time-consuming. The fastest approach to parallelisation with SIMD technology has previously been described by Farrar in 2007. The aim of this study was to explore whether further speed could be gained by other approaches to parallelisation. A faster approach and implementation is described and benchmarked. In the new tool SWIPE, residues from sixteen different database sequences are compared in parallel to one query residue. Using a 375 residue query sequence a speed of 106 billion cell updates per second (GCUPS) was achieved on a dual Intel Xeon X5650 six-core processor system, which is over six times more rapid than software based on Farrar's 'striped' approach. SWIPE was about 2.5 times faster when the programs used only a single thread. For shorter queries, the increase in speed was larger. SWIPE was about twice as fast as BLAST when using the BLOSUM50 score matrix, while BLAST was about twice as fast as SWIPE for the BLOSUM62 matrix. The software is designed for 64 bit Linux on processors with SSSE3. Source code is available from http://dna.uio.no/swipe/ under the GNU Affero General Public License. Efficient parallelisation using SIMD on standard hardware makes it possible to run Smith-Waterman database searches more than six times faster than before. The approach described here could significantly widen the potential application of Smith-Waterman searches. Other applications that require optimal local alignment scores could also benefit from improved performance.

Adrenaline in cardiac arrest: Prefilled syringes are faster.

Science.gov (United States)

Helm, Claire; Gillett, Mark

2015-08-01

Standard ampoules and prefilled syringes of adrenaline are widely available in Australasian EDs for use in cardiac arrest. We hypothesise that prefilled syringes can be administered more rapidly and accurately when compared with the two available standard ampoules. This is a triple arm superiority study comparing the time to i.v. administration and accuracy of dosing of three currently available preparations of adrenaline. In their standard packaging, prefilled syringes were on average more than 12 s faster to administer than the 1 mL 1:1000 ampoules and more than 16 s faster than the 10 mL 1:10,000 ampoules (P adrenaline utilising a Minijet (CSL Limited, Parkville, Victoria, Australia) is faster than using adrenaline in glass ampoules presented in their plastic packaging. Removing the plastic packaging from the 1 mL (1 mg) ampoule might result in more rapid administration similar to the Minijet. Resuscitation personnel requiring rapid access to adrenaline should consider storing it as either Minijets or ampoules devoid of packaging. These results might be extrapolatable to other clinical scenarios, including pre-hospital and anaesthesia, where other drugs are required for rapid use. © 2015 Australasian College for Emergency Medicine and Australasian Society for Emergency Medicine.

Deactivation of solid catalysts in liquid media: the case of leaching of active sites in biomass conversion reactions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sádaba, Irantzu; Lopez Granados, Manuel; Riisager, Anders

2015-01-01

This review is aimed to be a brief tutorial covering the deactivation of solid catalysts in the liquid phase, with specific focus on leaching, which can be especially helpful to researchers not familiarized with catalytic processes in the liquid phase. Leaching refers to the loss of active species....... However, as a consequence of the development of new processes for biorefineries, an increasing number of reactions deal with liquid media, and thus, the stability and reusability of a solid catalyst in this situation represent a huge challenge that requires specific attention. Leaching of active phases...... is particularly problematic because of its irreversibility and it can be one of the main causes of catalyst deactivation in liquid media, threatening the sustainability of the process. This tutorial review presents a survey of the main aspects concerning the deactivation due to leaching of active species from...

Deactivation of La-Fe-ZSM-5 catalyst for selective catalytic reduction of NO with NH{sup 3}. Field study results

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Qi, Gongshin; Yang, Ralph T. [Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (United States); Chang, Ramsay; Cardoso, Sylvio [Air Pollution Control, Power Generation, Electric Power Research Institute, Palo Alto, CA 94304-1395 (United States); Smith, Randall A. [Fossil Energy Research Corporation, Laguna Hills, CA 92653 (United States)

2004-11-08

Results are summarized for a study on the effects of poisons on the La-Fe-ZSM-5 catalyst activity for the selective catalytic reduction of NO by ammonia. The deactivation of La-Fe-ZSM-5 honeycombs was studied in field tests. A honeycomb catalyst containing 25%La-Fe-ZSM-5 had an overall activity similar to that of a commercial vanadia honeycomb catalyst. Long-term activity test results show that the 25%La-Fe-ZSM-5 catalyst activity decreased to 50% after 300h and 25% after 1769h of on-stream flue gas exposure. The deactivation is correlated to the amounts of poisons deposited on the catalyst. Poisons include alkali and alkaline earth metals, As and Hg. Hg was found to be ion-exchanged from HgCl{sup 2} to form Hg-ZSM-5, and Hg was found to be among the strongest poisons. The poisoning effects of these elements appeared to be additive. Thus, from the chemical analysis of the deactivated catalyst, the deactivation of Fe-ZSM-5 can be predicted.

FASTER Test Reactor Preconceptual Design Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grandy, C. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Belch, H. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Brunett, A. J. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Heidet, F. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Hill, R. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Hoffman, E. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Jin, E. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Mohamed, W. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Moisseytsev, A. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Passerini, S. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Sienicki, J. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Sumner, T. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Vilim, R. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Hayes, S. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

2016-03-31

The FASTER test reactor plant is a sodium-cooled fast spectrum test reactor that provides high levels of fast and thermal neutron flux for scientific research and development. The 120MWe FASTER reactor plant has a superheated steam power conversion system which provides electrical power to a local grid allowing for recovery of operating costs for the reactor plant.

Deactivation of tracer-flo equipment thru retrieval of its radioactive Krypton-85 gas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Domondon, D.B.; Rara, R.B.; Borras, A.M.

1994-01-01

Tracer-flo equipment must be cleared of Krypton-85 before these can be transported. The rules and regulations on safe transport of radioactive materials require Kr-85 gas to be transported in an approved container. A new innovative technique/procedure in deactivating tracer-flo equipment i.e., without separation of the Kr-85 from the nitrogen was developed by the authors. The developed procedure was successfully applied in four tracer-flo equipment of three (3) semiconductor firms. In the process, the three firms have saved about US$ 28,000.00 (P 800,000.00) if the deactivation were undertaken by a foreign service company. The Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) retrieved about P 382,000.00 worth of Kr-85 that could be used in industrial applications such as leak tracing of buried pipes, etc. (author). 1 ref.; 5 figs

Deactivation of Cellulase at the Air-Liquid Interface Is the Main Cause of Incomplete Cellulose Conversion at Low Enzyme Loadings.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhagia, Samarthya; Dhir, Rachna; Kumar, Rajeev; Wyman, Charles E

2018-01-22

Amphiphilic additives such as bovine serum albumin (BSA) and Tween have been used to improve cellulose hydrolysis by cellulases. However, there has been a lack of clarity to explain their mechanism of action in enzymatic hydrolysis of pure or low-lignin cellulosic substrates. In this work, a commercial Trichoderma reesei enzyme preparation and the amphiphilic additives BSA and Tween 20 were applied for hydrolysis of pure Avicel cellulose. The results showed that these additives only had large effects on cellulose conversion at low enzyme to substrate ratios when the reaction flasks were shaken. Furthermore, changes in the air-liquid interfacial area profoundly affected cellulose conversion, but surfactants reduced or prevented cellulase deactivation at the air-liquid interface. Not shaking the flasks or adding low amounts of surfactant resulted in near theoretical cellulose conversion at low enzyme loadings given enough reaction time. At low enzyme loadings, hydrolysis of cellulose in lignocellulosic biomass with low lignin content suffered from enhanced enzyme deactivation at the air-liquid interface.

Activated and deactivated functional brain areas in the Deqi state: A functional MRI study.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Yong; Zeng, Tongjun; Zhang, Guifeng; Li, Ganlong; Lu, Na; Lai, Xinsheng; Lu, Yangjia; Chen, Jiarong

2012-10-25

We compared the activities of functional regions of the brain in the Deqi versus non-Deqi state, as reported by physicians and subjects during acupuncture. Twelve healthy volunteers received sham and true needling at the Waiguan (TE5) acupoint. Real-time cerebral functional MRI showed that compared with non-sensation after sham needling, true needling activated Brodmann areas 3, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 20, 21, 37, 39, 40, 43, and 47, the head of the caudate nucleus, the parahippocampal gyrus, thalamus and red nucleus. True needling also deactivated Brodmann areas 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 18, 24, 31, 40 and 46.

Faster Smith-Waterman database searches with inter-sequence SIMD parallelisation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rognes Torbjørn

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The Smith-Waterman algorithm for local sequence alignment is more sensitive than heuristic methods for database searching, but also more time-consuming. The fastest approach to parallelisation with SIMD technology has previously been described by Farrar in 2007. The aim of this study was to explore whether further speed could be gained by other approaches to parallelisation. Results A faster approach and implementation is described and benchmarked. In the new tool SWIPE, residues from sixteen different database sequences are compared in parallel to one query residue. Using a 375 residue query sequence a speed of 106 billion cell updates per second (GCUPS was achieved on a dual Intel Xeon X5650 six-core processor system, which is over six times more rapid than software based on Farrar's 'striped' approach. SWIPE was about 2.5 times faster when the programs used only a single thread. For shorter queries, the increase in speed was larger. SWIPE was about twice as fast as BLAST when using the BLOSUM50 score matrix, while BLAST was about twice as fast as SWIPE for the BLOSUM62 matrix. The software is designed for 64 bit Linux on processors with SSSE3. Source code is available from http://dna.uio.no/swipe/ under the GNU Affero General Public License. Conclusions Efficient parallelisation using SIMD on standard hardware makes it possible to run Smith-Waterman database searches more than six times faster than before. The approach described here could significantly widen the potential application of Smith-Waterman searches. Other applications that require optimal local alignment scores could also benefit from improved performance.

Dopaminergic Modulation of Medial Prefrontal Cortex Deactivation in Parkinson Depression

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anders H. Andersen

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Parkinson’s disease (PD is associated with emotional abnormalities. Dopaminergic medications ameliorate Parkinsonian motor symptoms, but less is known regarding the impact of dopaminergic agents on affective processing, particularly in depressed PD (dPD patients. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of dopaminergic pharmacotherapy on brain activation to emotional stimuli in depressed versus nondepressed Parkinson disease (ndPD patients. Participants included 18 ndPD patients (11 men, 7 women and 10 dPD patients (7 men, 3 women. Patients viewed photographs of emotional faces during functional MRI. Scans were performed while the patient was taking anti-Parkinson medication and the day after medication had been temporarily discontinued. Results indicate that dopaminergic medications have opposite effects in the prefrontal cortex depending upon depression status. DPD patients show greater deactivation in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC on dopaminergic medications than off, while ndPD patients show greater deactivation in this region off drugs. The VMPFC is in the default-mode network (DMN. DMN activity is negatively correlated with activity in brain systems used for external visual attention. Thus dopaminergic medications may promote increased attention to external visual stimuli among dPD patients but impede normal suppression of DMN activity during external stimulation among ndPD patients.

Step changes and deactivation behaviour in the continuous decarboxylation of stearic acid

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, Anders Theilgaard; Rozmyslowicz, B.; Simakova, I.

2011-01-01

% conversion of pure stearic acid. Deactivation took place in H-2-deficient gas atmosphere, probably as a result of the formation of unsaturated products and coking in the pore system. Transient experiments with step changes were performed: 1 h was required for the step change to be visible in liquid sampling...

Innovative Work Practices and Lessons Learned at the N Area Deactivation Project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Day, R.S.

1999-01-01

This report identifies many of the lessons learned, innovations,and effective work practices that derived from activities supporting the N Area Deactivation Project at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Hanford Site. The work practices discussed in this report may be applicable and beneficial to similar projects throughout the DOE complex

Slow light brings faster communications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gauthier, D.

2006-01-01

Two teams of researchers have managed to significantly reduce the speed of light in an optical fibre, which could open the door to all-optical routers for telecommunications, as Daniel Gauthier explains. Optical engineers around the globe are working hard to meet the ever-growing demand for higher-speed information networks, and the latest systems being developed operate at rates close to 160 GB per second - which is over 100 times quicker than the fastest broadband services currently available and a world away from the 56 kb per second dial-up connections of the early years of the Internet. Paradoxically, it seems that making light travel slower rather than faster might be the best way to meet these high-speed challenges. (U.K.)

Deactivation of molybdate catalysts by nitrogen bases

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Furimsky, E.

1982-10-01

Nitrogen bases present in petroleum deactivate the surface of molybdate catalysts. The detrimental effect is attributed either to interactions of the bases with Lewis sites via unpaired electrons on nitrogen or to their ability to remove proton from the surface. The later effect results in a decrease of concentration of Bronsted sites known to be active in catalytic reactions. This enhances rate of coke forming reactions. Resistence of molybdate catalysts to coke formation depends on the form and redistribution of active ingredients on the surface. This can be effected by conditions applied during preparation and pretreatment of the catalysts. Processing parameters used during catalytic hydrotreatment are also important; i.e., the coke formation is slow under conditions ensuring high rate of removal of basic nitrogen containing compounds.

Final deactivation project report on the High Radiation Level Analytical Facility, Building 3019B at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-09-01

The purpose of this report is to document the condition of the High Radiation Level Analytical Facility (Building 3019B) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) after completion of deactivation activities. This report identifies the activities conducted to place the facility in a safe and environmentally sound condition prior to transfer to the Environmental Restoration EM-40 Program. This document provides a history and description of the facility prior to the commencement of deactivation activities and documents the condition of the building after completion of all deactivation activities. Turnover items, such as the Post-Deactivation Surveillance and Maintenance (S ampersand M) Plan, remaining hazardous materials inventory, radiological controls, safeguards and security, quality assurance, facility operations, and supporting documentation provided in the Nuclear Material and Facility Stabilization (EM-60) Turnover package are discussed. Building 3019B will require access to perform required S ampersand M activities to maintain the building safety envelope. Building 3019B was stabilized during deactivation so that when transferred to the EM-40 Program, only a minimal S ampersand M effort would be required to maintain the building safety envelope. Other than the minimal S ampersand M activities the building will be unoccupied and the exterior doors locked to prevent unauthorized access. The building will be entered only to perform the required S ampersand M until decommissioning activities begin

Final deactivation project report on the High Radiation Level Analytical Facility, Building 3019B at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1997-09-01

The purpose of this report is to document the condition of the High Radiation Level Analytical Facility (Building 3019B) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) after completion of deactivation activities. This report identifies the activities conducted to place the facility in a safe and environmentally sound condition prior to transfer to the Environmental Restoration EM-40 Program. This document provides a history and description of the facility prior to the commencement of deactivation activities and documents the condition of the building after completion of all deactivation activities. Turnover items, such as the Post-Deactivation Surveillance and Maintenance (S&M) Plan, remaining hazardous materials inventory, radiological controls, safeguards and security, quality assurance, facility operations, and supporting documentation provided in the Nuclear Material and Facility Stabilization (EM-60) Turnover package are discussed. Building 3019B will require access to perform required S&M activities to maintain the building safety envelope. Building 3019B was stabilized during deactivation so that when transferred to the EM-40 Program, only a minimal S&M effort would be required to maintain the building safety envelope. Other than the minimal S&M activities the building will be unoccupied and the exterior doors locked to prevent unauthorized access. The building will be entered only to perform the required S&M until decommissioning activities begin.

Liquid metal reactor deactivation as applied to the experimental breeder reactor - II

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Earle, O. K.; Michelbacher, J. A.; Pfannenstiel, D. F.; Wells, P. B.

1999-01-01

The Experimental Breeder Reactor-II (EBR-II) at Argonne National Laboratory-West (ANL-W) was shutdown in September, 1994. This sodium cooled reactor had been in service since 1964, and by the US Department of Energy (DOE) mandate, was to be placed in an industrially and radiologically safe condition for ultimate decommissioning. The deactivation of a liquid metal reactor presents unique concerns. The first major task associated with the project was the removal of all fueled assemblies. In addition, sodium must be drained from systems and processed for ultimate disposal. Residual quantities of sodium remaining in systems must be deactivated or inerted to preclude future hazards associated with pyrophoricity and generation of potentially explosive hydrogen gas. A Sodium Process Facility (SPF) was designed and constructed to react the elemental sodium from the EBR-II primary and secondary systems to sodium hydroxide for disposal. This facility has a design capacity to allow the reaction of the complete inventory of sodium at ANL-W in less than two years. Additional quantities of sodium from the Fermi-1 reactor are also being treated at the SPF

Desflurane Allows for a Faster Emergence when Compared to Sevoflurane Without Affecting the Baseline Cognitive Recovery Time.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joseph G. Werner

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Aims, We compared the effect of desflurane and sevoflurane on anesthesia recovery time in patients undergoing urological cystoscopic surgery. The Short Orientation Memory Concentration Test (SOMCT measured and compared cognitive impairment between groups and coughing was assessed throughout the anesthetic.Methods and Materials, This investigation included 75 ambulatory patients. Patients were randomized to receive either desflurane or sevoflurane. Inhalational anesthetics were discontinued after removal of the cystoscope and once repositioning of the patient was final. Coughing assessment and awakening time from anesthesia were assessed by a blinded observer.Statistical analysis used: Statistical analysis was performed by using t-test for parametric variables and Mann-Whitney U test for nonparametric variables. Results, The primary endpoint, mean time to eye-opening, was 5.0±2.5 minutes for desflurane, and 7.9±4.1 minutes for sevoflurane (p <0.001. There were no significant differences in time to SOMCT recovery (p=0.109, overall time spent in the post anesthesia care unit (p=0.924 or time to discharge (p=0.363. Median time until readiness for discharge was nine minutes in the desflurane group, while the sevoflurane group had a median time of 20 minutes (p=0.020. The overall incidence of coughing during the perioperative period was significantly higher in the desflurane (p=0.030. Conclusions, We re-confirmed that patients receiving desflurane had a faster emergence and met the criteria to be discharged from the post anesthesia care unit earlier. No difference was found in time to return to baseline cognition between desflurane and sevoflurane.

Faster quantum chemistry simulation on fault-tolerant quantum computers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cody Jones, N; McMahon, Peter L; Yamamoto, Yoshihisa; Whitfield, James D; Yung, Man-Hong; Aspuru-Guzik, Alán; Van Meter, Rodney

2012-01-01

Quantum computers can in principle simulate quantum physics exponentially faster than their classical counterparts, but some technical hurdles remain. We propose methods which substantially improve the performance of a particular form of simulation, ab initio quantum chemistry, on fault-tolerant quantum computers; these methods generalize readily to other quantum simulation problems. Quantum teleportation plays a key role in these improvements and is used extensively as a computing resource. To improve execution time, we examine techniques for constructing arbitrary gates which perform substantially faster than circuits based on the conventional Solovay–Kitaev algorithm (Dawson and Nielsen 2006 Quantum Inform. Comput. 6 81). For a given approximation error ϵ, arbitrary single-qubit gates can be produced fault-tolerantly and using a restricted set of gates in time which is O(log ϵ) or O(log log ϵ); with sufficient parallel preparation of ancillas, constant average depth is possible using a method we call programmable ancilla rotations. Moreover, we construct and analyze efficient implementations of first- and second-quantized simulation algorithms using the fault-tolerant arbitrary gates and other techniques, such as implementing various subroutines in constant time. A specific example we analyze is the ground-state energy calculation for lithium hydride. (paper)

Conversion of methanol to hydrocarbons over conventional and mesoporous H-ZSM-5 and H-Ga-MFI: Major differences in deactivation behavior

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mentzel, Uffe Vie; Højholt, Karen Thrane; Holm, Martin Spangsberg

2012-01-01

. In the methanol-to-hydrocarbons (MTH) process, H-ZSM-5 is subjected to coke formation leading to catalyst deactivation. Here we show that when the gallium containing zeotypes are employed in the MTH process, only insignificant amounts of coke are present in the deactivated catalysts, indicating distinct...... (hydrolysis) of the Ga&sbnd;O bonds in the zeolite structure rather than coke deposition....

Integrated Project Management Planning for the Deactivation of the Savannah River Site F-Canyon Complex

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Clark, T.G.

2000-12-01

This paper explains the planning process that is being utilized by the Westinghouse Savannah River Company to take the F-Canyon Complex facilities from operations to a deactivated condition awaiting final decommissioning.

Final deactivation report on the radioisotope production Lab-C, Building 3030, at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-08-01

The purpose of this report is to document the condition of Bldg. 3030 completion of deactivation activities as outlined by the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Nuclear Materials and Facility Stabilization Program (EM-60) guidance documentation. This report outlines the activities conducted to place the facility in a safe and environmentally sound condition for transfer to DOE's Office of Environmental Restoration Program (EM-40). This report provides profile of Bldg. 3030 before and after deactivation activities. Turnover items, such as the Postdeactivation Surveillance ampersand Maintenance Plan, remaining hazardous materials, radiological controls, Safeguards and Security, QA, facility operations, and supporting documentation provided in the Office of Nuclear Materials and Facility Stabilization Program (EM-60) Turnover package are discussed. Building 3030 will require access to facilitate required S ampersand M activities to maintain the building safety envelope. Building 3030 was stabilized during deactivation so that when transferred to the EM-40 program, only a minimal S ampersand M effort would be required to maintain the building's safety envelope. Other than the minimal S ampersand M activities, the building will be unoccupied and the exterior doors locked to prevent unauthorized access. The building will be entered only for required S ampersand M. All materials have been removed from the building and the hot cell, and all utility systems, piping, and alarms have been deactivated

Final deactivation report on the radioisotope production Lab-D, Building 3031, at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-08-01

The purpose of this report is to document the condition of Bldg. 3031 after completion of deactivation activities as outlined by the Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Materials and Facility Stabilization Program (EM-60) guidance documentation. This report outlines the activities conducted to place the facility in a safe and environmentally sound condition for transfer to the Department of Energy Office of Environmental Restoration (EM-40) Program. This report provides a profile of Bldg. 3031 before and after deactivation activities. Turnover items, such as the Postdeactivation Surveillance ampersand Maintenance Plan, remaining hazardous materials, radiological controls, Safeguards and Security, quality assurance, facility operations, and supporting documentation provided in the Office of Nuclear Materials and Facility Stabilization Program (EM-60) Turnover package, are discussed. Building 3031 will require access to facilitate required surveillance and maintenance activities to maintain the building safety envelope. Building 3031 was stabilized during deactivation so that when transferred to the EM-40 program, only a minimal surveillance and maintenance effort would be required to maintain the building safety envelope. Other than the minimal surveillance and maintenance activities, the building will be unoccupied and the exterior doors locked to prevent unauthorized access. The building will be entered only to perform the required surveillance and maintenance. All materials have been removed from the building and the hot cell, and all utility systems, piping, and alarms have been deactivated

Preparing for faster filling

CERN Multimedia

CERN Bulletin

2010-01-01

Following the programmed technical stop last week, operators focussed on preparing the machine for faster filling, which includes multibunch injection and a faster pre-cycle phase.   The LHC1 screen shot during the first multibunch injection operation. The LHC operational schedule incorporates a technical stop for preventive maintenance roughly every six weeks of stable operation, during which several interventions on the various machines are carried out. Last week these included the replacement of a faulty magnet in the SPS pre-accelerator, which required the subsequent re-setting of the system of particle extraction and transfer to the LHC. At the end of last week, all the machines were handed back for operation and work could start on accommodating all the changes made into the complex systems in order for normal operation to be resumed. These ‘recovery’ operations continued through the weekend and into this week. At the beginning of this week, operators succeeded in pro...

Kinetics of the permanent deactivation of the boron-oxygen complex in crystalline silicon as a function of illumination intensity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Verena Steckenreiter

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Based on contactless carrier lifetime measurements performed on p-type boron-doped Czochralski-grown silicon (Cz-Si wafers, we examine the rate constant Rde of the permanent deactivation process of the boron-oxygen-related defect center as a function of the illumination intensity I at 170°C. While at low illumination intensities, a linear increase of Rde on I is measured, at high illumination intensities, Rde seems to saturate. We are able to explain the saturation by assuming that Rde increases proportionally with the excess carrier concentration Δn and take the fact into account that at sufficiently high illumination intensities, the carrier lifetime decreases with increasing Δn and hence the slope of Δn(I decreases, leading to an apparent saturation. Importantly, on low-lifetime Cz-Si samples no saturation of the deactivation rate constant is observed for the same illumination intensities, proving that the deactivation is stimulated by the presence of excess electrons and not directly by the photons.

FASTER test reactor preconceptual design report summary

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grandy, C. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Belch, H. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Brunett, A. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Heidet, F. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Hill, R. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Hoffman, E. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Jin, E. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Mohamed, W. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Moisseytsev, A. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Passerini, S. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Sienicki, J. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Sumner, T. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Vilim, R. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Hayes, Steven [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

2016-02-29

The FASTER reactor plant is a sodium-cooled fast spectrum test reactor that provides high levels of fast and thermal neutron flux for scientific research and development. The 120MWe FASTER reactor plant has a superheated steam power conversion system which provides electrical power to a local grid allowing for recovery of operating costs for the reactor plant.

REVIEW OF INDUSTRIES AND GOVERNMENT AGENCIES FOR TECHNOLOGIES APPLICABLE TO DEACTIVATION AND DECOMMISSIONING OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS FACILITIES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reilkoff, T. E.; Hetland, M. D.; O' Leary, E. M.

2002-02-25

The Deactivation and Decommissioning Focus Area's (DDFA's) mission is to develop, demonstrate, and deploy improved deactivation and decommissioning (D&D) technologies. This mission requires that emphasis be continually placed on identifying technologies currently employed or under development in other nuclear as well as nonnuclear industries and government agencies. In support of DDFA efforts to clean up the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) radiologically contaminated surplus facilities using technologies that improve worker safety, reduce costs, and accelerate cleanup schedules, a study was conducted to identify innovative technologies developed for use in nonnuclear arenas that are appropriate for D&D applications.

Electron microscopy study of the deactivation of nickel based catalysts for bio oil hydrodeoxygenation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gardini, Diego; Mortensen, Peter Mølgaard; Carvalho, Hudson W. P.

2014-01-01

Hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) is proposed as an efficient way to remove oxygen in bio-oil, improving its quality as a more sustainable alternative to conventional fuels in terms of CO2 neutrality and relative short production cycle [1]. Ni and Ni-MoS2 nanoparticles supported on ZrO2 show potential...... as high-pressure (100 bar) catalysts for purification of bio-oil by HDO. However, the catalysts deactivate in presence of sulfur, chlorine and potassium species, which are all naturally occurring in real bio-oil. The deactivation mechanisms of the Ni/ZrO2 have been investigated through scanning...... transmission electron microscopy (STEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Catalytic testing has been performed using guaiacol in 1-octanol acting as a model compound for bio-oil. Addition of sulphur (0.3 vol% octanethiol) in the feed...

A study of paint sludge deactivation by pyrolysis reactions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muniz L.A.R.

2003-01-01

Full Text Available The production of large quantities of paint sludge is a serious environmental problem. This work evaluates the use of pyrolysis reaction as a process for deactivating paint sludge that generates a combustible gas phase, a solvent liquid phase and an inert solid phase. These wastes were classified into three types: water-based solvent (latex resin and solvents based on their resins (alkyd and polyurethane. An electrically heated stainless steel batch reactor with a capacity of 579 mL and a maximum pressure of 30 atm was used. Following the reactor, a flash separator, which was operated at atmospheric pressure, partially condensed and separated liquid and gas products. Pressure and temperature were monitored on-line by a control and data acquisition system, which adjusted the heating power supplied to the pyrolysis reactor. Reactions followed an experimental design with two factors (reaction time and temperature and three levels (10, 50 and 90 minutes; 450, 550 and 650degreesC. The response variables were liquid and solid masses and net heat of combustion. The optimal operational range for the pyrolysis process was obtained for each response variable. A significant reduction in total mass of solid waste was obtained.

Faster magnet sorting with a threshold acceptance algorithm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lidia, S.; Carr, R.

1995-01-01

We introduce here a new technique for sorting magnets to minimize the field errors in permanent magnet insertion devices. Simulated annealing has been used in this role, but we find the technique of threshold acceptance produces results of equal quality in less computer time. Threshold accepting would be of special value in designing very long insertion devices, such as long free electron lasers (FELs). Our application of threshold acceptance to magnet sorting showed that it converged to equivalently low values of the cost function, but that it converged significantly faster. We present typical cases showing time to convergence for various error tolerances, magnet numbers, and temperature schedules

Faster magnet sorting with a threshold acceptance algorithm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lidia, S.

1994-08-01

The authors introduce here a new technique for sorting magnets to minimize the field errors in permanent magnet insertion devices. Simulated annealing has been used in this role, but they find the technique of threshold acceptance produces results of equal quality in less computer time. Threshold accepting would be of special value in designing very long insertion devices, such as long FEL's. Their application of threshold acceptance to magnet sorting showed that it converged to equivalently low values of the cost function, but that it converged significantly faster. They present typical cases showing time to convergence for various error tolerances, magnet numbers, and temperature schedules

Dyslexics' faster decay of implicit memory for sounds and words is manifested in their shorter neural adaptation.

Science.gov (United States)

Jaffe-Dax, Sagi; Frenkel, Or; Ahissar, Merav

2017-01-24

Dyslexia is a prevalent reading disability whose underlying mechanisms are still disputed. We studied the neural mechanisms underlying dyslexia using a simple frequency-discrimination task. Though participants were asked to compare the two tones in each trial, implicit memory of previous trials affected their responses. We hypothesized that implicit memory decays faster among dyslexics. We tested this by increasing the temporal intervals between consecutive trials, and by measuring the behavioral impact and ERP responses from the auditory cortex. Dyslexics showed a faster decay of implicit memory effects on both measures, with similar time constants. Finally, faster decay of implicit memory also characterized the impact of sound regularities in benefitting dyslexics' oral reading rate. Their benefit decreased faster as a function of the time interval from the previous reading of the same non-word. We propose that dyslexics' shorter neural adaptation paradoxically accounts for their longer reading times, since it reduces their temporal window of integration of past stimuli, resulting in noisier and less reliable predictions for both simple and complex stimuli. Less reliable predictions limit their acquisition of reading expertise.

Engineering Phase 2 and Phase 3 certification programs -- PUREX deactivation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walser, R.L.

1994-01-01

This document describes the training programs required to become a Phase 2 and Phase 3 certified engineer at PUREX during deactivation. With the change in mission, the PUREX engineering/certification training program is being revamped as discussed below. The revised program will be administered by PUREX Technical Training using existing courses and training materials. The program will comply with the requirements of the Department of Energy (DOE) order 5480.20A, ''Personnel Selection, Qualification, Training, and Staffing Requirements at DOE Reactor and Non-Reactor Nuclear Facilities.''

Engineering Phase 2 and Phase 3 certification programs -- PUREX deactivation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Walser, R.L.

1994-12-13

This document describes the training programs required to become a Phase 2 and Phase 3 certified engineer at PUREX during deactivation. With the change in mission, the PUREX engineering/certification training program is being revamped as discussed below. The revised program will be administered by PUREX Technical Training using existing courses and training materials. The program will comply with the requirements of the Department of Energy (DOE) order 5480.20A, ``Personnel Selection, Qualification, Training, and Staffing Requirements at DOE Reactor and Non-Reactor Nuclear Facilities.``

Final deactivation report on the radioisotope production Lab-H, Building 3118, at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-08-01

This report outlines the activities conducted to place the facility in a safe and environmentally sound condition for transfer to the DOE Office of Environmental Restoration Program (EM-40). This report provides a history and profile of Bldg. 3118 prior to and after deactivation. Turnover items (e.g. Surveillance ampersand Maintenance Plant, remaining materials, etc.) are discussed. Building 3118 was stabilized during deactivation so that when transferred to the EM-40 program, only minimal S ampersand M is required (other than that, the building will be unoccupied and the exterior doors locked)

Ionic liquids as silica deactivating agents in gas chromatography for direct analysis of primary amines in water.

Science.gov (United States)

Krzyżaniak, Agnieszka; Weggemans, Wilko; Schuur, Boelo; de Haan, André B

2011-12-16

Analysis of primary amines in aqueous samples remains a challenging analytical issue. The preferred approach by gas chromatography is hampered by interactions of free silanol groups with the highly reactive amine groups, resulting in inconsistent measurements. Here, we report a method for direct analysis of aliphatic amines and diamines in aqueous samples by gas chromatography (GC) with silanol deactivation using ionic liquids (ILs). ILs including trihexyl(tetradecyl)phosphonium bis 2,4,4-(trimethylpentyl)phosphinate (Cyphos IL-104), 1-methyl-3-propylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide [pmim][Tf(2)N] and N″-ethyl-N,N,N',N'-tetramethylguanidinium tris(pentafluoroethyl)trifluorophosphate [etmg][FAP] were tested as deactivating media for the GC liner. Solutions of these ILs in methanol were injected in the system prior to the analysis of primary amines. Butane-1,4-diamine (putrescine, BDA) was used as a reference amine. The best results were obtained using the imidazolium IL [pmim][Tf(2)N]. With this deactivator, excellent reproducibility of the analysis was achieved, and the detection limit of BDA was as low as 1mM. The applicability of the method was proven for the analysis of two different primary amines (C4-C5) and pentane-1,5-diamine. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The S4-S5 linker acts as a signal integrator for HERG K+ channel activation and deactivation gating.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chai Ann Ng

Full Text Available Human ether-à-go-go-related gene (hERG K(+ channels have unusual gating kinetics. Characterised by slow activation/deactivation but rapid inactivation/recovery from inactivation, the unique gating kinetics underlie the central role hERG channels play in cardiac repolarisation. The slow activation and deactivation kinetics are regulated in part by the S4-S5 linker, which couples movement of the voltage sensor domain to opening of the activation gate at the distal end of the inner helix of the pore domain. It has also been suggested that cytosolic domains may interact with the S4-S5 linker to regulate activation and deactivation kinetics. Here, we show that the solution structure of a peptide corresponding to the S4-S5 linker of hERG contains an amphipathic helix. The effects of mutations at the majority of residues in the S4-S5 linker of hERG were consistent with the previously identified role in coupling voltage sensor movement to the activation gate. However, mutations to Ser543, Tyr545, Gly546 and Ala548 had more complex phenotypes indicating that these residues are involved in additional interactions. We propose a model in which the S4-S5 linker, in addition to coupling VSD movement to the activation gate, also contributes to interactions that stabilise the closed state and a separate set of interactions that stabilise the open state. The S4-S5 linker therefore acts as a signal integrator and plays a crucial role in the slow deactivation kinetics of the channel.

Pedestrian crowd dynamics in merging sections: Revisiting the ;faster-is-slower; phenomenon

Science.gov (United States)

Shahhoseini, Zahra; Sarvi, Majid; Saberi, Meead

2018-02-01

The study of the discharge of active or self-driven matter in narrow passages has become of the growing interest in a variety of fields. The question has particularly important practical applications for the safety of pedestrian human flows notably in emergency scenarios. It has been suggested predominantly through simulation in some theoretical studies as well as through few experimentations that under certain circumstances, an elevated vigour to escape may exacerbate the outflow and cause further delay although the experimental evidence is rather mixed. The dimensions of this complex phenomenon known as the "faster-is slower" effect are of crucial importance to be understood owing to its potential practical implications for the emergency management. The contextual requirements of observing this phenomenon are yet to be identified. It is not clear whether a "do not speed up" policy is universally beneficial and advisable in an evacuation scenario. Here for the first time we experimentally examine this phenomenon in relation to the pedestrian flows at merging sections as a common geometric feature of crowd egress. Various merging angles and three different speed regimes were examined in high-density laboratory experiments. The measurements of flow interruptions and egress efficiency all indicated that the pedestrians were discharged faster when moving at elevated speed levels. We also observed clear dependencies between the discharge rate and the physical layout of the merging with certain designs clearly outperforming others. But regardless of the design, we observed faster throughput and greater avalanche sizes when we instructed pedestrians to run. Our results give the suggestion that observation of the faster-is-slower effect may necessitate certain critical conditions including passages being overly narrow relative to the size of participles (pedestrians) to create long-lasting blockages. The faster-is-slower assumption may not be universal and there may be

Effect of Steam Deactivation Severity of ZSM-5 Additives on LPG Olefins Production in the FCC Process.

Science.gov (United States)

Gusev, Andrey A; Psarras, Antonios C; Triantafyllidis, Konstantinos S; Lappas, Angelos A; Diddams, Paul A

2017-10-21

ZSM-5-containing catalytic additives are widely used in oil refineries to boost light olefin production and improve gasoline octanes in the Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) process. Under the hydrothermal conditions present in the FCC regenerator (typically >700 °C and >8% steam), FCC catalysts and additives are subject to deactivation. Zeolites (e.g., Rare Earth USY in the base catalyst and ZSM-5 in Olefins boosting additives) are prone to dealumination and partial structural collapse, thereby losing activity, micropore surface area, and undergoing changes in selectivity. Fresh catalyst and additives are added at appropriate respective levels to the FCC unit on a daily basis to maintain overall targeted steady-state (equilibrated) activity and selectivity. To mimic this process under accelerated laboratory conditions, a commercial P/ZSM-5 additive was hydrothermally equilibrated via a steaming process at two temperatures: 788 °C and 815 °C to simulate moderate and more severe equilibration industrial conditions, respectively. n -Dodecane was used as probe molecule and feed for micro-activity cracking testing at 560 °C to determine the activity and product selectivity of fresh and equilibrated P-doped ZSM-5 additives. The fresh/calcined P/ZSM-5 additive was very active in C 12 cracking while steaming limited its activity, i.e., at catalyst-to-feed (C/F) ratio of 1, about 70% and 30% conversion was obtained with the fresh and steamed additives, respectively. A greater activity drop was observed upon increasing the hydrothermal deactivation severity due to gradual decrease of total acidity and microporosity of the additives. However, this change in severity did not result in any selectivity changes for the LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) olefins as the nature (Brønsted-to-Lewis ratio) of the acid/active sites was not significantly altered upon steaming. Steam deactivation of ZSM-5 had also no significant effect on aromatics formation which was enhanced at higher

Effect of Steam Deactivation Severity of ZSM-5 Additives on LPG Olefins Production in the FCC Process

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrey A. Gusev

2017-10-01

Full Text Available ZSM-5-containing catalytic additives are widely used in oil refineries to boost light olefin production and improve gasoline octanes in the Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC process. Under the hydrothermal conditions present in the FCC regenerator (typically >700 °C and >8% steam, FCC catalysts and additives are subject to deactivation. Zeolites (e.g., Rare Earth USY in the base catalyst and ZSM-5 in Olefins boosting additives are prone to dealumination and partial structural collapse, thereby losing activity, micropore surface area, and undergoing changes in selectivity. Fresh catalyst and additives are added at appropriate respective levels to the FCC unit on a daily basis to maintain overall targeted steady-state (equilibrated activity and selectivity. To mimic this process under accelerated laboratory conditions, a commercial P/ZSM-5 additive was hydrothermally equilibrated via a steaming process at two temperatures: 788 °C and 815 °C to simulate moderate and more severe equilibration industrial conditions, respectively. n-Dodecane was used as probe molecule and feed for micro-activity cracking testing at 560 °C to determine the activity and product selectivity of fresh and equilibrated P-doped ZSM-5 additives. The fresh/calcined P/ZSM-5 additive was very active in C12 cracking while steaming limited its activity, i.e., at catalyst-to-feed (C/F ratio of 1, about 70% and 30% conversion was obtained with the fresh and steamed additives, respectively. A greater activity drop was observed upon increasing the hydrothermal deactivation severity due to gradual decrease of total acidity and microporosity of the additives. However, this change in severity did not result in any selectivity changes for the LPG (liquefied petroleum gas olefins as the nature (Brønsted-to-Lewis ratio of the acid/active sites was not significantly altered upon steaming. Steam deactivation of ZSM-5 had also no significant effect on aromatics formation which was enhanced at

Distinctive Spectral Features of Exciton and Excimer States in the Ultrafast Electronic Deactivation of the Adenine Dinucleotide

Science.gov (United States)

Stuhldreier, Mayra C.; Röttger, Katharina; Temps, Friedrich

We report the observation by transient absorption spectroscopy of distinctive spectro-temporal signatures of delocalized exciton versus relaxed, weakly bound excimer states in the ultrafast electronic deactivation after UV photoexcitation of the adenine dinucleotide.

The investigation of deactivation the tailings from sulphate uranium technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nikonov, V.I.; Knjazev, O.I.; Ruzin, L.I.; Smolnya, T.A.

2001-01-01

The purpose of investigation is to decrease contamination of the environment from wastes, produced on treatment of uranium ores by traditional sulphate uranium technology. In the result of treatment the sulphate uranium leaching cakes by 1-3 M chloride or nitrate of alkali-earth metals solutions, the content of radium decrease till (2.4 - 3.0) x 10 -8 Ci/kg. Produced deactivating solutions in which the content of radium-226 and other natural radionuclides exceeds of ten times the limit of tolerance safe concentrations for water (5.4 x 10 -11 Ci/l Ra-226) further may be treated by sorption or extraction. Due to the reason we pay our attention to the class of non-traditional ion-exchangers, which is the micellar wastes from production of antibiotics (MPW). The problems of it's utilization is very acute. MPW from antibiotics generates everyday is amount of tens tones (on dried mass), contents till 80% of moisture and include in solid phase 50 - 95 % organics in the work we used MPW from erythromycin in form of dried powder with size of particles to 0.05 - 0.16 mm. The possibility of radionuclides extraction by mixture of D2EHPA with TBP or TOPO for nitric deactivated solutions are investigated. It was received the complete extraction Th-230 into organic phase and next concentration with high content of isotope Th-230. Ra-D and Po are not recovered by the extractant. Using the extractant preliminary saturated with barium permit to extract completely Ra from solution. The method purification of technological solutions from activity with using solid extractants - TVEKS was developed. The TVEKS samples on styren-divinylbenzen copolymer base with size 1.0 - 1.5 mm were synthesized. The solid carrier was impregnated by D2EHPA or PN-1200 extractant solution in kerosene and used for extraction of radioactive elements (mainly Ra) from chloride acid solutions with summary activity 8.7 x 10 -10 Ci/l. TVEKS was activated by barium to capacity 1-3 mg/l for increasing purification

ALARA Review for the Deactivation of the 107-N Pump Well

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Edwards, T.A.

1998-01-01

This as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA) review provides a description of the engineering and administrative controls used during the completion of deactivation work at the 107-N Building. This ALARA assessment focuses on the 107-N Building pump well. The level of contamination found in the pump well has been estimated to be approximately 830 mRad/hr beta and 680,000 disintegrations per minute (dpm) alpha per large area wipe. As part of the characterization of the water and sediment, samples were taken to determine the isotopic distribution

Poisoning of vanadia based SCR catalysts by potassium:influence of catalyst composition and potassium mobility

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olsen, Brian Kjærgaard; Kügler, Frauke; Jensen, Anker Degn

2016-01-01

exposure temperatures slowdown the deactivation. K2SO4 causes a lower rate of deactivation compared to KCl. This may be related to a faster transfer of potassium from the solid KCl matrix to the catalyst, however, it cannot be ruled out toalso be caused by a significantly larger particle size of the K2SO4...

The Orosomucoid 1 protein is involved in the vitamin D – mediated macrophage de-activation process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gemelli, Claudia, E-mail: claudia.gemelli@unimore.it [Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 287, 41125 Modena (Italy); Center for Regenerative Medicine, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Gottardi 100, 41125 Modena (Italy); Martello, Andrea; Montanari, Monica; Zanocco Marani, Tommaso; Salsi, Valentina; Zappavigna, Vincenzo; Parenti, Sandra; Vignudelli, Tatiana; Selmi, Tommaso; Ferrari, Sergio; Grande, Alexis [Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 287, 41125 Modena (Italy)

2013-12-10

Orosomucoid 1 (ORM1), also named Alpha 1 acid glycoprotein A (AGP-A), is an abundant plasma protein characterized by anti-inflammatory and immune-modulating properties. The present study was designed to identify a possible correlation between ORM1 and Vitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3), a hormone exerting a widespread effect on cell proliferation, differentiation and regulation of the immune system. In particular, the data described here indicated that ORM1 is a 1,25(OH)2D3 primary response gene, characterized by the presence of a VDRE element inside the 1 kb sequence of its proximal promoter region. This finding was demonstrated with gene expression studies, Chromatin Immunoprecipitation and luciferase transactivation experiments and confirmed by VDR full length and dominant negative over-expression. In addition, several experiments carried out in human normal monocytes demonstrated that the 1,25(OH)2D3 – VDR – ORM1 pathway plays a functional role inside the macrophage de-activation process and that ORM1 may be considered as a signaling molecule involved in the maintenance of tissue homeostasis and remodeling. - Highlights: • ORM1 is a Vitamin D primary response gene. • VD and its receptor VDR are involved in the de-activation process mediated by human resident macrophages. • The signaling pathway VD-VDR-ORM1 plays an important role in the control of macrophage de-activation process. • ORM1 may be defined as a signaling molecule implicated in the maintenance of tissue homeostasis and remodeling.

The Orosomucoid 1 protein is involved in the vitamin D – mediated macrophage de-activation process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gemelli, Claudia; Martello, Andrea; Montanari, Monica; Zanocco Marani, Tommaso; Salsi, Valentina; Zappavigna, Vincenzo; Parenti, Sandra; Vignudelli, Tatiana; Selmi, Tommaso; Ferrari, Sergio; Grande, Alexis

2013-01-01

Orosomucoid 1 (ORM1), also named Alpha 1 acid glycoprotein A (AGP-A), is an abundant plasma protein characterized by anti-inflammatory and immune-modulating properties. The present study was designed to identify a possible correlation between ORM1 and Vitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3), a hormone exerting a widespread effect on cell proliferation, differentiation and regulation of the immune system. In particular, the data described here indicated that ORM1 is a 1,25(OH)2D3 primary response gene, characterized by the presence of a VDRE element inside the 1 kb sequence of its proximal promoter region. This finding was demonstrated with gene expression studies, Chromatin Immunoprecipitation and luciferase transactivation experiments and confirmed by VDR full length and dominant negative over-expression. In addition, several experiments carried out in human normal monocytes demonstrated that the 1,25(OH)2D3 – VDR – ORM1 pathway plays a functional role inside the macrophage de-activation process and that ORM1 may be considered as a signaling molecule involved in the maintenance of tissue homeostasis and remodeling. - Highlights: • ORM1 is a Vitamin D primary response gene. • VD and its receptor VDR are involved in the de-activation process mediated by human resident macrophages. • The signaling pathway VD-VDR-ORM1 plays an important role in the control of macrophage de-activation process. • ORM1 may be defined as a signaling molecule implicated in the maintenance of tissue homeostasis and remodeling

Commercial experience with facility deactivation to safe storage

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sype, T.T. [Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States); Fischer, S.R. [Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States); Lee, J.H. Jr.; Sanchez, L.C.; Ottinger, C.A.; Pirtle, G.J. [Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)

1995-09-01

The Department of Energy (DOE) has shutdown many production reactors; the Department has begun a major effort to also shutdown a wide variety of other nuclear facilities. Because so many facilities are being closed, it is necessary to place many of them into a safe- storage status, i.e., deactivation, before conducting decommissioning- for perhaps as long as 20 years. The challenge is to achieve this safe-storage condition in a cost-effective manner while remaining in compliance with applicable regulations. The DOE Office of Environmental Management, Office of Transition and Management, commissioned a lessons-learned study of commercial experience with safe storage and decommissioning. Although the majority of the commercial experience has been with reactors, many of the lessons learned presented in this document can provide insight into transitioning challenges that Will be faced by the DOE weapons complex.

Commercial experience with facility deactivation to safe storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sype, T.T.; Fischer, S.R.; Lee, J.H. Jr.; Sanchez, L.C.; Ottinger, C.A.; Pirtle, G.J.

1995-09-01

The Department of Energy (DOE) has shutdown many production reactors; the Department has begun a major effort to also shutdown a wide variety of other nuclear facilities. Because so many facilities are being closed, it is necessary to place many of them into a safe- storage status, i.e., deactivation, before conducting decommissioning- for perhaps as long as 20 years. The challenge is to achieve this safe-storage condition in a cost-effective manner while remaining in compliance with applicable regulations. The DOE Office of Environmental Management, Office of Transition and Management, commissioned a lessons-learned study of commercial experience with safe storage and decommissioning. Although the majority of the commercial experience has been with reactors, many of the lessons learned presented in this document can provide insight into transitioning challenges that Will be faced by the DOE weapons complex

DEACTIVATION AND DECOMMISSIONING (D AND D) TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

M.A. Ebadian, Ph.D.

1999-01-01

As part of the ongoing task of making Deactivation and Decommissioning (D&D) operations more efficient, this subtask has addressed the need to integrate existing characterization technologies with decontamination technologies in order to provide real-time data on the progress of contamination removal. Specifically, technologies associated with concrete decontamination and/or removal have been examined with the goal of integrating existing technologies and commercializing the resulting hybrid. The Department of Energy (DOE) has estimated that 23 million cubic meters of concrete will require disposition as 1200 buildings undergo the D&D process. All concrete removal to be performed will also necessitate extensive use of characterization techniques. The in-process characterization presents the most potential for improvement and cost-savings as compared to other types. Current methods for in-process characterization usually require cessation of work to allow for radiation surveys to assess the rate of decontamination. Combining together decontamination and characterization technologies would allow for in-process evaluation of decontamination efforts. Since the present methods do not use in-process evaluations for the progress of decontamination, they may allow for ''overremoval'' of materials (removal of contaminated along with non-contaminated materials). Overremoval increases the volume of waste and therefore the costs associated with disposal. Integrating technologies would facilitate the removal of only contaminated concrete and reduce the total volume of radioactive waste, which would be disposed of. This would eventually ensure better productivity and time savings. This project presents a general procedure to integrate the above-mentioned technologies in the form of the Technology Integration Module (TIM) along with combination lists of commercially available decontamination and characterization technologies. The scope of the project has also

DEACTIVATION AND DECOMMISSIONING (D AND D) TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ebadian, M.A.

1999-01-01

As part of the ongoing task of making Deactivation and Decommissioning (D and D) operations more efficient, this subtask has addressed the need to integrate existing characterization technologies with decontamination technologies in order to provide real-time data on the progress of contamination removal. Specifically, technologies associated with concrete decontamination and/or removal have been examined with the goal of integrating existing technologies and commercializing the resulting hybrid. The Department of Energy (DOE) has estimated that 23 million cubic meters of concrete will require disposition as 1200 buildings undergo the D and D process. All concrete removal to be performed will also necessitate extensive use of characterization techniques. The in-process characterization presents the most potential for improvement and cost-savings as compared to other types. Current methods for in-process characterization usually require cessation of work to allow for radiation surveys to assess the rate of decontamination. Combining together decontamination and characterization technologies would allow for in-process evaluation of decontamination efforts. Since the present methods do not use in-process evaluations for the progress of decontamination, they may allow for ''overremoval'' of materials (removal of contaminated along with non-contaminated materials). Overremoval increases the volume of waste and therefore the costs associated with disposal. Integrating technologies would facilitate the removal of only contaminated concrete and reduce the total volume of radioactive waste, which would be disposed of. This would eventually ensure better productivity and time savings. This project presents a general procedure to integrate the above-mentioned technologies in the form of the Technology Integration Module (TIM) along with combination lists of commercially available decontamination and characterization technologies. The scope of the project has also been

Integrated project management plan for the Plutonium Finishing Plant stabilization and deactivation project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

SINCLAIR, J.C.

1999-01-01

This document sets forth the plans, organization, and control systems for managing the PFP Stabilization and Deactivation Project, and includes the top level cost and schedule baselines. The project includes the stabilization of Pu-bearing materials, storage, packaging, and transport of these and other nuclear materials, surveillance and maintenance of facilities and systems relied upon for storage of the materials, and transition of the facilities in the PFP Complex

Fitness-driven deactivation in network evolution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, Xin-Jian; Peng, Xiao-Long; Fu, Xin-Chu; Small, Michael

2010-01-01

Individual nodes in evolving real-world networks typically experience growth and decay—that is, the popularity and influence of individuals peaks and then fades. In this paper, we study this phenomenon via an intrinsic nodal fitness function and an intuitive ageing mechanism. Each node of the network is endowed with a fitness which represents its activity. All the nodes have two discrete stages: active and inactive. The evolution of the network combines the addition of new active nodes randomly connected to existing active ones and the deactivation of old active nodes with a possibility inversely proportional to their fitnesses. We obtain a structured exponential network when the fitness distribution of the individuals is homogeneous and a structured scale-free network with heterogeneous fitness distributions. Furthermore, we recover two universal scaling laws of the clustering coefficient for both cases, C(k) ∼ k −1 and C ∼ n −1 , where k and n refer to the node degree and the number of active individuals, respectively. These results offer a new simple description of the growth and ageing of networks where intrinsic features of individual nodes drive their popularity, and hence degree

Studies of Deactivation of Methanol to Formaldehyde Selective Oxidation Catalyst

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Raun, Kristian Viegaard; Schumann, Max; Høj, Martin

Formaldehyde (CH2O) may be synthesized industrially by selective oxidation of methanol over an iron-molybdate (Fe-Mo) oxide catalyst according to: CH3OH + ½O2 →CH2O + H2O. The reaction is normally carried out in a multitubular reactor with excess of air at 250-400 °C (yield = 90-95 %), known...... the activity of the catalyst [2]. Pure MoO3 in itself has low activity. Literature from the last decades agrees that the major reason for the deactivation is loss of molybdenum from the catalyst. Molybdenum forms volatile species with methanol, which can leave behind Mo poor zones. The catalyst is usually...

A study on the deactivation and stability of hydrophobic catalyst for hydrogen isotope exchange

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sohn, Soon Hwan

2006-02-01

The hydrophobic catalyst has been prepared by deposition of platinum on porous styrene divinylbenzene copolymers(Pt/SDBC) and at the same time a separated type catalytic reactor has been developed for the Wolsong tritium removal facility(WTRF). Several tests carried out to obtain the experimental performance data of the Pt/SDBC with a recycle reactor system. The long-term stability was also measured with the Pt/SDBC catalyst immersed in water for a long time. The long-term deactivations of the Pt/SDBC catalyst were evaluated quantitatively by mathematical models. The simple mathematical models were presented to evaluate the uniform poisoning and shell progressive poisoning to be occurred simultaneously during the hydrogen isotope exchange between hydrogen gas and liquid water in the Liquid Phase Catalytic Exchange(LPCE) column. The uniform poisoning was well characterized by a time on stream theory and then the deactivation parameters were determined from the experimental performance data. The impurity poisoning was derived by a shell progressive model with two-layer mass transfer. The water vapor condensation was a main cause of the reversible uniform poisoning for the Pt/SDBC catalyst. The values of the decay rate constant (K d ) and order of the decay reaction(m) were of 2 and 4, respectively, based on the experimental data. It indicated that the decay might be attributable to pore mouth poisoning. From the long-term stability of the catalyst immersed in water, there was no intrinsic decay of catalyst activity due to water logging to the catalyst. The activity decreased by only 7% over 18 months, which was equivalent to a catalyst half-life longer than 15 years. On the basis of the above deactivation parameters, the values for k c /k co with Thiele modulus=20 after 3 years and 10 years of operation were expected about 19% and 15% of the initial activity, respectively, while the values for k c /k co with Thiele modulus=100 were of about 22% and 18%, respectively

Deactivation and cleanout of the 308 Fuels Laboratory and the 232-Z Incinerator at the Hanford site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gerber, M.S.; Bliss, R.J.

1994-12-01

This paper describes the deactivation and source term reduction activities conducted over the recent past in two plutonium-contaminated Hanford Site buildings: the 308 Fuels Development Laboratory and the 232-Z Incinerator. Both of these facilities belong to the U.S. Department of Energy, and the projects are unique success stories carried out in direct support of EM-60 functions and requirements. In both cases the buildings, for different reasons, contained unacceptable amounts of plutonium, and were stabilized and placed in a safe, pre-D ampersand D (decontamination and decommissioning) mode. The concept of deactivation as the last step in the operating life of a facility will be discussed. The need for and requirements of EM-60 transition between operations and D ampersand D, the costs savings, techniques, regulations and lessons learned also will be discussed. This paper describes the strategies that led to successful source term reduction: accurate characterization, cooperation among different divisions within DOE and the Hanford Site, attention to regulations (especially unique in this case since the 232-Z Incinerator has been nominated as a Historic Structure to the National Register of Historic Places), and stakeholder concerns involving the proximity of the 308 Building to the Columbia River. The paper also weaves in the history, missions, and plutonium accumulation of the two buildings. The lessons learned are cogent to many other present and future deactivation activities across the DOE complex and indeed across the world

Bribes for Faster Delivery

OpenAIRE

Sanyal, Amal

2000-01-01

The paper models the practice of charging bribes for faster delivery of essential services in third world countries. It then examines the possibility of curbing corruption by supervision, and secondly, by introducing competition among delivery agents. It is argued that a supervisory solution eludes the problem because no hard evidence of the reduction of corruption can be established for this type of offenses. It is also shown that using more than one supplier cannot eliminate the practice, a...

Idaho Chemical Processing Plant and Plutonium-Uranium Extraction Plant phaseout/deactivation study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patterson, M.W.; Thompson, R.J.

1994-01-01

The decision to cease all US Department of Energy (DOE) reprocessing of nuclear fuels was made on April 28, 1992. This study provides insight into and a comparison of the management, technical, compliance, and safety strategies for deactivating the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant (ICPP) at Westinghouse Idaho Nuclear Company (WINCO) and the Westinghouse Hanford Company (WHC) Plutonium-Uranium Extraction (PUREX) Plant. The purpose of this study is to ensure that lessons-learned and future plans are coordinated between the two facilities

Lifecycle baseline summary for ADS 6504IS isotopes facilities Deactivation Project at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-08-01

The scope of this Activity Data Sheet (ADS) is to provide a detailed plan for the Isotopes Facilities Deactivation Project (IFDP) at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). This project places the former isotopes production facilities in a safe, stable, and environmentally sound condition suitable for an extended period of minimum surveillance and maintenance (S ampersand M) until the facilities are included in the Decontamination and Decommissioning (D ampersand D) Program. The facilities included within this deactivation project are Buildings 3026-C, 3026-D, 3028, 3029, 3038-AHF, 3038-E, 3038-M, 3047, 3517, 7025, and the Center Circle Facilities (Buildings 3030, 3031, 3032, 3033, 3033-A, 3034, and 3118). The scope of deactivation identified in this Baseline Report include surveillance and maintenance activities for each facility, engineering, contamination control and structural stabilization of each facility, radioluminescent (RL) light removal in Building 3026, re-roofing Buildings 3030, 3118, and 3031, Hot Cells Cleanup in Buildings 3047 and 3517, Yttrium (Y) Cell and Barricades Cleanup in Building 3038, Glove Boxes ampersand Hoods Removal in Buildings 3038 and 3047, and Inventory Transfer in Building 3517. For a detailed description of activities within this Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) element, see the Level 6 and Level 7 Element Definitions in Section 3.2 of this report

Functional effects of treadmill-based gait training at faster speeds in stroke survivors: a prospective, single-group study.

Science.gov (United States)

Mohammadi, Roghayeh; Ershad, Navid; Rezayinejad, Marziyeh; Fatemi, Elham; Phadke, Chetan P

2017-09-01

To examine the functional effects of walking retraining at faster than self-selected speed (SSS). Ten individuals with chronic stroke participated in a 4-week training over a treadmill at walking speeds 40% faster than SSS, three times per week, 30 min/session. Outcome measures assessed before, after, and 2 months after the end of intervention were the Timed Up and Go, the 6-Minute Walk, the 10-Meter Walk test, the Modified Ashworth Scale, SSS, and fastest comfortable speed. After 4 weeks of training, all outcome measures showed clinically meaningful and statistically significant improvements (Ptraining. The results showed that a strategy of training at a speed 40% faster than SSS can improve functional activity in individuals with chronic stroke, with effects lasting up to 2 months after the intervention.

Adsorption and Deactivation Characteristics of Cu/ZnO-Based Catalysts for Methanol Synthesis from Carbon Dioxide

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Natesakhawat, Sittichai; Ohodnicki, Paul R; Howard, Bret H; Lekse, Jonathan W; Baltrus, John P; Matranga, Christopher

2013-07-09

The adsorption and deactivation characteristics of coprecipitated Cu/ZnO-based catalysts were examined and correlated to their performance in methanol synthesis from CO₂ hydrogenation. The addition of Ga₂O₃ and Y₂O₃ promoters is shown to increase the Cu surface area and CO₂/H₂ adsorption capacities of the catalysts and enhance methanol synthesis activity. Infrared studies showed that CO₂ adsorbs spontaneously on these catalysts at room temperature as both monoand bi-dentate carbonate species. These weakly bound species desorb completely from the catalyst surface by 200 °C while other carbonate species persist up to 500 °C. Characterization using N₂O decomposition, X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) analysis clearly indicated that Cu sintering is the main cause of catalyst deactivation. Ga and Y promotion improves the catalyst stability by suppressing the agglomeration of Cu and ZnO particles under pretreatment and reaction conditions.

CSRtrack Faster Calculation of 3-D CSR Effects

CERN Document Server

Dohlus, Martin

2004-01-01

CSRtrack is a new code for the simulation of Coherent Synchrotron radiation effects on the beam dynamics of linear accelerators. It incorporates the physics of our previous code, TraFiC4, and adds new algorithms for the calculation of the CSR fields. A one-dimensional projected method allows quick estimates and a greens function method allows 3D calculations about ten times faster than with the `direct' method. The tracking code is written in standard FORTRAN77 and has its own parser for comfortable input of calculation parameters and geometry. Phase space input and the analysis of the traced particle distribution is done with MATLAB interface programs.

Robustness of a bisimulation-type faster-than preorder

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katrin Iltgen

2009-11-01

Full Text Available TACS is an extension of CCS where upper time bounds for delays can be specified. Luettgen and Vogler defined three variants of bismulation-type faster-than relations and showed that they all three lead to the same preorder, demonstrating the robustness of their approach. In the present paper, the operational semantics of TACS is extended; it is shown that two of the variants still give the same preorder as before, underlining robustness. An explanation is given why this result fails for the third variant. It is also shown that another variant, which mixes old and new operational semantics, can lead to smaller relations that prove the same preorder.

An Adaptive Tuning Mechanism for Phase-Locked Loop Algorithms for Faster Time Performance of Interconnected Renewable Energy Sources

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hadjidemetriou, Lenos; Kyriakides, Elias; Blaabjerg, Frede

2015-01-01

Interconnected renewable energy sources (RES) require fast and accurate fault ride through (FRT) operation, in order to support the power grid, when faults occur. This paper proposes an adaptive phase-locked loop (adaptive dαβPLL) algorithm, which can be used for a faster and more accurate response...

Controlled-Deactivation CB1 Receptor Ligands as a Novel Strategy to Lower Intraocular Pressure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sally Miller

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Nearly half a century has passed since the demonstration that cannabis and its chief psychoactive component Δ9-THC lowers intraocular pressure (IOP. Elevated IOP remains the chief hallmark and therapeutic target for glaucoma, a condition that places millions at risk of blindness. It is likely that Δ9-THC exerts much of its IOP-lowering effects via the activation of CB1 cannabinoid receptors. However, the initial promise of CB1 as a target for treating glaucoma has not thus far translated into a credible therapeutic strategy. We have recently shown that blocking monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL, an enzyme that breaks the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoyl glycerol (2-AG, substantially lowers IOP. Another strategy is to develop cannabinoid CB1 receptor agonists that are optimized for topical application to the eye. Recently we have reported on a controlled-deactivation approach where the “soft” drug concept of enzymatic deactivation was combined with a “depot effect” that is commonly observed with Δ9-THC and other lipophilic cannabinoids. This approach allowed us to develop novel cannabinoids with a predictable duration of action and is particularly attractive for the design of CB1 activators for ophthalmic use with limited or no psychoactive effects. We have tested a novel class of compounds using a combination of electrophysiology in autaptic hippocampal neurons, a well-characterized model of endogenous cannabinoid signaling, and measurements of IOP in a mouse model. We now report that AM7410 is a reasonably potent and efficacious agonist at CB1 in neurons and that it substantially (30% lowers IOP for as long as 5 h after a single topical treatment. This effect is absent in CB1 knockout mice. Our results indicate that the direct targeting of CB1 receptors with controlled-deactivation ligands is a viable approach to lower IOP in a murine model and merits further study in other model systems.

When higher activations reflect lower deactivations: a PET study in Alzheimer’s disease during encoding and retrieval in episodic memory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexandre eBejanin

2012-05-01

Full Text Available The aim of the present study was to explore the cerebral substrates of episodic memory disorders in Alzheimer’s disease (AD and investigate patients' hyperactivations frequently reported in the functional imaging literature. It remains unclear whether some of these hyperactivations reflect compensatory mechanisms or deactivation disturbances in the default mode network. Using positron emission tomography (15O-H2O, cerebral blood flow was measured in eleven ADs and twelve healthy elderly controls at rest and during encoding and stem-cued recall of verbal items. We performed subtractions analyses between the experimental and control conditions between groups. The average signal was extracted in regions showing hyperactivation in AD patients versus controls in both contrasts. To determine whether hyperactivations occurred in regions that were activated or deactivated during the memory tasks, we compared signal intensities between the experimental conditions versus rest. Our results showed reduced activation in ADs compared to controls in several core episodic memory regions, including the medial temporal structures, during both encoding and retrieval. ADs also showed hyperactivations compared to controls in a set of brain areas. Further analyses conducted on the signal extracted in these areas indicated that most of these hyperactivations in ADs actually reflected a failure of deactivation. Indeed, almost all of these regions were significantly more activated at rest than during the experimental conditions in controls, only one region presented a similar pattern of deactivation in ADs. Altogether, our findings suggest that hyperactivations in AD must be interpreted with caution and may not systematically reflect compensatory mechanisms. Although there has been evidence supporting the existence of genuine compensatory mechanisms, dysfunction within the default mode network may be responsible for part of the apparent hyperactivations reported in

Frontal brain deactivation during a non-verbal cognitive judgement bias test in sheep.

Science.gov (United States)

Guldimann, Kathrin; Vögeli, Sabine; Wolf, Martin; Wechsler, Beat; Gygax, Lorenz

2015-02-01

Animal welfare concerns have raised an interest in animal affective states. These states also play an important role in the proximate control of behaviour. Due to their potential to modulate short-term emotional reactions, one specific focus is on long-term affective states, that is, mood. These states can be assessed by using non-verbal cognitive judgement bias paradigms. Here, we conducted a spatial variant of such a test on 24 focal animals that were kept under either unpredictable, stimulus-poor or predictable, stimulus-rich housing conditions to induce differential mood states. Based on functional near-infrared spectroscopy, we measured haemodynamic frontal brain reactions during 10 s in which the sheep could observe the configuration of the cognitive judgement bias trial before indicating their assessment based on the go/no-go reaction. We used (generalised) mixed-effects models to evaluate the data. Sheep from the unpredictable, stimulus-poor housing conditions took longer and were less likely to reach the learning criterion and reacted slightly more optimistically in the cognitive judgement bias test than sheep from the predictable, stimulus-rich housing conditions. A frontal cortical increase in deoxy-haemoglobin [HHb] and a decrease in oxy-haemoglobin [O2Hb] were observed during the visual assessment of the test situation by the sheep, indicating a frontal cortical brain deactivation. This deactivation was more pronounced with the negativity of the test situation, which was reflected by the provenance of the sheep from the unpredictable, stimulus-poor housing conditions, the proximity of the cue to the negatively reinforced cue location, or the absence of a go reaction in the trial. It seems that (1) sheep from the unpredictable, stimulus-poor in comparison to sheep from the predictable, stimulus-rich housing conditions dealt less easily with the test conditions rich in stimuli, that (2) long-term housing conditions seemingly did not influence mood

Continuous-flow photocatalytic treatment of pharmaceutical micropollutants: Activity, inhibition, and deactivation of TiO2 photocatalysts in wastewater effluent

KAUST Repository

Carbonaro, Sean; Sugihara, Matthew N.; Strathmann, Timothy J.

2013-01-01

for the purpose of studying the activity, inhibition, and deactivation of immobilized TiO2 photocatalysts during water treatment applications. As a demonstration, degradation of four pharmaceutical micropollutants (iopromide, acetaminophen, sulfamethoxazole

The faster-X effect: integrating theory and data.

Science.gov (United States)

Meisel, Richard P; Connallon, Tim

2013-09-01

Population genetics theory predicts that X (or Z) chromosomes could play disproportionate roles in speciation and evolutionary divergence, and recent genome-wide analyses have identified situations in which X or Z-linked divergence exceeds that on the autosomes (the so-called 'faster-X effect'). Here, we summarize the current state of both the theory and data surrounding the study of faster-X evolution. Our survey indicates that the faster-X effect is pervasive across a taxonomically diverse array of evolutionary lineages. These patterns could be informative of the dominance or recessivity of beneficial mutations and the nature of genetic variation acted upon by natural selection. We also identify several aspects of disagreement between these empirical results and the population genetic models used to interpret them. However, there are clearly delineated aspects of the problem for which additional modeling and collection of genomic data will address these discrepancies and provide novel insights into the population genetics of adaptation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A One Year Study of Mode Deactivation Therapy: Adolescent Residential Patients with Conduct and Personality Disorders

Science.gov (United States)

Murphy, Christopher J.; Siv, Alexander M.

2011-01-01

This case study is to evaluate the effectiveness of Mode Deactivation Therapy (MDT) implementation in a child and adolescent residential treatment unit and provide preliminary effectiveness data on MDT versus treatment as usual (TAU). This case study compared the efficacy of two treatment methodologies for adolescent males in residential treatment…

Decommissioning and deactivation of nuclear facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anasco, Roberto; Harriague, Santiago; Hey, Alfredo M.; Fabbri, Silvio; Garonis, Omar H.

2003-01-01

The National Atomic Energy Commission (CNEA) is responsible for the decommissioning and deactivation of all relevant nuclear facilities in Argentina. A D and D Subprogram was created in 2000, within Technology Branch of the CNEA, in order to fulfill this responsibility. The D and D Subprogram has organized its activities in four fields: Planning; Technology development; Human resources development and training; International cooperation. The paper describes the work already done in those 4 areas, as well as the nuclear facilities existing in the country. Planning is being developed for the decommissioning of research reactors, beginning with RA-1, as well as for the Atucha I nuclear power station. An integral Management System has been developed, compatibilizing requirements from ISO 9001, ISO 14001, the national norm for Safety and Occupational Health (equivalent to BS 8800), and IAEA 50-SG Q series. Technology development is for the time being concentrated on mechanical decontamination and concrete demolition. A review has been made of technologies already developed both by CNEA and Nucleoelectrica Argentina S.A. (the nuclear power utility) in areas of chemical and electrochemical decontamination, cutting techniques and robotics. Human resources development has been based on training abroad in the areas of decontamination, cutting techniques, quality assurance and planning, as well as on specific courses, seminars and workshops. An IAEA regional training course on D and D has been given on April 2002 at CNEA's Constituyentes Atomic Center, with the assistance of 22 university graduates from 13 countries in the Latin American and Caribbean Region, and 11 from Argentina. CNEA has also given fellowships for PhD and Master thesis on the subject. International cooperation has been intense, and based on: - IAEA Technical Cooperation Project and experts missions; - Cooperation agreement with the US Department of Energy; - Cooperation agreement with Germany

SCR at bio fuels combustion - phase 2. Measures to extend catalyst life time; SCR vid biobraensleeldning - etapp 2. Aatgaerder foer att foerlaenga katalysatorns livslaengd

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Andersson, Christer; Bodin, Henrik; Sahlqvist, Aasa [Vattenfall Utveckling AB, Aelvkarleby (Sweden); Khodayari, Raziyeh; Odenbrand, Ingemar [Lund Univ. (Sweden). Dept. of Chemical Engineering II

2000-07-01

In this project phase, the deactivation of catalysts during combustion of bio fuels, and different methods of regeneration have been investigated. The overall purpose is to improve the economic and technical possibilities to use SCR at bio fuels combustion. The two different methods for regeneration are washing with water and so called sulphation (treatment with sulphur dioxide). The results from wood fired FB-boilers show that the catalyst lose 25% (average) of the relative activity during a normal heat production season. The tendency is that a boiler with short residence time between final combustion and catalyst and/or high flame temperatures gives a faster deactivation. Such unfavourable conditions arise in FB-boilers with a large part of the combustion in freeboard/cyclone. The alkali content of the fuel (wood fuel) is of minor importance for the deactivation rate compared with the combustion conditions. The flue gas temperature within the interval 250 - 375 deg C is not an important parameter for the deactivation in the time interval 3 000 - 6 000 h. The 'new' honeycomb catalysts that were tested during phase two, BiotypA-C, evidently show different deactivation trends. The highly active BiotypC e.g. increases its activity during the first thousand hours. Calculations indicate that BiotypC at 315 deg C requires the smallest volume of catalyst over ten years of operation in order to maintain given performance. Practical consequences for downstream equipment also need to be carefully checked. Sulphation with SO{sub 2} works in the laboratory as a regeneration method for all of the tested samples. The sulphatised samples deactivation are almost comparable to a fresh sample when exposed to flue gas. About 80 % of the lost activity can be regained only by using sulphation. Plate-type catalysts gets a somewhat lower increase in activity compared to honeycomb-types, probably related to chemical rather than geometric design. High SO{sub 2}-concentration

Faster and more accurate transport procedures for HZETRN

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Slaba, T.C.; Blattnig, S.R.; Badavi, F.F.

2010-01-01

The deterministic transport code HZETRN was developed for research scientists and design engineers studying the effects of space radiation on astronauts and instrumentation protected by various shielding materials and structures. In this work, several aspects of code verification are examined. First, a detailed derivation of the light particle (A ≤ 4) and heavy ion (A > 4) numerical marching algorithms used in HZETRN is given. References are given for components of the derivation that already exist in the literature, and discussions are given for details that may have been absent in the past. The present paper provides a complete description of the numerical methods currently used in the code and is identified as a key component of the verification process. Next, a new numerical method for light particle transport is presented, and improvements to the heavy ion transport algorithm are discussed. A summary of round-off error is also given, and the impact of this error on previously predicted exposure quantities is shown. Finally, a coupled convergence study is conducted by refining the discretization parameters (step-size and energy grid-size). From this study, it is shown that past efforts in quantifying the numerical error in HZETRN were hindered by single precision calculations and computational resources. It is determined that almost all of the discretization error in HZETRN is caused by the use of discretization parameters that violate a numerical convergence criterion related to charged target fragments below 50 AMeV. Total discretization errors are given for the old and new algorithms to 100 g/cm 2 in aluminum and water, and the improved accuracy of the new numerical methods is demonstrated. Run time comparisons between the old and new algorithms are given for one, two, and three layer slabs of 100 g/cm 2 of aluminum, polyethylene, and water. The new algorithms are found to be almost 100 times faster for solar particle event simulations and almost 10 times

Mass Spectrometric Determination of the Effect of Surface Deactivation on Membranes Used for In-Situ Sampling of Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Torgny Undin

2018-05-01

Full Text Available In this paper, a strategy for structured monitoring of surface modifications to control protein adsorption to membrane structures is presented. The already established on-surface enzymatic digestion (oSED method combined with nano-liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS analysis was employed for the analysis of proteins in ventricular cerebrospinal fluid (vCSF from neurointensive care patients. Protein adsorption was studied by in-situ sampling in a temporally resolved manner on both immobilized native and Pluronic-deactivated membranes. Deactivation was significantly reducing the protein adsorption but it also induced novel selective properties of the surface. The proposed versatile strategy will facilitate protein-biomaterial, protein-polymer, protein-protein interaction studies in the future.

Learning to Play in a Day: Faster Deep Reinforcement Learning by Optimality Tightening

OpenAIRE

He, Frank S.; Liu, Yang; Schwing, Alexander G.; Peng, Jian

2016-01-01

We propose a novel training algorithm for reinforcement learning which combines the strength of deep Q-learning with a constrained optimization approach to tighten optimality and encourage faster reward propagation. Our novel technique makes deep reinforcement learning more practical by drastically reducing the training time. We evaluate the performance of our approach on the 49 games of the challenging Arcade Learning Environment, and report significant improvements in both training time and...

Mechanism of deactivation of triplet-excited riboflavin by ascorbate, carotenoids, and tocopherols in homogeneous and heterogeneous aqueous food model systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Cardoso, Daniel R; Olsen, Karsten; Skibsted, Leif H

2007-07-25

Tocopherols (alpha, beta, gamma, and delta) and Trolox were found to deactivate triplet-excited riboflavin in homogeneous aqueous solution (7:3 v/v tert-butanol/water) with second-order reaction rates close to diffusion control [k2 between 4.8 x 10(8) (delta-tocopherol) and 6.2 x 10(8) L mol(-1) s(-1) (Trolox) at 24.0 +/- 0.2 degrees C] as determined by laser flash photolysis transient absorption spectroscopy. In aqueous buffer (pH 6.4) the rate constant for Trolox was 2.6 x 10(9) L mol(-1) s1 and comparable to the rate constant found for ascorbate (2.0 x 10(9) L mol(-1) s(-1)). The deactivation rate constant was found to be inferior in heterogeneous systems as shown for alpha-tocopherol and Trolox in aqueous Tween-20 emulsion (approximately by a factor of 4 compared to 7:3 v/v tert-butanol/water). Neither beta-carotene (7:3 v/v tert-butanol/water and Tween-20 emulsion), lycopene (7:3 v/v tert-butanol/water), nor crocin (aqueous buffer at pH 6.4, 7:3 v/v tert-butanol/water, and Tween-20 emulsion) showed any quenching on the triplet excited state of riboflavin. Therefore, all carotenoids seem to reduce the formation of triplet-excited riboflavin through an inner-filter effect. Activation parameters were based on the temperature dependence of the triplet-excited deactivation between 15 and 35 degrees C, and the isokinetic behavior, which was found to include purine derivatives previously studied, confirms a common deactivation mechanism with a bimolecular diffusion-controlled encounter with electron (or hydrogen atom) transfer as rate-determining step. DeltaH for deactivation by ascorbic acid, Trolox, and homologue tocopherols (ranging from 18 kJ mol(-1) for Trolox in Tween-20 emulsion to 184 kJ mol(-1) for ascorbic acid in aqueous buffer at pH 6.4) showed a linear dependence on DeltaS (ranging from -19 J mol(-1) K(-1) for Trolox in aqueous buffer at pH 6.4 to +550 J mol(-1) K(-1) for ascorbic acid in aqueous buffer pH 6.4). Among photooxidation products from the

Deactivation of the E. coli pH stress sensor CadC by cadaverine.

Science.gov (United States)

Haneburger, Ina; Fritz, Georg; Jurkschat, Nicole; Tetsch, Larissa; Eichinger, Andreas; Skerra, Arne; Gerland, Ulrich; Jung, Kirsten

2012-11-23

At acidic pH and in the presence of lysine, the pH sensor CadC activates transcription of the cadBA operon encoding the lysine/cadaverine antiporter CadB and the lysine decarboxylase CadA. In effect, these proteins contribute to acid stress adaptation in Escherichia coli. cadBA expression is feedback inhibited by cadaverine, and a cadaverine binding site is predicted within the central cavity of the periplasmic domain of CadC on the basis of its crystallographic analysis. Our present study demonstrates that this site only partially accounts for the cadaverine response in vivo. Instead, evidence for a second, pivotal binding site was collected, which overlaps with the pH-responsive patch of amino acids located at the dimer interface of the periplasmic domain. The temporal response of the E. coli Cad module upon acid shock was measured and modeled for two CadC variants with mutated cadaverine binding sites. These studies supported a cascade-like binding and deactivation model for the CadC dimer: binding of cadaverine within the pair of central cavities triggers a conformational transition that exposes two further binding sites at the dimer interface, and the occupation of those stabilizes the inactive conformation. Altogether, these data represent a striking example for the deactivation of a pH sensor. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Investigating the Mpemba Effect: When Hot Water Freezes Faster than Cold Water

Science.gov (United States)

Ibekwe, R. T.; Cullerne, J. P.

2016-01-01

Under certain conditions a body of hot liquid may cool faster and freeze before a body of colder liquid, a phenomenon known as the Mpemba Effect. An initial difference in temperature of 3.2 °C enabled warmer water to reach 0 °C in 14% less time than colder water. Convection currents in the liquid generate a temperature gradient that causes more…

Subclinical cognitive decline in middle-age is associated with reduced task-induced deactivation of the brain's default mode network

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Naja Liv; Lauritzen, Martin; Mortensen, Erik Lykke

2014-01-01

range of neurodegenerative diseases involving cognitive symptoms, in conditions with increased risk of Alzheimer's disease, and even in advanced but healthy aging. Here, we investigated brain activation and deactivation during a visual-motor task in 185 clinically healthy males from a Danish birth......Cognitive abilities decline with age, but with considerable individual variation. The neurobiological correlate of this variation is not well described. Functional brain imaging studies have demonstrated reduced task-induced deactivation (TID) of the brain's default mode network (DMN) in a wide...... cohort, whose cognitive function was assessed in youth and midlife. Using each individual as his own control, we defined a group with a large degree of cognitive decline, and a control group. When correcting for effects of total cerebral blood flow and hemoglobin level, we found reduced TID...

Characterization of deactivated catalytic cracking catalyst and evaluation as absorbent material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Valt, R.B.G.; Kaminari, N.M.S.; Cordeiro, B.; Ponte, M.J.J.S.; Ponte, H.A.

2010-01-01

One of the main uses of catalysts in the petroleum industry is in step catalytic cracking, which after use and regeneration cycles generates large quantities of waste material. In this research the deactivated FCC catalyst was characterized before and after the electrokinetic remediation process, in order to assess the change of its structure and possible adsorptive capacity. Analyses of X-Ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy and BET surface area measurement were performed. The analysis showed no structural change due to the process employed and that electrokinetic remediation has recovered 42% of adsorption capacity of the material, by removing about 89% of heavy metals adhered initially in the catalyst surface. (author)

Faster algorithms for RNA-folding using the Four-Russians method.

Science.gov (United States)

Venkatachalam, Balaji; Gusfield, Dan; Frid, Yelena

2014-03-06

The secondary structure that maximizes the number of non-crossing matchings between complimentary bases of an RNA sequence of length n can be computed in O(n3) time using Nussinov's dynamic programming algorithm. The Four-Russians method is a technique that reduces the running time for certain dynamic programming algorithms by a multiplicative factor after a preprocessing step where solutions to all smaller subproblems of a fixed size are exhaustively enumerated and solved. Frid and Gusfield designed an O(n3logn) algorithm for RNA folding using the Four-Russians technique. In their algorithm the preprocessing is interleaved with the algorithm computation. We simplify the algorithm and the analysis by doing the preprocessing once prior to the algorithm computation. We call this the two-vector method. We also show variants where instead of exhaustive preprocessing, we only solve the subproblems encountered in the main algorithm once and memoize the results. We give a simple proof of correctness and explore the practical advantages over the earlier method.The Nussinov algorithm admits an O(n2) time parallel algorithm. We show a parallel algorithm using the two-vector idea that improves the time bound to O(n2logn). We have implemented the parallel algorithm on graphics processing units using the CUDA platform. We discuss the organization of the data structures to exploit coalesced memory access for fast running times. The ideas to organize the data structures also help in improving the running time of the serial algorithms. For sequences of length up to 6000 bases the parallel algorithm takes only about 2.5 seconds and the two-vector serial method takes about 57 seconds on a desktop and 15 seconds on a server. Among the serial algorithms, the two-vector and memoized versions are faster than the Frid-Gusfield algorithm by a factor of 3, and are faster than Nussinov by up to a factor of 20. The source-code for the algorithms is available at http://github.com/ijalabv/FourRussiansRNAFolding.

Hexagonal undersampling for faster MRI near metallic implants.

Science.gov (United States)

Sveinsson, Bragi; Worters, Pauline W; Gold, Garry E; Hargreaves, Brian A

2015-02-01

Slice encoding for metal artifact correction acquires a three-dimensional image of each excited slice with view-angle tilting to reduce slice and readout direction artifacts respectively, but requires additional imaging time. The purpose of this study was to provide a technique for faster imaging around metallic implants by undersampling k-space. Assuming that areas of slice distortion are localized, hexagonal sampling can reduce imaging time by 50% compared with conventional scans. This work demonstrates this technique by comparisons of fully sampled images with undersampled images, either from simulations from fully acquired data or from data actually undersampled during acquisition, in patients and phantoms. Hexagonal sampling is also shown to be compatible with parallel imaging and partial Fourier acquisitions. Image quality was evaluated using a structural similarity (SSIM) index. Images acquired with hexagonal undersampling had no visible difference in artifact suppression from fully sampled images. The SSIM index indicated high similarity to fully sampled images in all cases. The study demonstrates the ability to reduce scan time by undersampling without compromising image quality. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Faster than Nyquist signaling algorithms to silicon

CERN Document Server

Dasalukunte, Deepak; Rusek, Fredrik; Anderson, John B

2014-01-01

This book addresses the challenges and design trade-offs arising during the hardware design of Faster-than-Nyquist (FTN) signaling transceivers. The authors describe how to design for coexistence between the FTN system described and Orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) systems, enabling readers to design FTN specific processing blocks as add-ons to the conventional transceiver chain.   • Provides a comprehensive introduction to Faster-than-Nyquist (FTN) signaling transceivers, covering both theory and hardware implementation; • Enables readers to design systems that achieve bandwidth efficiency by making better use of the available spectrum resources; • Describes design techniques to achieve 2x improvement in bandwidth usage with similar performance as that of an OFDM system.  

Motivational salience signal in the basal forebrain is coupled with faster and more precise decision speed.

Science.gov (United States)

Avila, Irene; Lin, Shih-Chieh

2014-03-01

The survival of animals depends critically on prioritizing responses to motivationally salient stimuli. While it is generally believed that motivational salience increases decision speed, the quantitative relationship between motivational salience and decision speed, measured by reaction time (RT), remains unclear. Here we show that the neural correlate of motivational salience in the basal forebrain (BF), defined independently of RT, is coupled with faster and also more precise decision speed. In rats performing a reward-biased simple RT task, motivational salience was encoded by BF bursting response that occurred before RT. We found that faster RTs were tightly coupled with stronger BF motivational salience signals. Furthermore, the fraction of RT variability reflecting the contribution of intrinsic noise in the decision-making process was actively suppressed in faster RT distributions with stronger BF motivational salience signals. Artificially augmenting the BF motivational salience signal via electrical stimulation led to faster and more precise RTs and supports a causal relationship. Together, these results not only describe for the first time, to our knowledge, the quantitative relationship between motivational salience and faster decision speed, they also reveal the quantitative coupling relationship between motivational salience and more precise RT. Our results further establish the existence of an early and previously unrecognized step in the decision-making process that determines both the RT speed and variability of the entire decision-making process and suggest that this novel decision step is dictated largely by the BF motivational salience signal. Finally, our study raises the hypothesis that the dysregulation of decision speed in conditions such as depression, schizophrenia, and cognitive aging may result from the functional impairment of the motivational salience signal encoded by the poorly understood noncholinergic BF neurons.

Faster-X evolution: Theory and evidence from Drosophila.

Science.gov (United States)

Charlesworth, Brian; Campos, José L; Jackson, Benjamin C

2018-02-12

A faster rate of adaptive evolution of X-linked genes compared with autosomal genes can be caused by the fixation of recessive or partially recessive advantageous mutations, due to the full expression of X-linked mutations in hemizygous males. Other processes, including recombination rate and mutation rate differences between X chromosomes and autosomes, may also cause faster evolution of X-linked genes. We review population genetics theory concerning the expected relative values of variability and rates of evolution of X-linked and autosomal DNA sequences. The theoretical predictions are compared with data from population genomic studies of several species of Drosophila. We conclude that there is evidence for adaptive faster-X evolution of several classes of functionally significant nucleotides. We also find evidence for potential differences in mutation rates between X-linked and autosomal genes, due to differences in mutational bias towards GC to AT mutations. Many aspects of the data are consistent with the male hemizygosity model, although not all possible confounding factors can be excluded. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Family Mode Deactivation Therapy in a Residential Setting: Treating Adolescents with Conduct Disorder and Multi-Axial Diagnosis

Science.gov (United States)

Apsche, Jack A.; Bass, Christopher K.; Zeiter, J. Scott; Houston, Marsha Ann

2008-01-01

Mode Deactivation Therapy (MDT) has been shown to be an effective treatment for a variety of adolescent disorders including emotional dysregulation, behavioral dysregulation, physical aggression, sexual aggression, and many harmful symptoms of anxiety and traumatic stress. MDT Family Therapy has been effective in reducing family disharmony in case…

Impact of fluorine co-implantation on B deactivation and leakage currents in low and high energy Ge preamorphised p+n shallow junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Girginoudi, D.; Tsiarapas, C.

2008-01-01

The impact of fluorine (F) co-implantation on boron (B) deactivation and B TED, as well as on the I-V characteristics of p + n shallow junctions, have been studied for low (10 keV) and high (70 keV) energy Ge preamorphised (PAI) n-type Si samples, that were annealed at 600 deg. C and 700 deg. C. Transmission electron microscopy revealed the existence of defects and dislocation loops (DLs) in the EOR region. It has been found that F stabilizes the EOR defect population via the increase of EOR defect density and the percentage of the stable DLs. This phenomenon is more pronounced when the preamorphisation is shallow (10 keV Ge energy). SIMS and sheet resistance measurements showed the formation of BICs, which implies B deactivation and increased B TED, especially in the shallow PAI samples and at the 700 deg. C annealing temperature. The role of F on B deactivation is multiplex: in the 70 keV PAI samples, and at 600 deg. C annealing temperature, F forms clusters with B causing further B deactivation. In the case of 700 deg. C annealing temperature, F probably forms fluorine-vacancy (F-V) clusters that trap silicon interstitials (Is), thus reducing the possibility of forming BICs and, therefore, resulting in B re-activation and suppression of B TED. Conversely, in the 10-keV PAI samples, and irrespective of the annealing temperature, F improves significantly the sheet resistance, and we suggest that this is a result of the contribution of two physical mechanisms: in the EOR region, F is trapped into DLs, which release less Is than other types of defects. In the amorphous part of Si, there are probably F-V clusters that trap the Is released from the EOR region. Although F in most cases improves B deactivation, it increases the reverse leakage currents, probably due to the stabilization of the EOR defects. As regards the carrier-transport mechanisms, it has been found that the dominant mechanism is the generation-recombination process under forward bias as well as under

Second generation stationary digital breast tomosynthesis system with faster scan time and wider angular span.

Science.gov (United States)

Calliste, Jabari; Wu, Gongting; Laganis, Philip E; Spronk, Derrek; Jafari, Houman; Olson, Kyle; Gao, Bo; Lee, Yueh Z; Zhou, Otto; Lu, Jianping

2017-09-01

The aim of this study was to characterize a new generation stationary digital breast tomosynthesis system with higher tube flux and increased angular span over a first generation system. The linear CNT x-ray source was designed, built, and evaluated to determine its performance parameters. The second generation system was then constructed using the CNT x-ray source and a Hologic gantry. Upon construction, test objects and phantoms were used to characterize system resolution as measured by the modulation transfer function (MTF), and artifact spread function (ASF). The results indicated that the linear CNT x-ray source was capable of stable operation at a tube potential of 49 kVp, and measured focal spot sizes showed source-to-source consistency with a nominal focal spot size of 1.1 mm. After construction, the second generation (Gen 2) system exhibited entrance surface air kerma rates two times greater the previous s-DBT system. System in-plane resolution as measured by the MTF is 7.7 cycles/mm, compared to 6.7 cycles/mm for the Gen 1 system. As expected, an increase in the z-axis depth resolution was observed, with a decrease in the ASF from 4.30 mm to 2.35 mm moving from the Gen 1 system to the Gen 2 system as result of an increased angular span. The results indicate that the Gen 2 stationary digital breast tomosynthesis system, which has a larger angular span, increased entrance surface air kerma, and faster image acquisition time over the Gen 1 s-DBT system, results in higher resolution images. With the detector operating at full resolution, the Gen 2 s-DBT system can achieve an in-plane resolution of 7.7 cycles per mm, which is better than the current commercial DBT systems today, and may potentially result in better patient diagnosis. © 2017 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

Silica supported palladium nanoparticles for the decarboxylation of high-acid feedstocks: Design, deactivation and regeneration

Science.gov (United States)

Ping, Eric Wayne

2011-12-01

The major goals of this thesis were to (1) design and synthesize a supported catalyst with well-defined monodisperse palladium nanoparticles evenly distributed throughout an inorganic oxide substrate with tunable porosity characteristics, (2) demonstrate the catalytic activity of this material in the decarboxylation of long chain fatty acids and their derivatives to make diesel-length hydrocarbons, (3) elucidate the deactivation mechanism of supported palladium catalysts under decarboxylation conditions via post mortem catalyst characterization and develop a regeneration methodology thereupon, and (4) apply this catalytic system to a real low-value biofeedstock. Initial catalyst designs were based on the SBA-15 silica support, but in an effort to maximize loading and minimize mass transfer limitations, silica MCF was synthesized as catalyst support. Functionalization with various silane ligands yielded a surface that facilitated even distribution of palladium precursor salts throughout the catalyst particle, and, after reduction, monodisperse palladium nanoparticles approximately 2 nm in diameter. Complete characterization was performed on this Pd-MCF catalyst. The Pd-MCF catalyst showed high one-time activity in the decarboxylation of fatty acids to hydrocarbons in dodecane at 300°C. Hydrogen was found to be an unnecessary reactant in the absence of unsaturations, but was required in their presence---full hydrogenation of the double bonds occurs before any decarboxylation can take place. The Pd-MCF also exhibited good activity for alkyl esters and glycerol, providing a nice hypothetical description of a stepwise reaction pathway for catalytic decarboxylation of acids and their derivatives. As expected, the Pd-MCF catalyst experienced severe deactivation after only one use. Substantial effort was put into elucidating the nature of this deactivation via post mortem catalyst characterization. H2 chemisorption confirmed a loss of active surface area, but TEM and

Catalyst Deactivation Simulation Through Carbon Deposition in Carbon Dioxide Reforming over Ni/CaO-Al2O3 Catalyst

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Istadi Istadi

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Major problem in CO2 reforming of methane (CORM process is coke formation which is a carbonaceous residue that can physically cover active sites of a catalyst surface and leads to catalyst deactivation. A key to develop a more coke-resistant catalyst lies in a better understanding of the methane reforming mechanism at a molecular level. Therefore, this paper is aimed to simulate a micro-kinetic approach in order to calculate coking rate in CORM reaction. Rates of encapsulating and filamentous carbon formation are also included. The simulation results show that the studied catalyst has a high activity, and the rate of carbon formation is relatively low. This micro-kinetic modeling approach can be used as a tool to better understand the catalyst deactivation phenomena in reaction via carbon deposition. Copyright © 2011 BCREC UNDIP. All rights reserved.(Received: 10th May 2011; Revised: 16th August 2011; Accepted: 27th August 2011[How to Cite: I. Istadi, D.D. Anggoro, N.A.S. Amin, and D.H.W. Ling. (2011. Catalyst Deactivation Simulation Through Carbon Deposition in Carbon Dioxide Reforming over Ni/CaO-Al2O3 Catalyst. Bulletin of Chemical Reaction Engineering & Catalysis, 6 (2: 129-136. doi:10.9767/bcrec.6.2.1213.129-136][How to Link / DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.9767/bcrec.6.2.1213.129-136 || or local:  http://ejournal.undip.ac.id/index.php/bcrec/article/view/1213 ] | View in  |  

Emotional and cognitive processing of narratives and individual appraisal styles: recruitment of cognitive control networks vs. modulation of deactivations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Enrico eBenelli

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Research in psychotherapy has shown that the frequency of use of specific classes of words (such as terms with emotional valence in descriptions of scenes of affective relevance is a possible indicator of psychological affective functioning. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we investigated the neural correlates of these linguistic markers in narrative texts depicting core aspects of emotional experience in human interaction, and their modulation by individual differences in the propensity to use these markers. Emotional words activated both lateral and medial aspects of the prefrontal cortex, as in previous studies of instructed emotion regulation and in consistence with recruitment of effortful control processes. However, individual differences in the spontaneous use of emotional terms in characterizing the stimulus material were prevalently associated with modulation of the signal in the perigenual cortex, in the retrosplenial cortex and precuneus, and the anterior insula/ventrolateral prefrontal cortex. Modulation of signal by the presence of these textual markers or individual differences mostly involved areas deactivated by the main task, thus further differentiating neural correlates of these appraisal styles from those associated with effortful control. These findings are discussed in the context of reports in the literature of modulations of deactivations, which suggest their importance in orienting attention and generation of response in the presence of emotional information. These findings suggest that deactivations may play a functional role in emotional appraisal and may contribute to characterizing different appraisal styles.

20 Recipes for Programming MVC 3 Faster, Smarter Web Development

CERN Document Server

Munro, Jamie

2011-01-01

There's no need to reinvent the wheel every time you run into a problem with ASP.NET's Model-View-Controller (MVC) framework. This concise cookbook provides recipes to help you solve tasks many web developers encounter every day. Each recipe includes the C# code you need, along with a complete working example of how to implement the solution. Learn practical techniques for applying user authentication, providing faster page reloads, validating user data, filtering search results, and many other issues related to MVC3 development. These recipes help you: Restrict access to views with password

Ultrafast deactivation processes in the 2-aminopyridine dimer and the adenine-thymine base pair: Similarities and differences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ai Yuejie; Zhang Feng; Cui Ganglong; Fang Weihai; Luo Yi

2010-01-01

2-aminopyridine dimer has frequently been used as a model system for studying photochemistry of DNA base pairs. We examine here the relevance of 2-aminopyridine dimer for a Watson-Crick adenine-thymine base pair by studying UV-light induced photodynamics along two main hydrogen bridges after the excitation to the localized 1 ππ* excited-state. The respective two-dimensional potential-energy surfaces have been determined by time-dependent density functional theory with Coulomb-attenuated hybrid exchange-correlation functional (CAM-B3LYP). Different mechanistic aspects of the deactivation pathway have been analyzed and compared in detail for both systems, while the related reaction rates have also be obtained from Monte Carlo kinetic simulations. The limitations of the 2-aminopyridine dimer as a model system for the adenine-thymine base pair are discussed.

Design of Embedded Metal Catalysts via Reverser Micro-Emulsion System: a Way to Suppress Catalyst Deactivation by Metal Sintering

KAUST Repository

Al Mana, Noor

2016-01-01

are embedded inside the protecting shell have attracted a lot of researchers working in the field of catalysis owing to their enhanced physical and chemical properties suppress catalyst deactivation. Also, a new active site generated at the interface between

Simultaneous development of laparoscopy and robotics provides acceptable perioperative outcomes and shows robotics to have a faster learning curve and to be overall faster in rectal cancer surgery: analysis of novice MIS surgeon learning curves.

Science.gov (United States)

Melich, George; Hong, Young Ki; Kim, Jieun; Hur, Hyuk; Baik, Seung Hyuk; Kim, Nam Kyu; Sender Liberman, A; Min, Byung Soh

2015-03-01

Laparoscopy offers some evidence of benefit compared to open rectal surgery. Robotic rectal surgery is evolving into an accepted approach. The objective was to analyze and compare laparoscopic and robotic rectal surgery learning curves with respect to operative times and perioperative outcomes for a novice minimally invasive colorectal surgeon. One hundred and six laparoscopic and 92 robotic LAR rectal surgery cases were analyzed. All surgeries were performed by a surgeon who was primarily trained in open rectal surgery. Patient characteristics and perioperative outcomes were analyzed. Operative time and CUSUM plots were used for evaluating the learning curve for laparoscopic versus robotic LAR. Laparoscopic versus robotic LAR outcomes feature initial group operative times of 308 (291-325) min versus 397 (373-420) min and last group times of 220 (212-229) min versus 204 (196-211) min-reversed in favor of robotics; major complications of 4.7 versus 6.5 % (NS), resection margin involvement of 2.8 versus 4.4 % (NS), conversion rate of 3.8 versus 1.1 (NS), lymph node harvest of 16.3 versus 17.2 (NS), and estimated blood loss of 231 versus 201 cc (NS). Due to faster learning curves for extracorporeal phase and total mesorectal excision phase, the robotic surgery was observed to be faster than laparoscopic surgery after the initial 41 cases. CUSUM plots demonstrate acceptable perioperative surgical outcomes from the beginning of the study. Initial robotic operative times improved with practice rapidly and eventually became faster than those for laparoscopy. Developing both laparoscopic and robotic skills simultaneously can provide acceptable perioperative outcomes in rectal surgery. It might be suggested that in the current milieu of clashing interests between evolving technology and economic constrains, there might be advantages in embracing both approaches.

The steady-state and time-resolved photophysical properties of a dimeric indium phthalocyanine complex

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Yu; Araki, Yasuyuki; Dini, Danilo; Liu Ying; Ito, Osamu; Fujitsuka, Mamoru

2006-01-01

The steady-state and time-resolved photophysical properties and some molecular orbital calculation results of a dimeric indium phthalocyanine complex with an indium-indium bond, i.e., [tBu 4 PcIn] 2 .2tmed, have been described. The results regarding triplet excited state lifetimes can be ascribed to strong intramolecular interactions existing only in the excited state of this dimer because no significant difference in the absorption spectra of the tBu 4 PcInCl monomer and the [tBu 4 PcIn] 2 .2tmed dimer is observed, suggesting that no ground-state interaction can be assessed. The deactivation processes of the excited singlet state of [tBu 4 PcIn] 2 .2tmed are apparently faster than that of μ-oxo-bridged PcIn dimer [tBu 4 PcIn] 2 O. Molecular orbital calculation on the PcIn dimer shows no node between two indium atoms was found in the HOMO - 2 of the PcIn-InPc dimer, suggesting that bonding electrons distribute between two indium atoms

Transmutation of stable isotopes and deactivation of radioactive waste in growing biological systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vysotskii, Vladimir I.; Kornilova, Alla A.

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► The phenomena of isotope transmutation in growing microbiological cultures were investigated. ► Transmutation in microbiological associations is 20 times more effective than in pure cultures. ► Transmutation of radioactive nuclei to stable isotopes in such associations was investigated. ► The most accelerated rate of Cs 137 to stable Ba 138 isotope transmutation was 310 days. ► “Microbiological deactivation” may be used for deactivation of Chernobyl and Fukushima areas. - Abstract: The report presents the results of qualifying examinations of stable and radioactive isotopes transmutation processes in growing microbiological cultures. It is shown that transmutation of stable isotopes during the process of growth of microbiological cultures, at optimal conditions in microbiological associations, is 20 times more effective than the same transmutation process in the form of “one-line” (pure) microbiological cultures. In the work, the process of direct, controlled decontamination of highly active intermediate lifetime and long-lived reactor isotopes (reactor waste) through the process of growing microbiological associations has been studied. In the control experiment (flask with active water but without microbiological associations), the “usual” law of nuclear decay applies, and the life-time of Cs 137 isotope was about 30 years. The most rapidly increasing decay rate, which occurred with a lifetime τ * ≈ 310 days (involving an increase in rate, and decrease in lifetime by a factor of 35 times) was observed in the presence of Ca salt in closed flask with active water contained Cs 137 solution and optimal microbiological association

Experimental study of electromagnetic radiation from a faster-than-light vacuum macroscopic source

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bessarab, A.V. [Russian Federal Nuclear Center-All-Russia Scientific Research Institute of Experimental Physics, Sarov, Nizhni Novgorod region, 607188 (Russian Federation); Martynenko, S.P. [Russian Federal Nuclear Center-All-Russia Scientific Research Institute of Experimental Physics, Sarov, Nizhni Novgorod region, 607188 (Russian Federation); Prudkoi, N.A. [Russian Federal Nuclear Center-All-Russia Scientific Research Institute of Experimental Physics, Sarov, Nizhni Novgorod region, 607188 (Russian Federation); Soldatov, A.V. [Russian Federal Nuclear Center-All-Russia Scientific Research Institute of Experimental Physics, Sarov, Nizhni Novgorod region, 607188 (Russian Federation)]. E-mail: soldatov@vniief.ru; Terekhin, V.A. [Russian Federal Nuclear Center-All-Russia Scientific Research Institute of Experimental Physics, Sarov, Nizhni Novgorod region, 607188 (Russian Federation)

2006-08-15

The effect which manifests itself in the form of directed electromagnetic pulses (EMP) initiated by an X-ray incident obliquely upon a conducting surface has been confirmed and investigated experimentally in detail. A planar accelerating diode comprising a metallic cathode and grid anode was initiated with an oblique short soft-X-ray pulse from a point laser-plasma source. Then a source of directed EMP-a current of accelerated photoelectrons-was formed whose boundary ran along the anode external surface with a faster-than-light velocity. The plasma was formed when short-pulse ({approx}0.3ns) laser radiation from ISKRA-5 facility was focused on a plane Au target. The amplitude-in-time and spatial characteristics of radiation emitted by the faster-than-light source have been measured. Parameters of the accelerated electron current have been measured too.

Rapid localized deactivation of self-assembled monolayers by propagation-controlled laser-induced plasma and its application to self-patterning of electronics and biosensors

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Jongsu; Kwon, Seung-Gab; Back, Seunghyun; Kang, Bongchul

2018-03-01

We present a novel laser-induced surface treatment process to rapidly control the spatial wettabilities of various functional solutions with submicron to micron resolutions. Ultrathin hydrophobic self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) that little absorb typical laser lights due to short penetration depth were selectively deactivated by instantaneous interaction with laser-induced metallic plasmas. The spatial region of the deactivated SAM, which corresponds to process resolution, is adjustable by controlling the spatial propagation of the plasma. This method leads to the parallel formation of hydrophilic functional solutions on glass substrates with a minimum resolution on the submicron scale. To show its feasibility in device engineering fields, this method was applied to the cost-effective fabrication of electronics and biosensors. Rapid self-patterning of electronic and biological functional solutions (silver nanoparticle solution and streptavidin protein solution) was successfully realized by selective deactivation of two different SAMs (tridecafluoro-1,1,2,2-tetrahydrooctyltrichlorosilane (FOTS) for electronics and the hetero-hybrid SAM (octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS)/2-[methoxy(polyethyleneoxy)propyl] trichlorosilane (PEG)) for biosensors). As a result, this method can be exploited for the rapid and low-cost fabrication of various thin film devices such as electronics, biosensors, energy, displays, and photonics.

Psychosocial versus physiological stress – meta-analyses on deactivations and activations of the neural correlates of stress reactions

Science.gov (United States)

Kogler, Lydia; Mueller, Veronika I.; Chang, Amy; Eickhoff, Simon B.; Fox, Peter T.; Gur, Ruben C.; Derntl, Birgit

2015-01-01

Stress is present in everyday life in various forms and situations. Two stressors frequently investigated are physiological and psychosocial stress. Besides similar subjective and hormonal responses, it has been suggested that they also share common neural substrates. The current study used activation-likelihood-estimation meta-analysis to test this assumption by integrating results of previous neuroimaging studies on stress processing. Reported results are cluster-level FWE corrected. The inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and the anterior insula (AI) were the only regions that demonstrated overlapping activation for both stressors. Analysis of physiological stress showed consistent activation of cognitive and affective components of pain processing such as the insula, striatum, or the middle cingulate cortex. Contrarily, analysis across psychosocial stress revealed consistent activation of the right superior temporal gyrus and deactivation of the striatum. Notably, parts of the striatum appeared to be functionally specified: the dorsal striatum was activated in physiological stress, whereas the ventral striatum was deactivated in psychosocial stress. Additional functional connectivity and decoding analyses further characterized this functional heterogeneity and revealed higher associations of the dorsal striatum with motor regions and of the ventral striatum with reward processing. Based on our meta-analytic approach, activation of the IFG and the AI seems to indicate a global neural stress reaction. While physiological stress activates a motoric fight-or-flight reaction, during psychosocial stress attention is shifted towards emotion regulation and goal-directed behavior, and reward processing is reduced. Our results show the significance of differentiating physiological and psychosocial stress in neural engagement. Furthermore, the assessment of deactivations in addition to activations in stress research is highly recommended. PMID:26123376

Selective CO Methanation on Highly Active Ru/TiO2 Catalysts: Identifying the Physical Origin of the Observed Activation/Deactivation and Loss in Selectivity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Abdel-Mageed, Ali M.; Widmann, Daniel; Olesen, Sine Ellemann

2018-01-01

Ru /TiO2 catalysts are highly active and selective in the selective methanation of CO in the presence of large amounts of CO2, but suffer from a considerable deactivation and loss of selectivity during time on stream. Aiming at a fundamental understanding of these processes, we have systematically...... different effects such as structural effects, adlayer effects such as site blocking effects and changes in the chemical (surface) composition of the catalysts. Operando XANES / EXAFS measurements revealed that an initial activation phase is largely due to the reduction of oxidized Ru species, together...

Even Faster Web Sites Performance Best Practices for Web Developers

CERN Document Server

Souders, Steve

2009-01-01

Performance is critical to the success of any web site, and yet today's web applications push browsers to their limits with increasing amounts of rich content and heavy use of Ajax. In this book, Steve Souders, web performance evangelist at Google and former Chief Performance Yahoo!, provides valuable techniques to help you optimize your site's performance. Souders' previous book, the bestselling High Performance Web Sites, shocked the web development world by revealing that 80% of the time it takes for a web page to load is on the client side. In Even Faster Web Sites, Souders and eight exp

Step Changes and Deactivation Behavior in the Continuous Decarboxylation of Stearic Acid

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, Anders Theilgaard; Rozmysłowicz, Bartosz; Simakova, Irina L.

2011-01-01

Deoxygenation of dilute and concentrated stearic acid over 2% Pd/C beads was performed in a continuous reactor at 300 °C and 20 bar pressure of Ar or 5% H2/Ar. Stable operation was obtained in 5% H2 atmosphere, with 95% conversion of 10 mol % dilute stearic acid in dodecane and 12% conversion...... of pure stearic acid. Deactivation took place in H2-deficient gas atmosphere, probably as a result of the formation of unsaturated products and coking in the pore system. Transient experiments with step changes were performed: 1 h was required for the step change to be visible in liquid sampling, whereas...

Standard Guide for Post-Deactivation Surveillance and Maintenance of Radiologically Contaminated Facilities

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2010-01-01

1.1 This guide outlines a method for developing a Surveillance and Maintenance (S&M) plan for inactive nuclear facilities. It describes the steps and activities necessary to prevent loss or release of radioactive or hazardous materials, and to minimize physical risks between the deactivation phase and the start of facility decontamination and decommissioning (D&D). 1.2 The primary concerns for S&M are related to (1) animal intrusion, (2) structural integrity degradation, (3) water in-leakage, (4) contamination migration, (5) unauthorized personnel entry, and (6) theft/intrusion. This document is intended to serve as a guide only, and is not intended to modify existing regulations.

SCR at bio fuel combustion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andersson, Christer; Odenbrand, I.; Andersson, L.H.

1998-10-01

In this project the cause for and the extent of catalyst deactivation has been investigated when using 100 % wood as fuel. The trend of deactivation has been studied as a function of the flue gas temperature, the type of catalyst and the type of combustion technique used. The field tests have been performed in the CFB boiler in Norrkoeping, firing forest residues, and in the boiler in Jordbro, firing pulverized wood (PC). Samples of four different commercial catalyst types have been exposed to flue gas in a test rig connected to the convection section of the boiler. The samples have been analysed at even time intervals. The results after 2 100 hours show a large difference in deactivation trend between the two plants; when using a conventional honeycomb catalyst 80 % of the original activity remains in the CFB boiler but only 20 % remains in the PC boiler. The deactivation in the CFB boiler is about 3 - 4 times faster than what is expected for a conservative design for a coal fired boiler. The results show that the general deactivation trend is similar for the plate and the honeycomb catalyst types. With a catalyst optimised for bio fuels the deactivation rate was about 2/3 compared with a conventional catalyst. At an operating temperature of 315 deg C the deactivation was not as rapid as at 370 deg C. The amount of easily dissolved potassium increases on the surface of the catalyst, especially in the PC boiler, and this is probably the reason for the deactivation. The total amount of potassium in the flue gas is about 5 times higher in the CFB boiler compared with the PC boiler. This indicates that only a certain form of potassium attacks the catalyst and that the total alkali content of the fuel is not a good indicator of the deactivation tendency. The potassium on the catalyst dissolves easily in both water and sulphuric acid. A wash of deactivated catalyst samples with water resulted in higher activity than for the fresh samples if the washing was supplemented

A Faster Algorithm for Solving One-Clock Priced Timed Games

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Thomas Dueholm; Ibsen-Jensen, Rasmus; Miltersen, Peter Bro

2013-01-01

previously known time bound for solving one-clock priced timed games was 2O(n2+m) , due to Rutkowski. For our improvement, we introduce and study a new algorithm for solving one-clock priced timed games, based on the sweep-line technique from computational geometry and the strategy iteration paradigm from......One-clock priced timed games is a class of two-player, zero-sum, continuous-time games that was defined and thoroughly studied in previous works. We show that one-clock priced timed games can be solved in time m 12 n n O(1), where n is the number of states and m is the number of actions. The best...

A Faster Algorithm for Solving One-Clock Priced Timed Games

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Thomas Dueholm; Ibsen-Jensen, Rasmus; Miltersen, Peter Bro

2012-01-01

previously known time bound for solving one-clock priced timed games was 2^(O(n^2+m)), due to Rutkowski. For our improvement, we introduce and study a new algorithm for solving one-clock priced timed games, based on the sweep-line technique from computational geometry and the strategy iteration paradigm from......One-clock priced timed games is a class of two-player, zero-sum, continuous-time games that was defined and thoroughly studied in previous works. We show that one-clock priced timed games can be solved in time m 12^n n^(O(1)), where n is the number of states and m is the number of actions. The best...

Isotopes facilities deactivation project at Oak Ridge National Laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eversole, R.E.

1997-01-01

The production and distribution of radioisotopes for medical, scientific, and industrial applications has been a major activity at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) since the late 1940s. As the demand for many of these isotopes grew and their sale became profitable, the technology for the production of the isotopes was transferred to private industry, and thus, many of the production facilities at ORNL became underutilized. In 1989, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) instructed ORNL to identify and prepare various isotopes production facilities for safe shutdown. In response, ORNL identified 19 candidate facilities for shutdown and established the Isotopes Facilities Shutdown Program. In 1993, responsibility for the program was transitioned from the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy to the DOE Office of Environmental Management and Uranium Enrichment Operation's Office of Facility Transition and Management. The program was retitled the Isotopes Facilities Deactivation Project (IFDP), and implementation responsibility was transferred from ORNL to the Lockheed Martin Energy Systems, Inc. (LMES), Environmental Restoration (ER) Program

Isotopes facilities deactivation project at Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eversole, R.E.

1997-05-01

The production and distribution of radioisotopes for medical, scientific, and industrial applications has been a major activity at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) since the late 1940s. As the demand for many of these isotopes grew and their sale became profitable, the technology for the production of the isotopes was transferred to private industry, and thus, many of the production facilities at ORNL became underutilized. In 1989, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) instructed ORNL to identify and prepare various isotopes production facilities for safe shutdown. In response, ORNL identified 19 candidate facilities for shutdown and established the Isotopes Facilities Shutdown Program. In 1993, responsibility for the program was transitioned from the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy to the DOE Office of Environmental Management and Uranium Enrichment Operation`s Office of Facility Transition and Management. The program was retitled the Isotopes Facilities Deactivation Project (IFDP), and implementation responsibility was transferred from ORNL to the Lockheed Martin Energy Systems, Inc. (LMES), Environmental Restoration (ER) Program.

Large Ferrierite Crystals as Models for Catalyst Deactivation during Skeletal Isomerisation of Oleic Acid : Evidence for Pore Mouth Catalysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wiedemann, Sophie C. C.; Ristanovic, Zoran; Whiting, Gareth T.; Marthala, V. R. Reddy; Kaerger, Joerg; Weitkamp, Jens; Wels, Bas; Bruijnincx, Pieter C. A.; Weckhuysen, Bert M.

2016-01-01

Large zeolite crystals of ferrierite have been used to study the deactivation, at the single particle level, of the alkyl isomerisation catalysis of oleic acid and elaidic acid by a combination of visible micro-spectroscopy and fluorescence microscopy (both polarised wide-field and confocal modes).

Vibrational energy transfer in gas phase water and ammonia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hovis, F.E. Jr.

1979-09-01

The V ..-->.. T, R relaxation rate for NH/sub 3/ (..nu../sub 2/) was studied from 198/sup 0/K to 398/sup 0/K by the method of laser-excited vibrational fluorescence. The self-deactivation rate constant decreases from 2.4 ..mu..sec torr/sup -1/ at 198/sup 0/K to 0.65 ..mu..sec/sup -1/ torr/sup -1/ at 398/sup 0/K. The rate constants for deactivation by He, Ar, N/sub 2/, and O/sub 2/ are much smaller and show a weak temperature dependence in the opposite direction. The vibrational relaxation rates of the coupled ..nu../sub 1/, ..nu../sub 3/ stretching level manifold and of the 2..nu../sub 2/ bending level in H/sub 2//sup 18/O was studied from 250/sup 0/K to 400/sup 0/K using th same method as for NH/sub 3/. The ..nu../sub 1/, ..nu../sub 3/ self-deactivation rate goes from 1.4 ..mu..sec/sup -1/ torr/sup -1/ at 250/sup 0/K to 0.48 ..mu..sec-/sup 1/ torr-/sup 1/ at 400/sup 0/K. For 2..nu../sub 2/ it goes from 4.5 ..mu..sec-/sup 1/ torr to 1.9 ..mu..sec/sup -1/ torr/sup -1/. The temperature dependence of the deactivation of both levels by He and Ar is much weaker and the rates are several hundred times slower. Deactivation of ..nu../sub 1/, ..nu../sub 3/ by N/sub 2/, O/sub 2/, and CO/sub 2/ is measured only at 293/sup 0/K. N/sub 2/ and O/sub 2/ deactivate ..nu../sub 1/, ..nu../sub 3/ about 5 and CO/sub 2/ about 50 times faster than He or Ar.

PLUTONIUM FINISHING PLANT (PFP) 241-Z LIQUID WASTE TREATMENT FACILITY DEACTIVATION AND DEMOLITION

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

JOHNSTON GA

2008-01-01

Fluor Hanford, Inc. (FH) is proud to submit the Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP) 241-Z liquid Waste Treatment Facility Deactivation and Demolition (D and D) Project for consideration by the Project Management Institute as Project of the Year for 2008. The decommissioning of the 241-Z Facility presented numerous challenges, many of which were unique with in the Department of Energy (DOE) Complex. The majority of the project budget and schedule was allocated for cleaning out five below-grade tank vaults. These highly contaminated, confined spaces also presented significant industrial safety hazards that presented some of the most hazardous work environments on the Hanford Site. The 241-Z D and D Project encompassed diverse tasks: cleaning out and stabilizing five below-grade tank vaults (also called cells), manually size-reducing and removing over three tons of process piping from the vaults, permanently isolating service utilities, removing a large contaminated chemical supply tank, stabilizing and removing plutonium-contaminated ventilation ducts, demolishing three structures to grade, and installing an environmental barrier on the demolition site . All of this work was performed safely, on schedule, and under budget. During the deactivation phase of the project between November 2005 and February 2007, workers entered the highly contaminated confined-space tank vaults 428 times. Each entry (or 'dive') involved an average of three workers, thus equaling approximately 1,300 individual confined -space entries. Over the course of the entire deactivation and demolition period, there were no recordable injuries and only one minor reportable skin contamination. The 241-Z D and D Project was decommissioned under the provisions of the 'Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order' (the Tri-Party Agreement or TPA), the 'Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976' (RCRA), and the 'Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980

Longer - Faster - Purer

CERN Multimedia

Caroline Duc

2013-01-01

The MR-ToF-MS, a new ion trap, has been integrated into ISOLTRAP, the experiment that performs accurate mass measurements on short-lived nuclides produced at ISOLDE. When used as a mass separator and spectrometer, it extends ISOLTRAP’s experimental reach towards the limits of nuclear stability.   Susanne Kreim, the ISOLTRAP local group leader at CERN in front of a part of the ISOLTRAP device. When mass measurement experiments like ISOLTRAP* are placed in an on-line radioactive ion-beam facility they face a major challenge: the efficient and fast transfer of the nuclide of interest to the location where the mass measurement is performed. The biggest yield of one selected nuclide, without contaminants, needs to be transferred to the set-up as quickly as possible in order to measure its mass with the greatest precision. Recently, the ISOLTRAP collaboration installed a new device that provides a faster separation of isobars.** It has significantly improved ISOLTRAP’s purificat...

Health and safety plan for the Isotopes Facilities Deactivation Project at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-08-01

This HASP describes the process for identifying the requirements, written safety documentation, and procedures for protecting personnel involved in the Isotopes Facilities Deactivation Project. Objective of this project is to place 19 former isotope production facilities at ORNL in a safe condition in anticipation of an extended period of minimum surveillance and maintenance

Structured Triacylglycerol of Palm-based Margarine Fat by Enzymatic Interesterification

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ibrahim, Nuzul Amri Bin

2008-01-01

blends containing palm stearin (PS) (60 to 90%), palm kernel oil (PKO) (10 to 40%) and fish oil (FO) (0 to 10%) were interesterified by Lipozyme TL IM (Thermomyces lanuginosa) using a continuous packed bed reactor (PBR). FO in the blend had a similar effect as PKO on solid fat content (SFC...... PBR for enzymatic interesterification of sunflower oil and fish oil blend. The pre-column functions as a protector of the enzyme bed to prolong the lifespan of the enzyme. Deactivation kinetic of enzymes subjected to interesterification using a pre-column was compared against without a pre......-column. The deactivation rate of enzyme bed without a pre-column was 7.4 times faster than the one with a pre-column, where the half-life were 8 and 58 days respectively....

Selective Deactivation of M13 Bacteriophage in E. Coli using Femtosecond Laser Pulses

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Molukanele, P

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Deactivation of M13 Bacteriophage in E. Coli using Femtosecond Laser Pulses P. Molukanele 1, 3, A. Du Plessis 1, T. Roberts 1, L. Botha 1, M. Khati 2,3, W. Campos 2, 3 1CSIR National Laser Centre, Femtosecond Science group, Pretoria, South Africa 2CSIR... that is about 1 ?m long and 5-6 nm in diameter. Its host Escherichia coli (E.coli), is approximately 2-6 ?m long and 1-1.5 ?m in diameter, see figure 1 below. Figure 1: Schematic representations of M13 bacteriophage and its host E.coli...

Selective Deactivation of Gibberellins below the Shoot Apex is Critical to Flowering but Not to Stem Elongation of Lolium

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

King, Rod W; Mander, Lewis N; Asp, Torben

2008-01-01

in their effectiveness for flowering because they are deactivated by C-2 hydroxylation below the shoot apex. In contrast, GA5 is effective because of its structural protection at C-2. Excised vegetative shoot tips rapidly degrade [14C]GA1, [14C]GA4, and [14C]GA20 (>80% in 6 h), but not [14C]GA5. Coincidentally, genes...... encoding two 2β-oxidases and a putative 16-17-epoxidase were most expressed just below the shoot apex (4 mm), expression of these GA deactivation genes is reduced, so allowing GA1 and GA4 to promote sub-apical stem elongation. Subsequently, GA degradation declines...... in florally induced shoot tips and these GAs can become active for floral development. Structural changes which stabilize GA4 confirm the link between florigenicity and restricted GA 2β-hydroxylation (e.g. 2 -hydroxylation and C-2 di-methylation). Additionally, a 2-oxidase inhibitor (Trinexapac Ethyl...

Modeling the Influence of Diffusion-Controlled Reactions and Residual Termination and Deactivation on the Rate and Control of Bulk ATRP at High Conversions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ali Mohammad Rabea

2015-04-01

Full Text Available In high-conversion atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP, all the reactions, such as radical termination, radical deactivation, dormant chain activation, monomer propagation, etc. could become diffusion controlled sooner or later, depending on relative diffusivities of the involved reacting species. These diffusion-controlled reactions directly affect the rate of polymerization and the control of polymer molecular weight. A model is developed to investigate the influence of diffusion-controlled reactions on the high conversion ATRP kinetics. Model simulation reveals that diffusion-controlled termination slightly increases the rate, but it is the diffusion-controlled deactivation that causes auto-acceleration in the rate (“gel effect” and loss of control. At high conversions, radical chains are “trapped” because of high molecular weight. However, radical centers can still migrate through (1 radical deactivation–activation cycles and (2 monomer propagation, which introduce “residual termination” reactions. It is found that the “residual termination” does not have much influence on the polymerization kinetics. The migration of radical centers through propagation can however facilitate catalytic deactivation of radicals, which improves the control of polymer molecular weight to some extent. Dormant chain activation and monomer propagation also become diffusion controlled and finally stop the polymerization when the system approaches its glass state.

The effect of barrier layer-mediated catalytic deactivation in vertically aligned carbon nanotube growth

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patole, S P; Yu, Seong-Man; Shin, Dong-Wook; Yoo, Ji-Beom; Kim, Ha-Jin; Han, In-Taek; Kwon, Kee-Won

2010-01-01

The effect of Al-barrier layer-mediated Fe-catalytic deactivation in vertically aligned carbon nanotube (CNT) growth was studied. The substrate surface morphology, catalytic diffusion and barrier layer oxidation were found to be dependent on the annealing temperature of the barrier layer, which ultimately affects CNT growth. The annealed barrier layer without complete oxidation was found to be suitable for top to bottom super aligned CNT arrays. The highest average CNT growth rate of up to 3.88 μm s -1 was observed using this simple approach. Details of the analysis are also presented.

Enhanced sympathetic arousal in response to FMRI scanning correlates with task induced activations and deactivations.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Markus Muehlhan

Full Text Available It has been repeatedly shown that functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI triggers distress and neuroendocrine response systems. Prior studies have revealed that sympathetic arousal increases, particularly at the beginning of the examination. Against this background it appears likely that those stress reactions during the scanning procedure may influence task performance and neural correlates. However, the question how sympathetic arousal elicited by the scanning procedure itself may act as a potential confounder of fMRI data remains unresolved today. Thirty-seven scanner naive healthy subjects performed a simple cued target detection task. Levels of salivary alpha amylase (sAA, as a biomarker for sympathetic activity, were assessed in samples obtained at several time points during the lab visit. SAA increased two times, immediately prior to scanning and at the end of the scanning procedure. Neural activation related to motor preparation and timing as well as task performance was positively correlated with the first increase. Furthermore, the first sAA increase was associated with task induced deactivation (TID in frontal and parietal regions. However, these effects were restricted to the first part of the experiment. Consequently, this bias of scanner related sympathetic activation should be considered in future fMRI investigations. It is of particular importance for pharmacological investigations studying adrenergic agents and the comparison of groups with different stress vulnerabilities like patients and controls or adolescents and adults.

ZKBoo: Faster Zero-Knowledge for Boolean Circuits

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Giacomelli, Irene; Madsen, Jesper; Orlandi, Claudio

2016-01-01

variants of IKOS, which highlights their pros and cons for practically rele- vant soundness parameters; ◦ A generalization and simplification of their approach, which leads to faster Σ-protocols (that can be made non-interactive using the Fiat-Shamir heuristic) for state- ments of the form “I know x...

Continuous-flow photocatalytic treatment of pharmaceutical micropollutants: Activity, inhibition, and deactivation of TiO2 photocatalysts in wastewater effluent

KAUST Repository

Carbonaro, Sean

2013-01-01

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) photocatalysts have been shown to be effective at degrading a wide range of organic micropollutants during short-term batch experiments conducted under ideal laboratory solution conditions (e.g., deionized water). However, little research has been performed regarding longer-term photocatalyst performance in more complex matrices representative of contaminated water sources (e.g., wastewater effluent, groundwater). Here, a benchtop continuous-flow reactor was developed for the purpose of studying the activity, inhibition, and deactivation of immobilized TiO2 photocatalysts during water treatment applications. As a demonstration, degradation of four pharmaceutical micropollutants (iopromide, acetaminophen, sulfamethoxazole, and carbamazepine) was monitored in both a pH-buffered electrolyte solution and a biologically treated wastewater effluent (WWE) to study the effects of non-target constituents enriched in the latter matrix. Reactor performance was shown to be stable over 7d when treating micropollutants in buffered electrolyte, with 7-d averaged kobs values (acetaminophen=0.97±0.10h-1; carbamazepine=0.50±0.04h-1; iopromide=0.49±0.03h-1; sulfamethoxazole=0.79±0.06h-1) agreeing closely with measurements from short-term circulating batch reactions. When reactor influent was switched to WWE, treatment efficiencies decreased to varying degrees (acetaminophen=40% decrease; carbamazepine=60%; iopromide=78%; sulfamethoxazole=54%). A large fraction of the catalyst activity was recovered upon switching back to the buffered electrolyte influent after 4d, suggesting that much of the observed decrease resulted from reversible inhibition by non-target constituents (e.g., scavenging of photocatalyst-generated OH). However, there was also a portion of the decrease in activity that was not recovered, indicating WWE constituents also contributed to photocatalyst deactivation (acetaminophen=6% deactivation; carbamazepine=24%; iopromide=16

Faster and Energy-Efficient Signed Multipliers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B. Ramkumar

2013-01-01

Full Text Available We demonstrate faster and energy-efficient column compression multiplication with very small area overheads by using a combination of two techniques: partition of the partial products into two parts for independent parallel column compression and acceleration of the final addition using new hybrid adder structures proposed here. Based on the proposed techniques, 8-b, 16-b, 32-b, and 64-b Wallace (W, Dadda (D, and HPM (H reduction tree based Baugh-Wooley multipliers are developed and compared with the regular W, D, H based Baugh-Wooley multipliers. The performances of the proposed multipliers are analyzed by evaluating the delay, area, and power, with 65 nm process technologies on interconnect and layout using industry standard design and layout tools. The result analysis shows that the 64-bit proposed multipliers are as much as 29%, 27%, and 21% faster than the regular W, D, H based Baugh-Wooley multipliers, respectively, with a maximum of only 2.4% power overhead. Also, the power-delay products (energy consumption of the proposed 16-b, 32-b, and 64-b multipliers are significantly lower than those of the regular Baugh-Wooley multiplier. Applicability of the proposed techniques to the Booth-Encoded multipliers is also discussed.

Cortex Matures Faster in Youths With Highest IQ

Science.gov (United States)

... NIH Cortex Matures Faster in Youths With Highest IQ Past Issues / Summer 2006 Table of Contents For ... on. Photo: Getty image (StockDisc) Youths with superior IQ are distinguished by how fast the thinking part ...

Deactivation and regeneration of ZSM-5 zeolite in catalytic pyrolysis of plastic wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lopez, A.; Marco, I. de; Caballero, B.M.; Adrados, A.; Laresgoiti, M.F.

2011-01-01

Highlights: → Pyrolysis transforms plastic wastes in valuable liquids and gases useful as fuels or source of chemicals. → The use of ZSM-5 zeolite in pyrolysis favours the production of gases and of lighter and more aromatic liquids. → ZSM-5 zeolite is almost completely deactivated after one plastics pyrolysis experiment. → ZSM-5 zeolite used in plastic wastes pyrolysis can be regenerated by burning the deposited coke in an air stream. → Regenerated ZSM-5 recovers its activity and produces liquids and gases equivalent to those obtained with fresh catalyst. - Abstract: In this work, a study of the regeneration and reuse of ZSM-5 zeolite in the pyrolysis of a plastic mixture has been carried out in a semi-batch reactor at 440 deg. C. The results have been compared with those obtained with fresh-catalyst and in non-catalytic experiments with the same conditions. The use of fresh catalyst produces a significant change in both the pyrolysis yields and the properties of the liquids and gases obtained. Gases more rich in C3-C4 and H 2 are produced, as well as lower quantities of aromatic liquids if compared with those obtained in thermal decomposition. The authors have proved that after one pyrolysis experiment the zeolite loses quite a lot of its activity, which is reflected in both the yields and the products quality; however, this deactivation was found to be reversible since after regeneration heating at 550 deg. C in oxygen atmosphere, this catalyst recovered its initial activity, generating similar products and in equivalent proportions as those obtained with fresh catalyst.

Regeneration of Pt-catalysts deactivated in municipal waste flue gas with H2/N2 and the effect of regeneration step on the SCR catalyst

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Due-Hansen, Johannes; Rasmussen, Søren Birk; Kustov, Arkadii

Municipal waste flue gas was previously found to deactivate the Pt-based CO oxidation catalyst severely. In the specific case studied, siloxanes were found to cause the deactivation. An on-site method for complete regeneration of the catalyst activity was found without shutdown of the flue gas...... stream, i.e. by in situ treatment of the Pt-catalyst by reductive H2-gas. However, introduction of H2 gas in the gas stream could also affect other units in the tail pipe gas cleaning system. Of special interest here, is the effect of hydrogen gas on the performance of the deNOx + SCR catalytic process...

Faster decline of pitch memory over time in congenital amusia.

Science.gov (United States)

Williamson, Victoria J; McDonald, Claire; Deutsch, Diana; Griffiths, Timothy D; Stewart, Lauren

2010-04-26

Congenital amusia (amusia, hereafter) is a developmental disorder that impacts negatively on the perception of music. Psychophysical testing suggests that individuals with amusia have above average thresholds for detection of pitch change and pitch direction discrimination; however, a low-level auditory perceptual problem cannot completely explain the disorder, since discrimination of melodies is also impaired when the constituent intervals are suprathreshold for perception. The aim of the present study was to test pitch memory as a function of (a) time and (b) tonal interference, in order to determine whether pitch traces are inherently weaker in amusic individuals. Memory for the pitch of single tones was compared using two versions of a paradigm developed by Deutsch (1970a). In both tasks, participants compared the pitch of a standard (S) versus a comparison (C) tone. In the time task, the S and C tones were presented, separated in time by 0, 1, 5, 10, and 15 s (blocked presentation). In the interference task, the S and C tones were presented with a fixed time interval (5 s) but with a variable number of irrelevant tones in between 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 tones (blocked presentation). In the time task, control performance remained high for all time intervals, but amusics showed a performance decrement over time. In the interference task, controls and amusics showed a similar performance decrement with increasing number of irrelevant tones. Overall, the results suggest that the pitch representations of amusic individuals are less stable and more prone to decay than those of matched non-amusic individuals.

Pigeons home faster through polluted air

OpenAIRE

Zhongqiu Li; Franck Courchamp; Daniel T. Blumstein

2016-01-01

Air pollution, especially haze pollution, is creating health issues for both humans and other animals. However, remarkably little is known about how animals behaviourally respond to air pollution. We used multiple linear regression to analyse 415 pigeon races in the North China Plain, an area with considerable air pollution, and found that while the proportion of pigeons successfully homed was not influenced by air pollution, pigeons homed faster when the air was especially polluted. Our resu...

Mechanism of de-activation and clustering of B in Si at extremely high concentration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Romano, L.; Piro, A.M.; Privitera, V.; Rimini, E.; Fortunato, G.; Svensson, B.G.; Foad, M.; Grimaldi, M.G.

2006-01-01

It is known that B deactivation and clustering occur in the presence of an excess of Si self-interstitials (Is). First principle calculations predicted the path of clusters growth, but the precursor complexes are too small to be visible even by the highest resolution microscopy. Channeling with nuclear reaction analyses allowed to detect the location of small B-Is complexes into the lattice formed as a consequence of the B interaction with the Is. In this work we extend this method to determine the complexes formed during the initial stage of B precipitation in Si doped at extremely high concentration (4 at%) and subjected to thermal treatment. The samples were prepared by excimer laser annealing (ELA) of Si implanted with 1 keV B. The thickness of the molten layer was 100 nm and the B profile was boxlike with a maximum hole concentration of ∼2 x 10 21 cm -3 . The electrical deactivation and carrier mobility of this metastable system has been studied as a function of subsequent annealing in the temperature range between 200 and 850 deg. C. Channeling analyses have been performed to investigate the B lattice location at the initial stage of precipitation. The difference, with respect to previous investigations, is the very small distance (<1 nm) between adjacent B atoms substitutional located in the lattice and the absence of Is that can be released during annealing, since the end of range defects were completely dissolved by ELA. In this way, information on the B complex evolution in a free-of-defects sample have been obtained

High Fidelity, “Faster than Real-Time” Simulator for Predicting Power System Dynamic Behavior - Final Technical Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Flueck, Alex [Illinois Inst. of Technology, Chicago, IL (United States)

2017-07-14

The “High Fidelity, Faster than Real­Time Simulator for Predicting Power System Dynamic Behavior” was designed and developed by Illinois Institute of Technology with critical contributions from Electrocon International, Argonne National Laboratory, Alstom Grid and McCoy Energy. Also essential to the project were our two utility partners: Commonwealth Edison and AltaLink. The project was a success due to several major breakthroughs in the area of large­scale power system dynamics simulation, including (1) a validated faster than real­ time simulation of both stable and unstable transient dynamics in a large­scale positive sequence transmission grid model, (2) a three­phase unbalanced simulation platform for modeling new grid devices, such as independently controlled single­phase static var compensators (SVCs), (3) the world’s first high fidelity three­phase unbalanced dynamics and protection simulator based on Electrocon’s CAPE program, and (4) a first­of­its­ kind implementation of a single­phase induction motor model with stall capability. The simulator results will aid power grid operators in their true time of need, when there is a significant risk of cascading outages. The simulator will accelerate performance and enhance accuracy of dynamics simulations, enabling operators to maintain reliability and steer clear of blackouts. In the long­term, the simulator will form the backbone of the newly conceived hybrid real­time protection and control architecture that will coordinate local controls, wide­area measurements, wide­area controls and advanced real­time prediction capabilities. The nation’s citizens will benefit in several ways, including (1) less down time from power outages due to the faster­than­real­time simulator’s predictive capability, (2) higher levels of reliability due to the detailed dynamics plus protection simulation capability, and (3) more resiliency due to the three­ phase unbalanced simulator’s ability to

Zero bugs and program faster

CERN Document Server

Thompson, Kate

2015-01-01

A book about programming, improving skill, and avoiding mistakes. The author spent two years researching every bug avoidance technique she could find. This book contains the best of them. If you want to program faster, with fewer bugs, and write more secure code, buy this book! "This is the best book I have ever read." - Anonymous reviewer "Four score and seven years ago this book helped me debug my server code." -Abraham Lincoln "Would my Javascript have memory leaks without this book? Would fishes fly without water?" -Socrates "This book is the greatest victory since the Spanish Armada, and the best about programming." -Queen Elizabeth

Functional MRI Assessment of Task-Induced Deactivation of the Default Mode Network in Alzheimer’s Disease and At-Risk Older Individuals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maija Pihlajamäki

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Alzheimer’s disease (AD is the most common form of dementia in old age, and is characterized by prominent impairment of episodic memory. Recent functional imaging studies in AD have demonstrated alterations in a distributed network of brain regions supporting memory function, including regions of the default mode network. Previous positron emission tomography studies of older individuals at risk for AD have revealed hypometabolism of association cortical regions similar to the metabolic abnormalities seen in AD patients. In recent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI studies of AD, corresponding brain default mode regions have also been found to demonstrate an abnormal fMRI task-induced deactivation response pattern. That is, the relative decreases in fMRI signal normally observed in the default mode regions in healthy subjects performing a cognitive task are not seen in AD patients, or may even be reversed to a paradoxical activation response. Our recent studies have revealed alterations in the pattern of deactivation also in elderly individuals at risk for AD by virtue of their APOE e4 genotype, or evidence of mild cognitive impairment (MCI. In agreement with recent reports from other groups, these studies demonstrate that the pattern of fMRI task-induced deactivation is progressively disrupted along the continuum from normal aging to MCI and to clinical AD and more impaired in e4 carriers compared to non-carriers. These findings will be discussed in the context of current literature regarding functional imaging of the default network in AD and at-risk populations.

Effect of controlled deactivation on the thermochemical characteristics of hydrogen adsorption on skeletal nickel from sodium hydroxide-water solutions

Science.gov (United States)

Prozorov, D. A.; Lukin, M. V.; Ulitin, M. V.

2013-04-01

Differential heats of adsorption in a wide range of surface coverage and maximum amounts of adsorbed hydrogen are determined by adsorption calorimetry on partially deactivated skeletal nickel from aqueous solutions of sodium hydroxide. The effect of the composition of solutions on the values of limiting adsorption and adsorption equilibria of individual forms of hydrogen is shown.

PLUTONIUM FINISHING PLANT (PFP) 241-Z LIQUID WASTE TREATMENT FACILITY DEACTIVATION AND DEMOLITION

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

JOHNSTON GA

2008-01-15

Fluor Hanford, Inc. (FH) is proud to submit the Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP) 241-Z liquid Waste Treatment Facility Deactivation and Demolition (D&D) Project for consideration by the Project Management Institute as Project of the Year for 2008. The decommissioning of the 241-Z Facility presented numerous challenges, many of which were unique with in the Department of Energy (DOE) Complex. The majority of the project budget and schedule was allocated for cleaning out five below-grade tank vaults. These highly contaminated, confined spaces also presented significant industrial safety hazards that presented some of the most hazardous work environments on the Hanford Site. The 241-Z D&D Project encompassed diverse tasks: cleaning out and stabilizing five below-grade tank vaults (also called cells), manually size-reducing and removing over three tons of process piping from the vaults, permanently isolating service utilities, removing a large contaminated chemical supply tank, stabilizing and removing plutonium-contaminated ventilation ducts, demolishing three structures to grade, and installing an environmental barrier on the demolition site . All of this work was performed safely, on schedule, and under budget. During the deactivation phase of the project between November 2005 and February 2007, workers entered the highly contaminated confined-space tank vaults 428 times. Each entry (or 'dive') involved an average of three workers, thus equaling approximately 1,300 individual confined -space entries. Over the course of the entire deactivation and demolition period, there were no recordable injuries and only one minor reportable skin contamination. The 241-Z D&D Project was decommissioned under the provisions of the 'Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order' (the Tri-Party Agreement or TPA), the 'Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976' (RCRA), and the 'Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and

System and method of cylinder deactivation for optimal engine torque-speed map operation

Science.gov (United States)

Sujan, Vivek A; Frazier, Timothy R; Follen, Kenneth; Moon, Suk-Min

2014-11-11

This disclosure provides a system and method for determining cylinder deactivation in a vehicle engine to optimize fuel consumption while providing the desired or demanded power. In one aspect, data indicative of terrain variation is utilized in determining a vehicle target operating state. An optimal active cylinder distribution and corresponding fueling is determined from a recommendation from a supervisory agent monitoring the operating state of the vehicle of a subset of the total number of cylinders, and a determination as to which number of cylinders provides the optimal fuel consumption. Once the optimal cylinder number is determined, a transmission gear shift recommendation is provided in view of the determined active cylinder distribution and target operating state.

Selective oxidation of methyl {alpha}-D-glucopyranoside with oxygen over supported platinum: Kinetic modeling in the presence of deactivation by overoxidation of the catalyst

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vleeming, J.H.; Kuster, B.F.M.; Marin, G.B. [Eindhoven Univ. of Technology (Netherlands)

1997-09-01

The selective oxidation of alcohols and carbohydrates with molecular oxygen in aqueous media is an industrial and environmental attractive process. A kinetic model is presented, which describes the platinum-catalyzed selective oxidation of methyl {alpha}-D-glucopyranoside to sodium methyl {alpha}-D-glucuronate with molecular oxygen in the presence of deactivation by overoxidation. Overoxidation is completely reversible and most adequately described by a reversible transformation of oxygen adatoms into inactive subsurface oxygen. A clear distinction is made between the rapid establishment of the steady-state degree of coverage by the reaction intermediates at the platinum surface and the much slower reversible process of overoxidation. This clear distinction is reflected in the rate equation, which can be written as the product of an initial rate and a deactivation function. The deactivation function is given as a function of the degree of coverage by inactive subsurface oxygen. The rate-determining step in the selective oxidation consists of the reaction between dissociatively chemisorbed oxygen and physisorbed methyl {alpha}-D-glucopyranoside. The corresponding standard activation entropy and enthalpy amount to respectively {minus}111 {+-} 12 J/mol K and 51 {+-} 4 kJ/mol. The standard reaction entropy for the transformation of oxygen atoms into subsurface oxygen amounts to {minus}35 {+-} 16 J/mol K and the standard reaction enthalpy to {minus}36 {+-} 15 kJ/mol.

DEACTIVATION AND DECOMMISSIONING ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGY FOR THE PLUTONIUM FINISHING PLANT COMPLEX, HANFORD NUCLEAR RESERVATION

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hopkins, A.M.; Heineman, R.; Norton, S.; Miller, M.; Oates, L.

2003-01-01

Maintaining compliance with environmental regulatory requirements is a significant priority in successful completion of the Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP) Nuclear Material Stabilization (NMS) Project. To ensure regulatory compliance throughout the deactivation and decommissioning of the PFP complex, an environmental regulatory strategy was developed. The overall goal of this strategy is to comply with all applicable environmental laws and regulations and/or compliance agreements during PFP stabilization, deactivation, and eventual dismantlement. Significant environmental drivers for the PFP Nuclear Material Stabilization Project include the Tri-Party Agreement; the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (RCRA); the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA); the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA); the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA); the Clean Air Act (CAA), and the Clean Water Act (CWA). Recent TPA negotiation s with Ecology and EPA have resulted in milestones that support the use of CERCLA as the primary statutory framework for decommissioning PFP. Milestones have been negotiated to support the preparation of Engineering Evaluations/Cost Analyses for decommissioning major PFP buildings. Specifically, CERCLA EE/CA(s) are anticipated for the following scopes of work: Settling Tank 241-Z-361, the 232-Z Incinerator, , the process facilities (eg, 234-5Z, 242, 236) and the process facility support buildings. These CERCLA EE/CA(s) are for the purpose of analyzing the appropriateness of the slab-on-grade endpoint Additionally, agreement was reached on performing an evaluation of actions necessary to address below-grade structures or other structures remaining after completion of the decommissioning of PFP. Remaining CERCLA actions will be integrated with other Central Plateau activities at the Hanford site

Better Faster Noise with the GPU

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wyvill, Geoff; Frisvad, Jeppe Revall

Filtered noise [Perlin 1985] has, for twenty years, been a fundamental tool for creating functional texture and it has many other applications; for example, animating water waves or the motion of grass waving in the wind. Perlin noise suffers from a number of defects and there have been many atte...... attempts to create better or faster noise but Perlin’s ‘Gradient Noise’ has consistently proved to be the best compromise between speed and quality. Our objective was to create a better noise cheaply by use of the GPU....

Innovations for competitiveness: European views on "better-faster-cheaper"

Science.gov (United States)

Atzei, A.; Groepper, P.; Novara, M.; Pseiner, K.

1999-09-01

The paper elaborates on " lessons learned" from two recent ESA workshops, one focussing on the role of Innovation in the competitiveness of the space sector and the second on technology and engineering aspects conducive to better, faster and cheaper space programmes. The paper focuses primarily on four major aspects, namely: a) the adaptations of industrial and public organisations to the global market needs; b) the understanding of the bottleneck factors limiting competitiveness; c) the trends toward new system architectures and new engineering and production methods; d) the understanding of the role of new technology in the future applications. Under the pressure of market forces and the influence of many global and regional players, applications of space systems and technology are becoming more and more competitive. It is well recognised that without major effort for innovation in industrial practices, organisations, R&D, marketing and financial approaches the European space sector will stagnate and loose its competence as well as its competitiveness. It is also recognised that a programme run according to the "better, faster, cheaper" philosophy relies on much closer integration of system design, development and verification, and draws heavily on a robust and comprehensive programme of technology development, which must run in parallel and off-line with respect to flight programmes. A company's innovation capabilities will determine its future competitive advantage (in time, cost, performance or value) and overall growth potential. Innovation must be a process that can be counted on to provide repetitive, sustainable, long-term performance improvements. As such, it needs not depend on great breakthroughs in technology and concepts (which are accidental and rare). Rather, it could be based on bold evolution through the establishment of know-how, application of best practices, process effectiveness and high standards, performance measurement, and attention to

Functional connections between activated and deactivated brain regions mediate emotional interference during externally directed cognition.

Science.gov (United States)

Di Plinio, Simone; Ferri, Francesca; Marzetti, Laura; Romani, Gian Luca; Northoff, Georg; Pizzella, Vittorio

2018-04-24

Recent evidence shows that task-deactivations are functionally relevant for cognitive performance. Indeed, higher cognitive engagement has been associated with higher suppression of activity in task-deactivated brain regions - usually ascribed to the Default Mode Network (DMN). Moreover, a negative correlation between these regions and areas actively engaged by the task is associated with better performance. DMN regions show positive modulation during autobiographical, social, and emotional tasks. However, it is not clear how processing of emotional stimuli affects the interplay between the DMN and executive brain regions. We studied this interplay in an fMRI experiment using emotional negative stimuli as distractors. Activity modulations induced by the emotional interference of negative stimuli were found in frontal, parietal, and visual areas, and were associated with modulations of functional connectivity between these task-activated areas and DMN regions. A worse performance was predicted both by lower activity in the superior parietal cortex and higher connectivity between visual areas and frontal DMN regions. Connectivity between right inferior frontal gyrus and several DMN regions in the left hemisphere was related to the behavioral performance. This relation was weaker in the negative than in the neutral condition, likely suggesting less functional inhibitions of DMN regions during emotional processing. These results show that both executive and DMN regions are crucial for the emotional interference process and suggest that DMN connections are related to the interplay between externally-directed and internally-focused processes. Among DMN regions, superior frontal gyrus may be a key node in regulating the interference triggered by emotional stimuli. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Faster Simulation Methods for the Nonstationary Random Vibrations of Non-linear MDOF Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Askar, A.; Köylüo, U.; Nielsen, Søren R.K.

1996-01-01

subject to nonstationary Gaussian white noise excitation, as an alternative to conventional direct simulation methods. These alternative simulation procedures rely on an assumption of local Gaussianity during each time step. This assumption is tantamount to various linearizations of the equations....... Such a treatment offers higher rates of convergence, faster speed and higher accuracy. These procedures are compared to the direct Monte Carlo simulation procedure, which uses a fourth order Runge-Kutta scheme with the white noise process approximated by a broad band Ruiz-Penzien broken line process...

Radiative lifetimes and two-body collisional deactivation rate constants in argon for Kr(4p 55p) and Kr(4p 55p') states

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, R.S.F.; Horiguchi, H.; Setser, D.W.

1980-01-01

The radiative lifetimes and collisional deactivation rate constants, in argon, of eight Kr(4p 5 [ 2 P/sub 1/2/]5p and [ 2 P/sub 3/2/]5p) levels have been measured by a time-resolved laser-induced fluorescence technique in a flowing afterglow apparatus. The measured radiative lifetimes are compared with other experimental values and with theoretical calculations. Radiative branching ratios of these excited states also were measured in order to assign the absolute transition probabilities of the Kr(5p,5p'--5s, 5s') transition array from the radiative lifetimes. In addition to the total deactivation rate constants, product states from two-body collisions between Kr(5p and 5p') atoms and ground state argon atoms were identified from the laser-induced emission spectra, and product formation rate constants were assigned. Two-body intermultiplet transfer from Kr(4p 5 [ 2 P/sub 1/2/]5p) to the Kr(4p 5 [ 2 P/sub 3/2/]4d) levels occurs with ease. Intermultiplet transfer from the lowest level in the (4p 5 5p) configuration to the Kr(4p 5 5s and 5s') manifold was fast despite the large energy defect. However, this was the only Kr(5p) level that gave appreciable transfer to the Kr(5s or 5s') manifold. Generally the favored product states are within a few kT of the entrance channel

Deactivation by polysiloxane and phenyl containing disilazane : a 29Si CP-MAS NMR study after the formation of polysiloxane chains at the surface

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hetem, M.J.J.; Rutten, G.A.F.M.; Ven, van de L.J.M.; Haan, de J.W.; Cramers, C.A.M.G.

1988-01-01

A high degree of deactivation of glass and fused-silica capillary column walls is attainable by means of high temperature silylation (HTS) with or without a preceding leaching process. HTS with a phenyl containing disilazane, diphenyltetramethyldisilazane (DPTMDS), and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)

DOE translation tool: Faster and better than ever

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El-Chakieh, T.; Vincent, C.

2006-01-01

CAE's constant push to advance power plant simulation practices involves continued investment in our technologies. This commitment has yielded many advances in our simulation technologies and tools to provide faster maintenance updates, easier process updates and higher fidelity models for power plant simulators. Through this quest, a comprehensive, self-contained and user-friendly DCS translation tool for plant control system emulation was created. The translation tool converts an ABB Advant AC160 and/or AC450 control system, used in both gas turbine-based, fossil and nuclear power plants, into Linux or Windows-based ROSE[reg] simulation schematics. The translation for a full combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) plant that comprises more than 5,300 function plans distributed over 15 nodes is processed in less than five hours on a dual 2.8Ghz Xeon Linux platform in comparison to the 12 hours required by CAE's previous translation tool. The translation process, using the plant configuration files, includes the parsing of the control algorithms, the databases, the graphic and the interconnection between nodes. A Linux or Windows API is then used to automatically populate the ROSE[reg] database. Without such a translation, tool or if ?stimulation? of real control system is not feasible or too costly, simulation of the DCS manually takes months of error prone manual coding. The translation can be performed for all the nodes constituting the configuration files of the whole plant DCS, or in order to provide faster maintenance updates and easier process updates, partial builds are possible at 3 levels: a. single schematic updates, b. multi-schematic updates and c. single node updates based on the user inputs into the Graphical User Interface. improvements including: - Process time reduction of over 60%; - All communication connections between nodes are fully automated; - New partial build for one schematic, a group of schematics or a single node; - Availability on PC

Quantum mechanics and faster-than-light communication: methodological considerations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghirardi, G.C.; Weber, T.

1983-06-01

A detailed quantum mechanical analysis of a recent proposal of faster than light communication through wave packet reduction is performed. The discussion allows us to focus on some methodological problems about critical investigations in physical theories. (author)

Synthesis of ZnWO{sub 4} Electrode with tailored facets: Deactivating the Microorganisms through Photoelectrocatalytic methods

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhan, Su [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Dalian Maritime University, Dalian 116026 (China); Zhou, Feng, E-mail: zhoufeng99@mails.tsinghua.edu.cn [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Dalian Maritime University, Dalian 116026 (China); Huang, Naibao; Liu, Yujun; He, Qiuchen; Tian, Yu; Yang, Yifan [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Dalian Maritime University, Dalian 116026 (China); Ye, Fei [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116026 (China)

2017-01-01

Highlights: • ZnWO{sub 4} with different exposed facets was synthesized by the hydrothermal method. • The reactive facets were tailored by varying the solution pH. • The photoelectrocatalysis was more efficient in deactivating the microorganism. - Abstract: The exotic invasive species from the ballast water in the ship will bring about serious damages to ecosystem. Photocatalyst films have been widely studied for sterilization. In this study, ZnWO{sub 4} with different exposed facets was synthesized by hydrothermal method, and ZnWO{sub 4} film electrodes have been applied in ballast water treatment through the electro-assisted photocatalytic system. Then the samples were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photo-electron spectroscopy (XPS), Field emission on scanning electron microcopy (FE-SEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), BET specific surface area analysis, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and Electrochemical impedance spectra (EIS). ZnWO{sub 4} with an appropriate exposure of (0 1 1) facets ratio exhibited the best photocatalytic and photoelectrocatalytic activities. The microorganisms deactivated completely in 10 min by ZnWO{sub 4} films with 3 V bias. The mechanisms of (0 1 1) facets enhanced the photocatalytic and photoelectrocatalytic activities which were deduced based on the calculated result from the first principles. Simultaneously, appropriate exposed facets and applied bias could reduce the recombination of the photogenerated electron-hole pairs, and improve the photocatalytic activities of ZnWO{sub 4}.

Ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy of hydrogen complex deactivation on InP:Zn(1 0 0) surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, M.D.; Williams, S.C.; Yasharahla, S.A.; Jallow, N.

2007-01-01

Ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy is used to study the kinetics of the H-Zn complex deactivation in Zn doped InP(1 0 0). Hydrogen injected into the material electronically passivates the local carrier concentration. Reverse-biased anneals of the InP under ultra-high vacuum show a dramatic change in the work function of the material with increasing temperature. Spectral features are also shown to be sensitive to sample temperature. To our knowledge, we show the first view of hydrogen retrapping at the surface using photoemission spectroscopy. A simple photoelectron threshold energy analysis shows the state of charge compensation of the material

The impact of accelerating faster than exponential population growth on genetic variation.

Science.gov (United States)

Reppell, Mark; Boehnke, Michael; Zöllner, Sebastian

2014-03-01

Current human sequencing projects observe an abundance of extremely rare genetic variation, suggesting recent acceleration of population growth. To better understand the impact of such accelerating growth on the quantity and nature of genetic variation, we present a new class of models capable of incorporating faster than exponential growth in a coalescent framework. Our work shows that such accelerated growth affects only the population size in the recent past and thus large samples are required to detect the models' effects on patterns of variation. When we compare models with fixed initial growth rate, models with accelerating growth achieve very large current population sizes and large samples from these populations contain more variation than samples from populations with constant growth. This increase is driven almost entirely by an increase in singleton variation. Moreover, linkage disequilibrium decays faster in populations with accelerating growth. When we instead condition on current population size, models with accelerating growth result in less overall variation and slower linkage disequilibrium decay compared to models with exponential growth. We also find that pairwise linkage disequilibrium of very rare variants contains information about growth rates in the recent past. Finally, we demonstrate that models of accelerating growth may substantially change estimates of present-day effective population sizes and growth times.

Soluble and immobilized catalase. Effect of pressure and inhibition on kinetics and deactivation.

Science.gov (United States)

Vasudevan, P T; Thakur, D S

1994-12-01

This article examines the effect of pressure on the steady-state kinetics and long-term deactivation of the enzyme catalase supported on porous alumina. The reaction studied is the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide. The results of studies carried out in a continuous stirred-tank reactor under isothermal conditions are presented and compared with results obtained for soluble catalase. For soluble catalase, it is found that in the range of pressures studied, the oxygen flow rate increases with increase in pressure up to a certain value and then decreases. Hydrogen peroxide concentration appears to have a strong influence on pressure effects. With immobilized catalase, the pressure effects are not as prominent. Fluorescent microscopy studies of the immobilized enzyme suggest that this is probably because of pore diffusional limitations.

Faster native vowel discrimination learning in musicians is mediated by an optimization of mnemonic functions.

Science.gov (United States)

Elmer, Stefan; Greber, Marielle; Pushparaj, Arethy; Kühnis, Jürg; Jäncke, Lutz

2017-09-01

The ability to discriminate phonemes varying in spectral and temporal attributes constitutes one of the most basic intrinsic elements underlying language learning mechanisms. Since previous work has consistently shown that professional musicians are characterized by perceptual and cognitive advantages in a variety of language-related tasks, and since vowels can be considered musical sounds within the domain of speech, here we investigated the behavioral and electrophysiological correlates of native vowel discrimination learning in a sample of professional musicians and non-musicians. We evaluated the contribution of both the neurophysiological underpinnings of perceptual (i.e., N1/P2 complex) and mnemonic functions (i.e., N400 and P600 responses) while the participants were instructed to judge whether pairs of native consonant-vowel (CV) syllables manipulated in the first formant transition of the vowel (i.e., from /tu/ to /to/) were identical or not. Results clearly demonstrated faster learning in musicians, compared to non-musicians, as reflected by shorter reaction times and higher accuracy. Most notably, in terms of morphology, time course, and voltage strength, this steeper learning curve was accompanied by distinctive N400 and P600 manifestations between the two groups. In contrast, we did not reveal any group differences during the early stages of auditory processing (i.e., N1/P2 complex), suggesting that faster learning was mediated by an optimization of mnemonic but not perceptual functions. Based on a clear taxonomy of the mnemonic functions involved in the task, results are interpreted as pointing to a relationship between faster learning mechanisms in musicians and an optimization of echoic (i.e., N400 component) and working memory (i.e., P600 component) functions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Faster Than Light (FTL) Travel and Causality in the Context of the Gravity-Electro-Magnetism (GEM) Theory of Field Unification

Science.gov (United States)

Brandenburg, J. E.

2010-01-01

In The GEM (Brandenburg, 2006) theory, direct manipulation of space-time geometry is possible leading to the possibility of transformation of a starship into a tachyon moving Faster Than Light (FTL). The GEM theory is reviewed and Causality in terms of the time ordering of experienced events is considered as well as examining the space-time curvature signature of such FTL particles. Time ordering and time flow is found to be determined by the 2nd law of thermodynamics and is used to derive a Cosmic time flow in terms of the expansion of the universe. The rate of increase of cosmic entropy is approximately dS/dt = c3/(Gmp), the rate that light transits from a proton-mass Black Hole, reminiscent of the Dirac Larger Number Hypothesis relating Cosmic and subatomic quantities. It is found that the tachyon FTL method, rather than allowing reversal of time ordering of experienced events, actually makes the cosmos age faster by contributing to an increase in ``Dark Energy'' and thus FTL travel via tachyons irreversibly changes the cosmos. Therefore, it appears that FTL travel can be accomplished without violation of Causality.

Final deactivation report on the tritium target facility, Building 7025, at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-08-01

This report includes a history and profile of Bldg. 7025 before and after completion of deactivation. It also discusses turnover items, such as the Postdeactivation Surveillance ampersand Maintenance Plan, remaining hazardous materials, radiological controls, Safeguards and Security, quality assurance, facility operations, and supporting documentation in the EM-60 Turnover package. Other than minimal S ampersand M activities, the building will be unoccupied and the exterior doors locked (access only for the required S ampersand M)

Sunlight technologies for photochemical deactivation of organic pollutants in water

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Acher, A.; Fischer, E.; Tornheim, R. [The Volcani Center, Inst. of Soils and Water, Bet Dagan (Israel); Manor, Y. [Sheba Medical Center, Central Virology Lab., Ramat Gan (Israel)

1997-12-31

Sensitized-photochemical oxidation methods aimed at use in water treatment technologies for deactivation of biotic (microorganisms) and/or of xenobiotic (pesticides) pollutants in water were developed using global solar radiation or concentrated sunlight (up to 250 suns). The solar global radiation was used either for detoxification of industrial waste water from a pesticide factory to allow their discharge into the urban sewer, or for disinfection of domestric effluents to be used in crop irrigation. The disinfection process was eventually carried out in an experimental pilot-scale plant, capable of disinfection up to 50 m{sup 3}/h of effluent supplied by an activated sludge sewage treatment plant located in Tel-Aviv area. The treated effluents did not show any regrowth of the microorganisms during 7 days. The solar concentrated radiation experiments performed using facilities of the Sun Tower of The Weizman Institute of Science, Rehovot. The concentrated sunlight was provided by different combination of several computer controlled heliostates, up to 8, that track the sun and focus the received sunlight onto the target situated on the roof of the sun-tower. The sunlight intensities measured on the target reached up to 200 kW/m{sup 2}. The experiments were performed either batch- or continuous-wise. The water-samples exposed to disinfection were the above effluent, filtered and supplemented with vaccine strain poliovirus or with different concentrations of an industrial potential pollutant (bromacil), MB 2 mg/L and two concentrations of dissolved oxygen (8.0 or 40.0 mg O{sub 2}/L). An exposure time of 2-3 seconds at 150 kW/m{sup 2} was decreased the microorganisms alive (counts) by five orders of magnitude. A comparison between the two above water treatment technologies is presented. (orig./SR)

Long-time experience in catalytic flue gas cleaning and catalytic NO{sub x} reduction in biofueled boilers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ahonen, M [Tampella Power Inc., Tampere (Finland)

1997-12-31

NO emissions are reduced by primary or secondary methods. Primary methods are based on NO reduction in the combustion zone and secondary methods on flue gas cleaning. The most effective NO reduction method is selective catalytic reduction (SCR). It is based on NO reduction by ammonia on the surface of a catalyst. Reaction products are water and nitrogen. A titanium-dioxide-based catalyst is very durable and selective in coal-fired power plants. It is not poisoned by sulphur dioxide and side reactions with ammonia and sulphur dioxide hardly occur. The long time experience and suitability of a titanium-dioxide-based catalyst for NO reduction in biofuel-fired power plants was studied. The biofuels were: peat, wood and bark. It was noticed that deactivation varied very much due to the type of fuel and content of alkalinities in fuel ash. The deactivation in peat firing was moderate, close to the deactivation noticed in coal firing. Wood firing generally had a greater deactivation effect than peat firing. Fuel and fly ash were analyzed to get more information on the flue gas properties. The accumulation of alkali and alkaline earth metals and sulphates was examined together with changes in the physical composition of the catalysts. In the cases where the deactivation was the greatest, the amount of alkali and alkaline earth metals in fuels and fly ashes and their accumulation were very significant. (author) (3 refs.)

Long-time experience in catalytic flue gas cleaning and catalytic NO{sub x} reduction in biofueled boilers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ahonen, M. [Tampella Power Inc., Tampere (Finland)

1996-12-31

NO emissions are reduced by primary or secondary methods. Primary methods are based on NO reduction in the combustion zone and secondary methods on flue gas cleaning. The most effective NO reduction method is selective catalytic reduction (SCR). It is based on NO reduction by ammonia on the surface of a catalyst. Reaction products are water and nitrogen. A titanium-dioxide-based catalyst is very durable and selective in coal-fired power plants. It is not poisoned by sulphur dioxide and side reactions with ammonia and sulphur dioxide hardly occur. The long time experience and suitability of a titanium-dioxide-based catalyst for NO reduction in biofuel-fired power plants was studied. The biofuels were: peat, wood and bark. It was noticed that deactivation varied very much due to the type of fuel and content of alkalinities in fuel ash. The deactivation in peat firing was moderate, close to the deactivation noticed in coal firing. Wood firing generally had a greater deactivation effect than peat firing. Fuel and fly ash were analyzed to get more information on the flue gas properties. The accumulation of alkali and alkaline earth metals and sulphates was examined together with changes in the physical composition of the catalysts. In the cases where the deactivation was the greatest, the amount of alkali and alkaline earth metals in fuels and fly ashes and their accumulation were very significant. (author) (3 refs.)

Cone-Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) Versus CT in Lung Ablation Procedure: Which is Faster?

Science.gov (United States)

Cazzato, Roberto Luigi; Battistuzzi, Jean-Benoit; Catena, Vittorio; Grasso, Rosario Francesco; Zobel, Bruno Beomonte; Schena, Emiliano; Buy, Xavier; Palussiere, Jean

2015-10-01

To compare cone-beam CT (CBCT) versus computed tomography (CT) guidance in terms of time needed to target and place the radiofrequency ablation (RFA) electrode on lung tumours. Patients at our institution who received CBCT- or CT-guided RFA for primary or metastatic lung tumours were retrospectively included. Time required to target and place the RFA electrode within the lesion was registered and compared across the two groups. Lesions were stratified into three groups according to their size (20 mm). Occurrences of electrode repositioning, repositioning time, RFA complications, and local recurrence after RFA were also reported. Forty tumours (22 under CT, 18 under CBCT guidance) were treated in 27 patients (19 male, 8 female, median age 67.25 ± 9.13 years). Thirty RFA sessions (16 under CBCT and 14 under CT guidance) were performed. Multivariable linear regression analysis showed that CBCT was faster than CT to target and place the electrode within the tumour independently from its size (β = -9.45, t = -3.09, p = 0.004). Electrode repositioning was required in 10/22 (45.4 %) tumours under CT guidance and 5/18 (27.8 %) tumours under CBCT guidance. Pneumothoraces occurred in 6/14 (42.8 %) sessions under CT guidance and in 6/16 (37.5 %) sessions under CBCT guidance. Two recurrences were noted for tumours receiving CBCT-guided RFA (2/17, 11.7 %) and three after CT-guided RFA (3/19, 15.8 %). CBCT with live 3D needle guidance is a useful technique for percutaneous lung ablation. Despite lesion size, CBCT allows faster lung RFA than CT.

New analytical approaches for faster or greener phytochemical analyses

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Shen, Y.

2015-01-01

Summary

Chapter 1 provides a short introduction into the constraints of phytochemical analysis. In order to make them faster, less laborious and greener, there is a clear scope for miniaturized and simplified sample preparation, solvent-free extractions

Increasing the Capital Income Tax Leads to Faster Growth

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Uhlig, H.F.H.V.S.; Yanagawa, N.

1994-01-01

This paper shows that under rather mild conditions, higher capital income taxes lead to faster growth in an overlapping generations economy with endogenous growth. Government expenditures are financed with labor income taxes as well as capital income taxes. Since capital income accrues to the old,

Soot oxidation over NOx storage catalysts. Activity and deactivation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krishna, K.; Makkee, M.

2006-01-01

Soot oxidation activity and deactivation of NO x storage and reduction (NSR) catalysts containing Pt, K, and Ba supported on Al 2 O 3 , are studied under a variety of reaction conditions. K-containing catalysts decrease soot oxidation temperature with O 2 alone and the presence of Pt further enhance the activity due to synergetic effect. The active species responsible for synergism on Pt/K-Al 2 O 3 are unstable and cannot be regenerated. Soot oxidation temperature decreases by about 150 o C with NO+O 2 exhaust feed gas and under lean conditions NSR system acts as catalysed soot filter (CSF). The reactions that are mainly responsible for decreasing soot oxidation temperature are: (1) soot oxidation with NO 2 followed by NO recycles to NO 2 , and (2) soot oxidation with O 2 assisted by NO 2 . Only a part of the stored NO x that is decomposed at high temperatures under lean conditions is found to be useful for soot oxidation. NO x storage capacity of NSR catalysts decreases upon ageing under soot oxidising conditions. This will lead to a decreased soot oxidation activity on stored nitrate decomposition. Pt/K-Al 2 O 3 catalyst is more active, but least stable compared with Pt/Ba-Al 2 O 3 . (author)

A Review and Empirical Comparison of Two Treatments for Adolescent Males with Conduct and Personality Disorder: Mode Deactivation Therapy and Cognitive Behavior Therapy

Science.gov (United States)

Apsche, Jack A.; Bass, Christopher K.; Jennings, Jerry L.; Siv, Alexander M.

2005-01-01

This research study compared the efficacy of two treatment methodologies for adolescent males in residential treatment with conduct disorders and/or personality dysfunctions and documented problems with physical and sexual aggression. The results showed that Mode Deactivation Therapy, an advanced form of cognitive behavioral therapy based on…

Empirical Comparison of Three Treatments for Adolescent Males with Physical and Sexual Aggression: Mode Deactivation Therapy, Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Social Skills Training

Science.gov (United States)

Apsche, Jack A.; Bass, Christopher K.; Jennings, Jerry L.; Murphy, Christopher J.; Hunter, Linda A.; Siv, Alexander M.

2005-01-01

This research study compared the efficacy of three treatment methodologies for adolescent males in residential treatment with conduct disorders and/or personality dysfunctions and documented problems with physical and sexual aggression. The results showed that Mode Deactivation Therapy, an advanced form of cognitive behavioral therapy based on…

Model dependences of the deactivation of phytoplankton pigment excitation energy on environmental conditions in the sea

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mirosława Ostrowska

2012-11-01

Full Text Available A semi-empirical, physical models have been derived of the quantum yield ofthe deactivation processes (fluorescence, photosynthesis and heat productionof excited states in phytoplankton pigment molecules. Besides some alreadyknown models (photosynthesis and fluorescence, this novel approachincorporates the dependence of the dissipation yield of the excitation energyin phytoplankton pigment molecules on heat. The quantitative dependences ofthe quantum yields of these three processes on three fundamental parameters ofthe marine environment are defined: the chlorophyll concentration in the surface water layer Ca(0 (the basin trophicity,the irradiance PAR(z and the temperature temp(z at the study site.The model is complemented with two other relevant models describing thequantum yield of photosynthesis and of natural Sun-Induced Chlorophyll a Fluorescence (SICF in the sea, derived earlier by the author or with herparticipation on the basis of statistical analyses of a vast amount ofempirical material. The model described in the present paper enables theestimation of the quantum yields of phytoplankton pigment heat production forany region and season, in waters of any trophicity at different depths fromthe surface to depths of ca 60 m. The model can therefore be used to estimatethe yields of these deactivation processes in more than half the thickness ofthe euphotic zone in oligotrophic waters and in the whole thickness (anddeeper of this zone in mesotrophic and eutrophic waters. In particular theserelationships may be useful for a component analysis of the budget of lightenergy absorbed by phytoplankton pigments, namely, its utilization influorescence, photochemical quenching and nonphotochemical radiationlessdissipation - i.e. direct heat production.

Work plan for the High Ranking Facilities Deactivation Project at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-03-01

The High Ranking Facilities Deactivation Project (HRFDP), commissioned by the US Department of Energy Nuclear Materials and Facility Stabilization Program, is to place four primary high-risk surplus facilities with 28 associated ancillary facilities at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in a safe, stable, and environmentally sound condition as rapidly and economically as possible. The facilities will be deactivated and left in a condition suitable for an extended period of minimized surveillance and maintenance (S and M) prior to decontaminating and decommissioning (D and D). These four facilities include two reactor facilities containing spent fuel. One of these reactor facilities also contains 55 tons of sodium with approximately 34 tons containing activated sodium-22, 2.5 tons of lithium hydride, approximately 100 tons of potentially contaminated lead, and several other hazardous materials as well as bulk quantities of contaminated scrap metals. The other two facilities to be transferred include a facility with a bank of hot cells containing high levels of transferable contamination and also a facility containing significant quantities of uranyl nitrate and quantities of transferable contamination. This work plan documents the objectives, technical requirements, and detailed work plans--including preliminary schedules, milestones, and conceptual FY 1996 cost estimates--for the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). This plan has been developed by the Environmental Restoration (ER) Program of Lockheed Martin Energy Systems (Energy Systems) for the US Department of Energy (DOE) Oak Ridge Operations Office (ORO)

Work plan for the High Ranking Facilities Deactivation Project at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1996-03-01

The High Ranking Facilities Deactivation Project (HRFDP), commissioned by the US Department of Energy Nuclear Materials and Facility Stabilization Program, is to place four primary high-risk surplus facilities with 28 associated ancillary facilities at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in a safe, stable, and environmentally sound condition as rapidly and economically as possible. The facilities will be deactivated and left in a condition suitable for an extended period of minimized surveillance and maintenance (S and M) prior to decontaminating and decommissioning (D and D). These four facilities include two reactor facilities containing spent fuel. One of these reactor facilities also contains 55 tons of sodium with approximately 34 tons containing activated sodium-22, 2.5 tons of lithium hydride, approximately 100 tons of potentially contaminated lead, and several other hazardous materials as well as bulk quantities of contaminated scrap metals. The other two facilities to be transferred include a facility with a bank of hot cells containing high levels of transferable contamination and also a facility containing significant quantities of uranyl nitrate and quantities of transferable contamination. This work plan documents the objectives, technical requirements, and detailed work plans--including preliminary schedules, milestones, and conceptual FY 1996 cost estimates--for the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). This plan has been developed by the Environmental Restoration (ER) Program of Lockheed Martin Energy Systems (Energy Systems) for the US Department of Energy (DOE) Oak Ridge Operations Office (ORO).

Faster Simulation Methods for the Non-Stationary Random Vibrations of Non-Linear MDOF Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Askar, A.; Köylüoglu, H. U.; Nielsen, Søren R. K.

subject to nonstationary Gaussian white noise excitation, as an alternative to conventional direct simulation methods. These alternative simulation procedures rely on an assumption of local Gaussianity during each time step. This assumption is tantamount to various linearizations of the equations....... Such a treatment offers higher rates of convergence, faster speed and higher accuracy. These procedures are compared to the direct Monte Carlo simulation procedure, which uses a fourth order Runge-Kutta scheme with the white noise process approximated by a broad band Ruiz-Penzien broken line process...

Radioactive air emissions notice of construction for deactivation of the PUREX storage tunnel number 2; FINAL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

JOHNSON, R.E.

1999-01-01

The Plutonium-Uranium Extraction (PUREX) Plant Storage Tunnel Number 2 (hereafter referred to as the PUREX Tunnel) was built in 1964. Since that time, the PUREX Tunnel has been used for storage of radioactive and mixed waste. In 1991, the PUREX Plant ceased operations and was transitioned to deactivation. The PUREX Tunnel continued to receive PUREX Plant waste material for storage during transition activities. Before 1995, a decision was made to store radioactive and mixed waste in the PUREX Tunnel generated from other onsite sources, on a case-by-case basis. This notice of construction (NOC) describes the activities associated with the reactivation of the PUREX Tunnel ventilation system and the transfer of up to 3.5 million curies (MCi) of radioactive waste to the PUREX Tunnel from any location on the Hanford Site. The unabated total effective dose equivalent (TEDE) estimated for the hypothetical offsite maximally exposed individual (MEI) is 5.6 E-2 millirem (mrem). The abated TEDE conservatively is estimated to account for 1.9 E-5 mrem to the MEI. The following text provides information requirements of Appendix A of Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 246-247 (requirements 1 through 18)

The Challenges of Preserving Historic Resources During the Deactivation and Decommissioning of Highly Contaminated Historically Significant Plutonium Process Facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hopkins, A.; Minette, M.; Sorenson, D.; Heineman, R.; Gerber, M.; Charboneau, S.; Bond, F.

2006-01-01

The Manhattan Project was initiated to develop nuclear weapons for use in World War II. The Hanford Engineer Works (HEW) was established in eastern Washington State as a production complex for the Manhattan Project. A major product of the HEW was plutonium. The buildings and process equipment used in the early phases of nuclear weapons development are historically significant because of the new and unique work that was performed. When environmental cleanup became Hanford's central mission in 1991, the Department of Energy (DOE) prepared for the deactivation and decommissioning of many of the old process facilities. In many cases, the process facilities were so contaminated, they faced demolition. The National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) requires federal agencies to evaluate the historic significance of properties under their jurisdiction for eligibility for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places before altering or demolishing them so that mitigation through documentation of the properties can occur. Specifically, federal agencies are required to evaluate their proposed actions against the effect the actions may have on districts, sites, buildings or structures that are included or eligible for inclusion in the National Register. In an agreement between the DOE's Richland Operations Office (RL), the Washington State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP), the agencies concurred that the Hanford Site Historic District is eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places and that a Site-wide Treatment Plan would streamline compliance with the NHPA while allowing RL to manage the cleanup of the Hanford Site. Currently, many of the old processing buildings at the Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP) are undergoing deactivation and decommissioning. RL and Fluor Hanford project managers at the PFP are committed to preserving historical artifacts of the plutonium production process. They

Large Ferrierite Crystals as Models for Catalyst Deactivation during Skeletal Isomerisation of Oleic Acid : Evidence for Pore Mouth Catalysis

OpenAIRE

Wiedemann, Sophie C. C.; Ristanovic, Zoran; Whiting, Gareth T.; Marthala, V. R. Reddy; Kaerger, Joerg; Weitkamp, Jens; Wels, Bas; Bruijnincx, Pieter C. A.; Weckhuysen, Bert M.

2016-01-01

Large zeolite crystals of ferrierite have been used to study the deactivation, at the single particle level, of the alkyl isomerisation catalysis of oleic acid and elaidic acid by a combination of visible micro-spectroscopy and fluorescence microscopy (both polarised wide-field and confocal modes). The large crystals did show the desired activity, albeit only traces of the isomerisation product were obtained and low conversions were achieved compared to commercial ferrierite powders. This lim...

Position-dependent deuterium isotope effect on photoisomerization of ammineaquarhodium(III) complexes: identification of the excited-state vibronic deactivation mode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Skibsted, L.H.

1987-01-01

cis to trans Photoisomerization quantum yields are increased by a factor of approximately two by deuteriation of co-ordinated water in tetra-amminediaquarhodium, but are almost insensitive to deuteriation of co-ordinated water in tetra-ammineaquachlororhodium and to deuteriation of co-ordinated ammonia in either complex; this identifies the dominating nonradiative deactivation mode (competing with the excited-state rearrangement) as a hydrogen-oxygen vibration in an excited-state intermediate of reduced co-ordination number. (author)

Impaired temporoparietal deactivation with working memory load in antipsychotic-naïve patients with first-episode schizophrenia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nejad, Ayna B; Ebdrup, Bjørn H; Siebner, Hartwig R

2011-01-01

Abstract Objectives. Neuroimaging studies have shown abnormal task-related deactivations during working memory (WM) in schizophrenia patients with recent emphasis on brain regions within the default mode network. Using fMRI, we tested whether antipsychotic-naïve schizophrenia patients were impaired...... load. These regions activated with the no WM load condition (0-back) in both groups. Conclusions. Because 0-back activation reflects verbal attention processes, patients' persistent activation in the 1-back and 2-back conditions may reflect an inability to shift cognitive strategy with onset of WM...

Faster but not smarter: effects of caffeine and caffeine withdrawal on alertness and performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Rogers, Peter J; Heatherley, Susan V; Mullings, Emma L; Smith, Jessica E

2013-03-01

Despite 100 years of psychopharmacological research, the extent to which caffeine consumption benefits human functioning remains unclear. To measure the effects of overnight caffeine abstinence and caffeine administration as a function of level of habitual caffeine consumption. Medium-high (n = 212) and non-low (n = 157) caffeine consumers completed self-report measures and computer-based tasks before (starting at 10:30 AM) and after double-blind treatment with either caffeine (100 mg, then 150 mg) or placebo. The first treatment was given at 11:15 AM and the second at 12:45 PM, with post-treatment measures repeated twice between 1:45 PM and 3:30 PM. Caffeine withdrawal was associated with some detrimental effects at 10:30 AM, and more severe effects, including greater sleepiness, lower mental alertness, and poorer performance on simple reaction time, choice reaction time and recognition memory tasks, later in the afternoon. Caffeine improved these measures in medium-high consumers but, apart from decreasing sleepiness, had little effect on them in non-low consumers. The failure of caffeine to increase mental alertness and improve mental performance in non-low consumers was related to a substantial caffeine-induced increase in anxiety/jitteriness that offset the benefit of decreased sleepiness. Caffeine enhanced physical performance (faster tapping speed and faster simple and choice reaction times) in both medium-high and non-low consumers. While caffeine benefits motor performance and tolerance develops to its tendency to increase anxiety/jitteriness, tolerance to its effects on sleepiness means that frequent consumption fails to enhance mental alertness and mental performance.

Back-in-time and faster-than-light travel in general relativity

CERN Document Server

Krasnikov, Serguei

2018-01-01

For the past 20 years causality violations and superluminal motion have been the object of intensive study as physical and geometrical phenomena. This book compiles the results of its author and also reviews other work in the field. In particular, the following popular questions are addressed:  Is causality protected by quantum divergence at the relevant Cauchy horizon?  How much "exotic matter" would it take to create a time machine or a warp drive?  What is the difference between a "discovered" time machine and a created one?  Why does a time traveler fail to kill their grandfather?  How should we define the speed of gravity and what is its magnitude?

Faster proton transfer dynamics of water on SnO2 compared to TiO2.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Nitin; Kent, Paul R C; Bandura, Andrei V; Kubicki, James D; Wesolowski, David J; Cole, David R; Sofo, Jorge O

2011-01-28

Proton jump processes in the hydration layer on the iso-structural TiO(2) rutile (110) and SnO(2) cassiterite (110) surfaces were studied with density functional theory molecular dynamics. We find that the proton jump rate is more than three times faster on cassiterite compared with rutile. A local analysis based on the correlation between the stretching band of the O-H vibrations and the strength of H-bonds indicates that the faster proton jump activity on cassiterite is produced by a stronger H-bond formation between the surface and the hydration layer above the surface. The origin of the increased H-bond strength on cassiterite is a combined effect of stronger covalent bonding and stronger electrostatic interactions due to differences of its electronic structure. The bridging oxygens form the strongest H-bonds between the surface and the hydration layer. This higher proton jump rate is likely to affect reactivity and catalytic activity on the surface. A better understanding of its origins will enable methods to control these rates.

A faster sample preparation method for determination of polonium-210 in fish

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sadi, B.B.; Jing Chen; Kochermin, Vera; Godwin Tung; Sorina Chiorean

2016-01-01

In order to facilitate Health Canada’s study on background radiation levels in country foods, an in-house radio-analytical method has been developed for determination of polonium-210 ( 210 Po) in fish samples. The method was validated by measurement of 210 Po in a certified reference material. It was also evaluated by comparing 210 Po concentrations in a number of fish samples by another method. The in-house method offers faster sample dissolution using an automated digestion system compared to currently used wet-ashing on a hot plate. It also utilizes pre-packed Sr-resin® cartridges for rapid and reproducible separation of 210 Po versus time-consuming manually packed Sr-resin® columns. (author)

Brutality under cover of ambiguity: activating, perpetuating, and deactivating covert retributivism.

Science.gov (United States)

Fincher, Katrina M; Tetlock, Philip E

2015-05-01

Five studies tested four hypotheses on the drivers of punitive judgments. Study 1 showed that people imposed covertly retributivist physical punishments on extreme norm violators when they could plausibly deny that is what they were doing (attributional ambiguity). Studies 2 and 3 showed that covert retributivism could be suppressed by subtle accountability manipulations that cue people to the possibility that they might be under scrutiny. Studies 4 and 5 showed how covert retributivism can become self-sustaining by biasing the lessons people learn from experience. Covert retributivists did not scale back punitiveness in response to feedback that the justice system makes false-conviction errors but they did ramp up punitiveness in response to feedback that the system makes false-acquittal errors. Taken together, the results underscore the paradoxical nature of covert retributivism: It is easily activated by plausible deniability and persistent in the face of false-conviction feedback but also easily deactivated by minimalist forms of accountability. © 2015 by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.

Upgrading wholesomeness of soybeans through radiation deactivation of toxic lectin content

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Farag, D.M.

1994-01-01

The biological effects of raw soybeans were investigated through feeding experiments on rats and the wholesomeness of soybeans after radiation deactivation of toxic lectin present in seeds has been evaluated. The injection of crude lectins extracted from 0.15 g raw soybean by intraperitoneal route was toxic to rats (120-125 g body weight) and caused death within 24 hour while lectins extracted from irradiated beans showed no lethal effect. Administration of 28% raw beans diet as the sole protein in balanced diet caused strong growth depression in young rats. Radiation treatment corrects poor growth but did not prevent liver and stomach hypertrophy. No significant differences in relative organs body weight, between groups fed irradiated soybeans and casein diet were observed, except for an increased relative lever and stomach weights with group fed irradiated beans. Rats which received raw beans in their diet suffered from pancreatic, liver, stomach, testes and kidney hypertrophy and spleen atrophy. Data obtained on certain blood plasma chemical constituents (total plasma protein creatine, creatinine) revealed no significant difference between the control and experimental groups. 4 tabs

Reversible-Deactivation Radical Polymerization of Methyl Methacrylate Induced by Photochemical Reduction of Various Copper Catalysts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jaroslav Mosnáček

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Photochemically mediated reversible-deactivation radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate was successfully performed using 50–400 ppm of various copper compounds such as CuSO4·5H2O, copper acetate, copper triflate and copper acetylacetonate as catalysts. The copper catalysts were reduced in situ by irradiation at wavelengths of 366–546 nm, without using any additional reducing agent. Bromopropionitrile was used as an initiator. The effects of various solvents and the concentration and structure of ligands were investigated. Well-defined polymers were obtained when at least 100 or 200 ppm of any catalyst complexed with excess tris(2-pyridylmethylamine as a ligand was used in dimethyl sulfoxide as a solvent.

Cone-Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) Versus CT in Lung Ablation Procedure: Which is Faster?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cazzato, Roberto Luigi, E-mail: r.cazzato@unicampus.it; Battistuzzi, Jean-Benoit, E-mail: j.battistuzzi@bordeaux.unicancer.fr; Catena, Vittorio, E-mail: vittoriocatena@gmail.com [Institut Bergonié, Department of Radiology (France); Grasso, Rosario Francesco, E-mail: r.grasso@unicampus.it; Zobel, Bruno Beomonte, E-mail: b.zobel@unicampus.it [Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Department of Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging (Italy); Schena, Emiliano, E-mail: e.schena@unicampus.it [Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Unit of Measurements and Biomedical Instrumentations, Biomedical Engineering Laboratory (Italy); Buy, Xavier, E-mail: x.buy@bordeaux.unicancer.fr; Palussiere, Jean, E-mail: j.palussiere@bordeaux.unicancer.fr [Institut Bergonié, Department of Radiology (France)

2015-10-15

AimTo compare cone-beam CT (CBCT) versus computed tomography (CT) guidance in terms of time needed to target and place the radiofrequency ablation (RFA) electrode on lung tumours.Materials and MethodsPatients at our institution who received CBCT- or CT-guided RFA for primary or metastatic lung tumours were retrospectively included. Time required to target and place the RFA electrode within the lesion was registered and compared across the two groups. Lesions were stratified into three groups according to their size (<10, 10–20, >20 mm). Occurrences of electrode repositioning, repositioning time, RFA complications, and local recurrence after RFA were also reported.ResultsForty tumours (22 under CT, 18 under CBCT guidance) were treated in 27 patients (19 male, 8 female, median age 67.25 ± 9.13 years). Thirty RFA sessions (16 under CBCT and 14 under CT guidance) were performed. Multivariable linear regression analysis showed that CBCT was faster than CT to target and place the electrode within the tumour independently from its size (β = −9.45, t = −3.09, p = 0.004). Electrode repositioning was required in 10/22 (45.4 %) tumours under CT guidance and 5/18 (27.8 %) tumours under CBCT guidance. Pneumothoraces occurred in 6/14 (42.8 %) sessions under CT guidance and in 6/16 (37.5 %) sessions under CBCT guidance. Two recurrences were noted for tumours receiving CBCT-guided RFA (2/17, 11.7 %) and three after CT-guided RFA (3/19, 15.8 %).ConclusionCBCT with live 3D needle guidance is a useful technique for percutaneous lung ablation. Despite lesion size, CBCT allows faster lung RFA than CT.

On the effect of atomic structure on the deactivation of catalytic gold nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walsh, M J; Gai, P L; Boyes, E D

2012-01-01

Here we present atomic scale studies into the nature of both the internal structure and external surfaces of catalytic Au nanoparticles using aberration corrected in-situ electron microscopy. The activity of catalytic nanoparticles is thought to be highly sensitive to the particles' structure, meaning typical local atomic rearrangements are likely to significantly affect the overall performance of the catalyst. As-deposited Au nanoparticles are found to exhibit a variety of morphologies, with many being internally strained or highly stepped at the surface. Upon heating, surface atoms are observed to minimise the particles' surface energy by restructuring towards planar (111) facets, resulting in the removal of low co-ordinated sites thought to be crucial in catalysis by Au nanoparticles. These results suggest the process of surface energy minimisation made possible by heating may lead to a loss of active sites and consequently contribute to the deactivation of the catalyst.

Vibrational deactivation on chemically reactive potential surfaces: An exact quantum study of a low barrier collinear model of H + FH, D + FD, H + FD and D + FH

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schatz, G.C.; Kuppermann, A.

1980-01-01

We study vibrational deactivation processes on chemically reactive potential energy surfaces by examining accurate quantum mechanical transition probabilities and rate constants for the collinear H + FH(v), D + FD(v), H + FD(v), and D + FH(v) reactions. A low barrier (1.7 kcal/mole) potential surface is used in these calculations, and we find that for all four reactions, the reactive inelastic rate constants are larger than the nonreactive ones for the same initial and final vibrational states. However, the ratios of these reactive and nonreactive rate constants depend strongly on the vibrational quantum number v and the isotopic composition of the reagents. Nonreactive and reactive transition probabilities for multiquantum jump transitions are generally comparable to those for single quantum transitions. This vibrationally nonadiabatic behavior is a direct consequence of the severe distortion of the diatomic that occurs in a collision on a low barrier reactive surface, and can make chemically reactive atoms like H or D more efficient deactivators of HF or DF than nonreactive collision partners. Many conclusions are in at least qualitative agreement with those of Wilkin's three dimensional quasiclassical trajectory study on the same systems using a similar surface. We also present results for H + HF(v) collisions which show that for a higher barrier potential surface (33 rather than 1.7 kcal/mole), the deactivation process becomes similar in character to that for nonreactive partners, with v→v-1 processes dominating

Wood ash treatment, a cost-effective way to deactivate tannins in Acacia cyanophylla Lindl. foliage and to improve digestion by Barbarine sheep

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ben Salem, H. [Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique de Tunisie (INRAT), Laboratoire des Productions Animales et Fourrageres, Ariana (Tunisia)]. E-mail: bensalem.hichem@iresa.agrinet.tn; Abidi, S. [Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique de Tunisie (INRAT), Laboratoire des Productions Animales et Fourrageres, Ariana (Tunisia); Ecole Superieure d' Agriculture de Mateur, Mateur (Tunisia); Makkar, H.P.S. [Animal Production and Health Section, Joint FAO/IAEA Division, International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna (Austria); Nefzaoui, A. [Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique de Tunisie (INRAT), Laboratoire des Productions Animales et Fourrageres, Ariana (Tunisia)

2005-08-19

Three in vitro experiments and one in vivo experiment were carried out to study the effect of wood ash sources (6 L wood ash solution/kg fresh plant leaves) and levels and treatment duration on the nutritive value of acacia leaves. In Experiment 1, samples of fresh (F), dried (D), or dried and ground (DG) acacia were soaked for 6 h in water or acacia wood ash solution (120 g of wood ash dry matter/L of water). Soaking acacia in water decreased total extractable phenols (TP), total extractable tannins (TT) and extractable condensed tannins (CT). Wood ash treatment led to a further decrease of these phenolic compounds and was highest with DG acacia. Experiment 2 investigated different levels of acacia wood ash (0, 120, 180 and 240 g wood ash dry matter/L of water) and treatment duration (1, 2 and 3 days). The higher the level of wood ash, the lower proportion of TP and CT in acacia was noted. In Experiment 3, two sources of wood ash (i.e., acacia and Aleppo pine) and the same solution of each source of wood ash were used eight times. The two sources of wood ash had similar deactivating effect on TP and CT. The rate of decrease of TP and CT was highest when the same wood ash solution was used four consecutive times and decreased progressively thereafter. In these three experiments, water and wood ash treatment reduced organic matter and crude protein content but substantially increased the neutral detergent fibre (NDFom) content of treated acacia. In the fourth experiment, we treated acacia with acacia wood ash (180 g/L of water for 2 days) and the same solution was used five times. Treated and untreated acacia were air-dried and fed ad libitum to two groups, each of four Barbarine rams together with 300 g of concentrate. Wood ash treatment did not affect intake and OM digestibility of the diet but increased crude protein and NDFom digestibility (P < 0.05). Feeding untreated acacia resulted in negative N balances but with wood ash treatment, N balance was positive

Faster self-paced rate of drinking for alcohol mixed with energy drinks versus alcohol alone.

Science.gov (United States)

Marczinski, Cecile A; Fillmore, Mark T; Maloney, Sarah F; Stamates, Amy L

2017-03-01

The consumption of alcohol mixed with energy drinks (AmED) has been associated with higher rates of binge drinking and impaired driving when compared with alcohol alone. However, it remains unclear why the risks of use of AmED are heightened compared with alcohol alone even when the doses of alcohol consumed are similar. Therefore, the purpose of this laboratory study was to investigate if the rate of self-paced beverage consumption was faster for a dose of AmED versus alcohol alone using a double-blind, within-subjects, placebo-controlled study design. Participants (n = 16) of equal gender who were social drinkers attended 4 separate test sessions that involved consumption of alcohol (1.97 ml/kg vodka) and energy drinks, alone and in combination. On each test day, the dose assigned was divided into 10 cups. Participants were informed that they would have a 2-h period to consume the 10 drinks. After the self-paced drinking period, participants completed a cued go/no-go reaction time (RT) task and subjective ratings of stimulation and sedation. The results indicated that participants consumed the AmED dose significantly faster (by ∼16 min) than the alcohol dose. For the performance task, participants' mean RTs were slower in the alcohol conditions and faster in the energy-drink conditions. In conclusion, alcohol consumers should be made aware that rapid drinking might occur for AmED beverages, thus heightening alcohol-related safety risks. The fast rate of drinking may be related to the generalized speeding of responses after energy-drink consumption. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Faster in-plane switching and reduced rotational viscosity characteristics in a graphene-nematic suspension

Science.gov (United States)

Basu, Rajratan; Kinnamon, Daniel; Skaggs, Nicole; Womack, James

2016-05-01

The in-plane switching (IPS) for a nematic liquid crystal (LC) was found to be considerably faster when the LC was doped with dilute concentrations of monolayer graphene flakes. Additional studies revealed that the presence of graphene reduced the rotational viscosity of the LC, permitting the nematic director to respond quicker in IPS mode on turning the electric field on. The studies were carried out with several graphene concentrations in the LC, and the experimental results coherently suggest that there exists an optimal concentration of graphene, allowing a reduction in the IPS response time and rotational viscosity in the LC. Above this optimal graphene concentration, the rotational viscosity was found to increase, and consequently, the LC no longer switched faster in IPS mode. The presence of graphene suspension was also found to decrease the LC's pretilt angle significantly due to the π-π electron stacking between the LC molecules and graphene flakes. To understand the π-π stacking interaction, the anchoring mechanism of the LC on a CVD grown monolayer graphene film on copper substrate was studied by reflected crossed polarized microscopy. Optical microphotographs revealed that the LC alignment direction depended on monolayer graphene's hexagonal crystal structure and its orientation.

Faster in-plane switching and reduced rotational viscosity characteristics in a graphene-nematic suspension

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Basu, Rajratan; Kinnamon, Daniel; Skaggs, Nicole; Womack, James

2016-01-01

The in-plane switching (IPS) for a nematic liquid crystal (LC) was found to be considerably faster when the LC was doped with dilute concentrations of monolayer graphene flakes. Additional studies revealed that the presence of graphene reduced the rotational viscosity of the LC, permitting the nematic director to respond quicker in IPS mode on turning the electric field on. The studies were carried out with several graphene concentrations in the LC, and the experimental results coherently suggest that there exists an optimal concentration of graphene, allowing a reduction in the IPS response time and rotational viscosity in the LC. Above this optimal graphene concentration, the rotational viscosity was found to increase, and consequently, the LC no longer switched faster in IPS mode. The presence of graphene suspension was also found to decrease the LC's pretilt angle significantly due to the π-π electron stacking between the LC molecules and graphene flakes. To understand the π-π stacking interaction, the anchoring mechanism of the LC on a CVD grown monolayer graphene film on copper substrate was studied by reflected crossed polarized microscopy. Optical microphotographs revealed that the LC alignment direction depended on monolayer graphene's hexagonal crystal structure and its orientation.

Faster in-plane switching and reduced rotational viscosity characteristics in a graphene-nematic suspension

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Basu, Rajratan, E-mail: basu@usna.edu; Kinnamon, Daniel; Skaggs, Nicole; Womack, James [Soft Matter and Nanomaterials Laboratory, Department of Physics, The United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland 21402 (United States)

2016-05-14

The in-plane switching (IPS) for a nematic liquid crystal (LC) was found to be considerably faster when the LC was doped with dilute concentrations of monolayer graphene flakes. Additional studies revealed that the presence of graphene reduced the rotational viscosity of the LC, permitting the nematic director to respond quicker in IPS mode on turning the electric field on. The studies were carried out with several graphene concentrations in the LC, and the experimental results coherently suggest that there exists an optimal concentration of graphene, allowing a reduction in the IPS response time and rotational viscosity in the LC. Above this optimal graphene concentration, the rotational viscosity was found to increase, and consequently, the LC no longer switched faster in IPS mode. The presence of graphene suspension was also found to decrease the LC's pretilt angle significantly due to the π-π electron stacking between the LC molecules and graphene flakes. To understand the π-π stacking interaction, the anchoring mechanism of the LC on a CVD grown monolayer graphene film on copper substrate was studied by reflected crossed polarized microscopy. Optical microphotographs revealed that the LC alignment direction depended on monolayer graphene's hexagonal crystal structure and its orientation.

No evidence for faster male hybrid sterility in population crosses of an intertidal copepod (Tigriopus californicus).

Science.gov (United States)

Willett, Christopher S

2008-06-01

Two different forces are thought to contribute to the rapid accumulation of hybrid male sterility that has been observed in many inter-specific crosses, namely the faster male and the dominance theories. For male heterogametic taxa, both faster male and dominance would work in the same direction to cause the rapid evolution of male sterility; however, for taxa lacking differentiated sex chromosomes only the faster male theory would explain the rapid evolution of male hybrid sterility. It is currently unknown what causes the faster evolution of male sterility, but increased sexual selection on males and the sensitivity of genes involved in male reproduction are two hypotheses that could explain the observation. Here, patterns of hybrid sterility in crosses of genetically divergent copepod populations are examined to test potential mechanisms of faster male evolution. The study species, Tigriopus californicus, lacks differentiated, hemizygous sex chromosomes and appears to have low levels of divergence caused by sexual selection acting upon males. Hybrid sterility does not accumulate more rapidly in males than females in these crosses suggesting that in this taxon male reproductive genes are not inherently more prone to disruption in hybrids.

The Faster, Better, Cheaper Approach to Space Missions: An Engineering Management Assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Hamaker, Joe

2000-01-01

This paper describes, in viewgraph form, the faster, better, cheaper approach to space missions. The topics include: 1) What drives "Faster, Better, Cheaper"? 2) Why Space Programs are Costly; 3) Background; 4) Aerospace Project Management (Old Culture); 5) Aerospace Project Management (New Culture); 6) Scope of Analysis Limited to Engineering Management Culture; 7) Qualitative Analysis; 8) Some Basic Principles of the New Culture; 9) Cause and Effect; 10) "New Ways of Doing Business" Survey Results; 11) Quantitative Analysis; 12) Recent Space System Cost Trends; 13) Spacecraft Dry Weight Trend; 14) Complexity Factor Trends; 15) Cost Normalization; 16) Cost Normalization Algorithm; 17) Unnormalized Cost vs. Normalized Cost; and 18) Concluding Observations.

A faster and more reliable data acquisition system for the full performance of the SciCRT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sasai, Y.; Matsubara, Y.; Itow, Y.; Sako, T.; Kawabata, T.; Lopez, D.; Hikimochi, R.; Tsuchiya, A.; Ikeno, M.; Uchida, T.; Tanaka, M.; Munakata, K.; Kato, C.; Nakamura, Y.; Oshima, T.; Koike, T.; Kozai, M.; Shibata, S.; Oshima, A.; Takamaru, H.

2017-01-01

The SciBar Cosmic Ray Telescope (SciCRT) is a massive scintillator tracker to observe cosmic rays at a very high-altitude environment in Mexico. The fully active tracker is based on the Scintillator Bar (SciBar) detector developed as a near detector for the KEK-to-Kamioka long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiment (K2K) in Japan. Since the data acquisition (DAQ) system was developed for the accelerator experiment, we determined to develop a new robust DAQ system to optimize it to our cosmic-ray experiment needs at the top of Mt. Sierra Negra (4600 m). One of our special requirements is to achieve a 10 times faster readout rate. We started to develop a new fast readout back-end board (BEB) based on 100 Mbps SiTCP, a hardware network processor developed for DAQ systems for high energy physics experiments. Then we developed the new BEB which has a potential of 20 times faster than the current one in the case of observing neutrons. Finally we installed the new DAQ system including the new BEBs to a part of the SciCRT in July 2015. The system has been operating since then. In this paper, we describe the development, the basic performance of the new BEB, the status after the installation in the SciCRT, and the future performance.

A faster and more reliable data acquisition system for the full performance of the SciCRT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sasai, Y., E-mail: sasaiyoshinori@isee.nagoya-u.ac.jp [Institute for Space-Earth Environmental Research, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8601 (Japan); Matsubara, Y.; Itow, Y.; Sako, T.; Kawabata, T.; Lopez, D.; Hikimochi, R.; Tsuchiya, A. [Institute for Space-Earth Environmental Research, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8601 (Japan); Ikeno, M.; Uchida, T.; Tanaka, M. [High Energy Accelerator Research Organization, KEK, 1-1 Oho, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0801 (Japan); Munakata, K.; Kato, C.; Nakamura, Y.; Oshima, T.; Koike, T. [Department of Physics, Shinshu University, Asahi, Matsumoto 390-8621 (Japan); Kozai, M. [Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (ISAS/JAXA), Sagamihara, Kanagawa 252-5210 (Japan); Shibata, S.; Oshima, A.; Takamaru, H. [College of Engineering, Chubu University, Kasugai 487-8501 (Japan); and others

2017-06-11

The SciBar Cosmic Ray Telescope (SciCRT) is a massive scintillator tracker to observe cosmic rays at a very high-altitude environment in Mexico. The fully active tracker is based on the Scintillator Bar (SciBar) detector developed as a near detector for the KEK-to-Kamioka long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiment (K2K) in Japan. Since the data acquisition (DAQ) system was developed for the accelerator experiment, we determined to develop a new robust DAQ system to optimize it to our cosmic-ray experiment needs at the top of Mt. Sierra Negra (4600 m). One of our special requirements is to achieve a 10 times faster readout rate. We started to develop a new fast readout back-end board (BEB) based on 100 Mbps SiTCP, a hardware network processor developed for DAQ systems for high energy physics experiments. Then we developed the new BEB which has a potential of 20 times faster than the current one in the case of observing neutrons. Finally we installed the new DAQ system including the new BEBs to a part of the SciCRT in July 2015. The system has been operating since then. In this paper, we describe the development, the basic performance of the new BEB, the status after the installation in the SciCRT, and the future performance.

Revisit the faster-is-slower effect for an exit at a corner

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Jun Min; Lin, Peng; Wu, Fan Yu; Li Gao, Dong; Wang, Guo Yuan

2018-02-01

The faster-is-slower effect (FIS), which means that crowd at a high enough velocity could significantly increase the evacuation time to escape through an exit, is an interesting phenomenon in pedestrian dynamics. Such phenomenon had been studied widely and has been experimentally verified in different systems of discrete particles flowing through a centre exit. To experimentally validate this phenomenon by using people under high pressure is difficult due to ethical issues. A mouse, similar to a human, is a kind of self-driven and soft body creature with competitive behaviour under stressed conditions. Therefore, mice are used to escape through an exit at a corner. A number of repeated tests are conducted and the average escape time per mouse at different levels of stimulus are analysed. The escape times do not increase obviously with the level of stimulus for the corner exit, which is contrary to the experiment with the center exit. The experimental results show that the FIS effect is not necessary a universal law for any discrete system. The observation could help the design of buildings by relocating their exits to the corner in rooms to avoid the formation of FIS effect.

Soluble inhibitors/deactivators of cellulase enzymes from lignocellulosic biomass.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Youngmi; Ximenes, Eduardo; Mosier, Nathan S; Ladisch, Michael R

2011-04-07

Liquid hot water, steam explosion, and dilute acid pretreatments of lignocellulose generate soluble inhibitors which hamper enzymatic hydrolysis as well as fermentation of sugars to ethanol. Toxic and inhibitory compounds will vary with pretreatment and include soluble sugars, furan derivatives (hydroxymethyl fulfural, furfural), organic acids (acetic, formic and, levulinic acid), and phenolic compounds. Their effect is seen when an increase in the concentration of pretreated biomass in a hydrolysis slurry results in decreased cellulose conversion, even though the ratio of enzyme to cellulose is kept constant. We used lignin-free cellulose, Solka Floc, combined with mixtures of soluble components released during pretreatment of wood, to prove that the decrease in the rate and extent of cellulose hydrolysis is due to a combination of enzyme inhibition and deactivation. The causative agents were extracted from wood pretreatment liquid using PEG surfactant, activated charcoal or ethyl acetate and then desorbed, recovered, and added back to a mixture of enzyme and cellulose. At enzyme loadings of either 1 or 25mg protein/g glucan, the most inhibitory components, later identified as phenolics, decreased the rate and extent of cellulose hydrolysis by half due to both inhibition and precipitation of the enzymes. Full enzyme activity occurred when the phenols were removed. Hence detoxification of pretreated woods through phenol removal is expected to reduce enzyme loadings, and therefore reduce enzyme costs, for a given level of cellulose conversion. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

ELONGATED UPPERMOST INTERNODE Encodes a Cytochrome P450 Monooxygenase That Epoxidizes Gibberellins in a Novel Deactivation Reaction in RiceW⃞

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Yongyou; Nomura, Takahito; Xu, Yonghan; Zhang, Yingying; Peng, Yu; Mao, Bizeng; Hanada, Atsushi; Zhou, Haicheng; Wang, Renxiao; Li, Peijin; Zhu, Xudong; Mander, Lewis N.; Kamiya, Yuji; Yamaguchi, Shinjiro; He, Zuhua

2006-01-01

The recessive tall rice (Oryza sativa) mutant elongated uppermost internode (eui) is morphologically normal until its final internode elongates drastically at the heading stage. The stage-specific developmental effect of the eui mutation has been used in the breeding of hybrid rice to improve the performance of heading in male sterile cultivars. We found that the eui mutant accumulated exceptionally large amounts of biologically active gibberellins (GAs) in the uppermost internode. Map-based cloning revealed that the Eui gene encodes a previously uncharacterized cytochrome P450 monooxygenase, CYP714D1. Using heterologous expression in yeast, we found that EUI catalyzed 16α,17-epoxidation of non-13-hydroxylated GAs. Consistent with the tall and dwarfed phenotypes of the eui mutant and Eui-overexpressing transgenic plants, respectively, 16α,17-epoxidation reduced the biological activity of GA4 in rice, demonstrating that EUI functions as a GA-deactivating enzyme. Expression of Eui appeared tightly regulated during plant development, in agreement with the stage-specific eui phenotypes. These results indicate the existence of an unrecognized pathway for GA deactivation by EUI during the growth of wild-type internodes. The identification of Eui as a GA catabolism gene provides additional evidence that the GA metabolism pathway is a useful target for increasing the agronomic value of crops. PMID:16399803

A Review and Empirical Comparison of Three Treatments for Adolescent Males with Conduct and Personality Disorder: Mode Deactivation Therapy, Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Social Skills Training

Science.gov (United States)

Apsche, Jack A.; Bass, Christopher K.

2006-01-01

This research study compared the efficacy of three treatment methodologies for adolescent males in residential treatment with conduct disorders and/or personality dysfunctions and documented problems with physical and sexual aggression. The results showed that Mode Deactivation Therapy, an advanced form of cognitive behavioral therapy based on…

Solutions to time variant problems of real-time expert systems

Science.gov (United States)

Yeh, Show-Way; Wu, Chuan-Lin; Hung, Chaw-Kwei

1988-01-01

Real-time expert systems for monitoring and control are driven by input data which changes with time. One of the subtle problems of this field is the propagation of time variant problems from rule to rule. This propagation problem is even complicated under a multiprogramming environment where the expert system may issue test commands to the system to get data and to access time consuming devices to retrieve data for concurrent reasoning. Two approaches are used to handle the flood of input data. Snapshots can be taken to freeze the system from time to time. The expert system treats the system as a stationary one and traces changes by comparing consecutive snapshots. In the other approach, when an input is available, the rules associated with it are evaluated. For both approaches, if the premise condition of a fired rule is changed to being false, the downstream rules should be deactivated. If the status change is due to disappearance of a transient problem, actions taken by the fired downstream rules which are no longer true may need to be undone. If a downstream rule is being evaluated, it should not be fired. Three mechanisms for solving this problem are discussed: tracing, backward checking, and censor setting. In the forward tracing mechanism, when the premise conditions of a fired rule become false, the premise conditions of downstream rules which have been fired or are being evaluated due to the firing of that rule are reevaluated. A tree with its root at the rule being deactivated is traversed. In the backward checking mechanism, when a rule is being fired, the expert system checks back on the premise conditions of the upstream rules that result in evaluation of the rule to see whether it should be fired. The root of the tree being traversed is the rule being fired. In the censor setting mechanism, when a rule is to be evaluated, a censor is constructed based on the premise conditions of the upstream rules and the censor is evaluated just before the rule is

Evaluation of the Intramolecular Charge-Transfer Properties in Solvatochromic and Electrochromic Zinc Octa(carbazolyl)phthalocyanines.

Science.gov (United States)

Majeed, Shereen A; Ghazal, Basma; Nevonen, Dustin E; Goff, Philip C; Blank, David A; Nemykin, Victor N; Makhseed, Saad

2017-10-02

2,3,9,10,16,17,23·24-Octakis-(9H-carbazol-9-yl) phthalocyaninato zinc(II) (3) and 2,3,9,10,16,17,23·24-octakis-(3,6-di-tert-butyl-9H-carbazole) phthalocyaninato zinc(II) (4) complexes were prepared and characterized by NMR and UV-vis spectroscopies, magnetic circular dichroism (MCD), matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry, and X-ray crystallography. UV-vis and MCD data are indicative of the interligand charge-transfer nature of the broad band observed in 450-500 nm range for 3 and 4. The redox properties of 3 and 4 were probed by electrochemical and spectro-electrochemical methods, which are suggestive of phthalocyanine-centered first oxidation and reduction processes. Photophysics of 3 and 4 were investigated by steady-state fluorescence and time-resolved transient absorption spectroscopy demonstrating the influence of the carbazole substituents on deactivation from the first excited state in 3 and 4. Protonation of the meso-nitrogen atoms in 3 results in much faster deactivation kinetics from the first excited state. Spectroscopic data were correlated with density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT calculations on 3 and 4.

Faster Double-Size Bipartite Multiplication out of Montgomery Multipliers

Science.gov (United States)

Yoshino, Masayuki; Okeya, Katsuyuki; Vuillaume, Camille

This paper proposes novel algorithms for computing double-size modular multiplications with few modulus-dependent precomputations. Low-end devices such as smartcards are usually equipped with hardware Montgomery multipliers. However, due to progresses of mathematical attacks, security institutions such as NIST have steadily demanded longer bit-lengths for public-key cryptography, making the multipliers quickly obsolete. In an attempt to extend the lifespan of such multipliers, double-size techniques compute modular multiplications with twice the bit-length of the multipliers. Techniques are known for extending the bit-length of classical Euclidean multipliers, of Montgomery multipliers and the combination thereof, namely bipartite multipliers. However, unlike classical and bipartite multiplications, Montgomery multiplications involve modulus-dependent precomputations, which amount to a large part of an RSA encryption or signature verification. The proposed double-size technique simulates double-size multiplications based on single-size Montgomery multipliers, and yet precomputations are essentially free: in an 2048-bit RSA encryption or signature verification with public exponent e=216+1, the proposal with a 1024-bit Montgomery multiplier is at least 1.5 times faster than previous double-size Montgomery multiplications.

Insights into the deactivation mechanism of supported tungsten hydride on alumina (W-H/Al2O3) catalyst for the direct conversion of ethylene to propylene

KAUST Repository

Mazoyer, Etienne

2014-04-01

Tungsten hydride supported on alumina prepared by the surface organometallic chemistry method is an active precursor for the direct conversion of ethylene to propylene at low temperature and pressure. An extensive contact time study revealed that the dimerization of ethylene to 1-butene is the primary and also the rate limiting step. The catalytic cycle further involves isomerization of 1-butene to 2-butene, followed by cross-metathesis of ethylene and 2-butene to yield propylene with high selectivity. The deactivation mechanism of this reaction has been investigated. The used catalyst was extensively examined by DRIFTS, solid-state NMR, EPR, UV-Vis, TGA and DSC techniques. It was found that a large amount of carbonaceous species, which were due to side reaction like olefin polymerization took place with time on stream, significantly hindering the dimerization of ethylene to 1-butene and therefore the production of propylene. Crown Copyright © 2014 Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hydrogen sulfide deactivates common nitrobenzofurazan-based fluorescent thiol labeling reagents.

Science.gov (United States)

Montoya, Leticia A; Pluth, Michael D

2014-06-17

Sulfhydryl-containing compounds, including thiols and hydrogen sulfide (H2S), play important but differential roles in biological structure and function. One major challenge in separating the biological roles of thiols and H2S is developing tools to effectively separate the reactivity of these sulfhydryl-containing compounds. To address this challenge, we report the differential responses of common electrophilic fluorescent thiol labeling reagents, including nitrobenzofurazan-based scaffolds, maleimides, alkylating agents, and electrophilic aldehydes, toward cysteine and H2S. Although H2S reacted with all of the investigated scaffolds, the photophysical response to each scaffold was significantly different. Maleimide-based, alkylating, and aldehydic thiol labeling reagents provided a diminished fluorescence response when treated with H2S. By contrast, nitrobenzofurazan-based labeling reagents were deactivated by H2S addition. Furthermore, the addition of H2S to thiol-activated nitrobenzofurazan-based reagents reduced the fluorescence signal, thus establishing the incompatibility of nitrobenzofurazan-based thiol labeling reagents in the presence of H2S. Taken together, these studies highlight the differential reactivity of thiols and H2S toward common thiol-labeling reagents and suggest that sufficient care must be taken when labeling or measuring thiols in cellular environments that produce H2S due to the potential for both false-positive and eroded responses.

Evolution and plasticity: Divergence of song discrimination is faster in birds with innate song than in song learners in Neotropical passerine birds.

Science.gov (United States)

Freeman, Benjamin G; Montgomery, Graham A; Schluter, Dolph

2017-09-01

Plasticity is often thought to accelerate trait evolution and speciation. For example, plasticity in birdsong may partially explain why clades of song learners are more diverse than related clades with innate song. This "song learning" hypothesis predicts that (1) differences in song traits evolve faster in song learners, and (2) behavioral discrimination against allopatric song (a proxy for premating reproductive isolation) evolves faster in song learners. We tested these predictions by analyzing acoustic traits and conducting playback experiments in allopatric Central American sister pairs of song learning oscines (N = 42) and nonlearning suboscines (N = 27). We found that nonlearners evolved mean acoustic differences slightly faster than did leaners, and that the mean evolutionary rate of song discrimination was 4.3 times faster in nonlearners than in learners. These unexpected results may be a consequence of significantly greater variability in song traits in song learners (by 54-79%) that requires song-learning oscines to evolve greater absolute differences in song before achieving the same level of behavioral song discrimination as nonlearning suboscines. This points to "a downside of learning" for the evolution of species discrimination, and represents an important example of plasticity reducing the rate of evolution and diversification by increasing variability. © 2017 The Author(s). Evolution © 2017 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

The hard-won benefits of familiarity in visual search: naturally familiar brand logos are found faster.

Science.gov (United States)

Qin, Xiaoyan Angela; Koutstaal, Wilma; Engel, Stephen A

2014-05-01

Familiar items are found faster than unfamiliar ones in visual search tasks. This effect has important implications for cognitive theory, because it may reveal how mental representations of commonly encountered items are changed by experience to optimize performance. It remains unknown, however, whether everyday items with moderate levels of exposure would show benefits in visual search, and if so, what kind of experience would be required to produce them. Here, we tested whether familiar product logos were searched for faster than unfamiliar ones, and also familiarized subjects with previously unfamiliar logos. Subjects searched for preexperimentally familiar and unfamiliar logos, half of which were familiarized in the laboratory, amongst other, unfamiliar distractor logos. In three experiments, we used an N-back-like familiarization task, and in four others we used a task that asked detailed questions about the perceptual aspects of the logos. The number of familiarization exposures ranged from 30 to 84 per logo across experiments, with two experiments involving across-day familiarization. Preexperimentally familiar target logos were searched for faster than were unfamiliar, nonfamiliarized logos, by 8 % on average. This difference was reliable in all seven experiments. However, familiarization had little or no effect on search speeds; its average effect was to improve search times by 0.7 %, and its effect was significant in only one of the seven experiments. If priming, mere exposure, episodic memory, or relatively modest familiarity were responsible for familiarity's effects on search, then performance should have improved following familiarization. Our results suggest that the search-related advantage of familiar logos does not develop easily or rapidly.

Object Detection Based on Fast/Faster RCNN Employing Fully Convolutional Architectures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yun Ren

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Modern object detectors always include two major parts: a feature extractor and a feature classifier as same as traditional object detectors. The deeper and wider convolutional architectures are adopted as the feature extractor at present. However, many notable object detection systems such as Fast/Faster RCNN only consider simple fully connected layers as the feature classifier. In this paper, we declare that it is beneficial for the detection performance to elaboratively design deep convolutional networks (ConvNets of various depths for feature classification, especially using the fully convolutional architectures. In addition, this paper also demonstrates how to employ the fully convolutional architectures in the Fast/Faster RCNN. Experimental results show that a classifier based on convolutional layer is more effective for object detection than that based on fully connected layer and that the better detection performance can be achieved by employing deeper ConvNets as the feature classifier.

Comparative study of pulsed electric field and thermal processing of apple juice with particular consideration of juice quality and enzyme deactivation.

Science.gov (United States)

Schilling, Susanne; Schmid, Sandra; Jäger, Henry; Ludwig, Michael; Dietrich, Helmut; Toepfl, Stefan; Knorr, Dietrich; Neidhart, Sybille; Schieber, Andreas; Carle, Reinhold

2008-06-25

As an alternative to thermal pasteurization, pulsed electric fields (PEF) were applied to apple juices on laboratory and pilot plant scale, investigating the effects on juice quality. PEF application still falls under the EU Novel Food Regulation. Consequently, extensive investigation of quality parameters is a prerequisite to prove substantial equivalence of juices resulting from the novel process and conventional production, respectively. Juice composition was not affected by PEF treatment. However, browning of the juices provided evidence of residual enzyme activities. On laboratory scale, complete deactivation of peroxidase (POD) and polyphenoloxidase (PPO) was achieved when PEF treatment and preheating of the juices to 60 degrees C were combined. Under these conditions, a synergistic effect of heat and PEF was observed. On pilot plant scale, maximum PPO deactivation of 48% was achieved when the juices were preheated to 40 degrees C and PEF-treated at 30 kV/cm (100 kJ/kg). Thus, minimally processed juices resulted from PEF processing, when applied without additional conventional thermal preservation. Since this product type was characterized by residual native enzyme activities and nondetectable levels of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, also when preheating up to 40 degrees C was included, it ranged between fresh and pasteurized juices regarding consumers' expectation of freshness and shelf life. Consistent with comparable iron contents among all juice samples, no electrode corrosion was observed under the PEF conditions applied.

Wheel slip control with torque blending using linear and nonlinear model predictive control

Science.gov (United States)

Basrah, M. Sofian; Siampis, Efstathios; Velenis, Efstathios; Cao, Dongpu; Longo, Stefano

2017-11-01

Modern hybrid electric vehicles employ electric braking to recuperate energy during deceleration. However, currently anti-lock braking system (ABS) functionality is delivered solely by friction brakes. Hence regenerative braking is typically deactivated at a low deceleration threshold in case high slip develops at the wheels and ABS activation is required. If blending of friction and electric braking can be achieved during ABS events, there would be no need to impose conservative thresholds for deactivation of regenerative braking and the recuperation capacity of the vehicle would increase significantly. In addition, electric actuators are typically significantly faster responding and would deliver better control of wheel slip than friction brakes. In this work we present a control strategy for ABS on a fully electric vehicle with each wheel independently driven by an electric machine and friction brake independently applied at each wheel. In particular we develop linear and nonlinear model predictive control strategies for optimal performance and enforcement of critical control and state constraints. The capability for real-time implementation of these controllers is assessed and their performance is validated in high fidelity simulation.

Ultrafast excited-state deactivation of 9-methylhypoxanthine in aqueous solution: A QM/MM MD study.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Xugeng; Yuan, Huijuan; An, Beibei; Zhu, Qiuling; Zhang, Jinglai

2016-04-21

Photoinduced ultrafast non-adiabatic decay of 9-methylhypoxanthine (9MHPX) in aqueous solution was investigated by ab initio surface-hopping dynamics calculations using a combined quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical approach. The absorption spectra of 9MHPX in aqueous solution were also explored by the hybrid cluster-continuum model at the level of time-dependent density functional theory along with the polarizable continuum model (PCM). The static electronic-structure calculations indicate that the absorption spectra of 9MHPX simulated by TD-B3LYP/PCM and TD-X3LYP/PCM can reproduce very well the experimental findings, with the accuracy of about 0.20 eV. According to dynamics simulations, irradiation of 9MHPX populates the bright excited singlet S1 state, which may undergo an ultrafast non-radiative deactivation to the S0 state. The lifetime of the S1 state of 9MHPX in aqueous solution is predicted to be 115.6 fs, slightly longer than that in the gas phase (88.8 fs), suggesting that the solventwater has no significant influence on the excited-state lifetime of 9MHPX. Such a behavior in 9MHPX is distinctly different from its parent hypoxanthine keto-N9H tautomer in which the excited-state lifetime of the latter in watersolution was remarkably enhanced as compared to the gas phase. The significant difference of the photodynamical behaviors between 9MHPX and keto-N9H can be ascribed to their different hydrogen bond environment in aqueous solution.

Cigarette smoke induces molecular responses in respiratory tissues of ApoE−/− mice that are progressively deactivated upon cessation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boué, Stéphanie; De León, Héctor; Schlage, Walter K.; Peck, Michael J.; Weiler, Horst; Berges, An; Vuillaume, Grégory; Martin, Florian; Friedrichs, Baerbel; Lebrun, Stefan

2013-01-01

Cigarette smoking is the primary etiology of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and a risk factor for both lung and cardiovascular (CV) diseases, which are rarely investigated concomitantly. Although smoking cessation shows clear CV risk benefit, lung-related disease risk remains higher in former smokers than in never smokers. We sought to determine the differential molecular responses of murine respiratory tissues to better understand the toxicity pathways involved in smoking-related disease risk and those related to the benefits of smoking cessation. ApoE −/− mice were exposed to mainstream cigarette smoke (CS) or a smoking cessation-mimicking protocol for up to 6 months and transcriptomics analysis of nasal epithelium and lung parenchyma performed. We supported our gene expression profiling approach with standard lung histopathology and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) analysis. Many BALF analytes involved in functions ranging from inflammation to cell proliferation and tissue remodeling were found elevated in BALF. Gene expression levels of these molecules were also increased in lung tissue, suggesting that the inflammatory response was the result of local tissue activation and the contribution of recruited inflammatory cells. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) of expression data from murine lungs and nasal epithelium showed distinct activation patterns of inflammation, complement, and xenobiotic metabolism pathways during CS exposure that were deactivated upon smoking cessation. Pathways involved in cell proliferation and tissue remodeling were activated by CS and progressively deactivated upon smoke exposure cessation. Differential CS-mediated responses of pulmonary and nasal tissues reflect common mechanisms but also the varying degrees of epithelial functional specialization and exposure along the respiratory tract

A new integrative model of cerebral activation, deactivation and default mode function in Alzheimer's disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wermke, Marc; Sorg, Christian; Wohlschlaeger, Afra M.; Drzezga, Alexander

2008-01-01

Functional imaging methods such as positron emission tomography (PET) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) allow in vivo assessment of cerebral metabolism at rest and cerebral responses to cognitive stimuli. Activation studies with different cognitive tasks have deepened the understanding of underlying pathology leading to Alzheimer disease (AD) and how the brain reacts to and potentially compensates the imposed damage inflicted by this disease. The aim of this manuscript study was to summarize current findings of activation studies in healthy people at risk for AD, in people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) as a possible progenitor of AD and finally in patients with manifest AD, adding recent results about impaired deactivation abilities and default mode function in AD. A new comprehensive model will be introduced integrating these heterogeneous findings and explaining their impact on cognitive performance. (orig.)

Magnesium oxide prepared via metal-chitosan complexation method: Application as catalyst for transesterification of soybean oil and catalyst deactivation studies

Science.gov (United States)

Almerindo, Gizelle I.; Probst, Luiz F. D.; Campos, Carlos E. M.; de Almeida, Rusiene M.; Meneghetti, Simoni M. P.; Meneghetti, Mario R.; Clacens, Jean-Marc; Fajardo, Humberto V.

2011-10-01

A simple method to prepare magnesium oxide catalysts for biodiesel production by transesterification reaction of soybean oil with ethanol is proposed. The method was developed using a metal-chitosan complex. Compared to the commercial oxide, the proposed catalysts displayed higher surface area and basicity values, leading to higher yield in terms of fatty acid ethyl esters (biodiesel). The deactivation of the catalyst due to contact with CO2 and H2O present in the ambient air was verified. It was confirmed that the active catalytic site is a hydrogenocarbonate adsorption site.

Processing language in face-to-face conversation: Questions with gestures get faster responses.

Science.gov (United States)

Holler, Judith; Kendrick, Kobin H; Levinson, Stephen C

2017-09-08

The home of human language use is face-to-face interaction, a context in which communicative exchanges are characterised not only by bodily signals accompanying what is being said but also by a pattern of alternating turns at talk. This transition between turns is astonishingly fast-typically a mere 200-ms elapse between a current and a next speaker's contribution-meaning that comprehending, producing, and coordinating conversational contributions in time is a significant challenge. This begs the question of whether the additional information carried by bodily signals facilitates or hinders language processing in this time-pressured environment. We present analyses of multimodal conversations revealing that bodily signals appear to profoundly influence language processing in interaction: Questions accompanied by gestures lead to shorter turn transition times-that is, to faster responses-than questions without gestures, and responses come earlier when gestures end before compared to after the question turn has ended. These findings hold even after taking into account prosodic patterns and other visual signals, such as gaze. The empirical findings presented here provide a first glimpse of the role of the body in the psycholinguistic processes underpinning human communication.

Elastic coupling of limb joints enables faster bipedal walking

Science.gov (United States)

Dean, J.C.; Kuo, A.D.

2008-01-01

The passive dynamics of bipedal limbs alone are sufficient to produce a walking motion, without need for control. Humans augment these dynamics with muscles, actively coordinated to produce stable and economical walking. Present robots using passive dynamics walk much slower, perhaps because they lack elastic muscles that couple the joints. Elastic properties are well known to enhance running gaits, but their effect on walking has yet to be explored. Here we use a computational model of dynamic walking to show that elastic joint coupling can help to coordinate faster walking. In walking powered by trailing leg push-off, the model's speed is normally limited by a swing leg that moves too slowly to avoid stumbling. A uni-articular spring about the knee allows faster but uneconomical walking. A combination of uni-articular hip and knee springs can speed the legs for improved speed and economy, but not without the swing foot scuffing the ground. Bi-articular springs coupling the hips and knees can yield high economy and good ground clearance similar to humans. An important parameter is the knee-to-hip moment arm that greatly affects the existence and stability of gaits, and when selected appropriately can allow for a wide range of speeds. Elastic joint coupling may contribute to the economy and stability of human gait. PMID:18957360

How to Elect a Leader Faster than a Tournament

OpenAIRE

Alistarh, Dan; Gelashvili, Rati; Vladu, Adrian

2014-01-01

The problem of electing a leader from among $n$ contenders is one of the fundamental questions in distributed computing. In its simplest formulation, the task is as follows: given $n$ processors, all participants must eventually return a win or lose indication, such that a single contender may win. Despite a considerable amount of work on leader election, the following question is still open: can we elect a leader in an asynchronous fault-prone system faster than just running a $\\Theta(\\log n...

Analysis of the Impact of Early Exhaust Valve Opening and Cylinder Deactivation on Aftertreatment Thermal Management and Efficiency for Compression Ignition Engines

OpenAIRE

Roberts, Leighton Edward

2014-01-01

In order to meet strict emissions regulations, engine manufacturers have implemented aftertreatment technologies which reduce the tailpipe emissions from diesel engines. The effectiveness of most of these systems is limited when exhaust temperatures are low (usually below 200°C to 250°C). This is a problem for extended low load operation, such as idling and during cold start. Use of variable valve actuation, including early exhaust valve opening (EEVO) and cylinder deactivation (CDA), has bee...

Decreasing ventromedial prefrontal cortex deactivation in risky decision making after simulated microgravity: Effects of -6 degree head-down tilt bed rest

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li-Lin eRao

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Space is characterized by risk and uncertainty. As humans play an important role in long-duration space missions, the ability to make risky decisions effectively is important for astronauts who spend extended time periods in space. The present study used the Balloon Analog Risk Task to conduct both behavioral and fMRI experiments to evaluate the effects of simulated microgravity on individuals’ risk-taking behavior and the neural basis of the effect. The results showed that participants’ risk-taking behavior was not affected by bed rest. However, we found that the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC showed less deactivation after bed rest and that the VMPFC activation in the active choice condition showed no significant difference between the win outcome and the loss outcome after bed rest, although its activation was significantly greater in the win outcome than in the loss outcome before bed rest. These results suggested that the participants showed a decreased level of value calculation after the bed rest. Our findings can contribute to a better understanding of the effect of microgravity on individual higher-level cognitive functioning.

Sharing lessons learned and best practices in deactivation and decommissioning techniques among U.S. Department of Energy contractors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lackey, Michael B.; Waisley, Sandra L.; Dusek, Lansing G.

2007-01-01

Approximately $153.2 billion of work currently remains in the United States Department of Energy's (DOE's) Office of Environmental Management (EM) life cycle budget for United States projects. Contractors who manage facilities for the DOE have been challenged to identify transformational changes to reduce the life cycle costs and develop a knowledge management system that identifies, disseminates, and tracks the implementation of lessons learned and best practices. At the request of the DOE's EM Office of Engineering and Technology, the Energy Facility Contractors Group (EFCOG) responded to the challenge with formation of the Deactivation and Decommissioning (D and D) and Facility Engineering (DD/FE) Working Group. Since October 2006, members have already made significant progress in realizing their goals: adding new D and D best practices to the existing EFCOG Best Practices database; participating in lessons learned forums; and contributing to a DOE initiative on identifying technology needs. The group is also participating in a DOE project management initiative to develop implementation guidelines, as well as a DOE radiation protection initiative to institute a more predictable and standardized approach to approving authorized limits and independently verifying cleanup completion at EM sites. Finally, a D and D hotline to provide real-time solutions to D and D challenges is also being launched. (authors)

Dose rate in a deactivated uranium mine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pereira, Wagner S.; Kelecom, Alphonse G.A.C.; Silva, Ademir X.; Marques, José M.; Carmo, Alessander S. do; Dias, Ayandra O., E-mail: pereiraws@gmail.com, E-mail: wspereira@inb.gov.br, E-mail: lararapls@hotmail.com, E-mail: Ademir@nuclear.ufrj.br, E-mail: marqueslopes@yahoo.com.br [Universidade Veiga de Almeida (UVA), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil); Indústrias Nucleares do Brasil (COMAP.N/FCN/INB), Resende RJ (Brazil). Fábrica de Combustível Nuclear. Coordenação de Meio Ambiente e Proteção Radiológica Ambiental; Universidade Federal Fluminense (LARARA-PLS/UFF), Niterói, RJ (Brazil). Laboratório de Radiobiologia e Radiometria; Coordenacao de Pos-Graduacao e Pesquisa de Engenharia (COPPE/UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Programa de Engenharia Nuclear

2017-07-01

The Ore Treatment Unit is a deactivated uranium mine and milling situated in Caldas, MG, BR. Although disabled, there are still areas considered controlled and supervised from the radiological point of view. In these areas, it is necessary to keep an occupational monitoring program to ensure the workers' safety and to prevent the dispersion of radioactive material. For area monitoring, the dose rate, in μSv∙h{sup -1}, was measured with Geiger Müller (GM) area monitors or personal electronic monitors type GM and thermoluminescence dosimetry (TLD), in mSv∙month{sup -1}, along the years 2013 to 2016. For area monitoring, 577 samples were recorded; for personal dosimeters monitoring, 2,656; and for TLD monitoring type, 5,657. The area monitoring showed a mean dose rate of 6.42 μSv∙h{sup -1} associated to a standard deviation of 48 μSv∙h{sup -1} with a maximum recorded value of 685 μSv∙h{sup -1}. 96 % of the samples were below the derived limit per hour for workers (10 μSv∙h{sup -1}). For the personal electronic monitoring, the average of the data sampled was 15.86 μSv∙h{sup -1}, associated to a standard deviation of 61.74 μSv∙h{sup -1}. 80 % of the samples were below the derived limit and the maximum recorded was 1,220 μSv∙h{sup -1}. Finally, the TLD showed a mean of 0.01 mSv∙h{sup -1} (TLD detection limit is 0.2 mSv∙month{sup -1}), associated to a standard deviation of 0.08 mSv∙h{sup -1}. 98% of the registered values were below 0.2 mSv and less than 2 % of the measurements had values above the limit of detection. The samples show areas with low risk of external exposure, as can be seen by the TLD evaluation. Specific areas with greater risk of contamination have already been identified, as well as operations at higher risks. In these cases, the use of the individual electronic dosimeter is justified for a more effective monitoring. Radioprotection identified all risks and was able to extend individual electronic monitoring to all

Dose rate in a deactivated uranium mine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pereira, Wagner S.; Kelecom, Alphonse G.A.C.; Silva, Ademir X.; Marques, José M.; Carmo, Alessander S. do; Dias, Ayandra O.; Indústrias Nucleares do Brasil; Universidade Federal Fluminense; Coordenacao de Pos-Graduacao e Pesquisa de Engenharia

2017-01-01

The Ore Treatment Unit is a deactivated uranium mine and milling situated in Caldas, MG, BR. Although disabled, there are still areas considered controlled and supervised from the radiological point of view. In these areas, it is necessary to keep an occupational monitoring program to ensure the workers' safety and to prevent the dispersion of radioactive material. For area monitoring, the dose rate, in μSv∙h"-"1, was measured with Geiger Müller (GM) area monitors or personal electronic monitors type GM and thermoluminescence dosimetry (TLD), in mSv∙month"-"1, along the years 2013 to 2016. For area monitoring, 577 samples were recorded; for personal dosimeters monitoring, 2,656; and for TLD monitoring type, 5,657. The area monitoring showed a mean dose rate of 6.42 μSv∙h"-"1 associated to a standard deviation of 48 μSv∙h"-"1 with a maximum recorded value of 685 μSv∙h"-"1. 96 % of the samples were below the derived limit per hour for workers (10 μSv∙h"-"1). For the personal electronic monitoring, the average of the data sampled was 15.86 μSv∙h"-"1, associated to a standard deviation of 61.74 μSv∙h"-"1. 80 % of the samples were below the derived limit and the maximum recorded was 1,220 μSv∙h"-"1. Finally, the TLD showed a mean of 0.01 mSv∙h"-"1 (TLD detection limit is 0.2 mSv∙month"-"1), associated to a standard deviation of 0.08 mSv∙h"-"1. 98% of the registered values were below 0.2 mSv and less than 2 % of the measurements had values above the limit of detection. The samples show areas with low risk of external exposure, as can be seen by the TLD evaluation. Specific areas with greater risk of contamination have already been identified, as well as operations at higher risks. In these cases, the use of the individual electronic dosimeter is justified for a more effective monitoring. Radioprotection identified all risks and was able to extend individual electronic monitoring to all risk operations, even with the use of the TLD

Higher Resolution and Faster MRI of 31Phosphorus in Bone

Science.gov (United States)

Frey, Merideth; Barrett, Sean; Sethna, Zachary; Insogna, Karl; Vanhouten, Joshua

2013-03-01

Probing the internal composition of bone on the sub-100 μm length scale is important to study normal features and to look for signs of disease. However, few useful non-destructive techniques are available to evaluate changes in the bone mineral chemical structure and functional micro-architecture on the interior of bones. MRI would be an excellent candidate, but bone is a particularly challenging tissue to study given the relatively low water density, wider linewidths of its solid components leading to low spatial resolution, and the long imaging time compared to conventional 1H MRI. Our lab has recently made advances in obtaining high spatial resolution (sub-400 μm)3 three-dimensional 31Phosphorus MRI of bone through use of the quadratic echo line-narrowing sequence (1). In this talk, we describe our current results using proton decoupling to push this technique even further towards the factor of 1000 increase in spatial resolution imposed by fundamental limits. We also discuss our work to speed up imaging through novel, faster reconstruction algorithms that can reconstruct the desired image from very sparse data sets. (1) M. Frey, et al. PNAS 109: 5190 (2012).

Skin graft donor site: a procedure for a faster healing.

Science.gov (United States)

Cuomo, Roberto; Grimaldi, Luca; Brandi, Cesare; Nisi, Giuseppe; D'Aniello, Carlo

2017-10-23

The authors want to evaluate the efficacy of fibrillary tabotamp dressing in skin graft-donor site. A comparison was made with Vaseline gauzes. Tabotamp is an absorbable haemostatic product of Ethicon (Johnson and Johnson) obtained by sterile and oxidized regenerated cellulose (Rayon). It is used for mild to moderate bleeding. 276 patients were subject to skin graft and divided into two group: Group A and Group B. The donor site of patients in Group A was medicated with fibrillary tabotamp, while the patients of Group B were medicated only with Vaseline gauze. We recorded infection, timing of healing, number of dressing change, the pain felt during and after the dressing change with visual analog scale (VAS) and a questionnaire. Patients allocated in Group A healed faster than the Group B. Questionnaires and VAS analysis showed lower pain felt, lower intake of pain drugs and lower infection rate in the Group A than the Group B. Analysis of coast showed lower dressing change in Group A than the Group B. We believe that the use of tabotamp is a very viable alternative to improve healing.

Vehicle parts detection based on Faster - RCNN with location constraints of vehicle parts feature point

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Liqin; Sang, Nong; Gao, Changxin

2018-03-01

Vehicle parts detection plays an important role in public transportation safety and mobility. The detection of vehicle parts is to detect the position of each vehicle part. We propose a new approach by combining Faster RCNN and three level cascaded convolutional neural network (DCNN). The output of Faster RCNN is a series of bounding boxes with coordinate information, from which we can locate vehicle parts. DCNN can precisely predict feature point position, which is the center of vehicle part. We design an output strategy by combining these two results. There are two advantages for this. The quality of the bounding boxes are greatly improved, which means vehicle parts feature point position can be located more precise. Meanwhile we preserve the position relationship between vehicle parts and effectively improve the validity and reliability of the result. By using our algorithm, the performance of the vehicle parts detection improve obviously compared with Faster RCNN.

Impaired secondary oxidant deactivation capacity and enhanced oxidative stress in serum from alveld affected lambs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hegge, Anne Bee; Mysterud, Ivar; Karlsen, Jan

2013-01-01

Alveld is a hepatogenous photosensitivity disorder in lambs. The aim of the study was to investigate if alveld affected lambs had a reduced capacity to handle oxidative stress induced from either endogenous and/or exogenous photosensitizers. Serum samples from alveld lambs (n=33) were compared...... to serum samples from control lambs (n=31) and exposed to a controlled amount of singlet oxygen ((1)O2). The sera from alveld lambs were found to have an impaired ability to deactivate reactive oxygen species (ROS) compared to control sera. A higher degree of initial hemolysis and a higher concentration...... in pooled serum from alveld lambs that showed a high degree of hemolysis. It was concluded that alveld photosensitivity is likely to be initiated by a photodynamic reaction involving PP and possibly also PP IX followed by a light-independent reaction involving hemoglobin-related products and catalysis...

Development of Novel Faster-Dissolving Microneedle Patches for Transcutaneous Vaccine Delivery.

Science.gov (United States)

Ono, Akihiko; Ito, Sayami; Sakagami, Shun; Asada, Hideo; Saito, Mio; Quan, Ying-Shu; Kamiyama, Fumio; Hirobe, Sachiko; Okada, Naoki

2017-08-03

Microneedle (MN) patches are promising for transcutaneous vaccination because they enable vaccine antigens to physically penetrate the stratum corneum via low-invasive skin puncturing, and to be effectively delivered to antigen-presenting cells in the skin. In second-generation MN patches, the dissolving MNs release the loaded vaccine antigen into the skin. To shorten skin application time for clinical practice, this study aims to develop novel faster-dissolving MNs. We designed two types of MNs made from a single thickening agent, carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) or hyaluronan (HN). Both CMC-MN and HN-MN completely dissolved in rat skin after a 5-min application. In pre-clinical studies, both MNs could demonstrably increase antigen-specific IgG levels after vaccination and prolong antigen deposition compared with conventional injections, and deliver antigens into resected human dermal tissue. In clinical research, we demonstrated that both MNs could reliably and safely puncture human skin without any significant skin irritation from transepidermal water loss measurements and ICDRG (International Contact Dermatitis Research Group) evaluation results.

FAMOUS, faster: using parallel computing techniques to accelerate the FAMOUS/HadCM3 climate model with a focus on the radiative transfer algorithm

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. Hanappe

2011-09-01

Full Text Available We have optimised the atmospheric radiation algorithm of the FAMOUS climate model on several hardware platforms. The optimisation involved translating the Fortran code to C and restructuring the algorithm around the computation of a single air column. Instead of the existing MPI-based domain decomposition, we used a task queue and a thread pool to schedule the computation of individual columns on the available processors. Finally, four air columns are packed together in a single data structure and computed simultaneously using Single Instruction Multiple Data operations.

The modified algorithm runs more than 50 times faster on the CELL's Synergistic Processing Element than on its main PowerPC processing element. On Intel-compatible processors, the new radiation code runs 4 times faster. On the tested graphics processor, using OpenCL, we find a speed-up of more than 2.5 times as compared to the original code on the main CPU. Because the radiation code takes more than 60 % of the total CPU time, FAMOUS executes more than twice as fast. Our version of the algorithm returns bit-wise identical results, which demonstrates the robustness of our approach. We estimate that this project required around two and a half man-years of work.

Decreasing ventromedial prefrontal cortex deactivation in risky decision making after simulated microgravity: effects of −6° head-down tilt bed rest

Science.gov (United States)

Rao, Li-Lin; Zhou, Yuan; Liang, Zhu-Yuan; Rao, Henyi; Zheng, Rui; Sun, Yan; Tan, Cheng; Xiao, Yi; Tian, Zhi-Qiang; Chen, Xiao-Ping; Wang, Chun-Hui; Bai, Yan-Qiang; Chen, Shan-Guang; Li, Shu

2014-01-01

Space is characterized by risk and uncertainty. As humans play an important role in long-duration space missions, the ability to make risky decisions effectively is important for astronauts who spend extended time periods in space. The present study used the Balloon Analog Risk Task to conduct both behavioral and fMRI experiments to evaluate the effects of simulated microgravity on individuals' risk-taking behavior and the neural basis of the effect. The results showed that participants' risk-taking behavior was not affected by bed rest. However, we found that the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC) showed less deactivation after bed rest and that the VMPFC activation in the active choice condition showed no significant difference between the win outcome and the loss outcome after bed rest, although its activation was significantly greater in the win outcome than in the loss outcome before bed rest. These results suggested that the participants showed a decreased level of value calculation after the bed rest. Our findings can contribute to a better understanding of the effect of microgravity on individual higher-level cognitive functioning. PMID:24904338

Decommissioning and deactivation of nuclear facilities; Desmantelamiento y clausura de instalaciones nucleares

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anasco, Roberto; Harriague, Santiago; Hey, Alfredo M [Comision Nacional de Energia Atomica, Buenos Aires (Argentina). Gerencia de Tecnologia y Medio Ambiente; Fabbri, Silvio [Comision Nacional de Energia Atomica, General San Martin (Argentina). Centro Atomico Constituyentes; Garonis, Omar H [Comision Nacional de Energia Atomica, General San Martin (Argentina). Dept. de Gestion de Calidad

2003-07-01

The National Atomic Energy Commission (CNEA) is responsible for the decommissioning and deactivation of all relevant nuclear facilities in Argentina. A D and D Subprogram was created in 2000, within Technology Branch of the CNEA, in order to fulfill this responsibility. The D and D Subprogram has organized its activities in four fields: Planning; Technology development; Human resources development and training; International cooperation. The paper describes the work already done in those 4 areas, as well as the nuclear facilities existing in the country. Planning is being developed for the decommissioning of research reactors, beginning with RA-1, as well as for the Atucha I nuclear power station. An integral Management System has been developed, compatibilizing requirements from ISO 9001, ISO 14001, the national norm for Safety and Occupational Health (equivalent to BS 8800), and IAEA 50-SG Q series. Technology development is for the time being concentrated on mechanical decontamination and concrete demolition. A review has been made of technologies already developed both by CNEA and Nucleoelectrica Argentina S.A. (the nuclear power utility) in areas of chemical and electrochemical decontamination, cutting techniques and robotics. Human resources development has been based on training abroad in the areas of decontamination, cutting techniques, quality assurance and planning, as well as on specific courses, seminars and workshops. An IAEA regional training course on D and D has been given on April 2002 at CNEA's Constituyentes Atomic Center, with the assistance of 22 university graduates from 13 countries in the Latin American and Caribbean Region, and 11 from Argentina. CNEA has also given fellowships for PhD and Master thesis on the subject. International cooperation has been intense, and based on: - IAEA Technical Cooperation Project and experts missions; - Cooperation agreement with the US Department of Energy; - Cooperation agreement with Germany

Study of ethylene/2-butene cross-metathesis over W-H/Al2O 3 for propylene production: Effect of the temperature and reactant ratios on the productivity and deactivation

KAUST Repository

Mazoyer, Etienne

2013-05-01

A highly active and selective catalyst based on supported tungsten hydride for the cross-metathesis between ethylene and 2-butenes yielding propylene has been investigated at low pressure with various temperatures and feed ratios. At low temperature (120 °C), the catalyst deactivates notably with time on stream. This phenomenon was extensively examined by DRIFTS, TGA, DSC, and solid-state NMR techniques. It was found that a large amount of carbonaceous species were formed due to a side-reaction such as olefin polymerization which took place simultaneously with the metathesis reaction. However, at 150 °C, the catalyst was stable with time and thereby gave a high productivity in propylene. Importantly, the slight increase in temperature clearly disfavored the side reaction. The ratio of ethylene to trans-2-butene was also studied, and surprisingly, the W-H/Al2O3 catalyst is stable and highly selective to propylene even at substoichiometric ethylene ratios. © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Visual Motion Processing Subserves Faster Visuomotor Reaction in Badminton Players.

Science.gov (United States)

Hülsdünker, Thorben; Strüder, Heiko K; Mierau, Andreas

2017-06-01

Athletes participating in ball or racquet sports have to respond to visual stimuli under critical time pressure. Previous studies used visual contrast stimuli to determine visual perception and visuomotor reaction in athletes and nonathletes; however, ball and racquet sports are characterized by motion rather than contrast visual cues. Because visual contrast and motion signals are processed in different cortical regions, this study aimed to determine differences in perception and processing of visual motion between athletes and nonathletes. Twenty-five skilled badminton players and 28 age-matched nonathletic controls participated in this study. Using a 64-channel EEG system, we investigated visual motion perception/processing in the motion-sensitive middle temporal (MT) cortical area in response to radial motion of different velocities. In a simple visuomotor reaction task, visuomotor transformation in Brodmann area 6 (BA6) and BA4 as well as muscular activation (EMG onset) and visuomotor reaction time (VMRT) were investigated. Stimulus- and response-locked potentials were determined to differentiate between perceptual and motor-related processes. As compared with nonathletes, athletes showed earlier EMG onset times (217 vs 178 ms, P < 0.001), accompanied by a faster VMRT (274 vs 243 ms, P < 0.001). Furthermore, athletes showed an earlier stimulus-locked peak activation of MT (200 vs 182 ms, P = 0.002) and BA6 (161 vs 137 ms, P = 0.009). Response-locked peak activation in MT was later in athletes (-7 vs 26 ms, P < 0.001), whereas no group differences were observed in BA6 and BA4. Multiple regression analyses with stimulus- and response-locked cortical potentials predicted EMG onset (r = 0.83) and VMRT (r = 0.77). The athletes' superior visuomotor performance in response to visual motion is primarily related to visual perception and, to a minor degree, to motor-related processes.

Faster Growth of Road Transportation CO2 Emissions in Asia Pacific Economies: Exploring Differences in Trends of the Rapidly Developing and Developed Worlds

Science.gov (United States)

Marcotullio, Peter J.

2006-01-01

Researchers have identified how in some rapidly developing countries, road and aviation transportation CO2 emissions are rising faster (over time) when compared to the experiences of the USA at similar levels of economic development. While suggestive of how experiences of the rapidly developing Asia are different from those of the developed world…

Exciplex formation and excited state deactivation of difluoroborondipyrromethene (Bodipy) dyads.

Science.gov (United States)

Benniston, Andrew C; Copley, Graeme; Lemmetyinen, Helge; Tkachenko, Nikolai V

2010-06-07

Two series of geometrically-related dyads are discussed based on the difluoroborondipyrromethene (Bodipy) unit, and incorporating covalently attached hydroquinone/quinone groups. These units are anchored directly, or via a phenylene spacer, to the Bodipy core at the meso position in one series (BD-MHQ, BD-MQ, BD-MPHQ, BD-MPQ), but for the second series the attachment site is the 2-position (BD-SHQ, BD-SQ, BD-SPHQ, BD-SPQ). The compounds show various levels of fluorescence depending on the oxidation state of the appended group and the substitution pattern. In non-polar solvents such as toluene, diethyl ether and dichlorobenzene, the S(1) state deactivation of the Bodipy unit in BD-SPQ and BD-MPQ is dominated by (1, 3)exciplex formation, which has not been reported for Bodipy derivatives so far. In the latter molecule, the decay of the exciplex is divided between population of the Bodipy triplet state (13 %-21 %) and ground state reformation. This partitioning is not seen for the side-on substituted derivative, BD-SPQ, and only ground state reformation is observed following decay of the exciplex. This difference in behavior is explained by the radical-pair inter-system-crossing mechanism, which more effectively operates in BD-MPQ because of the orthogonality of the donor-acceptor units. In the more polar solvent CH(3)CN all the quinone derivatives show fast formation of the charge-separated state (k(CS)) followed by slower charge recombination (k(CR)). The ratio k(CS)/k(CR)

Improving the Identification, Dissemination and Implementation of Deactivation and Decommissioning Lessons Learned and Best Practices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Waisley, Sandra L.; Lackey, Michael B.; Dusek, Lansing G.

2008-01-01

Approximately $150 billion of work currently remains in the United States Department of Energy's (DoE's) Office of Environmental Management (EM) life cycle budget for U.S. projects. Contractors who manage facilities for the DOE have been challenged to identify transformational changes to reduce the life cycle costs and to develop a knowledge-management system that identifies, disseminates, and tracks the implementation of lessons learned and best practices. This paper discusses DoE's rationale for using lessons learned and best practices to improve safety and performance while reducing life cycle costs for Deactivation and Decommissioning (D and D) projects. It also provides an update on the Energy Facility Contractors Group's (EFCOG's) progress in supporting DoE's efforts. At this juncture the best practice efforts described are in developmental stages; however, the commitment to and the concrete nature of the work thus far is noteworthy in regard to improving the way D and D lessons learned and best practices are identified, disseminated and implemented across the DOE Complex

A Novel Approach for Prediction of Industrial Catalyst Deactivation Using Soft Sensor Modeling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hamed Gharehbaghi

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Soft sensors are used for fault detection and prediction of the process variables in chemical processing units, for which the online measurement is difficult. The present study addresses soft sensor design and identification for deactivation of zeolite catalyst in an industrial-scale fixed bed reactor based on the process data. The two main reactions are disproportionation (DP and transalkylation (TA, which change toluene and C9 aromatics into xylenes and benzene. Two models are considered based on the mass conservation around the reactor. The model parameters are estimated by data-based modeling (DBM philosophy and state dependent parameter (SDP method. In the SDP method, the parameters are assumed to be a function of the system states. The results show that the catalyst activity during the period under study has approximately a monotonic trend. Identification of the system clearly shows that the xylene concentration has a determining role in the conversion of reactions. The activation energies for both DP and TA reactions are found to be 43.8 and 18 kJ/mol, respectively. The model prediction is in good agreement with the observed industrial data.

PREPARATION, CHARACTERIZATION, ACTIVITY, DEACTIVATION, AND REGENERATION TESTS OF CoO-MoO/ZnO AND CoO-MoO/ZnO-ACTIVATED ZEOLITE CATALYSTS FOR THE HYDROGEN PRODUCTION FROM FUSEL OIL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wega Trisunaryanti

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Preparation, characterization, activation, deactivation, and regeneration tests of CoO-MoO/ZnO and CoO-MoO/ZnO-Activated Zeolite (AZ catalysts for the hydrogen production using steam reforming of alcohols in fusel oil have been conducted. Both catalysts were prepared by impregnation of Co and Mo onto ZnO or ZnO-AZ powder then followed by calcination at 400 °C for 5 h under N2 stream. The BET method and pyridine adsorption were used for catalysts characterization. The study of activation, deactivation, and regeneration of catalysts were conducted by using steam reforming method in the semi flow reactor. The reaction condition were: weight ratio of catalysts/feed = 0.1, temperature: 450 °C, duration: 45 min. The gas product was trapped in a 250 mL vacuum pyrex bottle filled with 50 mL of 4 M NaOH solution and analyzed by GC with TCD system to determine H2 existance and HCl titration to determine CO2 produced during the process that was dissolved in NaOH solution. The results showed that CoO-MoO/ZnO-AZ catalyst produced higher gas conversion than CoO-MoO/ZnO catalyst. However, it had short catalyst lifetime due to its high amount of coke deposited during the process. The regeneration test could enhance the catalyst activity. The gas product consisted of H2 (14.70% and CO2 (24.41%.   Keywords: fusel oil, steam reforming, deactivation, regeneration, hydrogen production.

Faster recovery of a diatom from UV damage under ocean acidification.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Yaping; Campbell, Douglas A; Gao, Kunshan

2014-11-01

Diatoms are the most important group of primary producers in marine ecosystems. As oceanic pH declines and increased stratification leads to the upper mixing layer becoming shallower, diatoms are interactively affected by both lower pH and higher average exposures to solar ultraviolet radiation. The photochemical yields of a model diatom, Phaeodactylum tricornutum, were inhibited by ultraviolet radiation under both growth and excess light levels, while the functional absorbance cross sections of the remaining photosystem II increased. Cells grown under ocean acidification (OA) were less affected during UV exposure. The recovery of PSII under low photosynthetically active radiation was much faster than in the dark, indicating that photosynthetic processes were essential for the full recovery of photosystem II. This light dependent recovery required de novo synthesized protein. Cells grown under ocean acidification recovered faster, possibly attributable to higher CO₂ availability for the Calvin cycle producing more resources for repair. The lower UV inhibition combined with higher recovery rate under ocean acidification could benefit species such as P.tricornutum, and change their competitiveness in the future ocean. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Information needs at the beginning of foraging: grass-cutting ants trade off load size for a faster return to the nest.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martin Bollazzi

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Acquisition of information about food sources is essential for animals that forage collectively like social insects. Foragers deliver two commodities to the nest, food and information, and they may favor the delivery of one at the expenses of the other. We predict that information needs should be particularly high at the beginning of foraging: the decision to return faster to the nest will motivate a grass-cutting ant worker to reduce its loading time, and so to leave the source with a partial load.Field results showed that at the initial foraging phase, most grass-cutting ant foragers (Acromyrmex heyeri returned unladen to the nest, and experienced head-on encounters with outgoing workers. Ant encounters were not simply collisions in a probabilistic sense: outgoing workers contacted in average 70% of the returning foragers at the initial foraging phase, and only 20% at the established phase. At the initial foraging phase, workers cut fragments that were shorter, narrower, lighter and tenderer than those harvested at the established one. Foragers walked at the initial phase significantly faster than expected for the observed temperatures, yet not at the established phase. Moreover, when controlling for differences in the fragment-size carried, workers still walked faster at the initial phase. Despite the higher speed, their individual transport rate of vegetable tissue was lower than that of similarly-sized workers foraging later at the same patch.At the initial foraging phase, workers compromised their individual transport rates of material in order to return faster to the colony. We suggest that the observed flexible cutting rules and the selection of partial loads at the beginning of foraging are driven by the need of information transfer, crucial for the establishment and maintenance of a foraging process to monopolize a discovered resource.

Multi-state nonadiabatic deactivation mechanism of coumarin revealed by ab initio on-the-fly trajectory surface hopping dynamic simulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Gan, Yanzhen; Yue, Ling; Guo, Xugeng; Zhu, Chaoyuan; Cao, Zexing

2017-05-17

An on-the-fly trajectory surface hopping dynamic simulation has been performed for revealing the multi-state nonadiabatic deactivation mechanism of coumarin. The mechanism involves three adiabatic excited states, S 3 (ππ*L b ), S 2 (nπ*, ππ*L a ) and S 1 (ππ*L a , nπ*), and the ground state S 0 at the four state-averaged complete active space self-consistent field, SA4-CASSCF(12,10)/6-31G* level of theory. Upon photoexcitation to the third excited state S 3 (ππ*L b ) in the Franck-Condon region, 80% sampling trajectories decay to the dark S 2 (nπ*) state within an average of 5 fs via the conical intersection S 3 (ππ*L b )/S 2 (nπ*), while 20% decay to the S 2 (ππ*L a ) state within an average of 11 fs via the conical intersection S 3 (ππ*L b )/S 2 (ππ*L a ). Then, sampling trajectories via S 2 (nπ*)/S 1 (ππ*L a ) continue with ultrafast decay processes to give a final distribution of quantum yields as follows: 42% stay on the dark S 1 (nπ*) state, 43.3% go back to the ground S 0 state, 12% undergo a ring-opening reaction to the Z-form S 0 (Z) state, and 2.7% go to the E-form S 0 (E) state. The lifetimes of the excited states are estimated as follows: the S 3 state is about 12 fs on average, the S 2 state is about 80 fs, and the S 1 state has a fast component of about 160 fs and a slow component of 15 ps. The simulated ultrafast radiationless deactivation pathways of photoexcited coumarin immediately interpret the experimentally observed weak fluorescence emission.

Isoliquiritigenin induces growth inhibition and apoptosis through downregulating arachidonic acid metabolic network and the deactivation of PI3K/Akt in human breast cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Ying; Zhao, Haixia; Wang, Yuzhong; Zheng, Hao; Yu, Wei; Chai, Hongyan; Zhang, Jing; Falck, John R.; Guo, Austin M.; Yue, Jiang; Peng, Renxiu; Yang, Jing

2013-01-01

Arachidonic acid (AA)-derived eicosanoids and its downstream pathways have been demonstrated to play crucial roles in growth control of breast cancer. Here, we demonstrate that isoliquiritigenin, a flavonoid phytoestrogen from licorice, induces growth inhibition and apoptosis through downregulating multiple key enzymes in AA metabolic network and the deactivation of PI3K/Akt in human breast cancer. Isoliquiritigenin diminished cell viability, 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation, and clonogenic ability in both MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231cells, and induced apoptosis as evidenced by an analysis of cytoplasmic histone-associated DNA fragmentation, flow cytometry and hoechst staining. Furthermore, isoliquiritigenin inhibited mRNA expression of multiple forms of AA-metabolizing enzymes, including phospholipase A2 (PLA2), cyclooxygenases (COX)-2 and cytochrome P450 (CYP) 4A, and decreased secretion of their products, including prostaglandin E 2 (PGE 2 ) and 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (20-HETE), without affecting COX-1, 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX), 5-lipoxygenase activating protein (FLAP), and leukotriene B 4 (LTB 4 ). In addition, it downregulated the levels of phospho-PI3K, phospho-PDK (Ser 241 ), phospho-Akt (Thr 308 ), phospho-Bad (Ser 136 ), and Bcl-x L expression, thereby activating caspase cascades and eventually cleaving poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). Conversely, the addition of exogenous eicosanoids, including PGE 2 , LTB 4 and a 20-HETE analog (WIT003), and caspase inhibitors, or overexpression of constitutively active Akt reversed isoliquiritigenin-induced apoptosis. Notably, isoliquiritigenin induced growth inhibition and apoptosis of MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer xenografts in nude mice, together with decreased intratumoral levels of eicosanoids and phospho-Akt (Thr 308 ). Collectively, these data suggest that isoliquiritigenin induces growth inhibition and apoptosis through downregulating AA metabolic network and the deactivation of PI3K/Akt in

Innovative Integration of Decommissioning and Deactivation Program with Soil-Groundwater Clean Up Program Has Positive Results on Budget and Schedule: A Case Study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schappell, B; Rucker, G

2007-01-01

An innovative approach to integrate the activities of a decommissioning and deactivation program (D and D) with a soil-groundwater clean up program has had significant positive results saving both money and time at the Department of Energy's Savannah River Site. The accomplishments that have been achieved by the combining the two programs have been remarkable including significant cost savings, economies of scale for sampling and document generation, and alignment of common objectives. Because of the coordination of both activities area-wide ''end states'' can be formulated and be consistent with the customers' cleanup goals and federal regulations. This coordinates and aligns both the environmental clean up and D and D objectives because each must be addressed simultaneously and comprehensively. In this respect, resources from both organizations can be pooled to take advantage of the strengths of each. The new approach allows more efficient use of lean financial resources and optimizes workforce activities to attain the common objectives while being more cost effective, more protective of the environment, and optimizing the use existing resources

Semantic size does not matter: "bigger" words are not recognized faster.

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Sean H K; Yap, Melvin J; Tse, Chi-Shing; Kurby, Christopher A

2011-06-01

Sereno, O'Donnell, and Sereno (2009) reported that words are recognized faster in a lexical decision task when their referents are physically large than when they are small, suggesting that "semantic size" might be an important variable that should be considered in visual word recognition research and modelling. We sought to replicate their size effect, but failed to find a significant latency advantage in lexical decision for "big" words (cf. "small" words), even though we used the same word stimuli as Sereno et al. and had almost three times as many subjects. We also examined existing data from visual word recognition megastudies (e.g., English Lexicon Project) and found that semantic size is not a significant predictor of lexical decision performance after controlling for the standard lexical variables. In summary, the null results from our lab experiment--despite a much larger subject sample size than Sereno et al.--converged with our analysis of megastudy lexical decision performance, leading us to conclude that semantic size does not matter for word recognition. Discussion focuses on why semantic size (unlike some other semantic variables) is unlikely to play a role in lexical decision.

The Faster, Better, Cheaper Approach to Space Missions: An Engineering Management Assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Hamaker, Joseph W.

1999-01-01

NASA was chartered as an independent civilian space agency in 1958 following the Soviet Union's dramatic launch of the Sputnik 1 (1957). In his state of the union address in May of 1961, President Kennedy issued to the fledging organization his famous challenge for a manned lunar mission by the end of the decade. The Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs that followed put the utmost value on high quality, low risk (as low as possible within the context of space flight), quick results, all with little regard for cost. These circumstances essentially melded NASAs culture as an organization capable of great technological achievement but at extremely high cost. The Space Shuttle project, the next major agency endeavor, was put under severe annual budget constraints in the 1970's. NASAs response was to hold to the high quality standards, low risk and annual cost and let schedule suffer. The result was a significant delay in the introduction of the Shuttle as well as overall total cost growth. By the early 1990's, because NASA's budget was declining, the number of projects was also declining. Holding the same cost and schedule productivity levels as before was essentially causing NASA to price itself out of business. In 1992, the helm of NASA was turned over to a new Administrator. Dan Goldin's mantra was "faster, better, cheaper" and his enthusiasm and determination to change the NASA culture was not to be ignored. This research paper documents the various implementations of "faster, better, cheaper" that have been attempted, analyzes their impact and compares the cost performance of these new projects to previous NASA benchmarks. Fundamentally, many elements of "faster, better, cheaper" are found to be working well, especially on smaller projects. Some of the initiatives are found to apply only to smaller or experimental projects however, so that extrapolation to "flagship" projects may be problematic.

They all like it hot: faster cleanup of contaminated soil and groundwater

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Newmark, R., LLNL

1998-03-01

Clean up a greasy kitchen spill with cold water and the going is slow. Us hot water instead and progress improves markedly. So it makes sense that cleanup of greasy underground contaminants such as gasoline might go faster if hot water or steam were somehow added to the process. The Environmental Protection Agency named hundreds of sites to the Superfund list - sites that have been contaminated with petroleum products or petroleum products or solvents. Elsewhere across the country, thousands of properties not identified on federal cleanup lists are contaminated as well. Given that under current regulations, underground accumulations of solvent and hydrocarbon contaminants (the most serious cause of groundwater pollution) must be cleaned up, finding a rapid and effective method of removing them is imperative. In the early 1990`s, in collaboration with the School of Engineering at the University of California at Berkeley, Lawrence Livermore developed dynamic underground stripping. This method for treating underground contaminants with heat is much faster and more effective than traditional treatment methods.

Differences in prefrontal cortex activation and deactivation during strategic episodic verbal memory encoding in Mild Cognitive Impairment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joana Bisol Balardin

2015-08-01

Full Text Available In this study we examined differences in fMRI activation and deactivation patterns during episodic verbal memory encoding between individuals with MCI (n=18 and healthy controls (n=17. Participants were scanned in two different sessions during the application of self-initiated or directed instructions to apply semantic strategies at encoding of word lists. MCI participants showed reduced free recall scores when using self-initiated encoding strategies that were increased to baseline controls’ level after directed instructions were provided. During directed strategic encoding, greater recruitment of frontoparietal regions was observed in both MCI and control groups; group differences between sessions were observed in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and the right superior frontal gyrus. This study provides evidence suggesting that differences of activity in these regions may be related to encoding deficits in MCI, possibly mediating executive functions during task performance.

A new integrative model of cerebral activation, deactivation and default mode function in Alzheimer's disease

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wermke, Marc [Technische Universitaet, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Munich (Germany); Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Nuklearmedizinische Klinik u. Poliklinik, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Muenchen (Germany); Sorg, Christian [Technische Universitaet, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Munich (Germany); Wohlschlaeger, Afra M. [Technische Universitaet, Departments of Neuroradiology and Neurology, Munich (Germany); Drzezga, Alexander [Technische Universitaet, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Munich (Germany)

2008-03-15

Functional imaging methods such as positron emission tomography (PET) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) allow in vivo assessment of cerebral metabolism at rest and cerebral responses to cognitive stimuli. Activation studies with different cognitive tasks have deepened the understanding of underlying pathology leading to Alzheimer disease (AD) and how the brain reacts to and potentially compensates the imposed damage inflicted by this disease. The aim of this manuscript study was to summarize current findings of activation studies in healthy people at risk for AD, in people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) as a possible progenitor of AD and finally in patients with manifest AD, adding recent results about impaired deactivation abilities and default mode function in AD. A new comprehensive model will be introduced integrating these heterogeneous findings and explaining their impact on cognitive performance. (orig.)

A new way of controlling NesCOPOs (nested cavity doubly resonant OPO) for faster and more efficient high resolution spectrum measurement

Science.gov (United States)

Georges des Aulnois, Johann; Szymanski, Benjamin; Grimieau, Axel; Sillard, Léo.

2018-02-01

Optical Parametric Oscillator (OPO) is a well-known solution when wide tunability in the mid-infrared is needed. A specific design called NesCOPO (Nested Cavity doubly resonant OPO) is currently integrated in the X-FLR8 portable gas analyzer from Blue Industry and Science. Thanks to its low threshold this OPO can be pumped by a micro-chip nanosecond YAG (4 kHz repetition rate and a 30 GHz bandwidth). To achieve very high resolution spectra (10 pm of resolution or better), the emitted wavelength has to be finely controlled. Commercial Wavemeter do not meet price and compactness required in the context of an affordable and portable gas analyzer. To overcome this issue, Blue first integrated an active wavelength controller using multiple tunable Fabry-Perot (FP) interferometers. The required resolution was achieved at a 10 Hz measurement rate. We now present an enhanced Wavemeter architecture, based on fixed FP etalons, that is 100 times faster and 2 times smaller. We avoid having FP `blind zones' thanks to one source characteristic: the knowledge of the FSR (Free Spectral Range) of the OPO source and thus, the fact that only discrete wavelengths can be emitted. First results are displayed showing faster measurement for spectroscopic application, and potential future improvement of the device are discussed.

The Effects of Caffeine on Arousal, Response Time, Accuracy, and Performance in Division I Collegiate Fencers.

Science.gov (United States)

Doyle, Taylor P; Lutz, Rafer S; Pellegrino, Joseph K; Sanders, David J; Arent, Shawn M

2016-11-01

Doyle, TP, Lutz, RS, Pellegrino, JK, Sanders, DJ, and Arent, SM. The effects of caffeine on arousal, response time, accuracy, and performance in Division I collegiate fencers. J Strength Cond Res 30(11): 3228-3235, 2016-Caffeine has displayed ergogenic effects on aerobic performance. However, sports requiring precision and quick reaction may also be impacted by central nervous system arousal because of caffeine consumption. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of caffeine on arousal, response time (RT), and accuracy during a simulated fencing practice. Using a randomized, within-subjects, placebo-controlled, double-blind design, Division I male and female college fencers (N = 13; 69.1 ± 3.5 kg) were administered caffeine doses of 0, 1.5, 3.0, 4.5, 6.0, or 7.5 mg·kg during separate testing days. Performance was assessed via RT and accuracy to a 4-choice reaction task. A total of 25 trials were performed each day using a random 2- to 8-s delay between trials. Arousal was assessed using the activation-deactivation adjective check list. Results of repeated-measures multivariate analysis of variance revealed a significant dose effect (p = 0.02) on performance. Follow-up analyses indicated this was due to a significant effect for RT (p = 0.03), with the dose-response curve exhibiting a quadratic relationship. Response time was significantly faster (p performance (p performance beginning to deteriorate at 7.5 mg·kg. Energetic arousal, tiredness, tension, and calmness all significantly changed as a function of caffeine dose (p ≤ 0.05). Based on these results, caffeine improves RT and overall performance in fencers, particularly as doses increase up to 4.5-6.0 mg·kg. Above this level, performance begins to deteriorate, consistent with an "inverted-U" model of arousal and performance.

Are OPERA neutrinos faster than light because of non-inertial reference frames?

Science.gov (United States)

Germanà, C.

2012-02-01

Context. Recent results from the OPERA experiment reported a neutrino beam traveling faster than light. The challenging experiment measured the neutrino time of flight (TOF) over a baseline from the CERN to the Gran Sasso site, concluding that the neutrino beam arrives ~60 ns earlier than a light ray would do. Because the result, if confirmed, has an enormous impact on science, it might be worth double-checking the time definitions with respect to the non-inertial system in which the neutrino travel time was measured. An observer with a clock measuring the proper time τ free of non-inertial effects is the one located at the solar system barycenter (SSB). Aims: Potential problems in the OPERA data analysis connected with the definition of the reference frame and time synchronization are emphasized. We aim to investigate the synchronization of non-inertial clocks on Earth by relating this time to the proper time of an inertial observer at SSB. Methods: The Tempo2 software was used to time-stamp events observed on the geoid with respect to the SSB inertial observer time. Results: Neutrino results from OPERA might carry the fingerprint of non-inertial effects because they are timed by terrestrial clocks. The CERN-Gran Sasso clock synchronization is accomplished by applying corrections that depend on special and general relativistic time dilation effects at the clocks, depending on the position of the clocks in the solar system gravitational well. As a consequence, TOF distributions are centered on values shorter by tens of nanoseconds than expected, integrating over a period from April to December, longer if otherwise. It is worth remarking that the OPERA runs have always been carried out from April/May to November. Conclusions: If the analysis by Tempo2 holds for the OPERA experiment, the excellent measurement by the OPERA collaboration will turn into a proof of the general relativity theory in a weak field approximation. The analysis presented here is falsifiable

THE DEACTIVATION, DECONTAMINATION AND DECOMMISSIONING OF THE PLUTONIUM FINISHING PLANT, A FORMER PLUTONIUM PROCESSING FACILITY AT DOE'S HANFORD SITE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

CHARBONEAU, S.L.

2006-01-01

The Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP) was constructed as part of the Manhattan Project during World War II. The Manhattan Project was developed to usher in the use of nuclear weapons to end the war. The primary mission of the PFP was to provide plutonium used as special nuclear material (SNM) for fabrication of nuclear devices for the war effort. Subsequent to the end of World War II, the PFP's mission expanded to support the Cold War effort through plutonium production during the nuclear arms race and later the processing of fuel grade mixed plutonium-uranium oxide to support DOE's breeder reactor program. In October 1990, at the close of the production mission for PFP, a shutdown order was prepared by the Department of Energy (DOE) in Washington,; DC--and issued to the Richland DOE field office. Subsequent to the shutdown order, a team from the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) analyzed the hazards at PFP associated with the continued storage of certain forms of plutonium solutions and solids. The assessment identified many discrete actions that were required to stabilize the different plutonium forms into stable form and repackage the material in high integrity containers. These actions were technically complicated and completed as part of the PFP nuclear material stabilization project between 1995 and early 2005. The completion of the stabilization project was a necessary first step in deactivating PFP. During stabilization, DOE entered into negotiations with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the State of Washington and established milestones for the Deactivation and Decommissioning (DandD) of the PFP. The DOE and its contractor, Fluor Hanford (Fluor), have made great progress in deactivating, decontaminating and decommissioning the PFP at the Hanford Site as detailed in this paper. Background information covering the PFP DandD effort includes descriptions of negotiations with the State of Washington concerning consent

Faster R-CNN: Towards Real-Time Object Detection with Region Proposal Networks

OpenAIRE

Ren, Shaoqing; He, Kaiming; Girshick, Ross; Sun, Jian

2015-01-01

State-of-the-art object detection networks depend on region proposal algorithms to hypothesize object locations. Advances like SPPnet and Fast R-CNN have reduced the running time of these detection networks, exposing region proposal computation as a bottleneck. In this work, we introduce a Region Proposal Network (RPN) that shares full-image convolutional features with the detection network, thus enabling nearly cost-free region proposals. An RPN is a fully convolutional network that simultan...

A light and faster regional convolutional neural network for object detection in optical remote sensing images

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, Peng; Zhang, Ye; Deng, Wei-Jian; Jia, Ping; Kuijper, Arjan

2018-07-01

Detection of objects from satellite optical remote sensing images is very important for many commercial and governmental applications. With the development of deep convolutional neural networks (deep CNNs), the field of object detection has seen tremendous advances. Currently, objects in satellite remote sensing images can be detected using deep CNNs. In general, optical remote sensing images contain many dense and small objects, and the use of the original Faster Regional CNN framework does not yield a suitably high precision. Therefore, after careful analysis we adopt dense convoluted networks, a multi-scale representation and various combinations of improvement schemes to enhance the structure of the base VGG16-Net for improving the precision. We propose an approach to reduce the test-time (detection time) and memory requirements. To validate the effectiveness of our approach, we perform experiments using satellite remote sensing image datasets of aircraft and automobiles. The results show that the improved network structure can detect objects in satellite optical remote sensing images more accurately and efficiently.

Shampoo-clay heals diaper rash faster than calendula officinalis.

Science.gov (United States)

Adib-Hajbaghery, Mohsen; Mahmoudi, Mansoreh; Mashaiekhi, Mahdi

2014-06-01

Diaper rash is one of the most common skin disorders of infancy and childhood. Some studies have shown that Shampoo-clay was effective to treat chronic dermatitis. Then, it is supposed that it may be effective in diaper rash; however, no published studies were found in this regard. This study aimed to compare the effects of Shampoo-clay (S.C) and Calendula officinalis (C.O) to improve infantile diaper rash. A randomized, double blind, parallel controlled, non-inferiority trial was conducted on 60 outpatient infants referred to health care centers or pediatric clinics in Khomein city and diagnosed with diaper rash. Patients were randomly assigned into two treatment groups including S.C group (n = 30) and C.O group (n = 30) by using one to one allocation ratio. The rate of complete recovery in three days was the primary outcome. Data was collected using a checklist and analyzed using t-test, Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests and risk ratio. Totally, 93.3% of lesions in the S.C group healed in the first 6 hours, while this rate was 40% in C.O group (P < 0.001). The healing ratio for improvement in the first 6 hours was 7 times more in the S.C group. In addition, 90% of infants in the SC group and 36.7% in the C.O group were improved completely in the first 3 days (P < 0.001). S.C was effective to heal diaper rash, and also had faster effects compared to C.O.

Natural radionuclides in effluents release by a deactivated uranium mine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pereira, Wagner S.; Kelecom, Alphonse; Silva, Ademir X.; Lopes, José M.; Pinto, Carlos E.C.; Py Júnior, Delcy A.; Antunes, Marcos M., E-mail: pereiraws@gmail.com, E-mail: caerjbr@gmail.com, E-mail: wspereira@inb.gov.br, E-mail: delcy@inb.gov.br, E-mail: Antunes@inb.gov.br, E-mail: lararapls@hotmail.com, E-mail: Ademir@nuclear.ufrj.br, E-mail: marqueslopes@yahoo.com.br [Universidade Veiga de Almeida (UVA), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil); Indústrias Nucleares do Brasil (COMAP.N/FCN/INB), Resende RJ (Brazil). Fábrica de Combustível Nuclear. Coordenação de Meio Ambiente e Proteção Radiológica Ambiental; Universidade Federal Fluminense (LARARA-PLS/UFF), Niterói, RJ (Brazil). Laboratório de Radiobiologia e Radiometria; Coordenacao de Pos-Graduacao e Pesquisa de Engenharia (COPPE/UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Programa de Engenharia Nuclear

2017-07-01

The Ore Treatment Unit (OTU) is a mine and deactivated uranium plant in the city of Caldas, Minas Gerais, Brazil. This facility possesses three points of release of liquid effluents containing radionuclides: point 014, 025 and 076. At these points, the values of activity concentrations (AC) of the radionuclides U{sub nat}, {sup 226}Ra, {sup 210}Pb, {sup 232}Th and {sup 228}Ra were analyzed in 2012. The evaluation of point 014 by univariate statistics pointed four groups. [U{sub nat} > {sup 228}Ra > ({sup 226}Ra = {sup 210}Pb) >{sup 232}Th]. The multivariate statistics separated the radionuclides into two groups: [(U{sub nat} and {sup 232}Th) and ({sup 226}Ra, {sup 228}Ra and {sup 210}Pb)]. At point 025, the univariate statistics described three groups: [Un{sub at} > ({sup 228}Ra = {sup 210}Pb) > ({sup 226}Ra = {sup 232}Th)] and the multivariate analysis also described three but different groups: [(U{sub nat} and {sup 228}Ra), ({sup 226}Ra and {sup 210}Pb) and {sup 232}Th]. In turn, point 076 showed another behavior. The univariate analysis showed only two groups: [(U{sub nat}) > ({sup 226}Ra, {sup 228}Ra, {sup 210}Pb, {sup 232}Th)]. Differently, the multivariate statistics defined three groups: [(U{sub nat} and {sup 232}Th), ({sup 226}Ra and {sup 228}Ra) and {sup 210}Pb].Thus, statistical analysis showed that each point has releases of effluents with different characteristics. Both the behaviors of releases, based on multivariate statistics, and of the AC magnitudes, based on the univariate statistics, are different between the points. The only common features were the greater magnitude of uranium and the smaller magnitude of thorium. (author)

Biomonitoring a human population inhabiting nearby a deactivated uranium mine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lourenço, J.; Pereira, R.; Pinto, F.; Caetano, T.; Silva, A.; Carvalheiro, T.

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Human population environmentally exposed to uranium mining wastes. ► Significantly higher levels of manganese and uranium in peripheral blood samples. ► Significant DNA damages detected by the comet assay. ► Significant decrease of NK and T lymphocytes counts in exposed individuals. ► Concerns on the risks of human populations living nearby uranium mining areas. - Abstract: Environmental exposure to uranium and its daughter radionuclides, has been linked to several negative effects such as those related with important physiological processes, like hematopoiesis, and may also be associated with genotoxicity effects. Herein, genotoxic effects, immunotoxicity, trace elements and C reactive protein (CRP) analyses, were performed in peripheral blood samples collected from individuals of a population living near a deactivated uranium mine. C reactive protein analysis was performed to exclude candidates with active inflammatory processes from further evaluations. DNA damage and immunotoxicity (immunophenotyping and immune cell counts) were evaluated by comet assay and flow cytometry, respectively. Significant DNA damage was observed in the peripheral blood samples from volunteers living in the Cunha Baixa village. A significant decrease of NK and T lymphocytes counts were observed in the individuals from the Cunha Baixa village, when compared with individuals from the reference site. Uranium and manganese levels were significantly higher in the Cunha Baixa village inhabitants. On the other hand, zinc levels were significantly lower in those individuals when compared with the volunteers from the control village. Results suggest that inhabitants from Cunha Baixa have a higher risk of suffering from serious diseases such as cancer, since high DNA damages were observed in peripheral blood leukocytes and also decreased levels of NK and T cells, which play an essential role in the defense against tumor growth

Deactivation of Ni-MoS₂ by bio-oil impurities during hydrodeoxygenation of phenol and octanol

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mortensen, Peter Mølgaard; Gardini, Diego; Damsgaard, Christian Danvad

2016-01-01

The stability of Ni-MoS2/ZrO2 toward water, potassium, and chlorine containing compounds during hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of a mixture of phenol and 1-octanol was investigated in a high pressure gas and liquid continuous flow fixed bed setup at 280 °C and 100 bar. To maintain the stability...... of the catalyst, sufficient co-feeding of a sulfur source was necessary to avoid oxidation of the sulfide phase by oxygen replacement of the edge sulfur atoms in the MoS2 structure. However, the addition of sulfur to the feed gas resulted in the formation of sulfur containing compounds, mainly thiols, in the oil...... impregnated on the catalyst in a stoichiometric ratio relative to the active metal. This deactivation was a result of adsorption of potassium on the edge vacancy sites of the MoS2 slabs....

Faster onset time of supraclavicular brachial plexus block using local anesthetic diluted with dextrose

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hong Jin Lim

Full Text Available Abstract Background and objectives: A high sodium concentration is known to antagonize local anesthetics when infiltrated around neural tissue. Thus, we hypothesized that the onset time for sensory and motor blockade, in supraclavicular brachial plexus block using ropivacaine diluted with dextrose would be shorter than with saline. Methods: Patients scheduled for upper limb surgery were randomized to receive ultrasound guided supraclavicular brachial plexus block with 0.5% ropivacaine. Evaluation of sensory and motor blockade was performed every 5 min for 60 min. Patients were followed-up on postoperative day 1, and between days 7 and 10 for the presence of any complications. Twenty-five patients in each group were analyzed. Results: Mean time for onset of analgesia for the dextrose group was 37.6 ± 12.9 min while the mean time for the saline group was 45.2 ± 13.9 min with a p-value of 0.05. The effect size was 0.567, which was moderate to large. No major complications were observed. Conclusion: We conclude that there was a decrease in onset time of analgesia when dextrose was used as a diluent instead of saline for ultrasound guided supraclavicular block.

Faster onset time of supraclavicular brachial plexus block using local anesthetic diluted with dextrose.

Science.gov (United States)

Lim, Hong Jin; Hasan, Mohd Shahnaz; Chinna, Karuthan

2016-01-01

A high sodium concentration is known to antagonize local anesthetics when infiltrated around neural tissue. Thus, we hypothesized that the onset time for sensory and motor blockade, in supraclavicular brachial plexus block using ropivacaine diluted with dextrose would be shorter than with saline. Patients scheduled for upper limb surgery were randomized to receive ultrasound guided supraclavicular brachial plexus block with 0.5% ropivacaine. Evaluation of sensory and motor blockade was performed every 5min for 60min. Patients were followed-up on postoperative day 1, and between days 7 and 10 for the presence of any complications. Twenty-five patients in each group were analyzed. Mean time for onset of analgesia for the dextrose group was 37.6±12.9min while the mean time for the saline group was 45.2±13.9min with a p-value of 0.05. The effect size was 0.567, which was moderate to large. No major complications were observed. We conclude that there was a decrease in onset time of analgesia when dextrose was used as a diluent instead of saline for ultrasound guided supraclavicular block. Copyright © 2015 Sociedade Brasileira de Anestesiologia. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

Membrane potentials and intracellular Cl- activity of toad skin epithelium in relation to activation and deactivation of the transepithelial Cl- conductance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Willumsen, N J; Larsen, Erik Hviid

1986-01-01

M in skins from animals adapted to distilled water. Both Va and acCl were found to be positively correlated with Isc (r = 0.66 and r = 0.70, respectively). In eight epithelia from animals adapted to dry milieu/tap water Va and acCl were measured with KCl Ringer's on the outside during activation...... V was stepped back to 40 mV, Va instantaneously shifted to -67.8 +/- 3.9 mV while acCl and fRa remained constant during deactivation of GCl. Similar results were obtained in epithelia impaled from the serosal side. In 12 skins from animals adapted to either tap water or distilled water the density...... zero.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)...

Heating, ventilating, and air conditioning deactivation thermal analysis of PUREX Plant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, W.W.; Gregonis, R.A. [Westinghouse Hanford Company, Richland, WA (United States)

1997-08-01

Thermal analysis was performed for the proposed Plutonium Uranium Extraction Plant exhaust system after deactivation. The purpose of the analysis was to determine if enough condensation will occur to plug or damage the filtration components. A heat transfer and fluid flow analysis was performed to evaluate the thermal characteristics of the underground duct system, the deep-bed glass fiber filter No. 2, and the high-efficiency particulate air filters in the fourth filter building. The analysis is based on extreme variations of air temperature, relative humidity, and dew point temperature using 15 years of Hanford Site weather data as a basis. The results will be used to evaluate the need for the electric heaters proposed for the canyon exhaust to prevent condensation. Results of the analysis indicate that a condition may exist in the underground ductwork where the duct temperature can lead or lag changes in the ambient air temperature. This condition may contribute to condensation on the inside surfaces of the underground exhaust duct. A worst case conservative analysis was performed assuming that all of the water is removed from the moist air over the inside surface of the concrete duct area in the fully developed turbulent boundary layer while the moist air in the free stream will not condense. The total moisture accumulated in 24 hours is negligible. Water puddling would not be expected. The results of the analyses agree with plant operating experiences. The filters were designed to resist high humidity and direct wetting, filter plugging caused by slight condensation in the upstream duct is not a concern. 19 refs., 2 figs.

ETEM observation of Pt/C electrode catalysts in a moisturized cathode atmosphere

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshida, K; Zhang, X; Tanaka, N; Boyes, E D; Gai, P L

2014-01-01

There have been reports of challenges in designing platinum carbon (Pt/C) electrode catalysts for PEMFC. Pt/C electrode catalysts deactivate much faster on the cathode (in moisturized O 2 ) than on the anode (in H 2 ). To understand influences of moisture and oxygen on the deactivation of the Pt/C catalysts in proton-exchange-membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), spherical-aberration-corrected environmental transmission electron microscopy (AC-ETEM) was applied with a high-speed CCD camera. Structural changes of the Pt/C electrode catalysts were dynamically recorded in moisturized nitrogen, oxygen and hydrogen. The mass spectrometry confirmed the moisture content (between 5 to 30 %) of nitrogen driving gas through a humidifier. Coalescence of platinum nanoparticles (D = 3.24 nm) was carefully evaluated in pure N 2 and moisturized N 2 atmosphere. The Pt/C showed considerable structural weakness in a moisturized N2 atmosphere. Comparable results obtained by AC-ETEM in different gas atmospheres also suggested ways to improve the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). In this paper, the deactivation process due to moisture (hydroxylation) of carbon supports is discussed using for comparison the movement of platinum nanoparticles measured in moisturized nitrogen and pure nitrogen atmospheres

Time Perspective and Emotion Regulation as Predictors of Age-Related Subjective Passage of Time.

Science.gov (United States)

Wittmann, Marc; Rudolph, Tina; Linares Gutierrez, Damisela; Winkler, Isabell

2015-12-17

Hardly any empirical work exists concerning the relationship between the intra-individually stable time perspective relating to the past, present, and future and the subjective speed of time passing in everyday life. Moreover, studies consistently show that the subjective passage of time over the period of the last ten years speeds up as we get older. Modulating variables influencing this phenomenon are still unknown. To investigate these two unresolved issues, we conducted an online survey with n = 423 participants ranging in age between 17 and 81 assessing trait time perspective of the past, present, and future, and relating these subscales with a battery of measures pertaining to the subjective passage of time. Moreover, the subjective passage of time as an age-dependent variable was probed in relationship to emotion awareness, appraisal and regulation. Results show how present hedonism is linked with having fewer routines in life and a faster passage of the last week; the past negative perspective is related to time pressure, time expansion and more routine; a pronounced future perspective is related to a general faster passage of time. Importantly, increased emotion regulation and a balanced time perspective are related to a slower passage of the last ten years. These novel findings are discussed within models of time perception and the time perspective.

Inhibition of CD147 expression promotes chemosensitivity in HNSCC cells by deactivating MAPK/ERK signaling pathway.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Chao; Wang, Jianqi; Fan, Longkun; Guo, Yanjun

2017-02-01

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is one of the most common cancers in the world. CD147, a transmembrane glycoprotein, has been reported to be correlated with cancer progression, metastasis, and chemoresistance in various cancers. In this study, we aimed to investigate the mechanism of CD147 in regulating drug resistance in HNSCC cells. qRT-PCR were used to evaluated the expression of CD147 in 57 HNSCC tumorous tissues and 2 cell lines. Increased expression of CD147 was found in most HNSCC samples, and the expression level of CD147 was correlated with multidrug resistance. CD147 RNA silencing decreased the chemoresistance of HNSCC cells by deactivating MAPK/ERK signaling pathway. Further investigation revealed that either rescue expression of CD147 or treatment of MAPK/ERK activator phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) in CD147 knockdown CRC cell line attenuated the decreased chemoresistance in CD147 knockdown cells. Taken together, our results suggest that CD147 promotes chemoresistance by activating MAPK/ERK signaling pathway in HNSCC. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

A faster ordered-subset convex algorithm for iterative reconstruction in a rotation-free micro-CT system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Quan, E; Lalush, D S

2009-01-01

We present a faster iterative reconstruction algorithm based on the ordered-subset convex (OSC) algorithm for transmission CT. The OSC algorithm was modified such that it calculates the normalization term before the iterative process in order to save computational cost. The modified version requires only one backprojection per iteration as compared to two required for the original OSC. We applied the modified OSC (MOSC) algorithm to a rotation-free micro-CT system that we proposed previously, observed its performance, and compared with the OSC algorithm for 3D cone-beam reconstruction. Measurements on the reconstructed images as well as the point spread functions show that MOSC is quite similar to OSC; in noise-resolution trade-off, MOSC is comparable with OSC in a regular-noise situation and it is slightly worse than OSC in an extremely high-noise situation. The timing record shows that MOSC saves 25-30% CPU time, depending on the number of iterations used. We conclude that the MOSC algorithm is more efficient than OSC and provides comparable images.

Registered nurse supply grows faster than projected amid surge in new entrants ages 23-26.

Science.gov (United States)

Auerbach, David I; Buerhaus, Peter I; Staiger, Douglas O

2011-12-01

The vast preponderance of the nation's registered nurses are women. In the 1980s and 1990 s, a decline in the number of women ages 23-26 who were choosing nursing as a career led to concerns that there would be future nurse shortages unless the trend was reversed. Between 2002 and 2009, however, the number of full-time-equivalent registered nurses ages 23-26 increased by 62 percent. If these young nurses follow the same life-cycle employment patterns as those who preceded them--as they appear to be thus far--then they will be the largest cohort of registered nurses ever observed. Because of this surge in the number of young people entering nursing during the past decade, the nurse workforce is projected to grow faster during the next two decades than previously anticipated. However, it is uncertain whether interest in nursing will continue to grow in the future.

PET/CT Biograph trademark Sensation 16. Performance improvement using faster electronics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martinez, M.J.; Schwaiger, M.; Ziegler, S.I.; Bercier, Y.

2006-01-01

Aim: the new PET/CT biograph sensation 16 (BS16) tomographs have faster detector electronics which allow a reduced timing coincidence window and an increased lower energy threshold (from 350 to 400 keV). This paper evaluates the performance of the BS16 PET scanner before and after the Pico-3D electronics upgrade. Methods: four NEMA NU 2-2001 protocols, (i) spatial resolution, (ii) scatter fraction, count losses and random measurement, (iii) sensitivity, and (iv) image quality, have been performed. Results: a considerable change in both PET count-rate performance and image quality is observed after electronics upgrade. The new scatter fraction obtained using Pico-3D electronics showed a 14% decrease compared to that obtained with the previous electronics. At the typical patient background activity (5.3 kBq/ml), the new scatter fraction was approximately 0.42. The noise equivalent count-rate (R NEC ) performance was also improved. The value at which the R NEC curve peaked, increased from 3.7 . 10 4 s -1 at 14 kBq/ml to 6.4 . 10 4 s -1 at 21 kBq/ml (2R-NEC rate). Likewise, the peak true count-rate value increased from 1.9 . 10 5 s -1 at 22 kBq/ml to 3.4 . 10 5 s -1 at 33 kBq/ml. An average increase of 45% in contrast was observed for hot spheres when using AW-OSEM (4ix8s) as the reconstruction algorithm. For cold spheres, the average increase was 12%. Conclusion: the performance of the PET scanners in the BS16 tomographs is improved by the optimization of the signal processing. The narrower energy and timing coincidence windows lead to a considerable increase of signal-to-noise ratio. The existing combination of fast detectors and adapted electronics in the BS16 tomographs allow imaging protocols with reduced acquisition time, providing higher patient throughput. (orig.)

Pollution by s-triazine herbicides on waters. Electrochemical study on the simazine and propazone reductive deactivation; Contaminacion de aguas por herbicidas s-triazinicos. Estudio electroquimico de la desactivacion reductiva de simazina y propazina

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marin Galvin, R.; Rodriguez Mellado, J. M.; Higuera, M. J. [Universidad de Cordoba (Spain); Ruiz Montoya, M. [Universidad de Huelva (Spain)

2000-07-01

The s-Triazine herbicides are actually very used in the world's agricultural practices. Due to this they are widely found in soils and waters. In this sense, these herbicides can be deactivated by photooxidative way in that aquatic environments well sun-lighted and oxygenated. This paper deals on a electrochemical study al laboratory-scale on the reduction of simazine and propazine on mercury electrodes. According results, the global processes is irreversible and it is carried out at potentials of -1.000 mV and solutions with pH<4,0. The products then obtained are non aromatic and non chlorinated and must be reasonably of a lower toxicity than that of the primitive herbicides. The above implies that this reductive way could be applied to detoxify wastewaters herbicide-polluted by using another electrodes different of that mercury. On the other hand, the natural deactivation of natural waters containing simazine and propazine could theoretically act by this reductive way in acids, very poor oxygenated and rich in suspended materials waters (specially, carbonaceous). (Author) 23 refs.

Radioprotection planned operation to deactivate an old fabrication plant of UO2 pellets in IPEN - CNEN/SP to perform decommissioning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanchez Cambises, Paulo Brasil; Paiva, Julio Evangelista de; Almeida, Claudio C.; Silva, Teresinha M.; Rodrigues, Demerval L.

2008-01-01

In this work, the steps adopted in the operation planned for the deactivation and decommissioning of the previous plant (building 24), to manufacture the tablets of dioxide of Uranium of the Nuclear and Energy Research Institute, IPEN - CNEN/SP are shown, with decommissioning aims. This operation involved the planning, training the operators of the installation, radiometric analysis of the workstations and surveys for monitoring external radiation, contaminated surfaces and air contamination. The training involved the procedures for the manipulation of radioactive materials, decontamination of surfaces, segregation of materials and practical procedures for monitoring the individual surface body contamination, footwear and clothes. Procedures for the transport of radioactive materials had also been established, relative to the internal rules of the installation; provisory confinement of wastes; effluent, riddance of materials and finding areas free of contamination. (author)

Radioprotection planned operation to deactivate an old fabrication plant of UO2 pellets in IPEN-CNEN/SP to perform decommissioning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cambises, Paulo B.S.; Paiva, Julio Evangelista de; Almeida, Claudio C.; Silva, Teresinha M.; Rodrigues, Demerval L.

2007-01-01

In this work, the steps adopted in the operation planned for the deactivation of the previous plant (building 24), to manufacture the tablets of dioxide of Uranium of the Nuclear and Energy Research Institute, IPEN - CNEN/SP are shown, with decommissioning aims. This operation involved the planning, training the operators of the installation, radiometric analysis of the workstations and surveys for monitoring external radiation, contaminated surfaces and air contamination . The training involved the procedures for the manipulation of radioactive materials, decontamination of surfaces, segregation of materials and practical procedures for monitoring the individual surface body contamination, footwear and clothes. Procedures for the transport of radioactive materials had also been established, relative to the internal rules of the installation; provisory confinement of wastes; effluent, riddance of materials and finding areas free of contamination. (author)

The role of zeolites in the deactivation of multifunctional fischer-tropsch synthesis catalysts: the interaction between HZSM-5 and Fe-based Ft-catalysts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. C. Zonetti

2013-12-01

Full Text Available In order to produce gasoline directly from syngas, HZSM-5 can be added to the Fischer-Tropsch catalyst. However, this catalytic system shows an important deactivation rate. Aiming at describing this phenomenon, Fe-based catalysts and physical mixtures containing these catalysts and HZSM-5 were employed in this reaction. All these systems were characterized using the following techniques: XRD, XPS, TPR and TPD of CO. This work shows that HZSM-5 interacts with the Fe-based Fischer-Tropsch catalyst during the reduction step, decreasing the Fe concentration on the catalytic surface and thus lowering the activity of the catalytic system in the Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis.

The role of zeolites in the deactivation of multifunctional Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis catalysts: the interaction between HZSM-5 and Fe-based FT-catalysts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zonetti, P.C.; Gaspar, A.B.; Mendes, F.M.T.; Appel, L.G.; Avillez, R. R. de; Sousa-Aguiar, E.F.

2013-01-01

In order to produce gasoline directly from syngas, HZSM-5 can be added to the Fischer-Tropsch catalyst. However, this catalytic system shows an important deactivation rate. Aiming at describing this phenomenon, Fe-based catalysts and physical mixtures containing these catalysts and HZSM-5 were employed in this reaction. All these systems were characterized using the following techniques: XRD, XPS, TPR and TPD of CO. This work shows that HZSM-5 interacts with the Fe-based Fischer-Tropsch catalyst during the reduction step, decreasing the Fe concentration on the catalytic surface and thus lowering the activity of the catalytic system in the Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis. (author)

The role of zeolites in the deactivation of multifunctional Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis catalysts: the interaction between HZSM-5 and Fe-based FT-catalysts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zonetti, P.C.; Gaspar, A.B.; Mendes, F.M.T.; Appel, L.G., E-mail: lucia.appel@int.gov.br [Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia (INT/MCT), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil); Avillez, R. R. de [Pontificia Universidade Catolica do Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio), RJ (Brazil); Sousa-Aguiar, E.F. [Centro de Pesquisa Leopoldo Americo Miguez de Mello (CENPES/PETROBRAS), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

2013-10-15

In order to produce gasoline directly from syngas, HZSM-5 can be added to the Fischer-Tropsch catalyst. However, this catalytic system shows an important deactivation rate. Aiming at describing this phenomenon, Fe-based catalysts and physical mixtures containing these catalysts and HZSM-5 were employed in this reaction. All these systems were characterized using the following techniques: XRD, XPS, TPR and TPD of CO. This work shows that HZSM-5 interacts with the Fe-based Fischer-Tropsch catalyst during the reduction step, decreasing the Fe concentration on the catalytic surface and thus lowering the activity of the catalytic system in the Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis. (author)

Natural radionuclides in effluents release by a deactivated uranium mine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pereira, Wagner S.; Kelecom, Alphonse; Silva, Ademir X.; Lopes, José M.; Pinto, Carlos E.C.; Py Júnior, Delcy A.; Antunes, Marcos M.; Indústrias Nucleares do Brasil; Universidade Federal Fluminense; Coordenacao de Pos-Graduacao e Pesquisa de Engenharia

2017-01-01

The Ore Treatment Unit (OTU) is a mine and deactivated uranium plant in the city of Caldas, Minas Gerais, Brazil. This facility possesses three points of release of liquid effluents containing radionuclides: point 014, 025 and 076. At these points, the values of activity concentrations (AC) of the radionuclides U_n_a_t, "2"2"6Ra, "2"1"0Pb, "2"3"2Th and "2"2"8Ra were analyzed in 2012. The evaluation of point 014 by univariate statistics pointed four groups. [U_n_a_t > "2"2"8Ra > ("2"2"6Ra = "2"1"0Pb) >"2"3"2Th]. The multivariate statistics separated the radionuclides into two groups: [(U_n_a_t and "2"3"2Th) and ("2"2"6Ra, "2"2"8Ra and "2"1"0Pb)]. At point 025, the univariate statistics described three groups: [Un_a_t > ("2"2"8Ra = "2"1"0Pb) > ("2"2"6Ra = "2"3"2Th)] and the multivariate analysis also described three but different groups: [(U_n_a_t and "2"2"8Ra), ("2"2"6Ra and "2"1"0Pb) and "2"3"2Th]. In turn, point 076 showed another behavior. The univariate analysis showed only two groups: [(U_n_a_t) > ("2"2"6Ra, "2"2"8Ra, "2"1"0Pb, "2"3"2Th)]. Differently, the multivariate statistics defined three groups: [(U_n_a_t and "2"3"2Th), ("2"2"6Ra and "2"2"8Ra) and "2"1"0Pb].Thus, statistical analysis showed that each point has releases of effluents with different characteristics. Both the behaviors of releases, based on multivariate statistics, and of the AC magnitudes, based on the univariate statistics, are different between the points. The only common features were the greater magnitude of uranium and the smaller magnitude of thorium. (author)

Two-ply channels for faster wicking in paper-based microfluidic devices.

Science.gov (United States)

Camplisson, Conor K; Schilling, Kevin M; Pedrotti, William L; Stone, Howard A; Martinez, Andres W

2015-12-07

This article describes the development of porous two-ply channels for paper-based microfluidic devices that wick fluids significantly faster than conventional, porous, single-ply channels. The two-ply channels were made by stacking two single-ply channels on top of each other and were fabricated entirely out of paper, wax and toner using two commercially available printers, a convection oven and a thermal laminator. The wicking in paper-based channels was studied and modeled using a modified Lucas-Washburn equation to account for the effect of evaporation, and a paper-based titration device incorporating two-ply channels was demonstrated.

Semantic Size Does Not Matter: “Bigger” Words Are Not Recognised Faster

OpenAIRE

Kang, Sean H.K.; Yap, Melvin J.; Tse, Chi-Shing; Kurby, Christopher A.

2011-01-01

Sereno, O’Donnell, and Sereno (2009) reported that words are recognised faster in a lexical decision task when their referents are physically large rather than small, suggesting that “semantic size” might be an important variable that should be considered in visual word recognition research and modelling. We sought to replicate their size effect, but failed to find a significant latency advantage in lexical decision for “big” words (cf. “small” words), even though we used the same word stimul...

Time Perspective and Emotion Regulation as Predictors of Age-Related Subjective Passage of Time

Science.gov (United States)

Wittmann, Marc; Rudolph, Tina; Linares Gutierrez, Damisela; Winkler, Isabell

2015-01-01

Hardly any empirical work exists concerning the relationship between the intra-individually stable time perspective relating to the past, present, and future and the subjective speed of time passing in everyday life. Moreover, studies consistently show that the subjective passage of time over the period of the last ten years speeds up as we get older. Modulating variables influencing this phenomenon are still unknown. To investigate these two unresolved issues, we conducted an online survey with n = 423 participants ranging in age between 17 and 81 assessing trait time perspective of the past, present, and future, and relating these subscales with a battery of measures pertaining to the subjective passage of time. Moreover, the subjective passage of time as an age-dependent variable was probed in relationship to emotion awareness, appraisal and regulation. Results show how present hedonism is linked with having fewer routines in life and a faster passage of the last week; the past negative perspective is related to time pressure, time expansion and more routine; a pronounced future perspective is related to a general faster passage of time. Importantly, increased emotion regulation and a balanced time perspective are related to a slower passage of the last ten years. These novel findings are discussed within models of time perception and the time perspective. PMID:26694439

Time Perspective and Emotion Regulation as Predictors of Age-Related Subjective Passage of Time

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marc Wittmann

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Hardly any empirical work exists concerning the relationship between the intra-individually stable time perspective relating to the past, present, and future and the subjective speed of time passing in everyday life. Moreover, studies consistently show that the subjective passage of time over the period of the last ten years speeds up as we get older. Modulating variables influencing this phenomenon are still unknown. To investigate these two unresolved issues, we conducted an online survey with n = 423 participants ranging in age between 17 and 81 assessing trait time perspective of the past, present, and future, and relating these subscales with a battery of measures pertaining to the subjective passage of time. Moreover, the subjective passage of time as an age-dependent variable was probed in relationship to emotion awareness, appraisal and regulation. Results show how present hedonism is linked with having fewer routines in life and a faster passage of the last week; the past negative perspective is related to time pressure, time expansion and more routine; a pronounced future perspective is related to a general faster passage of time. Importantly, increased emotion regulation and a balanced time perspective are related to a slower passage of the last ten years. These novel findings are discussed within models of time perception and the time perspective.

Criticality Safety Lessons Learned in a Deactivation and Decommissioning Environment [A Guide for Facility and Project Managers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nirider, L. Tom

2003-08-06

This document was designed as a reference and a primer for facility and project managers responsible for Deactivation and Decommissioning (D&D) processes in facilities containing significant inventories of fissionable materials. The document contains lessons learned and guidance for the development and management of criticality safety programs. It also contains information gleaned from occurrence reports, assessment reports, facility operations and management, NDA program reviews, criticality safety experts, and criticality safety evaluations. This information is designed to assist in the planning process and operational activities. Sufficient details are provided to allow the reader to understand the events, the lessons learned, and how to apply the information to present or planned D&D processes. Information is also provided on general lessons learned including criticality safety evaluations and criticality safety program requirements during D&D activities. The document also explores recent and past criticality accidents in operating facilities, and it extracts lessons learned pertinent to D&D activities. A reference section is included to provide additional information. This document does not address D&D lessons learned that are not pertinent to criticality safety.

National health expenditure projections, 2013-23: faster growth expected with expanded coverage and improving economy.

Science.gov (United States)

Sisko, Andrea M; Keehan, Sean P; Cuckler, Gigi A; Madison, Andrew J; Smith, Sheila D; Wolfe, Christian J; Stone, Devin A; Lizonitz, Joseph M; Poisal, John A

2014-10-01

In 2013 health spending growth is expected to have remained slow, at 3.6 percent, as a result of the sluggish economic recovery, the effects of sequestration, and continued increases in private health insurance cost-sharing requirements. The combined effects of the Affordable Care Act's coverage expansions, faster economic growth, and population aging are expected to fuel health spending growth this year and thereafter (5.6 percent in 2014 and 6.0 percent per year for 2015-23). However, the average rate of increase through 2023 is projected to be slower than the 7.2 percent average growth experienced during 1990-2008. Because health spending is projected to grow 1.1 percentage points faster than the average economic growth during 2013-23, the health share of the gross domestic product is expected to rise from 17.2 percent in 2012 to 19.3 percent in 2023. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

CP Methods for Scheduling and Routing with Time-Dependent Task Costs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tierney, Kevin; Kelareva, Elena; Kilby, Philip

2013-01-01

a cost function, and Mixed Integer Programming (MIP) are often used for solving such problems. However, Constraint Programming (CP), particularly with Lazy Clause Genera- tion (LCG), has been found to be faster than MIP for some scheduling problems with time-varying action costs. In this paper, we...... compare CP and LCG against a solve-and-improve approach for two recently introduced problems in maritime logistics with time-varying action costs: the Liner Shipping Fleet Repositioning Problem (LSFRP) and the Bulk Port Cargo Throughput Optimisation Problem (BPCTOP). We present a novel CP model...... for the LSFRP, which is faster than all previous methods and outperforms a simplified automated planning model without time-varying costs. We show that a LCG solver is faster for solving the BPCTOP than a standard finite domain CP solver with a simplified model. We find that CP and LCG are effective methods...

Riboflavin as a photosensitizer. Effects on human health and food quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Cardoso, Daniel R; Libardi, Silvia H; Skibsted, Leif H

2012-05-01

Riboflavin, vitamin B₂, and flavins (as riboflavin building blocks or degradation products) are efficient photosensitizers inducing oxidative damage to light-exposed tissue and food by substrate-dependent mechanisms, for which protection is offered by specific nutrients. Phenolic and N-heterocyclic amino acids and their peptides and proteins deactivate triplet-excited state riboflavin in diffusion controlled processes, efficiently competing with deactivation by oxygen, resulting in direct (so called Type I) protein degradation through electron transfer or proton-coupled electron transfer. In light-exposed tissue, such often long lived protein radicals may as primary photoproducts initiate lipid and vitamin oxidation. In contrast, for lipid systems, oxygen deactivation of triplet-excited state riboflavin, resulting in formation of singlet oxygen, is under aerobic conditions faster than direct deactivation by lipids, which otherwise under anaerobic conditions occurs as hydrogen atom transfer from polyunsaturated lipids to triplet riboflavin. Singlet oxygen adds to unsaturated lipids and forms lipid hydroperoxides as primary lipid oxidation products or oxidizes proteins (Type II mechanism). Carotenoids seem not to deactivate triplet riboflavin, while chromanols like vitamin E and plant polyphenols are efficient in such deactivation yielding protection of proteins and lipids by these phenols. Indirect protection against the triplet reactivity of riboflavin is further important for polyphenols as riboflavin singlet excited state quenchers in effectively preventing riboflavin intersystem crossing to yield the reactive triplet state. Riboflavin photosensitization becomes critical for degradation of proteins, unsaturated lipids, and folate, thiamine, ascorbate and other vitamins during light exposure of food during storage. For skin, eye and other tissue exposed to high intensity light, dietary polyphenols like flavonoids are important in direct protection against

Two Arabidopsis cytochrome P450 monooxygenases, CYP714A1 and CYP714A2, function redundantly in plant development through gibberellin deactivation.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yingying; Zhang, Baichen; Yan, Dawei; Dong, Weixin; Yang, Weibing; Li, Qun; Zeng, Longjun; Wang, Jianjun; Wang, Linyou; Hicks, Leslie M; He, Zuhua

2011-07-01

The rice gene ELONGATED UPPERMOST INTERNODE1 (EUI1) encodes a P450 monooxygenase that epoxidizes gibberellins (GAs) in a deactivation reaction. The Arabidopsis genome contains a tandemly duplicated gene pair ELA1 (CYP714A1) and ELA2 (CYP714A2) that encode EUI homologs. In this work, we dissected the functions of the two proteins. ELA1 and ELA2 exhibited overlapping yet distinct gene expression patterns. We showed that while single mutants of ELA1 or ELA2 exhibited no obvious morphological phenotype, simultaneous elimination of ELA1 and ELA2 expression in ELA1-RNAi/ela2 resulted in increased biomass and enlarged organs. By contrast, transgenic plants constitutively expressing either ELA1 or ELA2 were dwarfed, similar to those overexpressing the rice EUI gene. We also discovered that overexpression of ELA1 resulted in a severe dwarf phenotype, while overexpression of ELA2 gave rise to a breeding-favored semi-dwarf phenotype in rice. Consistent with the phenotypes, we found that the ELA1-RNAi/ela2 plants increased amounts of biologically active GAs that were decreased in the internodes of transgenic rice with ELA1 and ELA2 overexpression. In contrast, the precursor GA(12) slightly accumulated in the transgenic rice, and GA(19) highly accumulated in the ELA2 overexpression rice. Taken together, our study strongly suggests that the two Arabidopsis EUI homologs subtly regulate plant growth most likely through catalyzing deactivation of bioactive GAs similar to rice EUI. The two P450s may also function in early stages of the GA biosynthetic pathway. Our results also suggest that ELA2 could be an excellent tool for molecular breeding for high yield potential in cereal crops. © 2011 The Authors. The Plant Journal © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Study of {gamma} radiation from uranium rods during deactivation; Etude du rayonnement {gamma} des barres d'uranium en court de desactivation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Balestic, P [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

1957-07-01

The classical formulae giving the {gamma} activities of the fission products contained in a uranium rod after unloading from the pile are reviewed without being proved. The knowledge of these activities makes it possible, by means of the method proposed here, to determine the intensities of ionisation at a point outside the rod, and thus to establish {gamma} radiation diagrams. The different parameters introduced in the calculation are geometric (dimensions of the bars and coordinates of the point considered), energetic (power at which the bar has been irradiated) and temporal (duration of the irradiation and deactivation). A numerical example follows the demonstration of the general formulae, {gamma} flux measurements carried out in the deactivation well of P2 (Saclay pile) define the accuracy of the method. In conclusion, it is suggested that radiation diagrams be used in (planning the use of) industrial irradiators for radiochemical polymerisation or the preservation of food products. (author) [French] On rappelle sans demonstration les formules classiques donnant les activites {gamma} des produits de fission contenus dans une barre d'uranium apres defournement. La connaissance de ces activites permet par la methode proposee de passer aux intensites d'ionisation en un point exterieur a la barre et d'etablir ainsi des diagrammes de rayonnement {gamma}. Les differents parametres introduits dans le calcul sont d'ordre geometrique (dimensions des barres et coordonnees du point considere), d'ordre energetique (puissance a laquelle la barre a ete irradiee) et fonction du temps (duree d'irradiation et de desactivation). Un exemple numerique fait suite a la demonstration des formules generales. Des mesures de flux {gamma} effectuees au puits de desactivation de P2 (pile de Saclay) fixent le degre d'approximation de la methode. En conclusion, on suggere l'utilisation des diagrammes de rayonnement dans l'etablissement de projets d'irradiateurs industriels pour les

Sequential search leads to faster, more efficient fragment-based de novo protein structure prediction.

Science.gov (United States)

de Oliveira, Saulo H P; Law, Eleanor C; Shi, Jiye; Deane, Charlotte M

2018-04-01

Most current de novo structure prediction methods randomly sample protein conformations and thus require large amounts of computational resource. Here, we consider a sequential sampling strategy, building on ideas from recent experimental work which shows that many proteins fold cotranslationally. We have investigated whether a pseudo-greedy search approach, which begins sequentially from one of the termini, can improve the performance and accuracy of de novo protein structure prediction. We observed that our sequential approach converges when fewer than 20 000 decoys have been produced, fewer than commonly expected. Using our software, SAINT2, we also compared the run time and quality of models produced in a sequential fashion against a standard, non-sequential approach. Sequential prediction produces an individual decoy 1.5-2.5 times faster than non-sequential prediction. When considering the quality of the best model, sequential prediction led to a better model being produced for 31 out of 41 soluble protein validation cases and for 18 out of 24 transmembrane protein cases. Correct models (TM-Score > 0.5) were produced for 29 of these cases by the sequential mode and for only 22 by the non-sequential mode. Our comparison reveals that a sequential search strategy can be used to drastically reduce computational time of de novo protein structure prediction and improve accuracy. Data are available for download from: http://opig.stats.ox.ac.uk/resources. SAINT2 is available for download from: https://github.com/sauloho/SAINT2. saulo.deoliveira@dtc.ox.ac.uk. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Faster diffraction-based overlay measurements with smaller targets using 3D gratings

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jie; Kritsun, Oleg; Liu, Yongdong; Dasari, Prasad; Volkman, Catherine; Hu, Jiangtao

2012-03-01

Diffraction-based overlay (DBO) technologies have been developed to address the overlay metrology challenges for 22nm technology node and beyond. Most DBO technologies require specially designed targets that consist of multiple measurement pads, which consume too much space and increase measurement time. The traditional empirical approach (eDBO) using normal incidence spectroscopic reflectometry (NISR) relies on linear response of the reflectance with respect to overlay displacement within a small range. It offers convenience of quick recipe setup since there is no need to establish a model. However it requires three or four pads per direction (x or y) which adds burden to throughput and target size. Recent advances in modeling capability and computation power enabled mDBO, which allows overlay measurement with reduced number of pads, thus reducing measurement time and DBO target space. In this paper we evaluate the performance of single pad mDBO measurements using two 3D targets that have different grating shapes: squares in boxes and L-shapes in boxes. Good overlay sensitivities are observed for both targets. The correlation to programmed shifts and image-based overlay (IBO) is excellent. Despite the difference in shapes, the mDBO results are comparable for square and L-shape targets. The impact of process variations on overlay measurements is studied using a focus and exposure matrix (FEM) wafer. Although the FEM wafer has larger process variations, the correlation of mDBO results with IBO measurements is as good as the normal process wafer. We demonstrate the feasibility of single pad DBO measurements with faster throughput and smaller target size, which is particularly important in high volume manufacturing environment.

Combined structural and functional imaging reveals cortical deactivations in grapheme-colour synaesthesia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erik eO'Hanlon

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Synaesthesia is a heritable condition in which particular stimuli generate specific and consistent sensory percepts or associations in another modality or processing stream. Functional neuroimaging studies have identified potential correlates of these experiences, including, in some but not all cases, the hyperactivation of visuotemporal areas and of parietal areas thought to be involved in perceptual binding. Structural studies have identified a similarly variable spectrum of differences between synaesthetes and controls. However, it remains unclear the extent to which these neural correlates reflect the synaesthetic experience itself or additional phenotypes associated with the condition. Here, we acquired both structural and functional neuroimaging data comparing thirteen grapheme-colour synaesthetes with eleven non-synaesthetes. Using voxel-based morphometry and diffusion tensor imaging, we identify a number of clusters of increased volume of grey matter, of white matter or of increased fractional anisotropy in synaesthetes versus controls. To assess the possible involvement of these areas in the synaesthetic experience, we used nine areas of increased grey matter volume as regions of interest in an fMRI experiment that characterised the contrast in response to stimuli which induced synaesthesia (i.e. letters versus those which did not (non-meaningful symbols. Two of these areas, in left lateral occipital cortex and in postcentral gyrus, showed sensitivity to this contrast in synaesthetes but not controls. Unexpectedly, in both regions, the letter stimuli produced a strong negative BOLD signal in synaesthetes. An additional whole-brain fMRI analysis identified fourteen areas, three of which were driven mainly by a negative BOLD response to letters in synaesthetes. Our findings suggest that cortical deactivations may be involved in the conscious experience of internally generated synaesthetic percepts

Genome-Wide Analysis of the Biosynthesis and Deactivation of Gibberellin-Dioxygenases Gene Family in Camellia sinensis (L. O. Kuntze

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cheng Pan

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Gibberellins (GAs, a class of diterpenoid phytohormones, play a key role in regulating diverse processes throughout the life cycle of plants. Bioactive GA levels are rapidly regulated by Gibberellin-dioxygenases (GAox, which are involved in the biosynthesis and deactivation of gibberellin. In this manuscript, a comprehensive genome-wide analysis was carried out to find all GAox in Camellia sinensis. For the first time in a tea plant, 14 CsGAox genes, containing two domains, DIOX_N (PF14226 and 2OG-FeII_Oxy, were identified (PF03171. These genes all belong to 2-oxoglutarate-dependent dioxygenases (2-ODD, including four CsGA20ox (EC: 1.14.11.12, three CsGA3ox (EC: 1.14.11.15, and seven CsGA2ox (EC: 1.14.11.13. According to the phylogenetic classification as in Arabidopsis, the CsGAox genes spanned five subgroups. Each CsGAox shows tissue-specific expression patterns, although these vary greatly. Some candidate genes, which may play an important role in response to external abiotic stresses, have been identified with regards to patterns, such as CsGA20ox2, CsGA3ox2, CsGA3ox3, CsGA2ox1, CsGA2ox2, and CsGA2ox4. The bioactive GA levels may be closely related to the GA20ox, GA3ox and GA2ox genes. In addition, the candidate genes could be used as marker genes for abiotic stress resistance breeding in tea plants.

Radioprotection planned operation to deactivate an old fabrication plant of UO{sub 2} pellets in IPEN-CNEN/SP to perform decommissioning

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cambises, Paulo B.S.; Paiva, Julio Evangelista de; Almeida, Claudio C.; Silva, Teresinha M.; Rodrigues, Demerval L. [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)]. E-mails: cambises@ipen.br; jepaiva@ipen.br; calmeida@ipen.br; tmsilva@ipen.br; dlrodri@ipen.br

2007-07-01

In this work, the steps adopted in the operation planned for the deactivation of the previous plant (building 24), to manufacture the tablets of dioxide of Uranium of the Nuclear and Energy Research Institute, IPEN - CNEN/SP are shown, with decommissioning aims. This operation involved the planning, training the operators of the installation, radiometric analysis of the workstations and surveys for monitoring external radiation, contaminated surfaces and air contamination . The training involved the procedures for the manipulation of radioactive materials, decontamination of surfaces, segregation of materials and practical procedures for monitoring the individual surface body contamination, footwear and clothes. Procedures for the transport of radioactive materials had also been established, relative to the internal rules of the installation; provisory confinement of wastes; effluent, riddance of materials and finding areas free of contamination. (author)

Fast Physics Testbed for the FASTER Project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lin, W.; Liu, Y.; Hogan, R.; Neggers, R.; Jensen, M.; Fridlind, A.; Lin, Y.; Wolf, A.

2010-03-15

This poster describes the Fast Physics Testbed for the new FAst-physics System Testbed and Research (FASTER) project. The overall objective is to provide a convenient and comprehensive platform for fast turn-around model evaluation against ARM observations and to facilitate development of parameterizations for cloud-related fast processes represented in global climate models. The testbed features three major components: a single column model (SCM) testbed, an NWP-Testbed, and high-resolution modeling (HRM). The web-based SCM-Testbed features multiple SCMs from major climate modeling centers and aims to maximize the potential of SCM approach to enhance and accelerate the evaluation and improvement of fast physics parameterizations through continuous evaluation of existing and evolving models against historical as well as new/improved ARM and other complementary measurements. The NWP-Testbed aims to capitalize on the large pool of operational numerical weather prediction products. Continuous evaluations of NWP forecasts against observations at ARM sites are carried out to systematically identify the biases and skills of physical parameterizations under all weather conditions. The highresolution modeling (HRM) activities aim to simulate the fast processes at high resolution to aid in the understanding of the fast processes and their parameterizations. A four-tier HRM framework is established to augment the SCM- and NWP-Testbeds towards eventual improvement of the parameterizations.

Antioxidant response and metal accumulation in tissues of Iberian green frogs (Pelophylax perezi) inhabiting a deactivated uranium mine.

Science.gov (United States)

Marques, Sérgio M; Antunes, Sara C; Nunes, Bruno; Gonçalves, Fernando; Pereira, Ruth

2011-08-01

Human mining activities tend often to generate greatly impacted areas which remain contaminated for long periods of time, giving rise to extreme habitats. Mining sites are usually characterized for the production of metal rich effluents with very low pH. In this work we analyzed physical and chemical parameters of water from a deactivated uranium mine pond (M) and a reference site (REF) as well as their metal content. Furthermore, we determined and compared metal accumulation in liver, kidney, bones, muscle and skin of Pelophylax perezi from REF with P. perezi from M. We also determined the enzymatic activities of glutathione-S-transferases (GSTs), catalase (CAT), glutathione reductase (Gred), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx; both selenium-dependent and selenium-independent) in liver, kidney, lung and heart. Additionally, lipoperoxidation (LPO) was also assessed in the same tissues via thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) assay and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity was determined in muscle. Our results revealed that the majority of metals were in higher concentrations in tissues of organisms from M. This trend was especially evident for U whose content reached a difference of 1350 fold between REF and M organisms. None of the organs tested for antioxidant defenses revealed LPO, nonetheless, with exception for liver, all organs from the M frogs presented increased total GPx activity and selenium-dependent GPx. However, this response was significant only for the lung, probably as a consequence of the significant inhibition of CAT upstream and to cope with the subsequent increase in H(2)O(2). Lungs were the organs displaying greater responsiveness of the anti-oxidant stress system in frogs from the uranium mine area.

An evaluation of three processing methods and the effect of reduced culture times for faster direct identification of pathogens from BacT/ALERT blood cultures by MALDI-TOF MS.

Science.gov (United States)

Loonen, A J M; Jansz, A R; Stalpers, J; Wolffs, P F G; van den Brule, A J C

2012-07-01

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) is a fast and reliable method for the identification of bacteria from agar media. Direct identification from positive blood cultures should decrease the time to obtaining the result. In this study, three different processing methods for the rapid direct identification of bacteria from positive blood culture bottles were compared. In total, 101 positive aerobe BacT/ALERT bottles were included in this study. Aliquots from all bottles were used for three bacterial processing methods, i.e. the commercially available Bruker's MALDI Sepsityper kit, the commercially available Molzym's MolYsis Basic5 kit and a centrifugation/washing method. In addition, the best method was used to evaluate the possibility of MALDI application after a reduced incubation time of 7 h of Staphylococcus aureus- and Escherichia coli-spiked (1,000, 100 and 10 colony-forming units [CFU]) aerobe BacT/ALERT blood cultures. Sixty-six (65%), 51 (50.5%) and 79 (78%) bottles were identified correctly at the species level when the centrifugation/washing method, MolYsis Basic 5 and Sepsityper were used, respectively. Incorrect identification was obtained in 35 (35%), 50 (49.5%) and 22 (22%) bottles, respectively. Gram-positive cocci were correctly identified in 33/52 (64%) of the cases. However, Gram-negative rods showed a correct identification in 45/47 (96%) of all bottles when the Sepsityper kit was used. Seven hours of pre-incubation of S. aureus- and E. coli-spiked aerobe BacT/ALERT blood cultures never resulted in reliable identification with MALDI-TOF MS. Sepsityper is superior for the direct identification of microorganisms from aerobe BacT/ALERT bottles. Gram-negative pathogens show better results compared to Gram-positive bacteria. Reduced incubation followed by MALDI-TOF MS did not result in faster reliable identification.

The Development of Future Orientation is Associated with Faster Decline in Hopelessness during Adolescence.

Science.gov (United States)

Mac Giollabhui, Naoise; Nielsen, Johanna; Seidman, Sam; Olino, Thomas M; Abramson, Lyn Y; Alloy, Lauren B

2018-01-05

Hopelessness is implicated in multiple psychological disorders. Little is known, however, about the trajectory of hopelessness during adolescence or how emergent future orientation may influence its trajectory. Parallel process latent growth curve modelling tested whether (i) trajectories of future orientation and hopelessness and (ii) within-individual change in future orientation and hopelessness were related. The study was comprised of 472 adolescents [52% female, 47% Caucasian, 47% received free lunch] recruited at ages 12-13 who completed measures of future orientation and hopelessness at five annual assessments. The results indicate that a general decline in hopelessness across adolescence occurs quicker for those experiencing faster development of future orientation, when controlling for age, sex, low socio-economic status in addition to stressful life events in childhood and adolescence. Stressful childhood life events were associated with worse future orientation at baseline and negative life events experienced during adolescence were associated with both an increase in the trajectory of hopelessness as well as a decrease in the trajectory of future orientation. This study provides compelling evidence that the development of future orientation during adolescence is associated with a faster decline in hopelessness.

Ear Detection under Uncontrolled Conditions with Multiple Scale Faster Region-Based Convolutional Neural Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yi Zhang

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Ear detection is an important step in ear recognition approaches. Most existing ear detection techniques are based on manually designing features or shallow learning algorithms. However, researchers found that the pose variation, occlusion, and imaging conditions provide a great challenge to the traditional ear detection methods under uncontrolled conditions. This paper proposes an efficient technique involving Multiple Scale Faster Region-based Convolutional Neural Networks (Faster R-CNN to detect ears from 2D profile images in natural images automatically. Firstly, three regions of different scales are detected to infer the information about the ear location context within the image. Then an ear region filtering approach is proposed to extract the correct ear region and eliminate the false positives automatically. In an experiment with a test set of 200 web images (with variable photographic conditions, 98% of ears were accurately detected. Experiments were likewise conducted on the Collection J2 of University of Notre Dame Biometrics Database (UND-J2 and University of Beira Interior Ear dataset (UBEAR, which contain large occlusion, scale, and pose variations. Detection rates of 100% and 98.22%, respectively, demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

Experimental and theoretical study about sulfur deactivation of Ni/ CeO{sub 2} and Rh/CeO{sub 2} catalysts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ocsachoque, Marco A., E-mail: ocmarco@quimica.unlp.edu.ar [Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Ciencias Aplicadas “Dr Jorge J. Ronco”, (CONICET, CCT La Plata), Departamento de Química, Facultad de Cs Exactas (UNLP), Calle 48 N° 257, 1900 La Plata (Argentina); Eugenio Russman, Juan I.; Irigoyen, Beatriz [Instituto de Tecnologías del Hidrógeno y Energías Sostenibles (ITHES), Departamento de Ingeniería Química, Facultad de Ingeniería (UBA), Buenos Aires (Argentina); Gazzoli, Delia [Dipartimento di Chimia, Universitá di Roma “La Sapienza”, Roma (Italy); González, María G. [Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Ciencias Aplicadas “Dr Jorge J. Ronco”, (CONICET, CCT La Plata), Departamento de Química, Facultad de Cs Exactas (UNLP), Calle 48 N° 257, 1900 La Plata (Argentina)

2016-04-01

Sulfur deactivation of Ni/CeO{sub 2} and Rh/CeO{sub 2} catalysts were examined through an experimental and theoretical study. These catalysts were characterized by N{sub 2} adsorption, X-ray diffraction, temperature programmed reaction, thermogravimetric analysis, Uv–visible spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy, and tested under the methane dry reforming reaction in the presence of H{sub 2}S. On the other hand, different possible interactions of sulfur with Rh, Ni or surface sites of the CeO{sub 2} support were evaluated by performing energy calculations with the density functional theory (DFT). Overall, the results indicate that tolerance to sulfur of Rh/CeO{sub 2} catalyst is higher than that of Ni/CeO{sub 2} one. In this sense, TPR measurements show that reduction of CeO{sub 2} is promoted by the presence of Rh. This effect, probably caused by hydrogen spillover to CeO{sub 2} support during the reduction of RhO{sub x} species, could be linked to a high oxygen donation capacity of Rh/CeO{sub 2} catalysts. Accordingly, the O{sup 2−} species existing on Rh/CeO{sub 2} catalysts, revealed by Raman spectra of these samples, could favor sulfur oxidation and prevent Rh–S interactions. Likewise, the theoretical calculations show that desorption of S–O species from Rh/CeO{sub 2} system is more favorable than that from Ni/CeO{sub 2} one. Therefore, our experimental and theoretical study about sulfur deactivation of Ni and Rh supported on CeO{sub 2} allow us to postulate that Rh can help to desorb SO{sub x} species formed on the support, retarding sulfur poisoning of the Rh/CeO{sub 2} catalysts. - Highlights: • CeO{sub 2} support can act as a sacrifice trap decreasing sulfur poisoning. • Theoretical calculations indicate an important nickel affinity with sulfur. • Rh would favor desorption of S–O species formed on the support. • The O{sup 2−} species present on the Rh–CeO{sub 2} sample favor sulfur removal.

Waiting Time Dynamics in Two-Dimensional Infrared Spectroscopy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jansen, Thomas L. C.; Knoester, Jasper

We review recent work on the waiting time dynamics of coherent two-dimensional infrared (2DIR) spectroscopy. This dynamics can reveal chemical and physical processes that take place on the femto- and picosecond time scale, which is faster than the time scale that may be probed by, for example,

Relationship between Time Perception and Kirton's Adaption-Innovation Inventory.

Science.gov (United States)

Walling, M.; And Others

Time production is an experimental paradigm that compares the accuracy with which a subject can produce a specified time interval relative to actual clock time. Higgins (1987) found that subjects perceived the passage of time as faster or slower, compared to actual time, as an interrelation of personality characteristics and experimental…

Insights into the Activity and Deactivation of the Methanol-to-Olefins Process over Different Small-Pore Zeolites As Studied with Operando UV–vis Spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

2017-01-01

The nature and evolution of the hydrocarbon pool (HP) species during the Methanol-to-Olefins (MTO) process for three small-pore zeolite catalysts, with a different framework consisting of large cages interconnected by small eight-ring windows (CHA, DDR, and LEV) was studied at reaction temperatures between 350 and 450 °C using a combination of operando UV–vis spectroscopy and online gas chromatography. It was found that small differences in cage size, shape, and pore structure of the zeolite frameworks result in the generation of different hydrocarbon pool species. More specifically, it was found that the large cage of CHA results in the formation of a wide variety of hydrocarbon pool species, mostly alkylated benzenes and naphthalenes. In the DDR cage, 1-methylnaphthalene is preferentially formed, while the small LEV cage generally contains fewer hydrocarbon pool species. The nature and evolution of these hydrocarbon pool species was linked with the stage of the reaction using a multivariate analysis of the operando UV–vis spectra. In the 3-D pore network of CHA, the reaction temperature has only a minor effect on the performance of the MTO catalyst. However, for the 2-D pore networks of DDR and LEV, an increase in the applied reaction temperature resulted in a dramatic increase in catalytic activity. For all zeolites in this study, the role of the hydrocarbon species changes with reaction temperature. This effect is most clear in DDR, in which diamantane and 1-methylnaphthalene are deactivating species at a reaction temperature of 350 °C, whereas at higher temperatures diamantane formation is not observed and 1-methylnaphthalene is an active species. This results in a different amount and nature of coke species in the deactivated catalyst, depending on zeolite framework and reaction temperature. PMID:28603658

Insights into the Activity and Deactivation of the Methanol-to-Olefins Process over Different Small-Pore Zeolites As Studied with Operando UV-vis Spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Goetze, Joris; Meirer, Florian; Yarulina, Irina; Gascon, Jorge; Kapteijn, Freek; Ruiz-Martínez, Javier; Weckhuysen, Bert M

2017-06-02

The nature and evolution of the hydrocarbon pool (HP) species during the Methanol-to-Olefins (MTO) process for three small-pore zeolite catalysts, with a different framework consisting of large cages interconnected by small eight-ring windows (CHA, DDR, and LEV) was studied at reaction temperatures between 350 and 450 °C using a combination of operando UV-vis spectroscopy and online gas chromatography. It was found that small differences in cage size, shape, and pore structure of the zeolite frameworks result in the generation of different hydrocarbon pool species. More specifically, it was found that the large cage of CHA results in the formation of a wide variety of hydrocarbon pool species, mostly alkylated benzenes and naphthalenes. In the DDR cage, 1-methylnaphthalene is preferentially formed, while the small LEV cage generally contains fewer hydrocarbon pool species. The nature and evolution of these hydrocarbon pool species was linked with the stage of the reaction using a multivariate analysis of the operando UV-vis spectra. In the 3-D pore network of CHA, the reaction temperature has only a minor effect on the performance of the MTO catalyst. However, for the 2-D pore networks of DDR and LEV, an increase in the applied reaction temperature resulted in a dramatic increase in catalytic activity. For all zeolites in this study, the role of the hydrocarbon species changes with reaction temperature. This effect is most clear in DDR, in which diamantane and 1-methylnaphthalene are deactivating species at a reaction temperature of 350 °C, whereas at higher temperatures diamantane formation is not observed and 1-methylnaphthalene is an active species. This results in a different amount and nature of coke species in the deactivated catalyst, depending on zeolite framework and reaction temperature.

Modeling of an axial flow, spherical packed-bed reactor for naphtha reforming process in the presence of the catalyst deactivation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Iranshahi, D.; Pourazadi, E.; Paymooni, K.; Bahmanpour, A.M.; Rahimpour, M.R.; Shariati, A. [Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, Shiraz University, Shiraz 71345 (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2010-12-15

Improving the octane number of the aromatics' compounds has always been an important matter in refineries and lots of investigations have been made concerning this issue. In this study, an axial-flow spherical packed-bed reactor (AF-SPBR) is considered for naphtha reforming process in the presence of catalyst deactivation. Model equations are solved by the orthogonal collocation method. The AF-SPBR results are compared with the plant data of a conventional tubular packed-bed reactor (TR). The effects of some important parameters such as pressure and temperature on aromatic and hydrogen production rates and catalyst activity have been investigated. Higher production rates of aromatics can successfully be achieved in this novel reactor. Moreover, results show the capability of flow augmentation in the proposed configuration in comparison with the TR. This study shows the superiority of AF-SPBR configuration to the conventional types. (author)

Regeneration of Pt-catalysts deactivated in municipal waste flue gas with H2/N2 and the effect of regeneration step on the SCR catalyst

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Due-Hansen, Johannes; Rasmussen, Søren Brik; Kustov, Arkady

The deactivation performance of Pt-catalysts for CO oxidation has been studied in relation to use in sewage sludge municipal waste burners, where HMDS was found to poison the industrial catalyst in a similar way to the model Pt/TiO2 catalyst. A promising regeneration procedure was developed based...... on reduction with hydrogen. This procedure had negligible effect on the performance of the SCR catalyst. After treatment with 2% H2, 8% O2 in N2 for one hour, a slight better NO SCR activity was observed due to increase in the concentration V4+ sites. However, after exposure in normal NO SCR gases the activity...

Photoinduced dynamics of a cyanine dye: parallel pathways of non-radiative deactivation involving multiple excited-state twisted transients.

Science.gov (United States)

Upadhyayula, Srigokul; Nuñez, Vicente; Espinoza, Eli M; Larsen, Jillian M; Bao, Duoduo; Shi, Dewen; Mac, Jenny T; Anvari, Bahman; Vullev, Valentine I

2015-04-01

properties of THIA. Concurrently, the polarity affects the energy of the transients involved in the decay pathways and further modulates the kinetics of non-radiative deactivation.

Improving the performance of ultrasonic horn reactor for deactivating microorganisms in water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al-juboori, R A; Yusaf, T F

2012-01-01

The research on enhancing the performance of ultrasonic reactor for the purpose of microorganisms' inactivation is still ongoing. In this work, covering the cavitation chamber bottom with a corrugated surface as a source for heterogeneous cavities has been proposed as a simple modification to improve ultrasonic deactivation for ultrasonic horn reactor. Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 was used as a model microorganism in this study. Before using the corrugated surface, the configuration of the cavitation chamber was optimized experimentally in regards to cavitation chamber diameter and the depth of ultrasonic probe tip in the suspension. The optimization of the aforementioned factors was conducted on a basis of using constant suspension volume of 50ml. The depth of the ultrasonic probe tip in the suspension was changed from 2-10mm with a step of 2mm in overall depth of the suspension of 2cm, while the diameter of the chamber was changed using five Pyrex beakers with different diameters. The study was carried out using three level of ultrasonic intensity; low (17.56), intermediate (21.49) and high (24.17) W/cm 2 . The results of the optimization showed that increasing the diameter of cavitation chamber can decrease the log reduction of E.coli significantly. However, changing the depth of ultrasound probe in the suspension within the studied range was found to have only slight effect on the log reduction of E.coli in the order of approximately 0.5-log 10 . When using the corrugated surface with optimum chamber design, the results revealed that the corrugated surface can increase the log reduction of E.coli for the applied ultrasonic intensities. This effect was more discernable with low ultrasonic intensity than intermediate and high intensities.

Emotion, Etmnooi, or Emitoon?--Faster lexical access to emotional than to neutral words during reading.

Science.gov (United States)

Kissler, Johanna; Herbert, Cornelia

2013-03-01

Cortical processing of emotional words differs from that of neutral words. Using EEG event-related potentials (ERPs), the present study examines the functional stage(s) of this differentiation. Positive, negative, and neutral nouns were randomly mixed with pseudowords and letter strings derived from words within each valence and presented for reading while participants' EEG was recorded. Results indicated emotion effects in the N1 (110-140 ms), early posterior negativity (EPN, 216-320) and late positive potential (LPP, 432-500 ms) time windows. Across valence, orthographic word-form effects occurred from about 180 ms after stimulus presentation. Crucially, in emotional words, lexicality effects (real words versus pseudowords) were identified from 216 ms, words being more negative over posterior cortex, coinciding with EPN effects, whereas neutral words differed from pseudowords only after 320 ms. Emotional content affects word processing at pre-lexical, lexical and post-lexical levels, but remarkably lexical access to emotional words is faster than access to neutral words. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The enhanced resistance to K deactivation of Ce/TiO2 catalyst for NH3-SCR reaction by the modification with P

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Ming-yuan; Guo, Rui-tang; Hu, Chang-xing; Sun, Peng; Pan, Wei-guo; Liu, Shu-ming; Sun, Xiao; Liu, Shuai-wei; Liu, Jian

2018-04-01

The deactivation of SCR catalyst caused by K species contained in the fly ash would suppress its DeNOx performance. In this study, it was manifested that the modification of Ce/TiO2 catalyst with P could enhance its K tolerance. To understand the promotion mechanism, the fresh and poisoned catalyst samples were subjected to the characterization techniques including BET, XRD, XPS, H2-TPR, NH3-TPD and in situ DRIFT. The results elucidated that the introduction of P species could increase the reducibility of Ce species and generate more surface chemisorbed oxygen, along with the strengthened surface acidity for NH3 adsorption. It seemed that the NH3-SCR reaction mechanism over Ce/TiO2 catalyst was a combination of L-H mechanism (reason for its good K resistance.

Criticality Safety Lessons Learned in a Deactivation and Decommissioning Environment [A Guide for Facility and Project Managers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

NIRIDER, L.T.

2003-01-01

This document was designed as a reference and a primer for facility and project managers responsible for Deactivation and Decommissioning (D and D) processes in facilities containing significant inventories of fissionable materials. The document contains lessons learned and guidance for the development and management of criticality safety programs. It also contains information gleaned from occurrence reports, assessment reports, facility operations and management, NDA program reviews, criticality safety experts, and criticality safety evaluations. This information is designed to assist in the planning process and operational activities. Sufficient details are provided to allow the reader to understand the events, the lessons learned, and how to apply the information to present or planned D and D processes. Information is also provided on general lessons learned including criticality safety evaluations and criticality safety program requirements during D and D activities. The document also explores recent and past criticality accidents in operating facilities, and it extracts lessons learned pertinent to D and D activities. A reference section is included to provide additional information. This document does not address D and D lessons learned that are not pertinent to criticality safety

Time-Dependent Decline in Multifocal Electroretinogram Requires Faster Recording Procedures in Anesthetized Pigs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Nina Buus; Christiansen, Anders Tolstrup; Kjær, Troels Wesenberg

2017-01-01

between the 3-minute and the prolonged mfERG recordings for conventional amplitudes and the global-flash direct response. The global flash-induced component significantly decreases with prolonged mfERG recordings. CONCLUSIONS: A 3-minute mfERG recording and a single stimulation protocol is sufficient...... injection of tetrodotoxin (TTX) was given and the mfERG was rerecorded as described above. Data were analyzed using mixed models in SAS statistical software. RESULTS: Propofol significantly decreases the conventional and global-flash amplitudes over time. The only significant effect of isoflurane...... is a decrease in the global-flash amplitudes. At 15 minutes after TTX injection several of the mfERG amplitudes are significantly decreased. There is a linear correlation between the conventional P1 and the global-flash DR mfERG-amplitude (R2 = 0.82, slope = 0.72, P

Learning Faster by Discovering and Exploiting Object Similarities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tadej Janež

2013-03-01

Full Text Available In this paper we explore the question: “Is it possible to speed up the learning process of an autonomous agent by performing experiments in a more complex environment (i.e., an environment with a greater number of different objects?” To this end, we use a simple robotic domain, where the robot has to learn a qualitative model predicting the change in the robot's distance to an object. To quantify the environment's complexity, we defined cardinal complexity as the number of objects in the robot's world, and behavioural complexity as the number of objects' distinct behaviours. We propose Error reduction merging (ERM, a new learning method that automatically discovers similarities in the structure of the agent's environment. ERM identifies different types of objects solely from the data measured and merges the observations of objects that behave in the same or similar way in order to speed up the agent's learning. We performed a series of experiments in worlds of increasing complexity. The results in our simple domain indicate that ERM was capable of discovering structural similarities in the data which indeed made the learning faster, clearly superior to conventional learning. This observed trend occurred with various machine learning algorithms used inside the ERM method.

Selective reduction of nitric oxide over Cu/ZSM-5: The role of oxygen in suppressing catalyst deactivation by carbonaceous deposits

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

d' Itri, Julie L; Sachtler, Wolfgang M.H. [V.N. Ipatieff Laboratory, Center for Catalysis and Surface Science, Departments of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL (United States)

1993-06-15

The role of oxygen in the selective reduction of nitrogen monoxide by either propane or propene over 'excessively' ion-exchanged Cu/ZSM-5 has been studied. In a wide temperature region and in the absence of additives such as steam, propane is a more effective reductant than propene; with propane and in the presence of oxygen reduction of nitric oxide to nitrogen approaches 100% above 600 K. The difference in effectiveness is due to the different degree of catalyst deactivation by carbonaceous deposits: more carbonaceous material is deposited from propene than from propane. Temperature-programmed oxidation shows that above 600 K the rate of oxidation of carbonaceous deposits by oxygen is significant. The amount of such carbonaceous deposits is, therefore, lower when catalytic tests above 600 K are done in the presence of oxygen. At very high temperatures, the in situ volatilization of the deposits by reaction with oxygen keeps the catalyst surface clean in the steady state of nitric oxide reduction.

Faster gastric emptying of a liquid meal in rats after hypothalamic dorsomedial nucleus lesion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Denofre-Carvalho S.

1997-01-01

Full Text Available The effects of dorsomedial hypothalamic (DMH nucleus lesion on body weight, plasma glucose levels, and the gastric emptying of a liquid meal were investigated in male Wistar rats (170-250 g. DMH lesions were produced stereotaxically by delivering a 2.0-mA current for 20 s through nichrome electrodes (0.3-mm tip exposure. In a second set of experiments, the DMH and the ventromedial hypothalamic (VMH nucleus were lesioned with a 1.0-mA current for 10 s (0.1-mm tip exposure. The medial hypothalamus (MH was also lesioned separately using a nichrome electrode (0.3-mm tip exposure with a 2.0-mA current for 20 s. Gastric emptying was measured following the orogastric infusion of a liquid test meal consisting of physiological saline (0.9% NaCl, w/v plus phenol red dye (6 mg/dl as a marker. Plasma glucose levels were determined after an 18-h fast before the lesion and on the 7th and 15th postoperative day. Body weight was determined before lesioning and before sacrificing the rats. The DMH-lesioned rats showed a significantly faster (P<0.05 gastric emptying (24.7% gastric retention, N = 11 than control (33.0% gastric retention, N = 8 and sham-lesioned (33.5% gastric retention, N = 12 rats, with a transient hypoglycemia on the 7th postoperative day which returned to normal by the 15th postoperative day. In all cases, weight gain was slower among lesioned rats. Additional experiments using a smaller current to induce lesions confirmed that DMH-lesioned rats had a faster gastric emptying (25.1% gastric retention, N = 7 than control (33.4% gastric retention, N = 17 and VMH-lesioned (34.6% gastric retention, N = 7 rats. MH lesions resulted in an even slower gastric emptying (43.7% gastric retention, N = 7 than in the latter two groups. We conclude that although DMH lesions reduce weight gain, they do not produce consistent changes in plasma glucose levels. These lesions also promote faster gastric emptying of an inert liquid meal, thus suggesting a role for

Faster dissolution of PuO2 in nitrous media by means of electrolytic oxidation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baumgaertner, F.; Kim, J.I.; Luckner, N.; Brueckl, N.; Lieberer, E.

1984-03-01

The contribution shows that the dissolution of PuO 2 in HNO 3 can be accelerated considerably by means of electrolytic oxidation. A glass apparatus has been developed which uses platinum electrodes providing for sufficient contact between electrodes and solids. Increase of temperature, acid concentration, and electrode current density, and a good contact between electrode and metal oxide will improve the dissolution kinetics. The reaction could be made even faster by addition of Ce 4+ . (orig.) [de

Slower Perception Followed by Faster Lexical Decision in Longer Words: A Diffusion Model Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Oganian, Yulia; Froehlich, Eva; Schlickeiser, Ulrike; Hofmann, Markus J; Heekeren, Hauke R; Jacobs, Arthur M

2015-01-01

Effects of stimulus length on reaction times (RTs) in the lexical decision task are the topic of extensive research. While slower RTs are consistently found for longer pseudo-words, a finding coined the word length effect (WLE), some studies found no effects for words, and yet others reported faster RTs for longer words. Moreover, the WLE depends on the orthographic transparency of a language, with larger effects in more transparent orthographies. Here we investigate processes underlying the WLE in lexical decision in German-English bilinguals using a diffusion model (DM) analysis, which we compared to a linear regression approach. In the DM analysis, RT-accuracy distributions are characterized using parameters that reflect latent sub-processes, in particular evidence accumulation and decision-independent perceptual encoding, instead of typical parameters such as mean RT and accuracy. The regression approach showed a decrease in RTs with length for pseudo-words, but no length effect for words. However, DM analysis revealed that the null effect for words resulted from opposing effects of length on perceptual encoding and rate of evidence accumulation. Perceptual encoding times increased with length for words and pseudo-words, whereas the rate of evidence accumulation increased with length for real words but decreased for pseudo-words. A comparison between DM parameters in German and English suggested that orthographic transparency affects perceptual encoding, whereas effects of length on evidence accumulation are likely to reflect contextual information and the increase in available perceptual evidence with length. These opposing effects may account for the inconsistent findings on WLEs.

Paying more for faster care? Individuals' attitude toward price-based priority access in health care.

Science.gov (United States)

Benning, Tim M; Dellaert, Benedict G C

2013-05-01

Increased competition in the health care sector has led hospitals and other health care institutions to experiment with new access allocation policies that move away from traditional expert based allocation of care to price-based priority access (i.e., the option to pay more for faster care). To date, little is known about individuals' attitude toward price-based priority access and the evaluation process underlying this attitude. This paper addresses the role of individuals' evaluations of collective health outcomes as an important driver of their attitude toward (price-based) allocation policies in health care. The authors investigate how individuals evaluate price-based priority access by means of scenario-based survey data collected in a representative sample from the Dutch population (N = 1464). They find that (a) offering individuals the opportunity to pay for faster care negatively affects their evaluations of both the total and distributional collective health outcome achieved, (b) however, when health care supply is not restricted (i.e., when treatment can be offered outside versus within the regular working hours of the hospital) offering price-based priority access affects total collective health outcome evaluations positively instead of negatively, but it does not change distributional collective health outcome evaluations. Furthermore, (c) the type of health care treatment (i.e., life saving liver transplantation treatment vs. life improving cosmetic ear correction treatment - priced at the same level to the individual) moderates the effect of collective health outcome evaluations on individuals' attitude toward allocation policies. For policy makers and hospital managers the results presented in this article are helpful because they provide a better understanding of what drives individuals' preferences for health care allocation policies. In particular, the results show that policies based on the "paying more for faster care" principle are more

A piece of paper falling faster than free fall

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vera, F; Rivera, R

2011-01-01

We report a simple experiment that clearly demonstrates a common error in the explanation of the classic experiment where a small piece of paper is put over a book and the system is let fall. This classic demonstration is used in introductory physics courses to show that after eliminating the friction force with the air, the piece of paper falls with acceleration g. To test if the paper falls behind the book in a nearly free fall motion or if it is dragged by the book, we designed a version of this experiment that includes a ball and a piece of paper over a book that is forced to fall using elastic cords. We recorded a video of our experiment using a high-speed video camera at 300 frames per second that shows that the book and the paper fall faster than the ball, which falls well behind the book with an acceleration approximately equal to g. Our experiment shows that the piece of paper is dragged behind the book and therefore the paper and book demonstration should not be used to show that all objects fall with acceleration g independently of their mass.

A piece of paper falling faster than free fall

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vera, F; Rivera, R, E-mail: fvera@ucv.cl [Instituto de Fisica, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de ValparaIso, Av. Universidad 330, Curauma, ValparaIso (Chile)

2011-09-15

We report a simple experiment that clearly demonstrates a common error in the explanation of the classic experiment where a small piece of paper is put over a book and the system is let fall. This classic demonstration is used in introductory physics courses to show that after eliminating the friction force with the air, the piece of paper falls with acceleration g. To test if the paper falls behind the book in a nearly free fall motion or if it is dragged by the book, we designed a version of this experiment that includes a ball and a piece of paper over a book that is forced to fall using elastic cords. We recorded a video of our experiment using a high-speed video camera at 300 frames per second that shows that the book and the paper fall faster than the ball, which falls well behind the book with an acceleration approximately equal to g. Our experiment shows that the piece of paper is dragged behind the book and therefore the paper and book demonstration should not be used to show that all objects fall with acceleration g independently of their mass.

Causal events enter awareness faster than non-causal events

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pieter Moors

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Philosophers have long argued that causality cannot be directly observed but requires a conscious inference (Hume, 1967. Albert Michotte however developed numerous visual phenomena in which people seemed to perceive causality akin to primary visual properties like colour or motion (Michotte, 1946. Michotte claimed that the perception of causality did not require a conscious, deliberate inference but, working over 70 years ago, he did not have access to the experimental methods to test this claim. Here we employ Continuous Flash Suppression (CFS—an interocular suppression technique to render stimuli invisible (Tsuchiya & Koch, 2005—to test whether causal events enter awareness faster than non-causal events. We presented observers with ‘causal’ and ‘non-causal’ events, and found consistent evidence that participants become aware of causal events more rapidly than non-causal events. Our results suggest that, whilst causality must be inferred from sensory evidence, this inference might be computed at low levels of perceptual processing, and does not depend on a deliberative conscious evaluation of the stimulus. This work therefore supports Michotte’s contention that, like colour or motion, causality is an immediate property of our perception of the world.

N-Terminal Domains in Two-Domain Proteins Are Biased to Be Shorter and Predicted to Fold Faster Than Their C-Terminal Counterparts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Etai Jacob

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Computational analysis of proteomes in all kingdoms of life reveals a strong tendency for N-terminal domains in two-domain proteins to have shorter sequences than their neighboring C-terminal domains. Given that folding rates are affected by chain length, we asked whether the tendency for N-terminal domains to be shorter than their neighboring C-terminal domains reflects selection for faster-folding N-terminal domains. Calculations of absolute contact order, another predictor of folding rate, provide additional evidence that N-terminal domains tend to fold faster than their neighboring C-terminal domains. A possible explanation for this bias, which is more pronounced in prokaryotes than in eukaryotes, is that faster folding of N-terminal domains reduces the risk for protein aggregation during folding by preventing formation of nonnative interdomain interactions. This explanation is supported by our finding that two-domain proteins with a shorter N-terminal domain are much more abundant than those with a shorter C-terminal domain.