Crud deposition modeling on BWR fuel rods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kucuk, Aylin; Cheng, Bo; Potts, Gerald A.; Shiralkar, Bharat; Morgan, Dave; Epperson, Kenny; Gose, Garry

2014-01-01

Deposition of boiling water reactor (BWR) system corrosion products (crud) on operating fuel rods has resulted in performance-limiting conditions in a number of plants. The operational impact of performance-limiting conditions involving crud deposition can be detrimental to a BWR operator, resulting in unplanned or increased frequency of fuel inspections, fuel failure and associated radiological consequences, operational restrictions including core power derate and/or forced shutdowns to remove failed fuel, premature discharge of individual bundles or entire reloads, and/or undesirable core design restrictions. To facilitate improved management of crud-related fuel performance risks, EPRI has developed the CORAL (Crud DepOsition Risk Assessment ModeL) tool. This paper presents a summary of the CORAL elements and benchmarking results. Applications of CORAL as a tool for fuel performance risk assessment are also discussed. (author)

Crud in the solvent extraction process for spent fuel reprocessing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Jing

2004-01-01

The crud occurred in Purex process is caused by the degradations of extractant and solvent and the existence of insoluble solid particle in the nuclear fuel reprocessing. The crud seriously affects the operation of the extraction column. The present paper reviews the study status on the crud in the Purex process. It is generally accepted that in the Purex process, particularly in the first cycle, the crud occurrence is related to the capillary chemistry phenomena resulting from the deposits of Zr with TBP degradation products HDBP, H 2 MBP, H 3 PO 4 and the insoluble particle RuO 2 and Pd. The occurrence of deposits and the type of crud are tightly related to the molar ratio of HDBP and Zr, and the aqueous pH. In addition, the effect of degradation products from the diluent, such as kerosene, is an unnegligible factor to cause the crud. The crud can be discharged from the extraction equipment with Na 2 CO 3 or oxalic acid. In the study on simulating the crud, the effects of the deposits of Zr with TBP degradation products HDBP, H 2 MBP and H 2 PO 4 , and the insoluble particle RuO 2 and Pd should be considered at the same time. (authors)

Initial experimental evaluation of crud-resistant materials for light water reactors

Science.gov (United States)

Dumnernchanvanit, I.; Zhang, N. Q.; Robertson, S.; Delmore, A.; Carlson, M. B.; Hussey, D.; Short, M. P.

2018-01-01

The buildup of fouling deposits on nuclear fuel rods, known as crud, continues to challenge the worldwide fleet of light water reactors (LWRs). Crud causes serious operational problems for LWRs, including axial power shifts, accelerated fuel clad corrosion, increased primary circuit radiation dose rates, and in some instances has led directly to fuel failure. Numerous studies continue to attempt to model and predict the effects of crud, but each assumes that it will always be present. In this study, we report on the development of crud-resistant materials as fuel cladding coatings, to reduce or eliminate these problems altogether. Integrated loop testing experiments at flowing LWR conditions show significantly reduced crud adhesion and surface crud coverage, respectively, for TiC and ZrN coatings compared to ZrO2. The loop testing results roughly agree with the London dispersion component of van der Waals force predictions, suggesting that they contribute most significantly to the adhesion of crud to fuel cladding in out-of-pile conditions. These results motivate a new look at ways of reducing crud, thus avoiding many expensive LWR operational issues.

A study of solute transport of radiolysis products in crud and its effects on crud growth on PWR fuel pin

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Joe, Justin H. [BNF Consulting (United States); Kim, Seung Jun, E-mail: skim@lanl.gov [Mechanical and Thermal Engineering Group (AET-1), Los Alamos National Laboratory (United States); Jones, Barclay G. [Department of Nuclear Plasma Radiological Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (United States)

2016-04-15

Highlights: • We model a 3-D numerical solute transport within crud deposit on PWR fuel pin. • Source term effect from radiolysis yield and recombination is minimal. • Lower crud porosity leads substantially higher concentration of solutes. • Thicker crud deposit generates substantially higher concentration of solutes. • High concentration of radiolysis species (H{sub 2}, O{sub 2}, and H{sub 2}O{sub 2}) can be directly related to corrosion issues on fuel cladding. - Abstract: This research examines the concentration of radiolysis species (H{sub 2}, O{sub 2}, and H{sub 2}O{sub 2}) over the porous crud layer using a three dimensional time dependent solute transport model. A Monte Carlo random walk technique is adopted to simulate the transport behavior of the different species with various parametric studies of source term, crud thickness, and crud porosity. Particularly, this model employs a system of coupled mass transport and chemical interactions as the source term, which makes the problem non-linear. It is demonstrated that a negligible effect on radiolysis species concentrations change due to the consideration of source term. The crud thickness and porosity effect on the concentration distributions are notably observed. In general, higher concentration starts from the intersection of the heating surface with the chimney wall from the beginning and it reaches the equilibrium state within tens of seconds. The concentration profiles of the radiolysis species H{sub 2}, O{sub 2}, and H{sub 2}O{sub 2} can be directly related to corrosion issues. The direct application of this study to nuclear engineering research is to aid in the design of reactors with higher performance without experiencing an Axial Offset Anomaly (AOA), an unexpected measured shift in axial power distribution from predicted values.

A study of solute transport of radiolysis products in crud and its effects on crud growth on PWR fuel pin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Joe, Justin H.; Kim, Seung Jun; Jones, Barclay G.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • We model a 3-D numerical solute transport within crud deposit on PWR fuel pin. • Source term effect from radiolysis yield and recombination is minimal. • Lower crud porosity leads substantially higher concentration of solutes. • Thicker crud deposit generates substantially higher concentration of solutes. • High concentration of radiolysis species (H 2 , O 2 , and H 2 O 2 ) can be directly related to corrosion issues on fuel cladding. - Abstract: This research examines the concentration of radiolysis species (H 2 , O 2 , and H 2 O 2 ) over the porous crud layer using a three dimensional time dependent solute transport model. A Monte Carlo random walk technique is adopted to simulate the transport behavior of the different species with various parametric studies of source term, crud thickness, and crud porosity. Particularly, this model employs a system of coupled mass transport and chemical interactions as the source term, which makes the problem non-linear. It is demonstrated that a negligible effect on radiolysis species concentrations change due to the consideration of source term. The crud thickness and porosity effect on the concentration distributions are notably observed. In general, higher concentration starts from the intersection of the heating surface with the chimney wall from the beginning and it reaches the equilibrium state within tens of seconds. The concentration profiles of the radiolysis species H 2 , O 2 , and H 2 O 2 can be directly related to corrosion issues. The direct application of this study to nuclear engineering research is to aid in the design of reactors with higher performance without experiencing an Axial Offset Anomaly (AOA), an unexpected measured shift in axial power distribution from predicted values.

Field Demonstration of Fuel Crud Filtration System at Ulchin Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kang, Duk-Won; Lee, Doo-Ho; Park, Jong-Youl; Choi, In-Kyu

2007-01-01

Crud deposited onto the fuel assemblies in nuclear power plants was not a serious problem until an upper core flux depression named Axial Offset Anomaly (AOA) was found at Callaway, USA in 1989. Though the mechanism of an AOA is not completely understood, crud is believed to be a key component of initiating AOA. After the sufficient amount of corrosion products in the reactor cooling system are deposited on the fuel clad by a sub-cooled nucleate boiling, boron is adsorbed in the crud. Thus a measurable reduction in the neutron flux occurs which causes an AOA problem. A filtration system has been developed to remove the fuel crud from irradiated fuel assemblies for mitigating the axial offset anomaly under a technical cooperation agreement with DEI (Dominion Engineering Inc.). This filtration system with a fuel cleaning fixture was successfully demonstrated at Ulchin plant unit 2. Within several minutes, detachable crud deposits were effectively removed from the clad surfaces of the fuel assembly. Also, to characterize the crud particles for each fuel assembly, a small crud sampling device and radiation monitor devices were connected to the filtration system during the cleaning operation. In this study, we completed a functional test and demonstration of an ultrasonic fuel cleaning system by using four spent fuel assemblies. It took only 5 minutes to remove the fuel crud from each fuel assembly. In addition, collective dose rates indicated an average of 8 R/Hr per assembly

Preliminary Study on Effect of the Crud Deposits during LBLOCA Condition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huh, Byung Gil; Lee, Joo Suk; Bang, Young Seok; Oh, Deog Yeon; Woo, Sweng Woong [Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2008-10-15

The severe crud deposits on fuel rod could result in the increment of the fuel temperature during the operation of nuclear power plants. The crud inhibits heat transfer, causing the cladding temperature to increase due to the low thermal conductivity. In the event of LBLOCA at the NPP operated with heavy crud layers, the peak cladding temperature (PCT) will be higher than it would be if the cladding were clean. Therefore, NRC has been reviewing a petition for rule making to set the limit of crud and/or oxide thickness. Also, it requires that LOCA analysis be calculated by factoring the role of crud. Since the crud deposits caused the stored energy in the fuel to increase, it could influence the following requirement: The Initial Stored Energy in the Fuel in Appendix K to Part 50. ECCS Evaluation Models, to require that the steady-state temperature distribution and stored energy in the fuel at the onset of a postulated LOCA. Also, safety review guidelines in NUREG-0800.

Results of a recent crud/corrosion fuel risk assessment at a U.S. PWR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lamanna, Larry; Pop, Mike; Gregorich, Carola; Harne, Richard; Jones, John

2012-09-01

In order to avoid potential fuel reliability issues, specifically crud-related issues, it is necessary to achieve and maintain a crud safe environment. Therefore, the ability to confidently predict risks associated with crud deposition on fuel becomes critically important. AREVA is applying its cutting-edge PWR Fuel Crud (Primary System corrosion products)/Corrosion Tools, i.e. COBRA-FLX (subchannel-by-subchannel T/H tool) coupled with FDIC (crud deposition tool) to subsequently perform PWR Fuel Crud /Corrosion risk assessments for operating plants in the US. After describing the method, the result of one of these assessments is presented for an operating plant in the US that has experienced recent crud observations/concerns. Both Crud Induced Localized Corrosion (CILC) and Crud Induced Power Shift (CIPS) risk assessment methods, as applied to the upcoming cycle (Cycle N), were compared to the current/on-going cycle (Cycle N-1) and to the previous cycle (Cycle N-2). The results allowed the Utility to consider crud risk management changes associated with the upcoming cycle (Cycle-N). Benchmarking of the AREVA tools, using the plant-specific crud information gained from the crud sampling/characterization for the Unit will be presented. The CIPS analysis references boron loading and the amount of insoluble iron-nickel-borates predicted for Cycles N-2, N-1, and N. The results of the CILC evaluation reference FDIC-predicted crud thickness, cladding temperature under deposit, evolution of CILC bearing species and lithium concentration in the zirconium oxide layer. The approach taken by AREVA during the evaluation was to consider both 'risk' and 'margin' to fuel performance impact caused by crud deposits. The conclusion of the assessment, illustrated by the results presented in this paper, is that the example Plant has sufficient margin in worst case conditions for CIPS and CILC risk in Cycle N, based on Cycle N-1 and Cycle N-2 conditions and behavior

On-line, in-core measurement of the thermal conductivity of a BWR fuel rod with a tenacious crud deposit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bennett, Peter

2012-09-01

Several corrosion-related fuel failures in US BWRs have been reported where the failed rods had thick, tenacious crud deposits, including events at River Bend and Browns Ferry. Although investigations did not identify the root cause of these failures, it was noted that there was an industry perception that the level of crud on the fuel in a number of plants - including Browns Ferry - particularly those using NMCA, zinc and moderate to high Fe, was too high from a fuel performance perspective. The exact role of the crud was unknown, but there was a suspicion that some unknown water chemistry condition was responsible for the failures at Browns Ferry. Fuel failures have also occurred in Limerick-1, Cycle 2 and in Vermont Yankee, although the direct role of crud in these cases was not clear. While laboratory measurements have shown that the thermal conductivities of the species comprising the crud are not lower than that of ZrO 2 , the effect of the crud in impeding heat transfer has been implicated in the failure mechanisms. It is believed that steam blanketing (formation of a layer of steam between the rod surface and the crud) may be the cause of failure. Hence, to determine whether crud deposits impede heat transfer and thus cause or contribute to rod failure, it is necessary to measure their thermal conductivity during power operation under representative thermal-hydraulic and water chemistry conditions. The purpose of this test, conducted in the Halden Reactor, was to measure the heat transfer through BWR crud at power. Two test rods were manufactured from segments of a fuel rod irradiated in a commercial BWR to a burn-up of 41 GWd/MTU; one test rod had a thin crud layer (< 5 μm) while the other had a thick layer (> 25 μm). The rods were irradiated under representative thermal-hydraulic and water chemistry conditions (25 kW/m, 275 deg. C, outlet void fraction 4 per cent, 300 - 400 ppb H 2 ). Each rod was instrumented with a cladding elongation detector, and

Crud removal with deep bed type condensate demineralizer in Tokai-2 BWR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abe, Ayumi; Takiguchi, Hideki; Numata, Kunio; Saito, Toshihiko

1996-01-01

The major objective and functions for the installation of the deep bed type condensate polishers in BWR power plants is to remove both ionic impurities caused by sea water leakage and suspended impurities called crud mainly consisting of metal oxides which are produced from metal corrosion. In considering the reduction of occupational radiation exposure level, it is extremely important to remove the crud effectively. In recent Japanese BWR power plants, condensate pre-filters with powdered ion exchange resins or with hollow fiber membrane have been installed to remove the crud at the upper stream of the deep bed polishers. In such plants, the crud removal is conventionally the secondary objective for the deep bed polishers. The Japan Atomic Power Company has introduced the small particle ion exchange resin and a soak regeneration method since April 1985, and then applied the low cross-linked resin since July 1995 at Tokai-2 Power Station, to improve the crud removal performance by using only deep bed type condensate demineralizer, and as a result condensate demineralizer outlet iron level has been kept below 1 ppb since 1991

Crud treatment with 3 phase centrifuge in heap leach uranium process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hartmann, T.

2010-01-01

The presence of crud represents a permanent challenge for solvent extraction in the hydro-metal Uranium industry. The crud forms in the settlers of SX extraction. The crud is a stable emulsion which slowly spreads along the phase boundary between the aqueous and organic phase. Spreading of this intermediate phase is determined by the following influencing factors. Wind blows dust into the open settlers, some suspended solids coming with the pregnant leach solution (PLS) and wrong design of the mixers cause stable emulsions. Metallic solid residue is likewise responsible for the growth rate of the crud at the above-mentioned phase boundary. The crud can significantly impair the efficiency of hydro-metal extraction because the phase boundary between the aqueous and organic phases assumes substantial proportions, and the settlers cannot react flexibly. In a chain reaction, all settlers connected in series become infected with crud. The transfer of organic phase to the electrowinning (EW) cell can cause 'cathode burn'. The entrainment of electrolyte into the extraction stage can result in loss of pH control in the extraction circuit which will cause a drop in extraction efficiency. On the other hand, entrainment of the organic in the raffinate will result in organic losses to the leach circuit. Continuous treatment of the crud is extremely effective and reliable with a 3-phase separating solid bowl centrifuge. All three phases are separated distinctly from one another. All associated process steps exhibit a steady uniform efficiency. The main benefit for the customer is that process fluctuations in the extraction process will no longer occur. The 3-phase separating solid bowl centrifuge consists of an axial solid-wall bowl. The solid-wall bowl has a cylindrical section for simultaneous separation and clarification of the aqueous and organic liquid phase and a conical section for efficient solids dewatering. The 3-phase feed suspension is fed into the solid bowl

Crud removal by ion exchange resin DIAION HPAN10 and its mechanisms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsuhara, Ryosuke; Goda, Takashi; Tokumaru, Izuru; Yano, Katsuhiko

2014-01-01

The metal corrosion products generated in the water systems of nuclear power plants (crud) should be efficiently removed from the water in order to maintain the safety and reliability of the plants' constituent materials and reduce radiation exposure to workers. Recently, we developed a new highly porous type of anion exchange resin product, 'DIAION HPAN10', which has a high crud removal capability. HPAN10 has a highly-developed porous structure, and it is considered that the structure contributes to the efficient capture of curd. Furthermore, HPAN10 was designed specially for the capture of crud, including physical properties such as proper macro pore size, particle size and strength. Therefore, the model crud removal capability of HPAN10 is ten times greater than that of conventional gel types. In regards to the mechanisms of curd removal by resin, it is generally considered that there are three factors which affect the capture of curd: they are filter effect, electric potential and curd penetration into resin particles by partially dissolution. On this report, new experimental data and the consideration about crud removal mechanisms are introduced. (author)

Estimate of the crud contribution to shipping cask containment requirements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sandoval, R.P.; Einziger, R.E.; Jordan, H.; Malinauskas, A.P.; Mings, W.J.

1992-01-01

This paper reports that a methodology is developed to relate U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, Title 10, Part 71 (10CFR71) containment requirements to leak rates for the special case in which the only radioactive species having a potential for escape form the cask is that associated with debris (crud) contained on the fuel assemblies being transported. The methodology accounts for the characteristics of the crud and for attenuation of the gas-borne crud particulates once they become suspended within the cask. Calculations are performed for typical spent-fuel transport cask geometries and the normal and accident conditions prescribed in 10CFR71. The most current published data are used for crud composition and structure, specific activity, spallation mechanics and fractions, and crud particle size. The containment criteria leak rates are calculated assuming 5-yr-old spent fuel. In each accident case, the containment leak rate criteria are well in excess of 10 cm 3 /s. Under normal conditions of transport, the regulatory containment requirements are met by leak rates ranging from 1.5 x 10 -3 cm 3 /s to 1.5 x 10 -4 cm 3 /s for the transport of boiling water reactor fuel assemblies and form 1.8 x 10 -2 cm 3 /s to 1.3 x 10 -3 cm 3 /s for pressurized water reactor fuel assemblies. The calculated leak rates are most sensitive to the cask design, type of fuel, and particle size distribution. Conservatism of the limiting leak rates is discussed

Optimization of reactor coolant shutdown chemistry practices for crud inventory management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fellers, B.; Barnette, J.; Stevens, J.; Perkins, D.

2002-01-01

This report describes reactor coolant shutdown chemistry control practices at Comanche Peak Steam Electric Station (CPSES, TXU-Generation, USA). The shutdown evolution is managed from a process control perspective to achieve conditions most favorable to crud decomposition and to avoiding re-precipitation of metals. The report discusses the evolution of current industry practices and the necessity for greater emphasis on shutdown chemistry control in response to Axial Offset Anomaly and growth of ex-core radiation fields during outage conditions. Nuclear Industry experience with axial offset anomaly (AOA), radiation field growth and unexpected behavior of crud during reactor shutdowns has encouraged the refinement of chemistry control practices during plant shutdown and startup. The strong implication of nickel rich crud as a cause of AOA and unexpected crud behavior has resulted in a focus on nickel inventory management. The goals for Comanche Peak Steam Electric Station (CPSES) include maintaining solubility of metals and radioisotopes, maximizing nickel removal and effective cleanup with demineralizers. This paper provides results and lessons learned from long term efforts to optimize the shutdown process. (authors)

Characteristics of fuel crud and its impact on storage, handling, and shipment of spent fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hazelton, R.F.

1987-09-01

Corrosion products, called ''crud,'' form on out-of-reactor surfaces of nuclear reactor systems and are transported by reactor coolant to the core, where they deposit on external fuel-rod cladding surfaces and are activated by nuclear reactions. After discharge of spent fuel from a reactor, spallation of radioactive crud from the fuel rods could impact wet or dry storage operations, handling (including rod consolidation), and shipping. It is the purpose of this report to review earlier (1970s) and more recent (1980s) literature relating to crud, its characteristics, and any impact it has had on actual operations. Crud characteristics vary from reactor type to reactor type, reactor to reactor, fuel assembly to fuel assembly in a reactor, circumferentially and axially in an assembly, and from cycle to cycle for a specific facility. To characterize crud of pressurized-water (PWRs) and boiling-water reactors (BWRs), published information was reviewed on appearance, chemical composition, areal density and thickness, structure, adhesive strength, particle size, and radioactivity. Information was also collected on experience with crud during spent fuel wet storage, rod consolidation, transportation, and dry storage. From experience with wet storage, rod consolidation, transportation, and dry storage, it appears crud spallation can be managed effectively, posing no significant radiological problems. 44 refs., 11 figs

Effects of Hydrodynamic Cavitation of a Restriction Orifice on Crud-like Deposits

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Seong Man; Lee, Seung Won; Park, Sung Dae; Kang, Sarah; Seo, Han; Bang, In Cheol

2011-01-01

Axial Offset Anomaly (AOA) referring to an unexpected neutron flux depression is also known as Crud Induced Power Shift (CIPS). Fuel assemblies removed from an AOA core has shown a thick porous deposition layer of crud on fuel clad surface. The deposition layer was induced by precipitation reactions of both boron species and crud during sub-cooled nucleate boiling. Therefore, to resolve the AOA issues, a fuel cleaning technology using ultrasonic cavitation has been developed by EPRI and applied to the domestic NPPs by KNF. However, the performance of crud removal during maintenance of NPPs is known to be not enough. Hydrodynamic cavitation is the process of vaporization, bubble generation and bubble implosion which occurs in a flowing liquid as a result of decrease and subsequent increase in pressure. Hydrodynamic cavitation generates shock pressure of a few tens MPa due to bubble collapse like the cavitation generated by Ultrasonics. It is well known that the cavitation can erode the metal surface. The idea of the current study is that such energetic cavitation bubble collapses could help to remove the crud from the fuel assembly. Therefore, the current study first investigates effects of hydrodynamic cavitation occurred from a single hole orifice fundamentally

Effects of Hydrodynamic Cavitation of a Restriction Orifice on Crud-like Deposits

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Seong Man; Lee, Seung Won; Park, Sung Dae; Kang, Sarah; Seo, Han; Bang, In Cheol [Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan (Korea, Republic of)

2011-10-15

Axial Offset Anomaly (AOA) referring to an unexpected neutron flux depression is also known as Crud Induced Power Shift (CIPS). Fuel assemblies removed from an AOA core has shown a thick porous deposition layer of crud on fuel clad surface. The deposition layer was induced by precipitation reactions of both boron species and crud during sub-cooled nucleate boiling. Therefore, to resolve the AOA issues, a fuel cleaning technology using ultrasonic cavitation has been developed by EPRI and applied to the domestic NPPs by KNF. However, the performance of crud removal during maintenance of NPPs is known to be not enough. Hydrodynamic cavitation is the process of vaporization, bubble generation and bubble implosion which occurs in a flowing liquid as a result of decrease and subsequent increase in pressure. Hydrodynamic cavitation generates shock pressure of a few tens MPa due to bubble collapse like the cavitation generated by Ultrasonics. It is well known that the cavitation can erode the metal surface. The idea of the current study is that such energetic cavitation bubble collapses could help to remove the crud from the fuel assembly. Therefore, the current study first investigates effects of hydrodynamic cavitation occurred from a single hole orifice fundamentally

A comparison of crud phases appearing on some Swedish BWR fuel rods using Laser Raman Spectroscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hermansson, H.P. [Studsvik Nuclear AB, Nykoeping (Sweden)]|[Lulea Univ. of Technology (Sweden)

2002-07-01

Previous investigations showed that laser Raman spectroscopy (LRS) can be used as a phase specific analytical tool for radioactive fuel crud samples and also for details in the underlying layer of zirconium dioxide. It is relatively easy to record Raman spectra that discriminate between chemical phases for all crud oxides of interest. The method has therefore been recommended for crud investigations within the Swedish program. At ideal conditions the resolution is about 1 {mu}m, permitting detailed position determination of crud phases in the sample. Therefore LRS is a very good complement to X-ray diffraction (XRD). The methods for sample preparation and handling of radioactive crud samples for LRS turn out to be relatively simple. A detailed LRS study on fuel crud samples from Barsebaeck 2, Forsmark 2, Forsmark 3 and Ringhals 1 was performed in this work. All of those Swedish BWRs were operated at different conditions at the time of sampling. The chemistry regimes covered NWC, HWC and other variable conditions. Also different types of fuel, exposure times and sampling positions were selected. (authors)

Experiences of ultra-low-crud high-nickel control in Onagawa nuclear power station

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saito, M.; Goto, Y.; Shinomiya, T.; Sato, M.; Yamazaki, K.; Hirasawa, H.; Yotsuyanagi, T.

2002-01-01

We have adopted various countermeasures for worker dose reduction to plants in Onagawa Nuclear Power Station. ''Ni/Fe ratio control'' has been adopted to Unit 1, and ''ultra-low-crud high-nickel control'' has been adopted to Unit 2 and 3, along with other countermeasures like wide utilization of low Co materials, for the purpose of dose rate reduction of primary recirculation piping which is thought to be one of the main exposure sources. In this paper, we describe, first, the reason and background that ultra-low-crud high-nickel control has been adopted to Unit 2, and, second, water chemistry of Unit 2 up to the 5. cycle under ultra-low-crud high-nickel control compared to that of Unit 1 under Ni/Fe ratio control. Following those, we show brief analysis of the fuel crud of Unit 2 and water chemistry of Unit 3 only at the startup stage. (authors)

Characterization of molybdenum interfacial crud in a uranium mill that employs tertiary-amine solvent extraction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moyer, B.; McDowell, W.J.

1983-01-01

In the present work, samples of a molybdenum-caused green gummy interfacial crud from an operating western US uranium mill have been physically and chemically examined. Formaton of cruds of this description has been a long-standing problem in the use of tertiary amine solvent extraction for the recovery of uranium from low-grade ores (Amex Process). The crud is essentially an organic-continuous dispersion containing about 10 wt % aqueous droplets and about 37 wt % greenish-yellow crystalline solids suspended in kerosene-amine process solvent. The greenish-yellow crystals were found to be a previously unknown double salt of tertiary amine molybdophosphate with three tertiary amine chlorides having the empirical formula (R 3 NH) 3 [PMo 12 O 40 ].3(R 3 NH)Cl. To confirm the identification of the compound, a pure trioctylamine (TOA) analog was synthesized. In laboratory extraction experiments, it was demonstrated that organic-soluble amine molydophosphate forms slowly upon contact of TOA solvent with dilute sulfuric acid solutions containing low concentrations of molybdate and phosphate. If the organic solutions of amine molybdophosphate were then contacted with aqueous NaCl solutions, a greenish-yellow precipitate of (TOAH) 3 [PMo 12 O 40 ].3(TOAH)Cl formed at the interface. The proposed mechanism for the formation of the crud under process conditions involves build up of molybdenum in the solvent, followed by reaction with extracted phosphate to give dissolved amine molybdophosphate. The amine molybdophosphate then co-crystallizes with amine chloride, formed during the stripping cycle, to give the insoluble double salt, which precipitates as a layer of small particles at the interface. The proposed solution to the problem is the use of branched-chain, instead of straight-chain, tertiary amine extractants under the expectation that branching would increase the solubility of the double salt. 2 figures, 5 tables

Potential impacts of crud deposits on fuel rod behaviour on high powered PWR fuel rods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilson, W.; Comstock, R.J.

1999-01-01

Fuel assemblies operating with significant sub-cooled boiling are subject to deposition of surface deposits commonly referred to as crud. This crud can potentially cause concentration of chemical species within the deposits which can be detrimental to cladding performance in PWRs. In addition, these deposits on the surface of the cladding can result in power anomalies and erroneous reporting of fuel rod oxide thickness which can substantially hamper corrosion and core performance modeling efforts. Data is presented which illustrates the importance of accounting for the presence of crud on fuel cladding surfaces. Several methods used to correct for this phenomenon when collecting and analyzing zirconium alloy field oxide thickness measurements are described. Various observations related to crud characteristics and its impact on fuel rod performance are also addressed. (author)

Improved crud iron removal efficiency for powder resin type condensate filters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nagai, Hiroshi; Ino, Takao

1989-01-01

In 1984, a precoat type condensate filtration system was delivered to The Tokyo Electric Power Co., Inc. by Ebara and stable operation of the system is reported ever since. Originally, condensate filtration systems are used to remove crud iron in condensate water. However, it has become desirable to freely control the crud iron in the outlet flow of such filtration system. The main source of radioactivity in a BWR plant, is Cobalt 60, and it is necessary to optimally control the amount of crud iron released into the reactor to match the nickel and cobalt amounts in the reactor feed water for achieving an overall reduction of the concentration of radioactivity within the BWR plant. The method of such control, developed by the authors, is outlined in the following. By this method, the radioactive level within the overall plant is significantly decreased. Consequently, the risk of radioactive exposure of personnel at time of periodical checkup is greatly reduced. (author)

L3.PHI.CTF.P10.02-rev2 Coupling of Subchannel T/H (CTF) and CRUD Chemistry (MAMBA1D)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Salko, Robert K. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Palmtag, Scott [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Collins, Benjamin S. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Kendrick, Brian [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Seker, Jeffrey [Westinghouse Electric Company LLC, Cranberry Township, PA (United States)

2015-05-15

The purpose of this milestone is to create a preliminary capability for modeling light water reactor (LWR) thermal-hydraulic (T/H) and CRUD growth using the CTF subchannel code and the subgrid version of the MAMBA CRUD chemistry code, MAMBA1D. In part, this is a follow-on to Milestone L3.PHI.VCS.P9.01, which is documented in Report CASL-U-2014-0188-000, titled "Development of CTF Capability for Modeling Reactor Operating Cycles with Crud Growth". As the title suggests, the previous milestone set up a framework for modeling reactor operation cycles with CTF. The framework also facilitated coupling to a CRUD chemistry capability for modeling CRUD growth throughout the reactor operating cycle. To demonstrate the capability, a simple CRUD \\surrogate" tool was developed and coupled to CTF; however, it was noted that CRUD growth predictions by the surrogate were not considered realistic. This milestone builds on L3.PHI.VCS.P9.01 by replacing this simple surrogate tool with the more advanced MAMBA1D CRUD chemistry code. Completing this task involves addressing unresolved tasks from Milestone L3.PHI.VCS.P9.01, setting up an interface to MAMBA1D, and extracting new T/H information from CTF that was not previously required in the simple surrogate tool. Speci c challenges encountered during this milestone include (1) treatment of the CRUD erosion model, which requires local turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) (a value that CTF does not calculate) and (2) treatment of the MAMBA1D CRUD chimney boiling model in the CTF rod heat transfer solution. To demonstrate this new T/H, CRUD modeling capability, two sets of simulations were performed: (1) an 18 month cycle simulation of a quarter symmetry model of Watts Bar and (2) a simulation of Assemblies G69 and G70 from Seabrook Cycle 5. The Watts Bar simulation is merely a demonstration of the capability. The simulation of the Seabrook cycle, which had experienced CRUD-related fuel rod failures, had actual CRUD-scrape data to compare with

Structural investigation of the spinel phase formed in fuel CRUD before and after zinc injection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, J.

2002-01-01

Spinel phase is an important constituent of fuel CRUD. Since it can accommodate 60 Co in its crystal structure, its stability in reactor water environment is crucial for the radioactivity control in LWR plants. With increasing curiosity about zinc injection technology, the mechanism of the interaction of zinc with the spinel has drawn much attention. This paper describes the crystal and microstructures of spinel phase in the fuel CRUD collected on four fuel rods of 1- and 5-cycle, respectively, from Barsebaeck 2 BWR before and after zinc injection operation. High precision X-ray powder diffraction technique has been applied to identify the phase compositions of fuel CRUD and to measure the cell length of the spinel phase formed. The results show that, after about 1-cycle zinc injection operation, the tenacious CRUD formed on the fresh fuel rod contains defective zinc oxide, in addition to hematite and spinel as commonly seen. Moreover, the phase ratio of spinel to hematite is much increased. The cell length of the spinel is increased accordingly, which is the direct evidence for the presence of zinc in the spinel structure. For the 5-cycle rod, however, neither zinc oxide nor any change in the phase ratio has been detected. The cell length of the spinel has been increased, in a less degree, however, as compared to that for the 1-cycle rod. The cell lengths of spinel are similar in both tenacious and loose CRUD layers, indicating that zinc was able to easily penetrate through the tenacious CRUD layer. (authors)

Investigation on Hydrodynamic Cavitation of a Restriction Orifice and Static Mixer on Crud-like Deposits

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Seong Man; Lee, Seung Won; Park, Seong Dae; Kang, Sa Rah; Seo, Han; Bang, In Cheol

2012-01-01

Axial Offset Anomaly (AOA) referring to an unexpected neutron flux depression is also known as Crud Induced Power Shift (CIPS). Fuel assemblies removed from an AOA core have shown a thick porous deposition layer of crud on fuel clad surface. The deposition layer was induced by precipitation reactions of both boron species and crud during sub-cooled nucleate boiling. Therefore, to resolve the AOA issues, a fuel cleaning technology using ultrasonic cavitation has been developed by EPRI and applied to the domestic NPPs by KNF. However, the performance of crud removal during maintenance of NPPs is known to be not enough. Hydrodynamic cavitation is the process of vaporization, bubble generation and bubble implosion which occurs in a flowing liquid as a result of decrease and subsequent increase in pressure. Hydrodynamic cavitation generates shock pressure of a few tens MPa due to bubble collapse like the cavitation generated by Ultrasonics. It is well known that the cavitation can erode the metal surface. The idea of the current study is that such energetic cavitation bubble collapses could help to remove the crud from the fuel assembly. Therefore, the current study first investigates effects of hydrodynamic cavitation occurred from a single hole orifice and static mixer fundamentally

Investigation on Hydrodynamic Cavitation of a Restriction Orifice and Static Mixer on Crud-like Deposits

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Seong Man; Lee, Seung Won; Park, Seong Dae; Kang, Sa Rah; Seo, Han; Bang, In Cheol [Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan (Korea, Republic of)

2012-05-15

Axial Offset Anomaly (AOA) referring to an unexpected neutron flux depression is also known as Crud Induced Power Shift (CIPS). Fuel assemblies removed from an AOA core have shown a thick porous deposition layer of crud on fuel clad surface. The deposition layer was induced by precipitation reactions of both boron species and crud during sub-cooled nucleate boiling. Therefore, to resolve the AOA issues, a fuel cleaning technology using ultrasonic cavitation has been developed by EPRI and applied to the domestic NPPs by KNF. However, the performance of crud removal during maintenance of NPPs is known to be not enough. Hydrodynamic cavitation is the process of vaporization, bubble generation and bubble implosion which occurs in a flowing liquid as a result of decrease and subsequent increase in pressure. Hydrodynamic cavitation generates shock pressure of a few tens MPa due to bubble collapse like the cavitation generated by Ultrasonics. It is well known that the cavitation can erode the metal surface. The idea of the current study is that such energetic cavitation bubble collapses could help to remove the crud from the fuel assembly. Therefore, the current study first investigates effects of hydrodynamic cavitation occurred from a single hole orifice and static mixer fundamentally

Optimization method to determine mass transfer variables in a PWR crud deposition risk assessment tool

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Do, Chuong; Hussey, Dennis; Wells, Daniel M.; Epperson, Kenny

2016-01-01

Optimization numerical method was implemented to determine several mass transfer coefficients in a crud-induced power shift risk assessment code. The approach was to utilize a multilevel strategy that targets different model parameters that first changes the major order variables, mass transfer inputs, then calibrates the minor order variables, crud source terms, according to available plant data. In this manner, the mass transfer inputs are effectively simplified as 'dependent' on the crud source terms. Two optimization studies were performed using DAKOTA, a design and analysis toolkit, with the difference between the runs, being the number of model runs using BOA, allowed for adjusting the crud source terms, therefore, reducing the uncertainty with calibration. The result of the first case showed that the current best estimated values for the mass transfer coefficients, which were derived from first principle analysis, can be considered an optimized set. When the run limit of BOA was increased for the second case, an improvement in the prediction was obtained with the results deviating slightly from the best estimated values. (author)

Primary side crud sampling and characterization: how it may help to better maintain CANDU reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sawicki, J.A.; Dymarski, M.; Sawicka, B.D.

1997-01-01

The paper reports a corrosion-product transport study in the primary-side of CANDU reactors. The study is based on systematic crud sampling examinations at Darlington NGS. Emphasis is placed on the corrosion-product transport and oxidation state as a monitor of primary water chemistry state, and as a monitor of system corrosion effects. The D 2 O was sampled at reactor outlet headers and the deposits collected on 0.45 μm membrane filters were analyzed by using γ-ray spectroscopy, X-ray fluorescence and Moessbauer effect techniques. In the beginning of this study in 1994 and 1995, the steady state crude concentration used to be as high as 20 to 30 μg/kg D 2 O and the crud contained large fractions of highly oxidized species (40 to 60% Fe), in the form of ferrihydrite, lepidocrocite, goethite and hematite. During start-up operations, the crud concentrations were as high as 8 mg/kg D 2 O and contained 70 to 80% Fe in the form of oxidized iron species. However, as a result of various improvements, and especially because of better oxygen control during lay-ups (nitrogen blanketing) and better pH control (lower and more stable values), in recent steady-state runs, the crud concentrations were found to be lower than 3 to 5 μg/kg D 2 O. At present, the steady-state crud consists mostly of Fe, largely in the form of magnetite (60 to 80% Fe), and hematite (20 to 40% Fe). The steady-state concentration of crud was found to increase markedly with pH a in the range from 10.3 to 10.7. This seems to be in accord with the trend predicted by flow-assisted solubility of magnetite in lithiated water at ∼ 300 degrees C, and is generally in accord with the model of dissolution, transport, and redeposition of iron in the primary heat transport system of CANDU reactors. The crud contains also significant amounts of Zr (∼ 5 to 30 wt. % Fe), apparently in the form of zirconium oxide. Zirconium oxide particles may originate largely from the wear of fuel bundle pads and pressure tube

Crud separation from equipment drain of BWR atomic power station

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hayashi, Masaru; Yamaguchi, Hisashi; Moriya, Yasuhiro; Koshiba, Yukihiko; Ota, Yoshiharu.

1977-01-01

In the primary cooling systems of BWR nuclear power stations, radioactive crud is generated and accumulates in reactors and circulating systems, which causes the radiation exposure of workers at the time of the inspection and maintenance of reactors. The chemical composition and grain size distribution of crud differ largely according to the construction of primary systems, the operational conditions of reactors, and the process of operation. The study on the application of nuclear pore membrane filter NPMF to the separation of crud in the waste water from equipment drain systems has been carried out. With the NPMF, clarified filtrate can be obtained without any filter aid, therefore the secondary waste of filter sludge is not generated. When the filter is clogged, the filtration capability can be regenerated by reverse flow washing, and continuous filtration is possible actually because the regeneration takes only short time. The NPMF is the polycarbonate membrane of about 10 μm thick, to which charged particles are irradiated vertically, and the flight tracks are etched with alkali solution, thus the required pore treatment is applied. The basic investigation of waste liquid, the endurance test of actual filters, the filtration test with the pilot apparatus, the demonstration test with an actual equipment, and the design of the actual equipment have been carried out for three years. (Kako, I.)

Modeling and Thermal Performance Evaluation of Porous Curd Layers in Sub-Cooled Boiling Region of PWRs and Effects of Sub-Cooled Nucleate Boiling on Anomalous Porous Crud Deposition on Fuel Pin Surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barclay Jones

2005-01-01

A significant number of current PWRs around the world are experiencing anomalous crud deposition in the sub-cooled region of the core, resulting in an axial power shift or Axial Offset Anomaly (AOA), a condition that continues to elude prediction of occurrence and thermal/neutronic performance. This creates an operational difficulty of not being able to accurately determine power safety margin. In some cases this condition has required power ''down rating'' by as much as thirty percent and the concomitant considerable loss of revenue for the utility. This study examines two aspects of the issue: thermal performance of crud layer and effect of sub-cooled nucleate boiling on the solute concentration and its influence on initiation of crud deposition/formation on fuel pin surface

Hydrodynamic cavitation characteristics of an orifice system and its effects on CRUD-like SiC deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Seong Man; Bang, In Cheol

2016-01-01

Highlights: • CRUD-like SiC deposition was prepared for examining the erosion test in the cavitation field. • We investigated the comparison between swirl flow and common flow on cavitation. • Magnitude of shock pressure was investigated at low cavitation number. - Abstract: In a nuclear power plant, chalk river unidentified deposit (CRUD) is known as a deposit that is composed of corrosion and oxidation materials. It has a porous structure, which combines with boron that is injected into the coolant for controlling power levels. The buildup of corrosion products on the fuel cladding surface has proven to be particularly significant for both BWRs and PWRs. The high temperature of the cladding surface attracts impurities and chemical additives in the reactor coolant that deposit on the fuel rod surface in a process. The deposits on a fuel rod, known as CRUD, can be tenacious, insulative compounds capable of increasing the local clad temperature and accelerating clad corrosion—sometimes to the point of fuel failure. The deposition of CRUD on fuel cladding surfaces causes uneven heating of the reactor core. The situation is exacerbated by boron, which is added to the coolant to control power levels. However, boron becomes concentrated and is deposited within thick CRUD deposits. Ultrasonic mechanisms were developed but they have limitations for decontamination. In this experiment, a decontamination test was conducted using a sample sheet that was composed of SiC/water nanofluids. In addition, it was exposed to swirl flow and common flow for checking enhanced cavitation. It is measured by a pressure film, as shock pressure is associated with cavitation number. As a pressure film is wetted easily in water, it was injected into a holder. In the experiment, the maximum shock pressure was obtained during swirl flow at a low cavitation number. This indicates that pressure was concentrated on the pressure film. Consequently, cavitation can get rid of CRUD layers

Prediction of CRUD deposition on PWR fuel using a state-of-the-art CFD-based multi-physics computational tool

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Petrov, Victor [Department of Nuclear Engineering & Radiological Sciences, University of Michigan, 2355 Bonisteel Boulv, Ann Arbor, MI (United States); Kendrick, Brian K. [Theoretical Division (T-1, MS B221), Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545 (United States); Walter, Daniel [Department of Nuclear Engineering & Radiological Sciences, University of Michigan, 2355 Bonisteel Boulv, Ann Arbor, MI (United States); Manera, Annalisa, E-mail: manera@umich.edu [Department of Nuclear Engineering & Radiological Sciences, University of Michigan, 2355 Bonisteel Boulv, Ann Arbor, MI (United States); Secker, Jeffrey [Westinghouse Electric Company Nuclear Fuel Division, 1000 Westinghouse Drive, Cranberry Township, PA 16066 (United States)

2016-04-01

In the present paper we report about the first attempt to demonstrate and assess the ability of state-of-the-art high-fidelity computational tools to reproduce the complex patterns of CRUD deposits found on the surface of operating Pressurized Water Reactors (PWRs) fuel rods. A fuel assembly of the Seabrook Unit 1 PWR was selected as the test problem. During Seabrook Cycle 5, CRUD induced power shift (CIPS) and CRUD induced localized corrosion (CILC) failures were observed. Measurements of the clad oxide thickness on both failed and non-failed rods are available, together with visual observations and the results from CRUD scrapes of peripheral rods. Blind simulations were performed using the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) code STAR-CCM+ coupled to an advanced chemistry code, MAMBA, developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory. The blind simulations were then compared to plant data, which were released after completion of the simulations.

Technical description of the NRC long-term whole-rod and crud performance test

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Einziger, R.E.; Fish, R.L.; Knecht, R.L.

1982-09-01

Westinghouse Hanford Company (WHC) and EG and G-Idaho are jointly conducting a long-term, low-temperature, spent-fuel, whole rod and crud behavior test to provide the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) with information to assist in the licensing of light water reactor (LWR) spent-fuel, dry storage facilities. Readily available fuel rods from an H.B. Robinson Unit 2 (PWR) fuel assembly and a Peach Bottom-II (BWR) fuel assembly were selected for use in the 50-month test. Both intact and defected rods will be tested in inert and oxidizing atmospheres. A 230 0 C test temperature was selected for the first 10-month run. Both nondestructive and destructive examinations are planned to characterize the fuel rod behavior during the 5-y test. Four interim examinations and a final examination will be conducted. Crud spallation behavior will be investigated by sampling the crud particulate from the test capsules at each of the four interim examinations and at the end of the test. The background to whole rod testing, description of rod breach mechanisms, and a detailed description of the test are presented in this document

Method of eliminating cruds in the primary coolants of reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tamura, Takaaki.

1984-01-01

Purpose: To eliminate cruds in the primary coolants by using rind of onions or peanuts. Method: Since cruds contained in the reactor primary coolants increase the radioactive exposure to reactor operators, they have been intended to remove by ion exchange resins. In this invention, rind of onions or peanuts are crushed into an adequate particle size and packed into an absorption column instead of ion exchange resins into which primary coolants are circulated. The powderous onions or peanuts rind contain glucoside such as cosmosiin and has an effect of cationic exchanger, they satisfactorily catch heavy metals such as Fe and Cu. They have an excellent filtering effect even under a high pH condition and are excellent in economical point of view. They can be decrease the volume of the absorption column, reduce their devolume after use through corrosion and easily subjected to waste procession through oxidizing combustion in liquid. (Nakamoto, H.)

Atomic scale simulations for improved CRUD and fuel performance modeling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Andersson, Anders David Ragnar [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Cooper, Michael William Donald [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2017-01-06

A more mechanistic description of fuel performance codes can be achieved by deriving models and parameters from atomistic scale simulations rather than fitting models empirically to experimental data. The same argument applies to modeling deposition of corrosion products on fuel rods (CRUD). Here are some results from publications in 2016 carried out using the CASL allocation at LANL.

Detection and replacement of crud accumulating fuel assemblies at the Loviisa-2 reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Antila, M.

1995-01-01

At unit 2 of Loviisa NPP fuel bundle outlet temperatures had been increasing slowly from the beginning of November 1994 mainly at the six lead fuel bundles with new zirconium spacer grids (Z). The unit was taken to cold shut-down and started up again in January 1995. After a few days the increase of the outlet temperatures was confirmed to continue. It was decided to shut down the reactor again to examine and remove the new Z-bundles. One bundle was taken to closer investigations in the poolside inspection stand. The hexagonal shroud tube was removed and quite a lot of crud was detected on the lower surfaces of the spacer grids. All the six Z-bundles were removed and replaced by older bundles with steel spacers. A small reshuffling was performed to control the radial power distribution. The cause for the partial flow blockage causing the increasing temperatures was accumulation of crud particularly on the Zr-spacers. The root cause of the accumulation of crud has not yet been definitely cleared. It seems evident that it is related to the decontamination of the primary circuit performed last August. The extensive incore temperature measurement instrumentation and reactor core monitoring system had a central role in the early detection of the anomaly. Thus core thermal margins were not violated and possible fuel failures could be avoided. (orig.) (3 refs., 5 figs.)

EELS and electron diffraction studies on possible bonaccordite crystals in pressurized water reactor fuel CRUD and in oxide films of alloy 600 material

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Jiaxin [Studsvik Nuclear AB, Nykoping (Sweden); Lindberg, Fredrik [Swerea KIMAB AB, Kista (Sweden); Wells, Daniel [Electric Power Research Institute, Charlotte (United States); Bengysson, Bernt [Ringhals AB, Ringhalsverket, Varobacka (Sweden)

2017-06-15

Experimental verification of boron species in fuel CRUD (Chalk River Unidentified Deposit) would provide essential and important information about the root cause of CRUD-induced power shifts (CIPS). To date, only bonaccordite and elemental boron were reported to exist in fuel CRUD in CIPS-troubled pressurized water reactor (PWR) cores and lithium tetraborate to exist in simulated PWR fuel CRUD from some autoclave tests. We have reevaluated previous analysis of similar threadlike crystals along with examining some similar threadlike crystals from CRUD samples collected from a PWR cycle that had no indications of CIPS. These threadlike crystals have a typical [Ni]/[Fe] atomic ratio of ⁓2 and similar crystal morphology as the one (bonaccordite) reported previously. In addition to electron diffraction study, we have applied electron energy loss spectroscopy to determine boron content in such a crystal and found a good agreement with that of bonaccordite. Surprisingly, such crystals seem to appear also on corroded surfaces of Alloy 600 that was exposed to simulated PWR primary water with a dissolved hydrogen level of 5 mL H{sub 2}/kg H{sub 2}O, but absent when exposed under 75 mL H{sub 2}/kg H{sub 2}O condition. It remains to be verified as to what extent and in which chemical environment this phase would be formed in PWR primary systems.

Product Evaluation Task Force Phase Two report for MEB crud/filter aid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Francis, A.J.

1991-01-01

It has been proposed that all Intermediate Level Wastes arising at Sellafield should be encapsulated prior to ultimate disposal. The Product Evaluation Task Force (PETF) was set up to investigate possible encapsulants and to produce an adequate data base to justify the preferred matrices. This report details the work carried out, under Phase 2 of the Product Evaluation Task Force programme, on MEB Crud/Filter Aid. Three possible types of encapsulants for MEB Crud/Filter Aid:- Inorganic cements, Polymer cements, and Polymers are evaluated using the Kepner Tregoe decision and analysis technique. This technique provides a methodology for scoring and ranking alternative options and evaluating any risks associated with an option. The analysis shows that for all four stages of waste management operations, ie Storage, Transport, handling and emplacement, Disposal and, Process, cement matrices are considerably superior to other potential matrices. A matrix, consisting of nine parts Blast Furnace Slag (BFS) to one part Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) is recommended as the preferred matrix for Phase 3 studies on MEB/Filter Aid. (author)

Control of Crud and Boron Deposition for AOA Prevention

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maeng, W. Y.; Choi, B. S.; Na, J. W.

2010-07-01

Ο Understand effects of water chemistry variables on AOA and investigate AOA mechanism Ο Mitigate AOA in terms of water chemistry control AOA(Axial Offset Anomaly) has been reported in many PWR plants in the world, including Korea, especially in the plants of higher burn-up and longer cycle operation or power up-rate. A test loop has been designed and made by KAERI, in order to investigate and mitigate AOA problems in Korea. This project included the study of hydrodynamic simulation and the modeling about AOA. The analysis of radioactive crud was performed to investigate of NPPs primary water chemical effect on AOA and to reduce the radioactive dose rate. The present primary water chemistry guideline of EPRI is to operate NPPs with AOA in the condition of initial 3.5 ppm Li and pH 7.1. However, the tests in this project indicate that the amount of deposit on fuel cladding can be reduced when an appropriate water chemistry strategy is applied. High pH water chemistry in the beginning of operation is recommended based on the results of this project

Study of deposited crud composition on fuel surfaces in the environment of hydrogen water chemistry (HWC) of a Boiling Water Reactor at Chinshan Nuclear Power Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsai, Tsuey-Lin; Lin, Tzung-Yi; Su, Te-Yen; Wen, Tung-Jen; Men, Lee-Chung

2012-09-01

This paper aimed at the characterization of metallic composition and surface analysis on the crud of fuel rods for unit-1 of BWR-4 at Nuclear Power Plant. The inductively coupled plasma- atomic emission spectroscopy (ICPAES) and the gamma spectrometry were carried out to analyze the corrosion product distributions and to determine the elemental compositions along the fuel rod under conditions of hydrogen water chemistry (HWC) switched from normal water chemistry (NWC) of reactor coolant in this study. Most of the crud consisted of the flakes and irregular shapes via SEM morphology. The loosely adherent oxide layer was mostly composed of hematite (α- Fe 2 O 3 ) with amorphous iron oxides by XRD results. The average deposited amounts of crud was the order of 0.5 mg/cm 2 , indicating that the fuel surface of this plant under HWC environment appeared to be one with the lower crud deposition in terms of low iron level of feedwater. It also showed no significant difference in comparison with NWC condition. (authors)

Method of removing crud deposited on fuel element clusters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yokota, Tokunobu; Yashima, Akira; Tajima, Jun-ichiro.

1982-01-01

Purpose: To enable easy elimination of claddings deposited on the surface of fuel element. Method: An operator manipulates a pole from above a platform, engages the longitudinal flange of the cover to the opening at the upper end of a channel box and starts up a suction pump. The suction amount of the pump is set such that water flow becomes within the channel box at greater flow rate than the operational flow rate in the channel box of the fuel element clusters during reactor operation. This enables to remove crud deposited on the surface of individual fuel elements with ease and rapidly without detaching the channel box. (Moriyama, K.)

'Crud' detection and evaluation during the Embalse nuclear power plant's thermal cycle for powers of 100%

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fernandez, A.; Rosales, A.H.; Mura, V.R.; Sentupery, C.; Rascon, H.

1987-01-01

This paper describes the 'crud' measurements performed during the Embalse nuclear power plant's thermal cycle for a power of 100% (645 MWe) under different purification conditions. The aim of this work is to optimize the four steam generators' tube plate cleaning in function of the sweeping produced by their purification. (Author)

Observations of crud deposits, corrosion and erosion of BWR and PWR fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bairiot, H.

1983-01-01

The BWR experience is limited to one reactor but the PWR experience covers a wide range of successive generations of power plants (7 in total). The systems are described and their water chemistry briefly commented. Some R and D performed on the effects of the operating regimes (steady state and transients) are summarized. Observations made by pool-side inspections and postirradiation examinations of fuel are outlined concerning water chemistry effects (crud deposits and corrosion) and ''mechanical'' coolant-cladding interaction (chip deposits and baffle jetting). (author)

Production Test IP-601-D: Evaluation of crud-forming characteristics of KER loop coolant containing NH{sub 4}OH for pH control

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Neidner, R.

1963-08-06

The objective of production test detailed in this report was to characterize the effects of NH{sub 4}OH as a pH control agent in a recirculating, high temperature and pressure water system having NPR characteristics. Of particular interest is the crud forming and decomposition characteristics of NH{sub 4}OH at potential NPR conditions.

Understanding Combustion and Soot Formation in Diesel Engines

Science.gov (United States)

2016-09-09

distributions of PLII signals help understand the soot distributions within diesel/ biodiesel flames. In addition, planar laser-induced Figure 1. Transported ...Prescribed by ANSI Std. Z39.18 Page 1 of 1FORM SF 298 9/14/2016https://livelink.ebs.afrl.af.mil/livelink/llisapi.dll This project investigated biodiesel ...emissions testing. 1 FINAL REPORT Project title: Understanding combustion and soot formation in biodiesel fuelled diesel engines Lead Institute and

Development of nondestructive measurement system for quantifying radioactivity from crud, liquids and gases in a contaminated pipe

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Katagiri, Masaki; Ito, Hirokuni; Wakayama, Naoaki [Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Tokai, Ibaraki (Japan). Tokai Research Establishment

1992-11-01

A nondestructive measuring method was developed to quantify separately radioisotope concentrations of crud, liquids and gases in a contaminated pipe. For applying this method to practical in-situ measurement, a nondestructive measurement system was developed. The measurement system consists of an in-situ equipment for gamma-ray scanning measurements and a data-processing equipment for analysis of radioactivity. The communication between both equipments is performed by a wireless telemeter device. To construct the measurement system, a gas-cooled Ge detector of practical use, small-sized electronics circuits, a fast and reliable telemeter device and automatic measurement technics using a computer were developed. Through performance tests, it is confirmed that the measurement system is effective for in-situ measurements of radioactivity in a contaminated pipe. The measurement accuracy with this measurement system is 10 - 20 %, which was determined by comparison with solid and liquid radioisotope concentrations in a mock-up contaminated pipe that had been quantified in advance. (author).

Understanding the star formation modes in the distant universe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salmi, Fadia

2012-01-01

The goal of my PhD study consists at attempt to understand what are the main processes at the origin of the star formation in the galaxies over the last 10 billion years. While it was proposed in the past that merging of galaxies has a dominant role to explain the triggering of the star formation in the distant galaxies having high star formation rates, in the opposite, more recent studies revealed scaling laws linking the star formation rate in the galaxies to their stellar mass or their gas mass. The small dispersion of these laws seems to be in contradiction with the idea of powerful stochastic events due to interactions, but rather in agreement with the new vision of galaxy history where the latter are continuously fed by intergalactic gas. We were especially interested in one of this scaling law, the relation between the star formation (SFR) and the stellar mass (M*) of galaxies, commonly called the main sequence of star forming galaxies. We studied this main sequence, SFR-M"*, in function of the morphology and other physical parameters like the radius, the colour, the clumpiness. The goal was to understand the origin of the sequence's dispersion related to the physical processes underlying this sequence in order to identify the main mode of star formation controlling this sequence. This work needed a multi-wavelength approach as well as the use of galaxies profile simulation to distinguish between the different galaxy morphological types implied in the main sequence. (author) [fr

Understanding The Impact of Formative Assessment Strategies on First Year University Students’ Conceptual Understanding of Chemical Concepts

OpenAIRE

Mehmet Aydeniz; Aybuke Pabuccu

2011-01-01

This study investigated the effects of formative assessment strategies on students’ conceptual understanding in a freshmen college chemistry course in Turkey. Our sample consists of 96 students; 27 males, 69 females. The formative assessment strategies such as reflection on exams, and collective problem solving sessions were used throughout the course. Data were collected through pre and post-test methodology. The findings reveal that the formative assessment strategies used in this study led...

DESENVOLVIMENTO DE UMA FERRAMENTA ASSISTENTE PARA CRIAÇÃO DE APLICAÇÕES CRUD EM JAVA NA WEB

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlos Renato de Souza Perri

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Due to the need for computerization of business processes, storage of relevant information in databases and making these information available on Internet, this project proposes to develop a tool for generating Web applications written in Java, that build functionalities to perform CRUD (Create, Retrieve, Update, Delete, ie, storage, read, update and deletion. The software is a tool, from which, the programmer inserts the script to create a database and, after setting the parameters into the tool, source code of Java Web applications are generated. There is a need to create Web applications in Java with low production time, because building these applications using common methods for development takes much time. The implementation of this tool is also to change that concept and the way of developing Java Web applications, because this tool will be used as an assistant, becoming easier to create Java Web applications. The generated applications use the technologies Servlets and JSPs, the Hibernate framework and the jQuery JavaScript library.

Shutdown radiation level and man-rem control for water cooled reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cripps, S.J.; Regan, J.D.

1978-01-01

The importance of controlling the formation and subsequent deposition of active corrosion products (crud) is highlighted as a method of reducing occupational exposure. A semi-empirical model is described and used to predict the effectiveness of various methods of crud control. The relative merits of reactor coolant clean-up techniques including ion-exchange and electromagnetic filtration are assessed in terms of man-rem savings and associated cost penalties. (author)

L3:PHI.CMD.P13.02 Support for CILC L1 Milestone Using STAR-CCM+

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Slattery, Stuart R.; Gurecky, William L.

2016-01-01

This report documents work performed to support Consortium for the Advanced Simulation of LWRs (CASL) modeling of Chalk River Unidentified Deposit (CRUD) Induced Power Shift (CIPS) and CRUD Induced Local Corrosion (CILC) using the Cicada package. The work documented here is intended to complement current and future CIPS and CILC modeling activities in CASL. We provide tools for crud and corrosion-related simulation and analysis by developing a better understanding of the interplay between the coupled physics that describe the phenomena at different time and length scales. We intend to use these models to better inform future simulation capability and development.

L3:PHI.CMD.P13.02 Support for CILC L1 Milestone Using STAR-CCM+

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Slattery, Stuart R. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Gurecky, William L. [Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States)

2016-10-07

This report documents work performed to support Consortium for the Advanced Simulation of LWRs (CASL) modeling of Chalk River Unidentified Deposit (CRUD) Induced Power Shift (CIPS) and CRUD Induced Local Corrosion (CILC) using the Cicada package. The work documented here is intended to complement current and future CIPS and CILC modeling activities in CASL. We provide tools for crud and corrosion-related simulation and analysis by developing a better understanding of the interplay between the coupled physics that describe the phenomena at different time and length scales. We intend to use these models to better inform future simulation capability and development.

Multiphysics modeling of two-phase film boiling within porous corrosion deposits

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jin, Miaomiao, E-mail: mmjin@mit.edu; Short, Michael, E-mail: hereiam@mit.edu

2016-07-01

Porous corrosion deposits on nuclear fuel cladding, known as CRUD, can cause multiple operational problems in light water reactors (LWRs). CRUD can cause accelerated corrosion of the fuel cladding, increase radiation fields and hence greater exposure risk to plant workers once activated, and induce a downward axial power shift causing an imbalance in core power distribution. In order to facilitate a better understanding of CRUD's effects, such as localized high cladding surface temperatures related to accelerated corrosion rates, we describe an improved, fully-coupled, multiphysics model to simulate heat transfer, chemical reactions and transport, and two-phase fluid flow within these deposits. Our new model features a reformed assumption of 2D, two-phase film boiling within the CRUD, correcting earlier models' assumptions of single-phase coolant flow with wick boiling under high heat fluxes. This model helps to better explain observed experimental values of the effective CRUD thermal conductivity. Finally, we propose a more complete set of boiling regimes, or a more detailed mechanism, to explain recent CRUD deposition experiments by suggesting the new concept of double dryout specifically in thick porous media with boiling chimneys. - Highlights: • A two-phase model of CRUD's effects on fuel cladding is developed and improved. • This model eliminates the formerly erroneous assumption of wick boiling. • Higher fuel cladding temperatures are predicted when accounting for two-phase flow. • Double-peaks in thermal conductivity vs. heat flux in experiments are explained. • A “double dryout” mechanism in CRUD is proposed based on the model and experiments.

An Investigation of Teachers' Growing Understandings of the Picture Book Format

Science.gov (United States)

Martinez, Miriam G.; Harmon, Janis M.

2015-01-01

This study investigated the impact of a graduate course that focused on picture books on teachers' understandings of the picture book format and the ways in which these understandings influenced their self-reports of picture book use in the classroom. Findings of this qualitative investigation revealed that immersion in and analysis of the picture…

Recent development of BOA version 3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deshon, J.; Hussey, D.; Westacott, J.; Young, M.; Secker, J.; Epperson, K.; McGurk, J.; Henshaw, J.

2010-01-01

BOA is the EPRI code developed to help understand material transport issues in PWR systems. In particular, BOA was developed to investigate the problem of crud induced power shifts (CIPS) or axial offset anomalies (AOA) that are related to crud accumulation on fuel clad and the subsequent uptake of boron within this crud. Over the last few years significant developments of BOA have taken place; these include new models for release and deposition of soluble and particulate material as well as new models for boron capture in the crud. The new version of BOA (version 3), as well as predicting the extent of AOA a plant might expect during a cycle, also predicts soluble and particulate Ni/Fe levels in the coolant, end of cycle Ni shut-down releases and the relative amounts of Ni/Fe within the fuel crud. The model is being validated against plant data and this paper briefly discusses the recent developments, the fundamental scientific basis for these changes and some of the validation studies. (author)

Understanding the geographic distribution of tropical cyclone formation for applications in climate models

Science.gov (United States)

Tory, Kevin J.; Ye, H.; Dare, R. A.

2018-04-01

Projections of Tropical cyclone (TC) formation under future climate scenarios are dependent on climate model simulations. However, many models produce unrealistic geographical distributions of TC formation, especially in the north and south Atlantic and eastern south Pacific TC basins. In order to improve confidence in projections it is important to understand the reasons behind these model errors. However, considerable effort is required to analyse the many models used in projection studies. To address this problem, a novel diagnostic is developed that provides compelling insight into why TCs form where they do, using a few summary diagrams. The diagnostic is developed after identifying a relationship between seasonal climatologies of atmospheric variables in 34 years of ECMWF reanalysis data, and TC detection distributions in the same data. Geographic boundaries of TC formation are constructed from four threshold quantities. TCs form where Emanuel's Maximum Potential Intensity, V_{{PI}}, exceeds 40 {ms}^{{ - 1}}, 700 hPa relative humidity, RH_{{700}}, exceeds 40%, and the magnitude of the difference in vector winds between 850 and 200 hPa, V_{{sh}}, is less than 20 {ms}^{{ - 1}}. The equatorial boundary is best defined by a composite quantity containing the ratio of absolute vorticity (η ) to the meridional gradient of absolute vorticity (β ^{*}), rather than η alone. {β ^*} is also identified as a potentially important ingredient for TC genesis indices. A comparison of detected Tropical Depression (TD) and Tropical Storm (TS) climatologies revealed TDs more readily intensify further to TS where {V_{PI}} is elevated and {V_{sh}} is relatively weak. The distributions of each threshold quantity identify the factors that favour and suppress TC formation throughout the tropics in the real world. This information can be used to understand why TC formation is poorly represented in some climate models, and shows potential for understanding anomalous TC formation

The Effect of Computer Models as Formative Assessment on Student Understanding of the Nature of Models

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Mihwa; Liu, Xiufeng; Smith, Erica; Waight, Noemi

2017-01-01

This study reports the effect of computer models as formative assessment on high school students' understanding of the nature of models. Nine high school teachers integrated computer models and associated formative assessments into their yearlong high school chemistry course. A pre-test and post-test of students' understanding of the nature of…

Hide out return test and blowndown crud composition under ETA chemistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chocron, Mauricio; Rodriguez, Ivanna; Saucedo, Ramona; Rodriguez-Aliciardi, Matias; Montes, Juan

2012-09-01

Among the techniques recommended for the surveillance of the Steam Generators (SGs) are (i) the follow-up of the corrosion products in the Feed Water and Blown down water and the corresponding accumulation mass balance and (ii) The follow-up of ionic impurities normally present in the main condensate and feed water that can enter the cycle either by condenser leakages or even by the make-up water. This is so, no matter how well the the cycle is constructed or the make-up water plant behaves given the continuous phase change present in it and the subsequent concentration. A synergistic effect exists between both, corrosion products and impurities, (i) and (ii), because impurities concentrate in the deposits creating a potentially risky environment for the steam generator tubes. Hide out return determination consists in the measurement of the concentration of ions, anions and cations, present in the blown-down water which are eluted during the shutdown along with the reduction of power and temperature. The integrated value provides figures to perform several evaluations like: (i) how well the make-up water plant has performed during the cycle, (ii) presence of condenser in leakages, (iii) amount of deposits present in the steam generator and (iv) it allows to estimate the chemistry in operation inside the steam generator liquid phase inside the sludge pile. Embalse, a CANDU 6 pressurized heavy water reactor located in Cordoba Province, Argentina, is close to reach the end-of-design-life and a project of life extension is currently ongoing. There, also the chemistry in the BOP has been modified from Morpholine to Ethanolamine chemistry (Fernandez et. al, NPC'2010, October 3-7, Quebec City, Canada) to enhance protection of steam generator internals and new steam generators will be installed. It is of interest then to set up a hide-out return procedure and analysis of blown down crud collected during the shut down as a base line for the second period of operation

Study on a corrosion products behavior with zinc injection in PWR primary circuit based on the crud investigation in actual plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hisamune Kenji; Nambu Tohru; Akutagawa Daisuke; Nagata Nobuaki; Shimizu, Yuichi; Nagamine, Kunitaka; Kogawa Noritaka

2012-09-01

Zinc injection into the reactor coolant of Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) is one of the most effective techniques for removing radioactive cobalt from the chromite type spinel oxides in the inner layer of reactor coolant component surfaces. Many documents have reported that zinc injection applied plants have generally achieved positive dose rate reduction effects for the reactor coolant components and piping. Tsuruga Nuclear Power Plant unit 2 (hereafter Tsuruga unit 2) which applied zinc injection in 2005 has also achieved good dose reduction effects in most primary coolant piping. However, some piping without dose-rate reduction effects exist, it has come to an issue to plan radiation exposure reduction measures for the works around relevant piping. To plan a reasonable dose-rate reduction measures for respective components and piping in primary systems, it is considered necessary to understand the dose-rate reduction effects of zinc injection mechanically. Therefore, the surface oxides/deposits on piping and fuel cladding tubes with operational histories under zinc injection were investigated. As a result of the investigation, the changes in specific aspects of oxide layers and CRUDs are found as follow: - Owing to long-term zinc injection, deposits and oxides on the primary coolant piping are extremely reduced, the boundary between the outer oxide layer and the inner oxide layer become unclear with the thinning of the outer oxide layers. - At a Pressurizer Spray Piping, the dose-rate increases than before zinc injection. The oxide layers have the same 3-layer construction as before zinc injection, and the surface concentration of the radioactive cobalt is high. - At the fuel cladding tube surfaces, what is observed is the amount of metal nickel decrease and the chromium composition increase in the spinel type oxide From these results, it is suggested that, the oxide layers composed principally of zinc chromite spinel grow up on the pipe surface with zinc

CASL L1 Milestone report : CASL.P4.01, sensitivity and uncertainty analysis for CIPS with VIPRE-W and BOA.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sung, Yixing (Westinghouse Electric Company LLC, Cranberry Township, PA); Adams, Brian M.; Secker, Jeffrey R. (Westinghouse Electric Company LLC, Cranberry Township, PA)

2011-12-01

The CASL Level 1 Milestone CASL.P4.01, successfully completed in December 2011, aimed to 'conduct, using methodologies integrated into VERA, a detailed sensitivity analysis and uncertainty quantification of a crud-relevant problem with baseline VERA capabilities (ANC/VIPRE-W/BOA).' The VUQ focus area led this effort, in partnership with AMA, and with support from VRI. DAKOTA was coupled to existing VIPRE-W thermal-hydraulics and BOA crud/boron deposit simulations representing a pressurized water reactor (PWR) that previously experienced crud-induced power shift (CIPS). This work supports understanding of CIPS by exploring the sensitivity and uncertainty in BOA outputs with respect to uncertain operating and model parameters. This report summarizes work coupling the software tools, characterizing uncertainties, and analyzing the results of iterative sensitivity and uncertainty studies. These studies focused on sensitivity and uncertainty of CIPS indicators calculated by the current version of the BOA code used in the industry. Challenges with this kind of analysis are identified to inform follow-on research goals and VERA development targeting crud-related challenge problems.

CASL L1 Milestone report: CASL.P4.01, sensitivity and uncertainty analysis for CIPS with VIPRE-W and BOA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sung, Yixing; Adams, Brian M.; Secker, Jeffrey R.

2011-01-01

The CASL Level 1 Milestone CASL.P4.01, successfully completed in December 2011, aimed to 'conduct, using methodologies integrated into VERA, a detailed sensitivity analysis and uncertainty quantification of a crud-relevant problem with baseline VERA capabilities (ANC/VIPRE-W/BOA).' The VUQ focus area led this effort, in partnership with AMA, and with support from VRI. DAKOTA was coupled to existing VIPRE-W thermal-hydraulics and BOA crud/boron deposit simulations representing a pressurized water reactor (PWR) that previously experienced crud-induced power shift (CIPS). This work supports understanding of CIPS by exploring the sensitivity and uncertainty in BOA outputs with respect to uncertain operating and model parameters. This report summarizes work coupling the software tools, characterizing uncertainties, and analyzing the results of iterative sensitivity and uncertainty studies. These studies focused on sensitivity and uncertainty of CIPS indicators calculated by the current version of the BOA code used in the industry. Challenges with this kind of analysis are identified to inform follow-on research goals and VERA development targeting crud-related challenge problems.

Degradation monitoring in IRIS steam generators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alpay, B.; Holloway, J. P.; Lee, J. C.

2007-01-01

We present a degradation monitoring technique based on unscented Kalman filtering (UKF), which uses a nonlinear system model without linearization to estimate the status of the component/state variables. To test the applicability of the methodology, the fouling of tubes is chosen among various degradation mechanisms for the IRIS (International Reactor Innovative and Secure) steam generators (SGs). The degradation monitoring algorithm diagnoses the tube fouling and estimates the thickness of the crud deposited on the secondary side of the SG along with the increase in the pressure drop triggered by fouling. A stand-alone SG model developed with the RELAP5 code was used to simulate the transient behavior of the SG and drive an UKF state estimate. By using the secondary side outlet temperature as the measurement and the nodal pressures along the secondary side as states, UKF generated accurate estimates of the crud layer thicknesses for different crud formations. (authors)

Mass trasnfer of corrosion products in high temperature, high pressure water circuits

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Evans, J.V.; Nicholson, F.D.

1976-07-01

The behaviour of iron oxide crud was studied at 25 0 C and over the range 240 to 270 0 C in a high pressure water loop. Crud deposition and removal was measured in two parallel, heated Zircaloy-2 tubes using iron-59 as a radioactive tracer. This proved to be a powerful technique capable of detecting crud deposits less than 3 nm thick. Rapid deposition of crud was observed following injection into the loop of an iron oxide suspension or a ferric nitrate solution. Crud deposited preferentially on heated surfaces when they were present but not to the exclusion of deposition elsewhere; hot spots on heated surfaces attracted additional deposits. Subcooled boiling appeared to be a more important factor than bulk boiling in the enhancement of crud deposition. The initial rapid deposition of the bulk crud throughout the loop was usually followed by a slower transfer of crud from other surfaces to any heated surface present. Unsteady operating conditions, e.g. a change in power, temperature or pH, frequently caused crud bursts, but once steady conditions were re-established the entrained crud was quickly redeposited. The bulk of deposited crud was not readily re-entrained, particularly from heated surfaces, so that crud bursts involved only a fraction of the total crud deposited. Ferric nitrate solutions injected into the loop formed haematite which deposited more slowly and formed more mobile deposits than magnetite which was injected directly into the loop as a slurry. Examination of deposits from both sources showed them to be even and tightly adherent, being removed only with difficulty. (author)

Understanding the Sun-Earth Libration Point Orbit Formation Flying Challenges For WFIRST and Starshade

Science.gov (United States)

Webster, Cassandra M.; Folta, David C.

2017-01-01

In order to fly an occulter in formation with a telescope at the Sun-Earth L2 (SEL2) Libration Point, one must have a detailed understanding of the dy-namics that govern the restricted three body system. For initial purposes, a linear approximation is satisfactory, but operations will require a high-fidelity modeling tool along with strategic targeting methods in order to be successful. This paper focuses on the challenging dynamics of the transfer trajectories to achieve the relative positioning of two spacecraft to fly in formation at SEL2, in our case, the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) and a proposed Starshade. By modeling the formation transfers using a high fidelity tool, an accurate V approximation can be made to as-sist with the development of the subsystem design required for a WFIRST and Starshade formation flight mission.

Understanding Alliance Formation Patterns

Science.gov (United States)

2015-12-01

military, transportation, and communications technologies, which caused every place in the world to be politically significant. Second, “divisions of power...test a similar claim about the association between distance and dyadic alliance formation. In their first model, in which they use the complete data...1885 to 1990] are positively related to dyadic trade levels, and that their non- defense-pact counterparts are not significantly related to trade in

Replacement of fine particle purification filter of the PHT purification system - 15083

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, D.S.

2015-01-01

The increase of chalk river unidentified deposit (CRUD), a particulate corrosion product in PHT (primary heat transport) system with increased operating years of a nuclear power plant causes: -) the problems of increased heavy water decomposition and deuterium formation reaction due to catalytic reaction with CRUD, -) damage to PHT pump seal due to a corrosion product, -) damage to fuel channel closure seal, and increased radiation exposure of workers due to elevated dose rate in steam generator water chamber. Wolsung unit 3 and 4 have replaced fine filter media in PHT purification system in phases reducing the pore size of the filter media (5 μm → 2 μm → 1 μm → 0.45 μm) to solve this problem. The phased replacement of fine filter media by the one with a smaller pore size reduced CRUD in PHT system significantly and also radiation dose rate in steam generator water chamber. Accordingly, many problems related to the aging of a plant (including increased radiation exposure of workers during outage, damage to mechanical seal of PHT pump) have been solved. (author)

Physicochemical interactions at metal-water interfaces and their significance to deposition problems at nuclear power plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Venkateswaran, G; VENKATESWARLU, K S [BHABHA ATOMIC RESEARCH CENTRE, BOMBAY (INDIA). CHEMISTRY DIV.

1977-01-01

An attempt has been made to understand deposit formation in the general framework of interface processes involving : (1) surface potentials of the oxide particles which when released from the constructional materials are the main contaminants in the high temperature coolant water, (2) pH and (3) factors such as conductivity, temperature and velocity of coolant which influence surface potential. Measures suggested to avoid deposition formation are : (1) for new reactors, proper adjustment of the pH of various water systems and change of material of construction so as to minimise the force of attraction between the system surfaces and deposit forming species and (2) for existing reactors, replacement of certain parts like valve seals, orifice plate, strainers etc. by better compatible materials and even metallising certain surfaces so as to repel the circulating crud.

Understanding adult neurogenesis beyond its role in learning and memory formation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ab Latif Wani

2017-04-01

Full Text Available There has been a shift in the understanding of brain, neurons, and their functional role over the last two decades. Earlier it was believed that the brain was a static organ and was not subject to any change throughout life. An understanding was developed later that brain reorganizes its structure by a specific property called neuroplasticity. Recent research shows that the brain generates new neurons even in the adult stage, and this process is called adult neurogenesis. Although researchers still not have all the answers about the newborn neurons, and why and how they are generated, and what is their role, some have highlighted the importance of these in learning and memory formation, and even in memories of fear and spatial navigation. A wide range of environmental experience influences the generation of newborn neurons and their functional variability. There are questions about how different environmental experiences cause the differences in the generation of new neurons. Recently the field of optogenetics attempted to answer the questions on adult neurogenesis. However there are still questions about adult neurogenesis which needs a more naturalistic approach, for their better understanding.

Effect of Sulfur Concentration and PH Conditions on Akaganeite Formation: Understanding Akaganeite Formation Conditions in Yellowknife Bay, Gale Crater, Mars

Science.gov (United States)

Fox, A.; Peretyazhko, T.; Sutter, B.; Niles, P.; Ming, D. W.; Morris, R. V.

2015-01-01

The Chemistry and Mineralogy Instrument (CHEMIN) on board the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Curiosity Rover identified minor amounts of akaganeite (beta-FeOOH) at Yellowknife Bay, Mars. There is also evidence for akaganeite at other localities on Mars from the Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM). Akaganeite is an iron(III) hydroxide with a hollandite- like structure and Cl in its tunnels. Terrestrial akaganeite usually forms in Cl-rich environments under acidic, oxidizing conditions. Previous studies of akaganeite have revealed that akaganeite formation is affected by the presence of sulfate (hereafter denoted as S. The prediction of circumneutral pH coupled with the detection of S at Yellowknife Bay dictate that work is needed to determine how S and pH together affect akaganeite formation. The goal of this work is to study how changes in both S concentration and pH influence akaganeite precipitation. Akaganeite formation was investigated at S/Cl molar ratios of 0, 0.017, 0.083, 0.17 and 0.33 at pH 1.5, 2, and 4. Results are anticipated to provide combined S concentration and pH constraints on akaganeite formation in Yellowknife Bay and elsewhere on Mars. Knowledge of solution pH and S concentrations can be utilized in understanding microbial habitability potential on the Martian surface.

Corrosion product balances for the Ringhals PWR plants based on extensive fuel crud and water chemistry measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lundgren, K.; Wikmark, G.; Bengtsson, B.

2010-01-01

The corrosion product balance in a PWR plant is of great importance for the fuel performance as well as for the radiation field buildup. This balance is of special concern in connection to steam generator replacement (SGR) and power uprate projects. The Ringhals PWRs are all of Westinghouse design. Two of the plants have performed Steam Generator Replacement (SGR) to I-690 SG tubes and such a replacement is being planned in the third and last unit in 2011. Two of the units are in different phases of power uprate projects. The plants are all on 10-14-months cycles operating with medium to high fuel duty. Water chemistry is controlled by a pH300 in the range ∼7.2 to 7.4 from beginning of cycle to end of cycle (BOC-EOC) in the units with new SGs while kept at a coordinated pH of 7.2 in the one still using I-600. The maximum Li content has recently been increased to about 4.5 to 5 ppm in all units. In order to be able to improve the assessment of corrosion product balances in the plants, comprehensive fuel crud measurements were performed in 2007. Improved integrated reactor water sampling techniques have also been introduced in order to make accurate mass balances possible. The corrosion products covered in the study are the main constituents, Ni, Fe and Cr in the primary circuit Inconel and stainless steel, together with Co. The activated corrosion products, Co-58, Co-60, Cr-51, Fe-59 and Mn-54, are all mainly produced through neutron irradiation of the covered corrosion products. The main results of the corrosion product balances are presented. Observed differences between the plants, indicating significant impact of pH control and SG tube materials, are presented and discussed. The importance of accurate sampling techniques is especially addressed in this paper. (author)

Experimental Investigation on the Effects of Coolant Concentration on Sub-Cooled Boiling and Crud Deposition on Reactor Cladding at Prototypical PWR Operating Conditions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schultis, J., Kenneth; Fenton, Donald, L.

2006-10-20

Increasing demand for energy necessitates nuclear power units to increase power limits. This implies significant changes in the design of the core of the nuclear power units, therefore providing better performance and safety in operations. A major hindrance to the increase of nuclear reactor performance especially in Pressurized Deionized water Reactors (PWR) is Axial Offset Anomaly (AOA)--the unexpected change in the core axial power distribution during operation from the predicted distribution. This problem is thought to be occur because of precipitation and deposition of lithiated compounds like boric acid (H{sub 2}BO{sub 3}) and lithium metaborate (LiBO{sub 2}) on the fuel rod cladding. Deposited boron absorbs neutrons thereby affecting the total power distribution inside the reactor. AOA is thought to occur when there is sufficient build-up of crud deposits on the cladding during subcooled nucleate boiling. Predicting AOA is difficult as there is very little information regarding the heat and mass transfer during subcooled nucleate boiling. An experimental investigation was conducted to study the heat transfer characteristics during subcooled nucleate boiling at prototypical PWR conditions. Pool boiling tests were conducted with varying concentrations of lithium metaborate (LiBO{sub 2}) and boric acid (H{sub 2}BO{sub 3}) solutions in deionized water. The experimental data collected includes the effect of coolant concentration, subcooling, system pressure and heat flux on pool the boiling heat transfer coefficient. The analysis of particulate deposits formed on the fuel cladding surface during subcooled nucleate boiling was also performed. The results indicate that the pool boiling heat transfer coefficient degrades in the presence of boric acid and lithium metaborate compared to pure deionized water due to lesser nucleation. The pool boiling heat transfer coefficients decreased by about 24% for 5000 ppm concentrated boric acid solution and by 27% for 5000 ppm

Heat Transfer Coefficient Variations in Nuclear Fuel Rod Bundles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Conner, Michael E.; Holloway, Mary V.

2007-01-01

The single-phase heat transfer performance of a PWR nuclear fuel rod bundle is enhanced by the use of mixing vanes attached to the downstream edges of the support grid straps. This improved single-phase performance will delay the onset of nucleate boiling, thereby reducing corrosion and delaying crud-related issues. This paper presents the variation in measured single-phase heat transfer coefficients (HTC) for several grid designs. Then, this variation is compared with observations of actual in-core crud patterns. While crud deposition is a function of a number of parameters including rod heat flux, the HTC is assumed to be a primary factor in explaining why crud deposition is a local phenomenon on nuclear fuel rods. The data from this study will be used to examine this assumption by providing a comparison between HTC variations and crud deposition patterns. (authors)

Solubilities of iron and nickel oxides under high temperature and high pressure conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Ke-Chon; Jung, Yong-Ju; Yeon, Jei-Won; Jee, Kwang-Yong

2007-01-01

The purposes of primary coolant chemistry are to assure fuel and material integrity and to minimize out of core radiation fields. During the PWR operation, crud deposits are expected on the cladding, leading to cladding failure and raising the radioactivity. Such deposits come from the corrosion products of system surface. To achieve optimal conditions for primary coolant, basic researches on mass transfer, deposition and solubility of corrosion products are needed. The initial stage of crud formation could be the studies on the solubility of a structural material. It has been known that the solubility of metal oxides in boric acid under high temperature and high pressure condition depends on the pH and dissolved hydrogen. Thus, the effect of various pH on the solubility of metal oxide in boric acid solution was investigated in this work

Electrophoretic studies on corrosion products from secondary side on nuclear steam generator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Das, P.C.; Velmurugan, S.; Sinha, P.K.; Mathur, P.K.

1988-01-01

Electrophoretic mobilities of aqueous suspensions of the steam generator crud samples were determined at 25degC and the zeta potentials were calculated using Smoluchowski equation assuming k. a>>1. The determined (pH) pzc values for different crud samples were compared with the available literature data for magnetite (the major constituent of S.G. crud). The observed shift in the (δ) zeta potentials and crud suspensions towards more negative values in the presence of anions such as Cl - , NO 3 - and SO 4 2- , used for maintaining constant ionic strengths, suggested probable adsorption of these anions on the oxide solution interface. (author). 10 refs

Investigation of likely causes of white patch formation on irradiated WWER fuel rod claddings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bibilashvili, Yu.K.; Velioukhanov, V.P.; Ioltoukhovski, A.Y.; Pogodin, V.P.

1999-01-01

The information concerning white patches observed on fuel cladding surfaces has been analytically treated. The analysis shows at least three kinds of the white patch appearance: bright white spots which appear to be loose corrosion product deposits disclosing corrosion pits upon spalling; indistinct streaks with separate pronounced spots 1-2 in dia. The spots seem to be thin superficial deposits; light-coloured dense uniform crud distributed over the surface of fuel claddings and fuel assembly jackets. (author)

CASL L2 milestone report : VUQ.Y1.03, %22Enable statistical sensitivity and UQ demonstrations for VERA.%22

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sung, Yixing (Westinghouse Electric Company LLC, Cranberry Township, PA); Adams, Brian M.; Witkowski, Walter R.

2011-04-01

The CASL Level 2 Milestone VUQ.Y1.03, 'Enable statistical sensitivity and UQ demonstrations for VERA,' was successfully completed in March 2011. The VUQ focus area led this effort, in close partnership with AMA, and with support from VRI. DAKOTA was coupled to VIPRE-W thermal-hydraulics simulations representing reactors of interest to address crud-related challenge problems in order to understand the sensitivity and uncertainty in simulation outputs with respect to uncertain operating and model form parameters. This report summarizes work coupling the software tools, characterizing uncertainties, selecting sensitivity and uncertainty quantification algorithms, and analyzing the results of iterative studies. These demonstration studies focused on sensitivity and uncertainty of mass evaporation rate calculated by VIPRE-W, a key predictor for crud-induced power shift (CIPS).

What Do They Understand? Using Technology to Facilitate Formative Assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Mitten, Carolyn; Jacobbe, Tim; Jacobbe, Elizabeth

2017-01-01

Formative assessment is so important to inform teachers' planning. A discussion of the benefits of using technology to facilitate formative assessment explains how four primary school teachers adopted three different apps to make their formative assessment more meaningful and useful.

Optical coherence tomography for nondestructive evaluation of fuel rod degradation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Renshaw, Jeremy B.; Jenkins, Thomas P.; Buckner, Benjamin D.; Friend, Brian

2015-01-01

Nuclear power plants regularly inspect fuel rods to ensure safe and reliable operation. Excessive corrosion can cause fuel failures which can have significant repercussions for the plant, including impacts on plant operation, worker exposure to radiation, and the plant's INPO rating. While plants typically inspect for fuel rod corrosion using eddy current techniques, these techniques have known issues with reliability in the presence of tenacious, ferromagnetic crud layers that can deposit during operation, and the nondestructive evaluation (NDE) inspection results can often be in error by a factor of 2 or 3. For this reason, alternative measurement techniques, such as Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), have been evaluated that are not sensitive to the ferromagnetic nature of the crud. This paper demonstrates that OCT has significant potential to characterize the thickness of crud layers that can deposit on the surfaces of fuel rods during operation. Physical trials have been performed on simulated crud samples, and the resulting data show an apparent correlation between the crud layer thickness and the OCT signal

Optical coherence tomography for nondestructive evaluation of fuel rod degradation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Renshaw, Jeremy B., E-mail: jrenshaw@epri.com [Electric Power Research Institute, 1300 West WT Harris Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28262 (United States); Jenkins, Thomas P., E-mail: tjenkins@metrolaserinc.com; Buckner, Benjamin D., E-mail: tjenkins@metrolaserinc.com [MetroLaser, Inc., 22941 Mill Creek Drive, Laguna Hills, CA 92653 (United States); Friend, Brian [AREVA, Inc., 3315 Old Forest Road, Lynchburg, VA 24501 (United States)

2015-03-31

Nuclear power plants regularly inspect fuel rods to ensure safe and reliable operation. Excessive corrosion can cause fuel failures which can have significant repercussions for the plant, including impacts on plant operation, worker exposure to radiation, and the plant's INPO rating. While plants typically inspect for fuel rod corrosion using eddy current techniques, these techniques have known issues with reliability in the presence of tenacious, ferromagnetic crud layers that can deposit during operation, and the nondestructive evaluation (NDE) inspection results can often be in error by a factor of 2 or 3. For this reason, alternative measurement techniques, such as Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), have been evaluated that are not sensitive to the ferromagnetic nature of the crud. This paper demonstrates that OCT has significant potential to characterize the thickness of crud layers that can deposit on the surfaces of fuel rods during operation. Physical trials have been performed on simulated crud samples, and the resulting data show an apparent correlation between the crud layer thickness and the OCT signal.

Modelling dewatering behaviour through an understanding of solids formation processes. Part II--solids separation considerations.

Science.gov (United States)

Dustan, A C; Cohen, B; Petrie, J G

2005-05-30

An understanding of the mechanisms which control solids formation can provide information on the characteristics of the solids which are formed. The nature of the solids formed in turn impacts on dewatering behaviour. The 'upstream' solids formation determines a set of suspension characteristics: solids concentration, particle size distribution, solution ionic strength and electrostatic surface potential. These characteristics together define the suspension's rheological properties. However, the complicated interdependence of these has precluded the prediction of suspension rheology from such a fundamental description of suspension characteristics. Recent shear yield stress models, applied in this study to compressive yield, significantly reduce the empiricism required for the description of compressive rheology. Suspension compressibility and permeability uniquely define the dewatering behaviour, described in terms of settling, filtration and mechanical expression. These modes of dewatering may be described in terms of the same fundamental suspension mechanics model. In this way, it is possible to link dynamically the processes of solids formation and dewatering of the resultant suspension. This, ultimately, opens the door to improved operability of these processes. In part I of this paper we introduced an integrated system model for solids formation and dewatering. This model was demonstrated for the upstream processes using experimental data. In this current paper models of colloidal interactions and dewatering are presented and compared to experimental results from batch filtration tests. A novel approach to predicting suspension compressibility and permeability using a single test configuration is presented and tested.

Phenomenology and modeling of particulate corrosion product behavior in Hanford N Reactor primary coolant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bechtold, D.B.

1983-01-01

The levels and composition of filterable corrosion products in the Hanford N Reactor Primary Loop are measurable by filtration. The suspended crud level has ranged from 0.0005 ppM to 6.482 ppM with a median 0.050 ppM. The composition approximates magnetite. The particle size distribution has been found in 31 cases to be uniformly a log normal distribution with a count median ranging from 1.10 to 2.31 microns with a median of 1.81 microns, and the geometric standard deviation ranging from 1.60 to 2.34 with a median of 1.84. An auto-correcting inline turbidimeter was found to respond to linearly to suspended crud levels over a range 0.05 to at least 6.5 ppM by direct comparison with filter sample weights. Cause of crud bursts in the primary loop were found to be power decreases. The crud transients associated with a reactor power drop, several reactor shutdowns, and several reactor startups could be modeled consistently with each other using a simple stirred-tank, first order exchange model of particulate between makeup, coolant, letdown, and loosely adherent crud on pipe walls. Over 3/10 of the average steady running particulate crud level could be accounted for by magnetically filterable particulate in the makeup feed. A simulation model of particulate transport has been coded in FORTRAN

Fuel decontamination at Ringhals 1 with the new decontamination process IcedecTM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fredriksson, E.; Ivars, R.; Rosengren, A.; Granath, G.

2003-01-01

The new fuel decontamination technique ICEDEC TM , which has been developed by Westinghouse, is based on abrasion of fuel crud with ice particles. A mixture of ice and water is led continuously through the fuel assembly, which is placed in a specially designed fuel decontamination container connected to a closed loop recirculation system. The ice particles scrape off the loose crud from the fuel surfaces and a mixture of crud and water from the melted ice is then led to a filter unit were the crud is separated from the water. In this paper results of fuel decontamination tests of two-year-old and spent fuel assemblies during spring 2001 at Ringhals 1 are presented. The fuel crud was only released when ice particles passed through the fuel assembly and stopped within ten seconds after the feeding of ice particles had ceased. The activity release from the fuel could thus be performed in a controlled way making the process easy to manage and survey. Activity measurements confirmed that about 50% of the loose crud was removed from the fuel surfaces of the two-year-old assembly. Fuel inspection after the decontamination process showed no influence on the fuel integrity. Furthermore, no enhanced personnel radiation dose was involved with the fuel decontamination compared to normal fuel services. (authors)

Development of experimental method to simulate the corrosion products in the primary system of nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Sang Hyun; Kim, In Sup; Jang, Chang Heui

2005-01-01

Corrosion products are recognized as one of the major sources of occupational radiation exposure for nuclear power plant workers. Numerous studies have been conducted on the primary water chemistry to reduce the amount of crud in the primary circuit to avoid the radioactivity build-up in the plant. However, experiments with crud are restricted in laboratory because the crud is highly radioactive material. The objective of this study is to develop the simulating method of corrosion product in nuclear power plant

Measurement and analysis of bubble behavior in subcooled nucleate boiling flow field with high fidelity imaging system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, W.; Jones, B.G.; Newell, T.A.

2004-01-01

Axial offset anomaly (AOA) is an unexpected deviation in the core axial power distribution from the predicted curve. AOA is a current major consideration for reactors operating at increased power levels and is becoming immediate threat to nuclear power's competitiveness in the market. Despite much effort focusing on this topic, a comprehensive understanding is far from being developed. However, previous research indicates first, that a close connection exists between subcooled nucleate boiling occurring in core region and the formation of crud, which directly results in AOA phenomena, secondly, that deposition is greater, and sometimes much greater, on heated than on unheated surfaces. A number of researchers have suggested that boiling promotes deposition, and several observed increased deposition in the subcooled boiling region. Limited detailed information is available on the interaction between heat and mass transfer in subcooled nucleate boiling (SNB) flow. Bubbles formed in SNB region play an important role in helping the formation of crud. This research examines bubble behavior under SNB condition from the dynamic point of view, using a high fidelity digital imaging apparatus. Freon R-134a is chosen as a simulant fluid due to its merit of having smaller surface tension and lower boiling temperature. The apparatus is operated at reduced pressure. Series of images at frame rates up to 4000 frames/s were obtained, showing different characteristics of bubble behavior with varying experimental parameters e.g. flow velocity, fluid subcooled level, etc. Analyses that combine the experimental results with analytical result on flow field in velocity boundary layer are considered. A tentative suggestion is that a rolling movement of a bubble accompanies its sliding along the heating surface in the flow channel. Numerical computations using FLUENT v5.5 have been performed to support this conclusion

Understanding the process of social network evolution: Online-offline integrated analysis of social tie formation.

Science.gov (United States)

Kwak, Doyeon; Kim, Wonjoon

2017-01-01

It is important to consider the interweaving nature of online and offline social networks when we examine social network evolution. However, it is difficult to find any research that examines the process of social tie formation from an integrated perspective. In our study, we quantitatively measure offline interactions and examine the corresponding evolution of online social network in order to understand the significance of interrelationship between online and offline social factors in generating social ties. We analyze the radio signal strength indicator sensor data from a series of social events to understand offline interactions among the participants and measure the structural attributes of their existing online Facebook social networks. By monitoring the changes in their online social networks before and after offline interactions in a series of social events, we verify that the ability to develop an offline interaction into an online friendship is tied to the number of social connections that participants previously had, while the presence of shared mutual friends between a pair of participants disrupts potential new connections within the pre-designed offline social events. Thus, while our integrative approach enables us to confirm the theory of preferential attachment in the process of network formation, the common neighbor theory is not supported. Our dual-dimensional network analysis allows us to observe the actual process of social network evolution rather than to make predictions based on the assumption of self-organizing networks.

Understanding the process of social network evolution: Online-offline integrated analysis of social tie formation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Doyeon Kwak

Full Text Available It is important to consider the interweaving nature of online and offline social networks when we examine social network evolution. However, it is difficult to find any research that examines the process of social tie formation from an integrated perspective. In our study, we quantitatively measure offline interactions and examine the corresponding evolution of online social network in order to understand the significance of interrelationship between online and offline social factors in generating social ties. We analyze the radio signal strength indicator sensor data from a series of social events to understand offline interactions among the participants and measure the structural attributes of their existing online Facebook social networks. By monitoring the changes in their online social networks before and after offline interactions in a series of social events, we verify that the ability to develop an offline interaction into an online friendship is tied to the number of social connections that participants previously had, while the presence of shared mutual friends between a pair of participants disrupts potential new connections within the pre-designed offline social events. Thus, while our integrative approach enables us to confirm the theory of preferential attachment in the process of network formation, the common neighbor theory is not supported. Our dual-dimensional network analysis allows us to observe the actual process of social network evolution rather than to make predictions based on the assumption of self-organizing networks.

Corrosion product deposition on fuel element surfaces of a boiling water reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Orlov, A.

2011-01-01

Over the last decade the problem of corrosion products deposition on light water reactor fuel elements has been extensively investigated in relation to the possibility of failures caused by them. The goal of the present study is to understand in a quantitative way the formation of such kind of deposits and to analytically understand the mechanism of formation and deposition with help of the quasi-steady state concentrations of a number of 3d metals in reactor water. Recent investigations on the complex corrosion product deposits on a Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) fuel cladding have shown that the observed layer locally presents unexpected magnetic properties. The buildup of magnetic corrosion product deposits (crud) on the fuel cladding of the BWR, Kernkraftwerk Leibstadt (KKL) Switzerland has hampered the Eddy-current based measurements of ZrO 2 layer thickness. The magnetic behavior of this layer and its axial variation on BWR fuel cladding is of interest with respect to non-destructive cladding characterization. Consequently, a cladding from a BWR was cut at elevations of 810 mm, where the layer was observed to be magnetic, and of 1810 mm where it was less magnetic. The samples were subsequently analyzed using electron probe microanalysis (EPMA), magnetic analysis and X-ray techniques (μXRF, μXRD and μXAFS). Both EPMA and μXRF have shown that the observed corrosion deposit layer which is situated on the Zircaloy corrosion layer consists mostly of 3-d elements’ oxides (Fe, Zn, Ni and Mn). The distribution of these elements within the investigated layer is rather complex and not homogeneous. The main components identified by 2D μXRD mapping inside the layer were hematite and spinel phases with the common formula (M x Fe y )[M (1-x) Fe (2-y) ]O 4 , where M = Zn, Ni, Mn. With μXRD it was clearly shown that the cell parameter of analyzed spinel is different from the one of the pure endmembers (ZnFe 2 O 4 , NiFe 2 O 4 and MnFe 2 O 4 ) proving the existence of

Rates of star formation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Larson, R.B.

1977-01-01

It is illustrated that a theoretical understanding of the formation and evolution of galaxies depends on an understanding of star formation, and especially of the factors influencing the rate of star formation. Some of the theoretical problems of star formation in galaxies, some approaches that have been considered in models of galaxy evolution, and some possible observational tests that may help to clarify which processes or models are most relevant are reviewed. The material is presented under the following headings: power-law models for star formation, star formation processes (conditions required, ways of achieving these conditions), observational indications and tests, and measures of star formation rates in galaxies. 49 references

Understanding the acquisition and regulation mechanisms of the water chemistry in a clay formation: the CEC/ANDRA Archimede-argile project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Merceron, T.; Mossmann, J.R.; Neerdael, B.; Canniere, P. de; Beaucaire, C.; Toulhoat, P.; Daumas, S.; Bianchi, A.; Christen, R.

1993-01-01

Clay formations are candidate host environments to high level radioactive waste repository. The radioelements could be partially released from the waste into the host geological formation after a very long time. Understanding behaviour of the natural chemical species is considered as a fundamental prerequisite before the disturbed system will be studied. Additional laboratory studies are also essential in order to forecast, by analogy, the behaviour of radioelements released from the radioactive waste repository. The ARCHIMEDE-ARGILE project has two main goals. The first is to gain an understanding of the mechanisms of acquisition and regulation of the water chemistry in a clay environment. This step is essential to predict both the behaviour and the migration in solution of artificial elements which are initially absent in the clay formation. The second is to test and validate in clay the measured physico chemical parameters which are the basis for the geochemical modelling of the behaviour of the natural and artificial radioelements. The paper presents the main results previously obtained on granitic waters and the research strategy established for the ARCHIMEDE project. (authors). 2 figs., 2 refs

Making comparative performance information more comprehensible: an experimental evaluation of the impact of formats on consumer understanding.

Science.gov (United States)

Damman, Olga C; De Jong, Anco; Hibbard, Judith H; Timmermans, Danielle R M

2016-11-01

We aimed to investigate how different presentation formats influence comprehension and use of comparative performance information (CPI) among consumers. An experimental between-subjects and within-subjects design with manipulations of CPI presentation formats. We enrolled both consumers with lower socioeconomic status (SES)/cognitive skills and consumers with higher SES/cognitive skills, recruited through an online access panel. Respondents received fictitious CPI and completed questions about interpretation and information use. Between subjects, we tested (1) displaying an overall performance score (yes/no); (2) displaying a small number of quality indicators (5 vs 9); and (3) displaying different types of evaluative symbols (star ratings, coloured dots and word icons vs numbers and bar graphs). Within subjects, we tested the effect of a reduced number of healthcare providers (5 vs 20). Data were analysed using descriptive analysis, analyses of variance and paired-sampled t tests. A total of 902 (43%) respondents participated. Displaying an overall performance score and the use of coloured dots and word icons particularly enhanced consumer understanding. Importantly, respondents provided with coloured dots most often correctly selected the top three healthcare providers (84.3%), compared with word icons (76.6% correct), star ratings (70.6% correct), numbers (62.0%) and bars (54.2%) when viewing performance scores of 20 providers. Furthermore, a reduced number of healthcare providers appeared to support consumers, for example, when provided with 20 providers, 69.5% correctly selected the top three, compared with 80.2% with five providers. Particular presentation formats enhanced consumer understanding of CPI, most importantly the use of overall performance scores, word icons and coloured dots, and a reduced number of providers displayed. Public report efforts should use these formats to maximise impact on consumers. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited

Towards an understanding of the role of clay minerals in crude oil formation, migration and accumulation

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Lin Mei; Zhou, Chun Hui; Keeling, John; Tong, Dong Shen; Yu, Wei Hua

2012-12-01

This article reviews progress in the understanding of the role of clay minerals in crude oil formation, migration and accumulation. Clay minerals are involved in the formation of kerogen, catalytic cracking of kerogen into petroleum hydrocarbon, the migration of crude oil, and the continued change to hydrocarbon composition in underground petroleum reservoirs. In kerogen formation, clay minerals act as catalysts and sorbents to immobilize organic matter through ligand exchange, hydrophobic interactions and cation bridges by the mechanisms of Maillard reactions, polyphenol theory, selective preservation and sorptive protection. Clay minerals also serve as catalysts in acid-catalyzed cracking of kerogen into petroleum hydrocarbon through Lewis and Brønsted acid sites on the clay surface. The amount and type of clay mineral affect the composition of the petroleum. Brønsted acidity of clay minerals is affected by the presence and state of interlayer water, and displacement of this water is a probable driver in crude oil migration from source rocks. During crude oil migration and accumulation in reservoirs, the composition of petroleum is continually modified by interaction with clay minerals. The clays continue to function as sorbents and catalysts even while they are being transformed by diagenetic processes. The detail of chemical interactions and reaction mechanisms between clay minerals and crude oil formation remains to be fully explained but promises to provide insights with broader application, including catalytic conversion of biomass as a source of sustainable energy into the future.

Cationic amino acids specific biomimetic silicification in ionic liquid: a quest to understand the formation of 3-D structures in diatoms.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rajesh Ramanathan

Full Text Available The intricate, hierarchical, highly reproducible, and exquisite biosilica structures formed by diatoms have generated great interest to understand biosilicification processes in nature. This curiosity is driven by the quest of researchers to understand nature's complexity, which might enable reproducing these elegant natural diatomaceous structures in our laboratories via biomimetics, which is currently beyond the capabilities of material scientists. To this end, significant understanding of the biomolecules involved in biosilicification has been gained, wherein cationic peptides and proteins are found to play a key role in the formation of these exquisite structures. Although biochemical factors responsible for silica formation in diatoms have been studied for decades, the challenge to mimic biosilica structures similar to those synthesized by diatoms in their natural habitats has not hitherto been successful. This has led to an increasingly interesting debate that physico-chemical environment surrounding diatoms might play an additional critical role towards the control of diatom morphologies. The current study demonstrates this proof of concept by using cationic amino acids as catalyst/template/scaffold towards attaining diatom-like silica morphologies under biomimetic conditions in ionic liquids.

Hands in medicine: understanding the impact of competency-based education on the formation of medical students' identities in the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Gonsalves, Catherine; Zaidi, Zareen

2016-01-01

There have been critiques that competency training, which defines the roles of a physician by simple, discrete tasks or measurable competencies, can cause students to compartmentalize and focus mainly on being assessed without understanding how the interconnected competencies help shape their role as future physicians. Losing the meaning and interaction of competencies can result in a focus on 'doing the work of a physician' rather than identity formation and 'being a physician.' This study aims to understand how competency-based education impacts the development of a medical student's identity. Three ceramic models representing three core competencies 'medical knowledge,' 'patient care,' and 'professionalism' were used as sensitizing objects, while medical students reflected on the impact of competency-based education on identity formation. Qualitative analysis was used to identify common themes. Students across all four years of medical school related to the 'professionalism' competency domain (50%). They reflected that 'being an empathetic physician' was the most important competency. Overall, students agreed that competency-based education played a significant role in the formation of their identity. Some students reflected on having difficulty in visualizing the interconnectedness between competencies, while others did not. Students reported that the assessment structure deemphasized 'professionalism' as a competency. Students perceive 'professionalism' as a competency that impacts their identity formation in the social role of 'being a doctor,' albeit a competency they are less likely to be assessed on. High-stakes exams, including the United States Medical Licensing Exam clinical skills exam, promote this perception.

Understanding coupling between bone resorption and formation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Thomas Levin; Abdelgawad, Mohamed Essameldim; Kristensen, Helene Bjørg

2013-01-01

these lacunae for bone formation. These cells, called herein reversal cells, cover >80% of the eroded surfaces, but their nature is not identified, and it is not known whether malfunction of these cells may contribute to bone loss in diseases such as postmenopausal osteoporosis. Herein, we combined...... histomorphometry and IHC on human iliac biopsy specimens, and showed that reversal cells are immunoreactive for factors typically expressed by osteoblasts, but not for monocytic markers. Furthermore, a subpopulation of reversal cells showed several distinctive characteristics suggestive of an arrested...

Fuel cladding tube and fuel rod for BWR type reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Urata, Megumu; Mitani, Shinji.

1995-01-01

A fuel cladding tube has grooves fabricated, on the surface thereof, with a predetermined difference between crest and bottom (depth of the groove) in the circumferential direction. The cross sectional shape thereof is sinusoidal. The distribution of the grain size of iron crud particles in coolants is within a range about from 2μm to 12μm. If the surface roughness of the fuel cladding tube (depth of the groove) is determined greater than 1.6μm and less than 12.5, iron cruds in coolants can be positively deposited on the surface of the fuel cladding tube. In addition, once deposited iron cruds can be prevented from peeling from the surface of the fuel cladding tube. With such procedures, iron cruds deposited and radioactivated on the fuel cladding tube can be prevented from peeling, to prevent and reduce the increase of radiation dose on the surface of the pipelines without providing any additional device. (I.N.)

Contribution of natural tracers for understanding transfers through argillaceous formations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bensenouci, F.

2010-01-01

This study is part of a research programme conducted by IRSN on the safety of deep geological disposal of high level and intermediate long-lived radioactive wastes. It more especially concerns the geological medium considered as a full component of the multi-barrier concept proposed by Andra for a deep repository. Indeed, the Callovo-Oxfordian argillite of the Paris Basin, in the east of France, is being investigated by Andra as a potential host rock for this repository. Performance assessment of this natural barrier is based on the knowledge of its confinement properties and therefore on phenomena possibly involved in the mass transport of radionuclides. In this context, this work aimed at studying the distribution of tracers naturally present in pore waters obtained from boreholes having crossed Mesozoic sedimentary series involving impervious and compacted clay rocks in the East (Andra borehole, EST433) and south of France (IRSN boreholes). Radial diffusion and vapour exchange methods were used to calculate the concentrations and diffusion parameters of the studied tracers. In Tournemire formations, the different profiles describe a curved shapes attributed to a diffusive exchange between the argillite pore water and the surrounding aquifers. Concerning the Mesozoic formations crossed by EST433, the study of the different profiles confirms the diffusion as the dominant transport mechanism in the Callovo-Oxfordian formation, and permits identifying the transport processes in the whole studied column from the Oxfordian formations down to the Liassic one. This study also helps to identify the Liassic formations as a major source of salinity of the Dogger aquifer

The effectiveness of formative assessment with understanding by design (UbD) stages in forming habits of mind in prospective teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Gloria, R. Y.; Sudarmin, S.; Wiyanto; Indriyanti, D. R.

2018-03-01

Habits of mind are intelligent thinking dispositions that every individual needs to have, and it needs an effort to form them as expected. A behavior can be formed by continuous practice; therefore the student's habits of mind can also be formed and trained. One effort that can be used to encourage the formation of habits of mind is a formative assessment strategy with the stages of UbD (Understanding by Design), and a study needs to be done to prove it. This study aims to determine the contribution of formative assessment to the value of habits of mind owned by prospective teachers. The method used is a quantitative method with a quasi-experimental design. To determine the effectiveness of formative assessment with Ubd stages on the formation of habits of mind, correlation test and regression analysis were conducted in the formative assessment questionnaire consisting of three components, i.e. feed back, peer assessment and self assessment, and habits of mind. The result of the research shows that from the three components of Formative Assessment, only Feedback component does not show correlation to students’ habits of mind (r = 0.323). While peer assessment component (r = 0. 732) and self assessment component (r = 0.625), both indicate correlation. From the regression test the overall component of the formative assessment contributed to the habits of mind at 57.1%. From the result of the research, it can be concluded that the formative assessment with Ubd stages is effective and contributes in forming the student's habits of mind; the formative assessment components that contributed the most are the peer assessment and self assessment. The greatest contribution goes to the Thinking interdependently category.

Galaxy formation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silk, J.; Di Cintio, A.; Dvorkin, I.

2014-01-01

Galaxy formation is at the forefront of observation and theory in cosmology. An improved understanding is essential for improving our knowledge both of the cosmological parameters, of the contents of the universe, and of our origins. In these lectures intended for graduate students, galaxy formation theory is reviewed and confronted with recent observational issues. In lecture 1, the following topics are presented: star formation considerations, including IMF, star formation efficiency and star formation rate, the origin of the galaxy luminosity function, and feedback in dwarf galaxies. In lecture 2, we describe formation of disks and massive spheroids, including the growth of supermassive black holes, negative feedback in spheroids, the AGN-star formation connection, star formation rates at high redshift and the baryon fraction in galaxies.

A study on the generation of radioactive corrosion product at PWR for extended fuel cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Min Chul Song; Kun Jai Lee

2001-01-01

Current nuclear power plant operating practice is to extend the time between refueling from a 12 month operating cycle to an 18-24 month period. This current to longer fuel cycles has complicated the dilemma of finding optimum pH range for the primary coolant chemistry. The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) in ICRP publication No. 60 recommends optimization of operator radiation exposure (ORE) in nuclear power plants. CRUD formed in the plants is the major source of ORE and its transport mechanism is not understood. To analyze the generation of CRUD at the extended fuel cycle, the COTRAN code, which was developed at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), was used. It predicts that the activity of CRUD decreases as the pH of the coolant increases. For the same period of different fuel cycles, as the operating fuel cycle duration is increased, the generation of the CRUD increases. In this paper, enriched boric acid (40% enriched 10 B concentration) for reactivity control is adopted as the required chemical shim rather than natural boric acid. The effect of the enriched boric acid (EBA) is that the neutron absorption capability of the chemical shim is maintained while decreasing the required boron and lithium concentration in the reactor coolant system. By employing enriched boric acid, the amounts of CRUD generated are reduced, because the high pH-operating period is extended. From the waste generation point of view, more filters or ion exchangers to remove CRUD are required and the amounts of waste are increased at the extended fuel cycle. (author)

N-body simulations of planet formation: understanding exoplanet system architectures

Science.gov (United States)

Coleman, Gavin; Nelson, Richard

2015-12-01

Observations have demonstrated the existence of a significant population of compact systems comprised of super-Earths and Neptune-mass planets, and a population of gas giants that appear to occur primarily in either short-period (100 days) orbits. The broad diversity of system architectures raises the question of whether or not the same formation processes operating in standard disc models can explain these planets, or if different scenarios are required instead to explain the widely differing architectures. To explore this issue, we present the results from a comprehensive suite of N-body simulations of planetary system formation that include the following physical processes: gravitational interactions and collisions between planetary embryos and planetesimals; type I and II migration; gas accretion onto planetary cores; self-consistent viscous disc evolution and disc removal through photo-evaporation. Our results indicate that the formation and survival of compact systems of super-Earths and Neptune-mass planets occur commonly in disc models where a simple prescription for the disc viscosity is assumed, but such models never lead to the formation and survival of gas giant planets due to migration into the star. Inspired in part by the ALMA observations of HL Tau, and by MHD simulations that display the formation of long-lived zonal flows, we have explored the consequences of assuming that the disc viscosity varies in both time and space. We find that the radial structuring of the disc leads to conditions in which systems of giant planets are able to form and survive. Furthermore, these giants generally occupy those regions of the mass-period diagram that are densely populated by the observed gas giants, suggesting that the planet traps generated by radial structuring of protoplanetary discs may be a necessary ingredient for forming giant planets.

Physical and chemical removal of radioactive oxide layers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blesa, M.A.; Baumgartner, E.C.; Maroto, A.J.G.

1983-01-01

When a nuclear reactor is operating under steady state conditions, the balance between release of activated crud and pick-up and activation of circulating crud dictates the overall contribution to the growth of radiation fields by the release of crud from the fuel elements. Whole-circuit decontamination procedures which are carried out with the fuel elements in-core must take into account that during such procedure this balance is abruptly changed in the sense of releasing considerable amounts of radioactivity towards out-of-core components. In principle, this disruption of balance operates against the decontamination objectives, usually the lowering of radiation fields throughout the primary circuit. This is applicable to the two processes that involve fuel decontamination: cycling redox techniques and whole-circuit chemical decontaminations. However, data on actual cycling redox procedures performed in Atucha I Nuclear Power Station are presented which demonstrate that under appropriate process conditions such release does not prevent the achieval of reasonable decontamination factors in critical components. The relevance of optimum cleaning rates, redeposition rates, reagent injection strategies, and the ways to achieve these are discussed. In chemical decontamination procedures, it is of importance to assess the relative contribution of fuel elements and out-of-core components to dissolved radioactive crud. In order to do this, the mechanisms of dissolution of crud on steel surfaces and on Zircaloy surfaces are compared for the most usual reagents

Hands in medicine: understanding the impact of competency-based education on the formation of medical students’ identities in the United States

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Catherine Gonsalves

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Purpose There have been critiques that competency training, which defines the roles of a physician by simple, discrete tasks or measurable competencies, can cause students to compartmentalize and focus mainly on being assessed without understanding how the interconnected competencies help shape their role as future physicians. Losing the meaning and interaction of competencies can result in a focus on ‘doing the work of a physician’ rather than identity formation and ‘being a physician.’ This study aims to understand how competency-based education impacts the development of a medical student’s identity. Methods Three ceramic models representing three core competencies ‘medical knowledge,’ ‘patient care,’ and ‘professionalism’ were used as sensitizing objects, while medical students reflected on the impact of competency-based education on identity formation. Qualitative analysis was used to identify common themes. Results Students across all four years of medical school related to the ‘professionalism’ competency domain (50%. They reflected that ‘being an empathetic physician’ was the most important competency. Overall, students agreed that competency-based education played a significant role in the formation of their identity. Some students reflected on having difficulty in visualizing the interconnectedness between competencies, while others did not. Students reported that the assessment structure deemphasized ‘professionalism’ as a competency. Conclusion Students perceive ‘professionalism’ as a competency that impacts their identity formation in the social role of ‘being a doctor,’ albeit a competency they are less likely to be assessed on. High-stakes exams, including the United States Medical Licensing Exam clinical skills exam, promote this perception.

Hands in medicine: understanding the impact of competency-based education on the formation of medical students’ identities in the United States

Science.gov (United States)

2016-01-01

Purpose There have been critiques that competency training, which defines the roles of a physician by simple, discrete tasks or measurable competencies, can cause students to compartmentalize and focus mainly on being assessed without understanding how the interconnected competencies help shape their role as future physicians. Losing the meaning and interaction of competencies can result in a focus on ‘doing the work of a physician’ rather than identity formation and ‘being a physician.’ This study aims to understand how competency-based education impacts the development of a medical student’s identity. Methods Three ceramic models representing three core competencies ‘medical knowledge,’ ‘patient care,’ and ‘professionalism’ were used as sensitizing objects, while medical students reflected on the impact of competency-based education on identity formation. Qualitative analysis was used to identify common themes. Results Students across all four years of medical school related to the ‘professionalism’ competency domain (50%). They reflected that ‘being an empathetic physician’ was the most important competency. Overall, students agreed that competency-based education played a significant role in the formation of their identity. Some students reflected on having difficulty in visualizing the interconnectedness between competencies, while others did not. Students reported that the assessment structure deemphasized ‘professionalism’ as a competency. Conclusion Students perceive ‘professionalism’ as a competency that impacts their identity formation in the social role of ‘being a doctor,’ albeit a competency they are less likely to be assessed on. High-stakes exams, including the United States Medical Licensing Exam clinical skills exam, promote this perception. PMID:27572244

Decruding of PWR Fuel with the ICEDEC{sup TM} technique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ivars, Roland; Fredriksson, Eva; Rosengren, Anders; Hallgren, Peter [Westinghouse Atom AB, Uppsala (Sweden)

2002-04-15

The novel fuel decontamination system ICEDEC{sup TM} utilizes a mixture of ice particles and water circulating through the assembly for scraping off loose crud from the fuel surfaces. Initially, ICEDEC{sup TM} was developed for BWRs. By means of fuel decontamination the origin of the personnel radiation exposure, i. e. the loose fuel crud, can be decreased. The technique can be used for radiation level reduction, eliminating the AOA (Axial Offset anomaly) problem or general decruding purposes. Decontamination tests of burned out and two-year-old fuel in the BWR Ringhals 1 in Sweden verified that ICEDEC{sup TM} maintained the mechanical integrity of the fuel and fulfilled the very important criteria; only the loose crud was removed and the oxide layer was not affected. Activity measurements prior to and after the decontamination, showed that more than 50% of the loose crud was removed from the fuel surfaces. For PWR the condition of maintained boron level in the pool water is a prerequisite. This can be achieved by utilizing a closed loop system with a water reservoir. From the reservoir water is used for the production of the ice particles. After removal of the loose crud from the fuel the crud/ice/water slurry is separated in a specially designed filter unit. The melted ice and residual water is then transported back to the water reservoir. Other methods could be to add boron equivalent to the excess water from the melted ice or use reverse osmosis to separate the boron and water in the pool. Including an application study followed by preliminary and detailed designs and manufacture and testing a PWR ICEDEC{sup TM} system can be licensed after two years.

Investigation on clean-up of Zr and HDBP in PUREX process with UDMH oxalate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Youzhi; Wang Xuanjun; Li Zhengli; Liu Xiangxuan

2007-01-01

It is generally accepted that the interracial crud formation is related to the complex formation of Zr with degradation products of TBP, such as DBP and MBP, in PUREX process, especially in the first cycle. The crud seriously deteriorates the operation of extraction column and therefore must be properly cleared up. Various clear up methods were studied and those with salt-free washing agents were recently focused. In this paper a new scrubbing agent 1,1- dimethylhydrazine (UDMH) oxalate was proposed, the optimized experimental conditions were described, and the possible mechanism was discussed. The influence of different factors, including reaction temperature, UDMH oxalate concentration, organic-to-aqueous phase ratio, and free UDMH concentration, on the decontamination factors were examined with simulated Zr- and/or DBP-loaded solvents. The optical experimental parameters are found as follows: temperature 40-60 degree C, phase ratio V (o) /V (a) =1, concentration of UDMH oxalate solution 0.4-0.6 mol/L. Especialy some UDMH was added into the UDMH oxalate queues solution to make the concentration of free UDMH 0.2-0.3 mol/L. Under these conditions, the decontaminator factor of Zr from the corresponding simulated solvent with UDMH oxalate is up to 143, slightly higher than that with sodium carbonate. The decontamination factor of HDBP from the corresponding simulated solvent with UDMH oxalate is up to 100, similar to sodium carbonate. (authors)

Understanding Oxygen Vacancy Formation, Interaction, Transport, and Strain in SOFC Components via Combined Thermodynamics and First Principles Calculations

Science.gov (United States)

Das, Tridip

Understanding of the vacancy formation, interaction, increasing its concentration and diffusion, and controlling its chemical strain will advance the design of mixed ionic and electronic conductor (MIEC) materials via element doping and strain engineering. This is especially central to improve the performance of the solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC), an energy conversion device for sustainable future. The oxygen vacancy concentration grows exponentially with the temperature at dilute vacancy concentration but not at higher concentration, or even decreases due to oxygen vacancy interaction and vacancy ordered phase change. This limits the ionic conductivity. Using density functional theory (DFT), we provided fundamental understanding on how oxygen vacancy interaction originates in one of the typical MIEC, La1-xSrxFeO3-delta (LSF). The vacancy interaction is determined by the interplay of the charge state of multi-valence ion (Fe), aliovalent doping (La/Sr ratio), the crystal structure, and the oxygen vacancy concentration and/or nonstoichiometry (delta). It was found excess electrons left due to the formation of a neutral oxygen vacancy get distributed to Fe directly connected to the vacancy or to the second nearest neighboring Fe, based on crystal field splitting of Fe 3d orbital in different Fe-O polyhedral coordination. The progressively larger polaron size and anisotropic shape changes with increasing Sr-content resulted in increasing oxygen vacancy interactions, as indicated by an increase in the oxygen vacancy formation energy above a critical delta threshold. This was consistent with experimental results showing that Sr-rich LSF and highly oxygen deficient compositions are prone to oxygen-vacancy-ordering-induced phase transformations, while Sr-poor and oxygen-rich LSF compositions are not. Since oxygen vacancy induced phase transformations, cause a decrease in the mobile oxygen vacancy site fraction (X), both delta and X were predicted as a function of

Understanding molecular motor walking along a microtubule: a themosensitive asymmetric Brownian motor driven by bubble formation.

Science.gov (United States)

Arai, Noriyoshi; Yasuoka, Kenji; Koishi, Takahiro; Ebisuzaki, Toshikazu; Zeng, Xiao Cheng

2013-06-12

The "asymmetric Brownian ratchet model", a variation of Feynman's ratchet and pawl system, is invoked to understand the kinesin walking behavior along a microtubule. The model system, consisting of a motor and a rail, can exhibit two distinct binding states, namely, the random Brownian state and the asymmetric potential state. When the system is transformed back and forth between the two states, the motor can be driven to "walk" in one direction. Previously, we suggested a fundamental mechanism, that is, bubble formation in a nanosized channel surrounded by hydrophobic atoms, to explain the transition between the two states. In this study, we propose a more realistic and viable switching method in our computer simulation of molecular motor walking. Specifically, we propose a thermosensitive polymer model with which the transition between the two states can be controlled by temperature pulses. Based on this new motor system, the stepping size and stepping time of the motor can be recorded. Remarkably, the "walking" behavior observed in the newly proposed model resembles that of the realistic motor protein. The bubble formation based motor not only can be highly efficient but also offers new insights into the physical mechanism of realistic biomolecule motors.

FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT IN EFL CLASSROOM PRACTICES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ida Ayu Made Sri Widiastuti

2017-03-01

Full Text Available This study investigated the challenges and opportunities of formative assessment in EFL classes. It made use of qualitative research design by using indepth interviews to collect the required data. Three teachers and three students were involved as research participants in this study and they were intensively interviewed to get valid and reliable data regarding their understanding of formative assessment and the follow up actions they took after implementing formative assessment. The results of this study showed that the English teachers were found not to take appropriate follow up actions due to their low understanding of formative assessment. The teachers’ understanding could influence their ability in deciding the actions. This study indicates that EFL teachers need urgent further intensive training on the appropriate implementation of formative assessment and how follow up actions should be integrated into classroom practices

Satisfaction Formation Processes in Library Users: Understanding Multisource Effects

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Xi; Holahan, Patricia J.; Jurkat, M. Peter

2004-01-01

This study explores whether disconfirmation theory can explain satisfaction formation processes in library users. Both library users' needs and expectations are investigated as disconfirmation standards. Overall library user satisfaction is predicted to be a function of two independent sources--satisfaction with the information product received…

Minimizing core deposits radiation fields in PWRs by coordinated Li/B chemistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roesmer, J.

1983-01-01

The effect of coolant chemistry on the buildup and composition of core deposits and on out-of-core radiation fields was investigated in the Beaver Valley and Trojan plants. Coordinated Li/B coolant chemistry led to an appreciable reduction of the surface concentration of core deposits, decreased greatly the formation of crud films on fresh fuel, and resulted in a reduction in the rate and level of radiation field buildup in the out-of-core regions of the primary circuits. (author)

Understanding the visual resource

Science.gov (United States)

Floyd L. Newby

1971-01-01

Understanding our visual resources involves a complex interweaving of motivation and cognitive recesses; but, more important, it requires that we understand and can identify those characteristics of a landscape that influence the image formation process. From research conducted in Florida, three major variables were identified that appear to have significant effect...

Understanding the operational parameters affecting NDMA formation at Advanced Water Treatment Plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Farré, Maria José; Döderer, Katrin; Hearn, Laurence; Poussade, Yvan; Keller, Jurg; Gernjak, Wolfgang

2011-01-30

N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) can be formed when secondary effluents are disinfected by chloramines. By means of bench scale experiments this paper investigates operational parameters than can help Advanced Water Treatment Plants (AWTPs) to reduce the formation of NDMA during the production of high quality recycled water. The formation of NDMA was monitored during a contact time of 24h using dimethylamine as NDMA model precursor and secondary effluent from wastewater treatment plants. The three chloramine disinfection strategies tested were pre-formed and in-line formed monochloramine, and pre-formed dichloramine. Although the latter is not employed on purpose in full-scale applications, it has been suggested as the main contributing chemical generating NDMA during chloramination. After 24h, the NDMA formation decreased in both matrices tested in the order: pre-formed dichloramine>in-line formed monochloramine≫pre-formed monochloramine. The most important parameter to consider for the inhibition of NDMA formation was the length of contact time between disinfectant and wastewater. Formation of NDMA was initially inhibited for up to 6h with concentrations consistently NDMA concentrations were reduced by a factor of 20 by optimizing the disinfection strategy. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Vascular lumen formation.

Science.gov (United States)

Lammert, Eckhard; Axnick, Jennifer

2012-04-01

The vascular system developed early in evolution. It is required in large multicellular organisms for the transport of nutrients, oxygen, and waste products to and from tissues. The vascular system is composed of hollow tubes, which have a high level of complexity in vertebrates. Vasculogenesis describes the de novo formation of blood vessels, e.g., aorta formation in vertebrate embryogenesis. In contrast, angiogenesis is the formation of blood vessels from preexisting ones, e.g., sprouting of intersomitic blood vessels from the aorta. Importantly, the lumen of all blood vessels in vertebrates is lined and formed by endothelial cells. In both vasculogenesis and angiogenesis, lumen formation takes place in a cord of endothelial cells. It involves a complex molecular mechanism composed of endothelial cell repulsion at the cell-cell contacts within the endothelial cell cords, junctional rearrangement, and endothelial cell shape change. As the vascular system also participates in the course of many diseases, such as cancer, stroke, and myocardial infarction, it is important to understand and make use of the molecular mechanisms of blood vessel formation to better understand and manipulate the pathomechanisms involved.

A randomized comparison of patients' understanding of number needed to treat and other common risk reduction formats.

Science.gov (United States)

Sheridan, Stacey L; Pignone, Michael P; Lewis, Carmen L

2003-11-01

Commentators have suggested that patients may understand quantitative information about treatment benefits better when they are presented as numbers needed to treat (NNT) rather than as absolute or relative risk reductions. To determine whether NNT helps patients interpret treatment benefits better than absolute risk reduction (ARR), relative risk reduction (RRR), or a combination of all three of these risk reduction presentations (COMBO). Randomized cross-sectional survey. University internal medicine clinic. Three hundred fifty-seven men and women, ages 50 to 80, who presented for health care. Subjects were given written information about the baseline risk of a hypothetical "disease Y" and were asked (1) to compare the benefits of two drug treatments for disease Y, stating which provided more benefit; and (2) to calculate the effect of one of those drug treatments on a given baseline risk of disease. Risk information was presented to each subject in one of four randomly allocated risk formats: NNT, ARR, RRR, or COMBO. When asked to state which of two treatments provided more benefit, subjects who received the RRR format responded correctly most often (60% correct vs 43% for COMBO, 42% for ARR, and 30% for NNT, P =.001). Most subjects were unable to calculate the effect of drug treatment on the given baseline risk of disease, although subjects receiving the RRR and ARR formats responded correctly more often (21% and 17% compared to 7% for COMBO and 6% for NNT, P =.004). Patients are best able to interpret the benefits of treatment when they are presented in an RRR format with a given baseline risk of disease. ARR also is easily interpreted. NNT is often misinterpreted by patients and should not be used alone to communicate risk to patients.

Nice to know you: Positive emotions, self-other overlap, and complex understanding in the formation of a new relationship.

Science.gov (United States)

Waugh, Christian E; Fredrickson, Barbara L

2006-04-01

Based on Fredrickson's ((1998). What good are positive emotions? Review of General Psychology, 2, 300-319.; (2001). The role of positive emotions in positive psychology: The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. American Psychologist, 56, 218-226) broaden-and-build theory and Aron and Aron's ((1986). Love as expansion of the self: Understanding attraction and satisfaction. New York: Hemisphere) self-expansion theory, it was hypothesized that positive emotions broaden people's feelings of self-other overlap in the beginning of a new relationship. In a prospective study of first-year college students, we found that, after 1 week in college, positive emotions predicted increased self-other overlap with new roommates, which in turn predicted a more complex understanding of the roommate. In addition, participants who experienced a high ratio of positive to negative emotions throughout the first month of college reported a greater increase in self-other overlap and complex understanding than participants with a low positivity ratio. Implications for the role of positive emotions in the formation of new relationships are discussed.

Nice to know you: Positive emotions, self–other overlap, and complex understanding in the formation of a new relationship

Science.gov (United States)

WAUGH, CHRISTIAN E.; FREDRICKSON, BARBARA L.

2007-01-01

Based on Fredrickson's ((1998). What good are positive emotions? Review of General Psychology, 2, 300–319.; (2001). The role of positive emotions in positive psychology: The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. American Psychologist, 56, 218–226) broaden-and-build theory and Aron and Aron's ((1986). Love as expansion of the self: Understanding attraction and satisfaction. New York: Hemisphere) self-expansion theory, it was hypothesized that positive emotions broaden people's feelings of self–other overlap in the beginning of a new relationship. In a prospective study of first-year college students, we found that, after 1 week in college, positive emotions predicted increased self–other overlap with new roommates, which in turn predicted a more complex understanding of the roommate. In addition, participants who experienced a high ratio of positive to negative emotions throughout the first month of college reported a greater increase in self–other overlap and complex understanding than participants with a low positivity ratio. Implications for the role of positive emotions in the formation of new relationships are discussed. PMID:21691460

The effect of different cardiovascular risk presentation formats on intentions, understanding and emotional affect: a randomised controlled trial using a web-based risk formatter (protocol

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Newcombe Robert

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The future risk of heart disease can be predicted with increasing precision. However, more research is needed into how this risk is conveyed and presented. The aim of this study is to compare the effects of presenting cardiovascular risk in different formats on individuals' intention to change behaviour to reduce risk, understanding of risk information and emotional affect. Methods/design A randomised controlled trial comprising four arms, with a between subjects design will be performed. There will be two intervention groups and two control groups. The first control comprises a pre-intervention questionnaire and presents risk in a bar graph format. The second control presents risk in a bar graph format without pre-intervention questionnaire. These two control groups are to account for the potential Hawthorne effect of thinking about cardiovascular risk before viewing actual risk. The two intervention groups comprise presenting risk in either a pictogram or metonym format (image depicting seriousness of having a myocardial infarction. 800 individuals' aged between 45 and 64 years, who have not been previously diagnosed with heart disease and have access to a computer with internet, will be given a link to a website comprising a risk calculator and electronic questionnaires. 10-year risk of having a coronary heart disease event will be assessed and presented in one of the three formats. A post-intervention questionnaire will be completed after viewing the risk format. Main outcome measures are (i intention to change behaviour, (ii understanding of risk information, (iii emotional affect and (iv worry about future heart disease. Secondary outcomes are the sub-components of the theory of planned behaviour: attitudes, perceived behavioural control and subjective norms. Discussion Having reviewed the literature, we are not aware of any other studies which have used the assessment of actual risk, in a trial to compare different

Mitigation of cesium and cobalt contamination on the surfaces of RAM packages

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krumhansl, J.; Bonhomme, F.; McConnell, P.; Kapoor, A.

2004-01-01

Techniques for mitigating the adsorption of 137 Cs and 60 Co on metal surfaces (e.g., RAM packages) exposed to contaminated water (e.g., spent-fuel pools) has been developed and experimentally verified. The techniques are also effective in removing some of the 60 Co and 137 Cs that may have been adsorbed on the surfaces after removal from the contaminated water. The principle for the 137 Cs mitigation technique is based upon ion-exchange processes. In contrast, 60 Co contamination primarily resides in minute particles of CRUD that become lodged on cask surfaces. CRUD is an insoluble Fe-Ni-Cr oxide that forms colloidal-sized particles as stainless steels corrode. Because of the similarity between Ni +2 and Co +2 , CRUD is able to scavenge and retain traces of cobalt as it forms. A number of organic compounds have a great specificity for combining with nickel and cobalt. Ongoing research is investigating the effectiveness of chemical complexing agent, EDTA, with regard to its ability to dissolve the host phase (CRUD) thereby liberating the entrained 60Co into a solution where it can be rinsed away

Understanding Educational Policy Formation: The Case of School Violence Policies in Israel

Science.gov (United States)

Fast, Idit

2016-01-01

This study explores mechanisms underlying processes of educational policy formation. Previous studies have given much attention to processes of diffusion when accounting for educational policy formation. Less account has been given to the day-to-day institutional dynamics through which educational policies develop and change. Building on extensive…

Problem solving performance and learning strategies of undergraduate students who solved microbiology problems using IMMEX educational software

Science.gov (United States)

Ebomoyi, Josephine Itota

The objectives of this study were as follows: (1) Determine the relationship between learning strategies and performance in problem solving, (2) Explore the role of a student's declared major on performance in problem solving, (3) Understand the decision making process of high and low achievers during problem solving. Participants (N = 65) solved problems using the Interactive multimedia exercise (IMMEX) software. All participants not only solved "Microquest," which focuses on cellular processes and mode of action of antibiotics, but also "Creeping Crud," which focuses on the cause, origin and transmission of diseases. Participants also responded to the "Motivated Strategy Learning Questionnaire" (MSLQ). Hierarchical multiple regression was used for analysis with GPA (Gracie point average) as a control. There were 49 (78.6%) that successfully solved "Microquest" while 52 (82.5%) successfully solved "Creeping Crud". Metacognitive self regulation strategy was significantly (p low achievers. Common strategies and attributes included metacognitive skills, writing to keep track, using prior knowledge. Others included elements of frustration/confusion and self-esteem problems. The implications for educational and relevance to real life situations are discussed.

Optimisation of water chemistry to ensure reliable water reactor fuel performance at high burnup and in ageing plant (FUWAC): an International Atomic Energy Agency coordinated research project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Killeen, J.C. [International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna (Austria); Nordmann, F. [Advanced Nuclear Technology International Europe AB, Beauchamp (France); Schunk, J. [Paks NPP (Hungary); Vonkova, K. [Nuclear Research Inst., Rez (Czech Republic)

2010-07-01

The IAEA project 'Optimisation of Water Chemistry to ensure Reliable Water Reactor Fuel Performance at High Burnup and in Aging Plant' (FUWAC) was initiated with the objectives of monitoring, maintaining and optimising water chemistry regimes in primary circuits of water cooled power reactors, taking into account high burnup operation, mixed cores and plant aging, including following issues and remedies. This report provides some highlights of the work undertaken by the project participants. Clad oxidation studies have been undertaken and include operational data from the South Ukraine WWER where no corrosion problems have been seen on either Westinghouse ZIRLO™ or Russian alloy E110 fuel cladding. Work on the Russian alloy E110 showed that potassium in the coolant is preferable to lithium for mitigating fuel cladding oxidation. Studies on crud behaviour in PWR have shown a dependence on crud thickness and pHT. The nature and mechanisms for boron deposition in fuel cladding cruds have been investigated which is the root cause of crud induced power shifts (CIPS). Operational experience at French PWRs shows no difference in the CIPS behaviour between units with Alloy 600 or 690 steam generators, whilst Korean experience provides information on the Ni/Fe ratio on fuel cladding crud and the occurrence of CIPS. Coolant additions have been studied, for example in BWR units using zinc addition, crud is more tenacious. Zinc is also added to PWR units, mainly for dose rate control and in some cases for PWSCC mitigation of Alloy 600. At low levels there has been no clear evidence of any effect of zinc on CIPS, but there is a benefit on fuel oxidation. It is suggested that zinc addition should be considered where there is SG replacement or fuel core management modification. One possibility for the elimination of fuel crud is decontamination. Such an operation is time consuming, expensive, includes several risks of corrosion and induces a large quantity of

A multi-physics code system based on ANC9, VIPRE-W and BOA for CIPS evaluation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, B.; Sung, Y.; Secker, J.; Beard, C.; Hilton, P.; Wang, G.; Oelrich, R.; Karoutas, Z.; Sung, Y. [Westinghouse Electric Company LLC, Pittsburgh (United States)

2011-07-01

This paper summarizes the development of a multi-physics code system for evaluation of Crud Induced Power Shift (CIPS) phenomenon experienced in some Pressurized Water Reactors (PWR). CIPS is an unexpected change in reactor core axial power distribution, caused by boron compounds in crud deposited in the high power fuel assemblies undergoing subcooled boiling. As part of the Consortium for Advanced Simulation of Light Water Reactors (CASL) sponsored by the US Department of Energy (DOE), this paper describes the initial linkage and application of a multi-physics code system ANC9/VIPRE-W/BOA for evaluating changes in core power distributions due to boron deposited in crud. The initial linkage of the code system along with the application results will be the base for the future CASL development. (author)

A multi-physics code system based on ANC9, VIPRE-W and BOA for CIPS evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, B.; Sung, Y.; Secker, J.; Beard, C.; Hilton, P.; Wang, G.; Oelrich, R.; Karoutas, Z.; Sung, Y.

2011-01-01

This paper summarizes the development of a multi-physics code system for evaluation of Crud Induced Power Shift (CIPS) phenomenon experienced in some Pressurized Water Reactors (PWR). CIPS is an unexpected change in reactor core axial power distribution, caused by boron compounds in crud deposited in the high power fuel assemblies undergoing subcooled boiling. As part of the Consortium for Advanced Simulation of Light Water Reactors (CASL) sponsored by the US Department of Energy (DOE), this paper describes the initial linkage and application of a multi-physics code system ANC9/VIPRE-W/BOA for evaluating changes in core power distributions due to boron deposited in crud. The initial linkage of the code system along with the application results will be the base for the future CASL development. (author)

Using quantitative magnetic resonance methods to understand better the gel-layer formation on polymer-matrix tablets.

Science.gov (United States)

Mikac, Urša; Kristl, Julijana; Baumgartner, Saša

2011-05-01

Magnetic resonance imaging is a powerful, non-invasive technique that can help improve our understanding of the hydrogel layer formed on swellable, polymer-matrix tablets, as well as the layer's properties and its influence on drug release. In this paper, the authors review the NMR and MRI investigations of hydrophilic, swellable polymers published since 1994. The review covers NMR studies on the properties of water and drugs within hydrated polymers. In addition, MRI studies using techniques for determining the different moving-front positions within the swollen tablets, the polymer concentration profiles across them, the influence of the incorporated drug, and so on, are presented. Some complementary methods are also briefly presented and discussed. Using MRI, the formation of a hydrogel along with simultaneous determination of the drug's position within it can be observed non-invasively. However, the MRI parameters can influence the signal's intensity and therefore they need to be considered carefully in order to prevent any misinterpretation of the results. MRI makes possible an in situ investigation of swollen-matrix tablets and provides valuable information that can lead, when combined with other techniques, to a better understanding of polymeric systems and a more effective development of optimal dosage forms.

Understanding the Formation of Kinetically Stable Compounds and the Development of Thin Film Pair Distribution Function Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Wood, Suzannah Rebecca

Navigating the synthesis landscape poses many challenges when developing novel solid state materials. Advancements in both synthesis and characterization are necessary to facilitate the targeting of specific materials. This dissertation discusses the formation of chalcogenide heterostructures and their properties in the first part and the development of thin film pair distribution function analysis (tfPDF) in the second part. The heterostructures were formed by the self-assembly of designed precursors deposited by physical vapor deposition in a modulated elemental reactants approach, which provides the control and predictability to synthesis. Specifically, a series of (BiSe)1+delta(TiSe2) n, where n = 2,3,&4, were synthesized to explore the extent of charge transfer from the BiSe to TiSe2 layers. To further explore the role Bi plays in charge donation, a family of structurally similar compounds, (Bix Sn1-xSe)1+deltaTiSe2, where 0≥x≥1, were synthesized and characterized. Electrical measurements show doping efficiency decreases as x increases, correlated with the structural distortion and the formation of periodic antiphase boundaries containing Bi-Bi pairs. The first heterostructures composed of three unique structural types were synthesized and Bi2Se3 layer thickness was used to tune electrical properties and further explore charge transfer. To better understand the potential energy landscape on which these kinetically stable compounds exist, two investigations were undertaken. The first was a study of the formation and subsequent decomposition of [(BiSe)1+delta]n(TiSe2)n compounds, where n= 2&3, the second an investigation of precursor structure for thermodynamically stable FeSb2 and kinetically stable FeSb3. The second section describes the development of thin film pair distribution function analysis, a technique in which total scattering data for pair distribution function (PDF) analysis is obtained from thin films, suitable for local structure analysis

Effect of water chemistry on corrosion of stainless steel and deposition of corrosion products in high temperature pressurised water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morrison, Jonathan; Cooper, Christopher; Ponton, Clive; Connolly, Brian; Banks, Andrew

2012-09-01

In any water-cooled nuclear reactor, the corrosion of the structural materials in contact with the coolant and the deposition of the resulting oxidised species has long been an operational concern within the power generation industry. Corrosion of the structural materials at all points in the reactor leads to low concentrations of oxidised metal species in the coolant water. The oxidised metal species can subsequently be deposited out as CRUD deposits at various points around the reactor's primary and secondary loops. The deposition of soluble oxidised material at any location in the reactor cooling system is undesirable due to several effects; deposits have a porous structure, capable of incorporating radiologically active material (forming out of core radiation fields) and concentrating aggressively corrosive chemicals, which exacerbate environmental degradation of structural and fuel-cladding materials. Deposits on heat transfer surfaces also limit efficiency of the system as a whole. The work in this programme is an attempt to determine and understand the fundamental corrosion and deposition behaviour under controlled, simulated reactor conditions. The rates of corrosion of structural materials within pressurised water reactors are heavily dependent on the condition of the exposed surface. The effect of mechanical grinding and of electropolishing on the corrosion rate and structure of the resultant oxide film formed on grade 316L stainless steel exposed to high purity water, modified to pH 9.5 and 10.5 at temperatures between 200 and 300 deg. C and pressures of up to 100 bar will be investigated. The corrosion of stainless steel in water via electrochemical oxidation leads to the formation of surface iron, nickel and chromium based spinels. Low concentrations of these spinels can be found dissolved in the coolant water. The solubility of magnetite, stainless steels' major corrosion product, in high purity water will be studied at pH 9.5 to 10.5 at

New method for determination of star formation history

OpenAIRE

Čeponis, Marius

2017-01-01

A New Method for Determination of Star Formation History Without stars there would not be any life and us. Almost all elements in our bodies are made in stars. Yet we still don‘t fully understand all the processes governing formation and evolution of stellar systems. Their star formation histories really help in trying to understand these processes. In this work a new Bayesian method for determination of star formation history is proposed. This method uses photometric data of resolved stars a...

Sizewell B

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1983-07-01

The design strategy for keeping all exposures of persons to ionising radiations as low as is reasonably practicable (ALARP) is discussed for the proposed Sizewell B nuclear power station. The safety assessment objectives are discussed together with economic factors, choice of primary circuit materials to minimise the formation of crud, operational chemistry, filtration, decontamination, design modifications and radioactive waste management. It is concluded that a significant attempt has been made to quantify design decisions in respect of the ALARP strategy for dose reduction. A programme of additional work is discussed. (U.K.)

A mechanism for corrosion product deposition on the carbon steel piping in the residual heat removal system of BWRs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aizawa, Motohiro; Chiba, Yoshinori; Hosokawa, Hideyuki; Ohsumi, Katsumi; Uchida, Shunsuke; Ishizawa, Noboru

2002-01-01

The dose rate of the residual heat removal (RHR) piping has been considered to be caused by accumulation of insoluble (crud) radioactive corrosion products on carbon steel surfaces. Soft shutdown procedures (i.e., plant shutdown with moderate coolant temperature reduction rate) used to be applied to reduce crud radioactivity release from the fuel surface, but these are no longer used because of the need for shorter plant shutdown times. In order to apply other suitable countermeasures to reduce RHR dose rate, assessment of plant data, experiments on deposition of crud and ion species on carbon steel, and mass balance evaluation of radioactive corrosion products based on plant and laboratory data were carried out and the following findings were made. (1) Deposits of ion species on carbon steel surfaces of the RHR piping was much more numerous than for crud. (2) Ion species accumulation behavior on RHR piping, which is temperature dependent, can be evaluated with the calculation model used for the dehydration reaction of corrosion products generated during the wet lay-up period. (3) Deposition amounts could be reduced to 1/2.5 when the starting RHR system operation temperature was lowered from 155degC to 120degC. (author)

Development of moving alternating magnetic filter using permanent magnet for removal of radioactive corrosion product from nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Song, M. C.; Kim, S. I.; Lee, K. J.

2002-01-01

Radioactive Corrosion Products (CRUD) which are generated by the neutron activation of general corrosion products at the nuclear power plant are the major source of occupational radiation exposure. Most of the CRUD has a characteristic of showing strong ferrimagnetisms. Along with the new development and production of permanent magnet (rare earth magnet) which generates much stronger magnetic field than the conventional magnet, new type of magnetic filter that can separate CRUD efficiently and eventually reduce radiation exposure of personnel at nuclear power plant is suggested. This separator consists of inner and outer magnet assemblies, coolant channel and container surrounding the outer magnet assembly. The rotational motion of the inner and outer permanent magnet assemblies surrounding the coolant channel by driving motor system produces moving alternating magnetic fields in the coolant channel. The CRUD can be separated from the coolant by the moving alternating magnetic field. This study describes the results of preliminary experiment performed with the different flow rates of coolant and rotation velocities of magnet assemblies. This new magnetic filter shows better performance results of filtering the magnetite at coolant (water). Flow rates, rotating velocities of magnet assemblies and particle sizes turn out to be very important design parameters

Analysis, Design and Implementation of a Proof-of-Concept Prototype to Support Large-Scale Military Experimentation

Science.gov (United States)

2013-09-01

Result Analysis In this phase, users and analysts check all the results per objective- question. Then, they consolidate all these results to form...the CRUD technique. By using both the CRUD and the user goal techniques, we identified all the use cases the iFRE system must perform. Table 3...corresponding Focus Area or Critical Operation Issue to simplify the user tasks, and exempts the user from remembering the identifying codes/numbers of

Students' Understanding of Cloud and Rainbow Formation and Teachers' Awareness of Students' Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Malleus, Elina; Kikas, Eve; Kruus, Sigrid

2016-01-01

This study describes primary school students' knowledge about rainfall, clouds and rainbow formation together with teachers' predictions about students' performance. In our study, primary school students' (N = 177) knowledge about rainfall and rainbow formation was examined using structured interviews with open-ended questions. Primary school…

Formative Feedback in a Business School: Understanding the Student Perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Poppitt, Nicola J.; Iqbal, Yasser

2009-01-01

Inspired by a desire to improve the student experience, this paper reviews primary research carried out into the use of formative feedback within a Business School at a "new" university in the UK. The research adopted a qualitative approach with key objectives to gain staff and student perspectives on the role and practice of feedback…

Terrestrial planet formation.

Science.gov (United States)

Righter, K; O'Brien, D P

2011-11-29

Advances in our understanding of terrestrial planet formation have come from a multidisciplinary approach. Studies of the ages and compositions of primitive meteorites with compositions similar to the Sun have helped to constrain the nature of the building blocks of planets. This information helps to guide numerical models for the three stages of planet formation from dust to planetesimals (~10(6) y), followed by planetesimals to embryos (lunar to Mars-sized objects; few 10(6) y), and finally embryos to planets (10(7)-10(8) y). Defining the role of turbulence in the early nebula is a key to understanding the growth of solids larger than meter size. The initiation of runaway growth of embryos from planetesimals ultimately leads to the growth of large terrestrial planets via large impacts. Dynamical models can produce inner Solar System configurations that closely resemble our Solar System, especially when the orbital effects of large planets (Jupiter and Saturn) and damping mechanisms, such as gas drag, are included. Experimental studies of terrestrial planet interiors provide additional constraints on the conditions of differentiation and, therefore, origin. A more complete understanding of terrestrial planet formation might be possible via a combination of chemical and physical modeling, as well as obtaining samples and new geophysical data from other planets (Venus, Mars, or Mercury) and asteroids.

Understanding perovskite formation through the intramolecular exchange method in ambient conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Szostak, Rodrigo; Castro, Jhon A. P.; Marques, Adriano S.; Nogueira, Ana F.

2017-04-01

Among the methods to prepare hybrid organic-inorganic perovskite films, the intramolecular exchange method was the first one that made possible to prepare perovskite solar cells with efficiencies higher than 20%. However, perovskite formation by this method is not completely understood, especially in ambient conditions. In this work, perovskite films were prepared by the intramolecular exchange method in ambient conditions. The spin coating speed and the frequency of the MAI solution dripping onto PbI2(DMSO) were varied during the deposition steps. With the combination of these two parameters, a rigid control of the solvent drying was possible. Thus, depending on the chosen conditions, the intermediate MAPb3I8·2DMSO was formed with residual PbI2. Otherwise, direct formation of perovskite film was attained. A mechanism for the direct formation of bulk perovskite was proposed. We also investigated how the posterior thermal annealing affects the crystallinity and defects in perovskite films. With prolonged thermal annealing, the excess of MAI can be avoided, increasing the efficiency and decreasing the hysteresis of the solar cells. The best perovskite solar cell achieved a stabilized power output of 12.9%. The findings of this work pave the way for realizing the fabrication of efficient perovskite solar cells in ambient atmosphere, a very desirable condition for cost-efficient large scale manufacturing of this technology.

Impact-Basin Formation on Mercury: Current Observations and Outstanding Questions

Science.gov (United States)

Baker, D. M. H.; Head, J. W.; Fassett, C. I.

2018-05-01

Mercury provides an important laboratory for understanding impact-basin formation on planetary bodies. MESSENGER observations improved our understanding, but much is still unknown about the formation and evolution of basin features.

A multiscale modelling approach to understand atherosclerosis formation: A patient-specific case study in the aortic bifurcation

Science.gov (United States)

Alimohammadi, Mona; Pichardo-Almarza, Cesar; Agu, Obiekezie; Díaz-Zuccarini, Vanessa

2017-01-01

Atherogenesis, the formation of plaques in the wall of blood vessels, starts as a result of lipid accumulation (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol) in the vessel wall. Such accumulation is related to the site of endothelial mechanotransduction, the endothelial response to mechanical stimuli and haemodynamics, which determines biochemical processes regulating the vessel wall permeability. This interaction between biomechanical and biochemical phenomena is complex, spanning different biological scales and is patient-specific, requiring tools able to capture such mathematical and biological complexity in a unified framework. Mathematical models offer an elegant and efficient way of doing this, by taking into account multifactorial and multiscale processes and mechanisms, in order to capture the fundamentals of plaque formation in individual patients. In this study, a mathematical model to understand plaque and calcification locations is presented: this model provides a strong interpretability and physical meaning through a multiscale, complex index or metric (the penetration site of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, expressed as volumetric flux). Computed tomography scans of the aortic bifurcation and iliac arteries are analysed and compared with the results of the multifactorial model. The results indicate that the model shows potential to predict the majority of the plaque locations, also not predicting regions where plaques are absent. The promising results from this case study provide a proof of concept that can be applied to a larger patient population. PMID:28427316

Zircaloy-4 corrosion in PWR's

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fyfitch, S.; Smalley, W.R.; Roberts, E.

1985-01-01

Zircaloy-4 waterside corrosion has been studied extensively in the nuclear industry for a number of years. Following the early crud-related corrosion failures in the Saxton test reactor, Westinghouse undertook numerous programs to minimize crud deposition on fuel rods in power reactors through primary coolant chemistry control. Modern plants today are operating with improved coolant chemistry guidelines, and crud deposition levels are very low in proportion to earlier experience. Zircaloy-4 corrosion under a variety of coolant chemistry, heat flux and exposure conditions has been studied extensively. Experience to date, even in relatively high coolant temperature plants, has indicated that -for both fuel cladding and structural components- Zircaloy-4 waterside corrosion performance has been excellent. Recognizing future industry trends, however, which will result in Zircaloy-4 being subjected to ever increasing corrosion duties, Westinghouse will continue accumulating Zircaloy-4 corrosion experience in large power plants. 13 refs.

Applicability study on a ceramic filter with hot-test conducted in a BWR plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamada, K.; Shirai, T.; Wada, M.; Nakamizo, H.

1991-01-01

Radioactive crud removal and filtration performance recovery by backwashing were examined with a BWR plant pool water using a ceramic filter element, 0.1 micron in nominal pore size and 0.2m 2 in filtration area. Totally 1114 hours filter operation were accumulated. Ten backwashings were accomplished during the test period. The following results were obtained. (1) Radioactive crud concentration in the filter effluent remained below 10 5 Bq/m 3 . (2) Both pressure loss through the filter and dose rate at the filter vessel surface were recovered to the initial level by each backwashing. The surface dose rate after backwashing was approximately 0.01mSv/h. According to these test results, it is confirmed that the ceramic filter is appropriate for the treatment of highly crud concentrated radioactive liquid, which is generated in nuclear facilities, such as spent fuel reprocessing plants. (author)

General empirical model for 60Co generation in pressurized water reactors with continuous refueling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Urrutia, G.A.; Blesa, M.A.; Fernandez-Prini, R.; Maroto, A.J.G.

1984-01-01

A simplified model is presented that permits one to calculate the average activity on the fuel elements of a reactor that operates under continuous refueling, based on the assumption of crud interchange between fuel element surface and coolant in the form of particulate material only and using the crud specific activity as an empirical parameter determined in plant. The net activity flux from core to out-of-core components is then calculated in the form of parametric curves depending on crud specific activity and rate of particulate release from fuel surface. In pressure vessel reactors, contribution to out-ofcore radionuclide inventory arising in the release of activated materials from core components must be taken into account. The contribution from in situ activation of core components is calculated from the rates of release and the specific activities corresponding to the exposed surface of the component (calculated in a straightforward way on the basis of core geometry and neutron fluxes). The rates of release can be taken from the literature, or in the case of cobalt-rich alloys, can be calculated from experimentally determined cobalt contents of structural components and crud. For pressure vessel reactors operating under continuous refueling, activation of deposited crud and release of activated materials are compared; the latter, in certain cases, may represent a sizable (and even the largest) fraction of the total cobalt activity. It is proposed that the ratio of activities of 59 Fe to 54 Mn may be used as a diagnostic tool for in situ activation of structural materials; available data indicate ratios close to unity for pressure tube heavy water reactors (no in situ activation) and ratios around 4 to 10 for pressure vessel, heavy water reactors

Controlling selectivities in CO2 reduction through mechanistic understanding

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Xiang; Shi, Hui; Szanyi, János

2017-09-11

Catalytic CO2 conversion to energy carriers and intermediates is of utmost importance to energy and environmental goals. However, the lack of fundamental understanding of the reaction mechanism renders designing a selective catalyst inefficient. We performed operando FTIR/SSITKA experiments to understand the correlation between the kinetics of product formation and that of surface species conversion during CO2 reduction over Pd/Al2O3 catalysts. We found that the rate-determining step for CO formation is the conversion of adsorbed formate, while that for CH4 formation is the hydrogenation of adsorbed carbonyl. The balance of the hydrogenation kinetics between adsorbed formates and carbonyls governs the selectivities to CH4 and CO. We demonstrated how this knowledge can be used to design catalysts to achieve high selectivities to desired products.

A force sensor using nanowire arrays to understand biofilm formation (Conference Presentation)

Science.gov (United States)

Sahoo, Prasana K.; Cavalli, Alessandro; Pelegati, Vitor B.; Murillo, Duber M.; Souza, Alessandra A.; Cesar, Carlos L.; Bakkers, Erik P. A. M.; Cotta, Monica A.

2016-03-01

Understanding the cellular signaling and function at the nano-bio interface can pave the way towards developing next-generation smart diagnostic tools. From this perspective, limited reports detail so far the cellular and subcellular forces exerted by bacterial cells during the interaction with abiotic materials. Nanowire arrays with high aspect ratio have been used to detect such small forces. In this regard, live force measurements were performed ex-vivo during the interaction of Xylella fastidiosa bacterial cells with InP nanowire arrays. The influence of nanowire array topography and surface chemistry on the response and motion of bacterial cells was studied in detail. The nanowire arrays were also functionalized with different cell adhesive promoters, such as amines and XadA1, an afimbrial protein of X.fastidiosa. By employing the well-defined InP nanowire arrays platform, and single cell confocal imaging system, we were able to trace the bacterial growth pattern, and show that their initial attachment locations are strongly influenced by the surface chemistry and nanoscale surface topography. In addition, we measure the cellular forces down to few nanonewton range using these nanowire arrays. In case of nanowire functionalized with XadA1, the force exerted by vertically and horizontally attached single bacteria on the nanowire is in average 14% and 26% higher than for the pristine array, respectively. These results provide an excellent basis for live-cell force measurements as well as unravel the range of forces involved during the early stages of bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation.

Understanding triplet formation pathways in bulk heterojunction polymer : fullerene photovoltaic devices

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tedla, B.; Zhu, F.; Cox, M.; Drijkoningen, J.; Manca, J.V.; Koopmans, B.; Goovaerts, E.

2015-01-01

Triplet exciton (TE) formation pathways are systematically investigated in prototype bulk heterojunction (BHJ) "super yellow" poly(p-phenylene vinylene) (SY-PPV) solar cell devices with varying fullerene compositions using complementary optoelectrical and electrically detected magnetic resonance

Understanding the formation process of exceptionally long fullerene-based nanowires

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Solov'yov, Ilia; Geng, Junfeng; Solov'yov, Andrey V.

2009-01-01

solution of C$_60$. We have performed a thorough theoretical analysis, aiming at gaining an in-depth understanding of the exceptionally large aspect ratio of C$_60$-based nanowires. By accounting for different interactions in the system we have calculated the structures of the unit cell and determined...... the role of the fullerene and of the solvent molecules in the crystallization process of the nanowires. We have calculated the adhesion energy of C$_60$ molecules to the nanowire surface, and on the basis of this explained the growth anisotropy of the crystal. To get a more profound understanding...

French experience to reduce radiation field build-up and improve nuclear fuel performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thomazet, J.; Beslu, P.; Noe, M.; Stora, J.P.

1983-01-01

Over these last years, considerable information has been obtained on primary coolant chemistry, activity build-up and nuclear fuel behavior. As of December 1982, twenty three 900 MWe type reactors were in operation in France and about 1.3 millions of rods had been loaded in power reactors among which six regions of 17x17 fuel assemblies had completed successfully their third cycle of irradiation with a lead assembly burn-up of 37,000 MWd/MtU. Visual examination shows that crud deposited on fuel clads is mostly thin or inexistent. This result is due to the appropriate B/Li coolant concentration control which is currently applied in French reactors since several years. Correlatively, radiation field build-up is minimized and excessive external corrosion has never been observed. Nevertheless for higher coolant temperature plants, where occurrence of nucleate boiling could increase crud deposition, and for load follow and high burn-up operation, an extensive programme is performed jointly by Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique (CEA), Electricite de France, FRAMATOME and FRAGEMA to reduce even more the radiation field. This programme, described in the paper, includes: loop tests; on site chemical and radiochemical surveys; radiation field measurements; on site fuel examination crud-scrapping, crud analysis and oxide thickness measurements; hot cells examination. Some key results are presented and discussed in this paper. (author)

Composition and Distribution of Tramp Uranium Contamination on BWR and PWR Fuel Rods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schienbein, Marcel; Zeh, Peter; Hurtado, Antonio; Rosskamp, Matthias; Mailand, Irene; Bolz, Michael

2012-09-01

In a joint research project of VGB and AREVA NP GmbH the behaviour of alpha nuclides in nuclear power plants with light water reactors has been investigated. Understanding the source and the behaviour of alpha nuclides is of big importance for planning radiation protection measures for outages and upcoming dismantling projects. Previous publications have shown the correlation between plant specific alpha contamination of the core and the so called 'tramp fuel' or 'tramp uranium' level which is linked to the defect history of fuel assemblies and accordingly the amount of previously washed out fuel from defective fuel rods. The methodology of tramp fuel estimation is based on fission product concentrations in reactor coolant but also needs a good knowledge of tramp fuel composition and in-core distribution on the outer surface of fuel rods itself. Sampling campaigns of CRUD deposits of irradiated fuel assemblies in different NPPs were performed. CRUD analyses including nuclide specific alpha analysis have shown systematic differences between BWR and PWR plants. Those data combined with literature results of fuel pellet investigations led to model improvements showing that a main part of fission products is caused by fission of Pu-239 an activation product of U-238. CRUD investigations also gave a better picture of the in-core composition and distribution of the tramp uranium contamination. It was shown that the tramp uranium distribution in PWR plants is time dependent. Even new fuel assemblies will be notably contaminated after only one cycle of operation. For PWR applies the following logic: the higher the local power the higher the contamination. With increasing burnup the local rod power usually decreases leading to decreasing tramp uranium contamination on the fuel rod surface. This is not applicable for tramp uranium contamination in BWR. CRUD contamination (including the tramp fuel deposits) is much more fixed and is constantly increasing

Reduction of radiation fields in the cooling water circuits of PWRs: a one-step or a multistep process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lassau, R.T.; Cherepakhov, G.; Smee, J.L.; Berger, J.

1988-01-01

A basic problem for nuclear power plants is the formation or radioactive corrosion products in crud particles and oxide films found mainly in the primary side of the reactor cooling water circuits. The activated corrosion products produce radiation fields, which are the major source of exposure for personnel during maintenance and operation of the system. As a health safeguard for personnel, and for the considerable economic benefit to a plant that can be realized by the reduction of radiation fields, the nuclear industry implements physical and chemical decontamination methods to dissolve oxide films and to assist in the removal of crud during plant shutdowns. These procedures impact on the scheduling of activities that must be accomplished before the reactor can be returned to full operation and are therefore carefully planned to minimize the time for decontamination while maximizing the radioactive field reductions. Of considerable importance to the industry, therefore, are procedures that might be implemented during normal reactor operation and as a reactor approaches shutdown that would assist in the removal of radioactive material while controlling the recontamination during reactor operation. A study program was therefore undertaken to compare radioactive field reductions and corrosion rates obtained from a dilute multistep chemical decontamination with data obtained from a single-step parametric cycling experiment on PWR materials

The Physics of Planetesimal Formation

Science.gov (United States)

Simon, Jacob; Armitage, Philip; Youdin, Andrew; Li, Rixin

2015-12-01

Planetesimals are the precursors to planets, and understanding their formation is an essential step towards developing a complete theory of planet formation. For small solid particles (e.g., dust grains) to coagulate into planetesimals, however, requires that these particles grow beyond centimeter sizes; with traditional coagulation physics, this is very difficult. The streaming instability, which is a clumping process akin to the pile-up of cars in a traffic jam, generates sufficiently high solid densities that the mutual gravity between the clumped particles eventually causes their collapse towards planetesimal mass and size scales. Exploring this transition from dust grains to planetesimals is still in its infancy but is extremely important if we want to understand the basics of planet formation. Here, I present a series of high resolution, first principles numerical simulations of potoplanetary disk gas and dust to study the clumping of particles via the streaming instability and the subsequent collapse towards planetesimals. These simulations have been employed to characterize the planetesimal population as a function of radius in protoplanetary disks. The results of these simulations will be crucial for planet formation models to correctly explain the formation and configuration of solar systems.

Understanding MARC: Another Look

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roy Chang

1989-12-01

Full Text Available 無MARC format has been widely used and discussed in our profession. However, there appear to have a wide spread misunderstanding of its real structure and attributes. This article discuss the needs for us to understand it a little more. Also, it presents the general misconceptions about MARC, the compatibility of MARC, the structure of MARC, standardization and - data communication, and some major issues related to MARC format. In this library automation age, MARC is a key element in library services, and it deserves us to take another look.

Understanding hydride formation in Zr-1Nb alloy through microstructural characterization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Neogy, S.; Srivastava, D.; Tewari, R.; Singh, R.N.; Dey, G.K.; De, P.K.; Banerjee, S.

2003-07-01

In this study the experimental results of hydride formation and their microstructure evolution in Zr-1Nb alloy is presented. This Zr-1Nb binary alloy and other Zr-1 Nb based ternary and quaternary alloys are being used as fuel tube materials and have the potential for meeting the requirement of high burn up fuel. Hydriding of Zr-1Nb alloy having a microstructure comprising equiaxed α grains and a uniform distribution of spherical particles of the β phase has been carried out in this study. The specimens have been hydrided by gaseous charging method to different hydrogen levels. The microstructures of hydrided samples were examined as a function of hydrogen content. The formation of δ hydride in slow cooled specimens and formation of γ hydride in rapidly cooled specimens has been studied with their morphology, habit plane and orientation relationship with the α matrix in view. The habit planes of either type of hydride phase has been determined and compared with those observed in other Zr-Nb alloys. The orientation relationship between the α matrix and the δ hydride was found to be the following: (0001) α // (111) δ and [1120] α // [110] δ . The orientation relationship between the α matrix and the γ hydride was of the following type: (0001) α // (111) γ and [1120] α // [110] γ . The internal structure of both types of hydride has been examined. The effect of the presence of the spherical β phase particles in the a matrix on the growth of the hydride plates has been investigated. (author)

Device for regulating and controlling of fluid pressure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andrews, H.N.; Singleton, N.R.; Frisch, E.; Stein, P.C.

1972-01-01

A pressure regulating valve for high pressures, suitable for PWR pressurisers, is based on controlled leakage. The valve may also function as a safety valve. The valve and seat surfaces are machined such that an annular space is formed towards the inner edge, and into this space cold fluid may be injected, thus preventing crud deposition and hindering steam formation. Fluid also leaks into the annular space between two bellows, which exert a closing force on the valve, in addition to the closing force provided by springs, whose force is adjustable by means of a screw arrangement. (JIW)

Chemical decontamination method for radioactive metal waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanaka, Akio; Onuma, Tsutomu; Yamazaki, Sei; Miura, Haruki.

1993-01-01

The present invention provides a chemical decontamination method for radioactive metal wastes, which are generated from radioactive material handling facilities and the surfaces of which are contaminated by radioactive materials. That is, it has a feature of applying acid dissolution simultaneously with mechanical grinding. The radioactive metal wastes are contained in a vessel such as a barrel together with abrasives in a sulfuric acid solution and rotated at several tens rotation per minute. By such procedures for the radioactive metal wastes, (1) cruds and passive membranes are mechanically removed, (2) exposed mother metal materials are uniformly brought into contact with sulfuric acid and further (3) the mother metal materials dissolve the cruds and the passive membranes also chemically by a reducing dissolution (so-called local cell effect). According to the method of the present invention, stainless steel metal wastes having cruds and passive membranes can rapidly and efficiently be decontaminated to a radiation level equal with that of ordinary wastes. (I.S.)

Picture versus words: A comparison of pictorial and verbal informed assent formats

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Siddharth Dutt

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Background for the Study: Informed consent is a process of obtaining permission from the participant to participate in research. Involving children in a research requires them to give their “assent” for participation. Informed assent is obtained from children even after their guardians have given consent for participation. Studies have shown that children have difficulty understanding the key elements of research process such as right to withdraw from the study or the meaning of “harm” involved in the research process. Further, the studies have also propounded that using child-friendly methods such as using pictures and simple language would facilitate children's understanding. Objectives: In this study, pictorial and verbal assent formats were compared find out which format is suitable for children's understanding of informed assent with respect to research. Methods: A sample of 389 school going children and adolescents of both the gender, ranging from 7 to 16 years were considered for the study. The sample was randomly divided into two groups, where for one group (n = 197, pictorial assent format was administered and another group (n = 192, verbal assent format was administered. The pictorial assent format was developed for the study by the corresponding author. Results and Conclusions: Analysis revealed that there was a significant level of interaction between gender and the two assent formats. Males were able to understand pictorial assent format better compared to the females, whereas females were able to understand verbal assent format better than the males, when age and education were considered as covariates. Further, it was found that as age increases there is better understanding of research processes in both the formats. Hence, while the process of obtaining assent for participation in research, age of child must be considered and with respect to gender differences males tend to prefer pictorial formats whereas females tend to

Growing Pebbles and Conceptual Prisms - Understanding the Source of Student Misconceptions about Rock Formation.

Science.gov (United States)

Kusnick, Judi

2002-01-01

Analyzes narrative essays--stories of rock formation--written by pre-service elementary school teachers. Reports startling misconceptions among preservice teachers on pebbles that grow, human involvement in rock formation, and sedimentary rocks forming as puddles as dry up, even though these students had completed a college level course on Earth…

Promoting proximal formative assessment with relational discourse

Science.gov (United States)

Scherr, Rachel E.; Close, Hunter G.; McKagan, Sarah B.

2012-02-01

The practice of proximal formative assessment - the continual, responsive attention to students' developing understanding as it is expressed in real time - depends on students' sharing their ideas with instructors and on teachers' attending to them. Rogerian psychology presents an account of the conditions under which proximal formative assessment may be promoted or inhibited: (1) Normal classroom conditions, characterized by evaluation and attention to learning targets, may present threats to students' sense of their own competence and value, causing them to conceal their ideas and reducing the potential for proximal formative assessment. (2) In contrast, discourse patterns characterized by positive anticipation and attention to learner ideas increase the potential for proximal formative assessment and promote self-directed learning. We present an analysis methodology based on these principles and demonstrate its utility for understanding episodes of university physics instruction.

BWR fuel performance under advanced water chemistry conditions – a delicate journey towards zero fuel failures – a review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hettiarachchi, S.

2015-01-01

Boiling Water Reactors (BWRs) have undergone a variety of chemistry evolutions over the past few decades as a result of the need to control stress corrosion cracking of reactor internals, radiation fields and personnel exposure. Some of the advanced chemistry changes include hydrogen addition, zinc addition, iron reduction using better filtration technologies, and more recently noble metal chemical addition to many of the modern day operating BWRs. These water chemistry evolutions have resulted in changes in the crud distribution on fuel cladding material, Co-60 levels and the Rod oxide thickness (ROXI) measurements using the conventional eddy current techniques. A limited number of Post-Irradiation Examinations (PIE) of fuel rods that exhibited elevated oxide thickness using eddy current techniques showed that the actual oxide thickness by metallography is much lower. The difference in these observations is attributed to the changing magnetic properties of the crud affecting the rod oxide thickness measurement by the eddy current technique. This paper will review and summarize the BWR fuel cladding performance under these advanced and improved water chemistry conditions and how these changes have affected the goal to reach zero fuel failures. The paper will also provide a brief summary of some of the results of hot cell PIE, results of crud composition evaluation, crud spallation, oxide thickness measurements, hydrogen content in the cladding and some fuel failure observations. (author) Key Words: Boiling Water Reactor, Fuel Performance, Hydrogen Addition, Zinc Addition, Noble Metal Chemical Addition, Zero Leakers

How do family physicians communicate about cardiovascular risk? Frequencies and determinants of different communication formats.

Science.gov (United States)

Neuner-Jehle, Stefan; Senn, Oliver; Wegwarth, Odette; Rosemann, Thomas; Steurer, Johann

2011-04-05

Patients understand information about risk better if it is communicated in numerical or visual formats (e.g. graphs) compared to verbal qualifiers only. How frequently different communication formats are used in clinical primary care settings is unknown. We collected socioeconomic and patient understanding data using questionnaires and audio-recorded consultations about cardiovascular disease risk. The frequencies of the communication formats were calculated and multivariate regression analysis of associations between communication formats, patient and general practitioner characteristics, and patient subjective understanding was performed. In 73% of 70 consultations, verbal qualifiers were used exclusively to communicate cardiovascular risk, compared to numerical (11%) and visual (16%) formats. Female GPs and female patient's gender were significantly associated with a higher use of verbal formats compared to visual formats (p=0.001 and p=0.039, respectively). Patient subjective understanding was significantly higher in visual counseling compared to verbal counseling (p=0.001). Verbal qualifiers are the most often used communication format, though recommendations favor numerical and visual formats, with visual formats resulting in better understanding than others. Also, gender is associated with the choice of communication format. Barriers against numerical and visual communication formats among GPs and patients should be studied, including gender aspects. Adequate risk communication should be integrated into physicians' education.

Testing primary-school children's understanding of the nature of science.

Science.gov (United States)

Koerber, Susanne; Osterhaus, Christopher; Sodian, Beate

2015-03-01

Understanding the nature of science (NOS) is a critical aspect of scientific reasoning, yet few studies have investigated its developmental beginnings and initial structure. One contributing reason is the lack of an adequate instrument. Two studies assessed NOS understanding among third graders using a multiple-select (MS) paper-and-pencil test. Study 1 investigated the validity of the MS test by presenting the items to 68 third graders (9-year-olds) and subsequently interviewing them on their underlying NOS conception of the items. All items were significantly related between formats, indicating that the test was valid. Study 2 applied the same instrument to a larger sample of 243 third graders, and their performance was compared to a multiple-choice (MC) version of the test. Although the MC format inflated the guessing probability, there was a significant relation between the two formats. In summary, the MS format was a valid method revealing third graders' NOS understanding, thereby representing an economical test instrument. A latent class analysis identified three groups of children with expertise in qualitatively different aspects of NOS, suggesting that there is not a single common starting point for the development of NOS understanding; instead, multiple developmental pathways may exist. © 2014 The British Psychological Society.

How relevant are assembled equilibrium samples in understanding structure formation during lipid digestion?

Science.gov (United States)

Phan, Stephanie; Salentinig, Stefan; Hawley, Adrian; Boyd, Ben J

2015-10-01

Lipid-based formulations are gaining interest for use as drug delivery systems for poorly water-soluble drug compounds. During digestion, the lipolysis products self-assemble with endogenous surfactants in the gastrointestinal tract to form colloidal structures, enabling enhanced drug solubilisation. Although earlier studies in the literature focus on assembled equilibrium systems, little is known about structure formation under dynamic lipolysis conditions. The purpose of this study was to investigate the likely colloidal structure formation in the small intestine after the ingestion of lipids, under equilibrium and dynamic conditions. The structural aspects were studied using small angle X-ray scattering and dynamic light scattering, and were found to depend on lipid composition, lipid chain length, prandial state and emulsification. Incorporation of phospholipids and lipolysis products into bile salt micelles resulted in swelling of the structure. At insufficient bile salt concentrations, a co-existing lamellar phase was observed, due to a reduction in the solubilisation capacity for lipolysis products. Emulsification accelerated the rate of lipolysis and structure formation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Object formation and subject formation: The innovation campus in the Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kooij, H.J.

2015-01-01

A central question within planning theory is how changes between the relations of ‘grand institutions’ such as state, market and education influence the formation of objects ‘on the ground’. Drawing upon Foucault’s work, this article contributes to the understanding of these relations and argues

How do family physicians communicate about cardiovascular risk? Frequencies and determinants of different communication formats

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rosemann Thomas

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Patients understand information about risk better if it is communicated in numerical or visual formats (e.g. graphs compared to verbal qualifiers only. How frequently different communication formats are used in clinical primary care settings is unknown. Methods We collected socioeconomic and patient understanding data using questionnaires and audio-recorded consultations about cardiovascular disease risk. The frequencies of the communication formats were calculated and multivariate regression analysis of associations between communication formats, patient and general practitioner characteristics, and patient subjective understanding was performed. Results In 73% of 70 consultations, verbal qualifiers were used exclusively to communicate cardiovascular risk, compared to numerical (11% and visual (16% formats. Female GPs and female patient's gender were significantly associated with a higher use of verbal formats compared to visual formats (p = 0.001 and p = 0.039, respectively. Patient subjective understanding was significantly higher in visual counseling compared to verbal counseling (p = 0.001. Conclusions Verbal qualifiers are the most often used communication format, though recommendations favor numerical and visual formats, with visual formats resulting in better understanding than others. Also, gender is associated with the choice of communication format. Barriers against numerical and visual communication formats among GPs and patients should be studied, including gender aspects. Adequate risk communication should be integrated into physicians' education.

Data report for the nondestructive examination of Turkey Point spent fuel assemblies B02, B03, B17, B41, and B43

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Davis, R.B.

1980-04-01

The fuel assembly sip test on all rods from assembly B17 were of sound intergrity. Visual examination showed three general regions of rod surface appearance: a dark adherent crud layer at the bottom of the rod, black spalling crud layers in the middle, and a spotty gray loose powdery coating with dark crud or oxide underneath towards the top. Rod lengths varied from 152.395 inches to 152.707 inches. Maximum rod bow measurements for rods G9, I9, and G7 were 0.038 to 040 inch and 0.022 inch for rods H6 and J8. Results from profilometry scans showed the maximum ovality for the five rods was 0.0066 inch with average diameters ranging from 0.4187 to 0.4198 inch. Extensive ridging from pellet-clad interaction over the entire length was evident on all rods. Gamma scan results showed no cesium peaking and no pellet gaps greater than 0.025 inch. No unusual areas, other than ridging and possible fuel-cladding bonding, were seen in the eddy current results

International trade and waste and fuel managment issue, 2006

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Agnihotri, Newal (ed.)

2006-01-15

The focus of the January-February issue is on international trade and waste and fuel managment. Major articles/reports in this issue include: HLW management in France, by Michel Debes, EDF, France; Breakthroughs from future reactors, by Jacques Bouchard, CEA, France; 'MOX for peace' a reality, by Jean-Pierre Bariteau, AREVA Group, France; Swedish spent fuel and radwaste, by Per H. Grahn and Marie Skogsberg, SKB, Sweden; ENC2005 concluding remarks, by Larry Foulke, 'Nuclear Technology Matters'; Fuel crud formation and behavior, by Charles Turk, Entergy; and, Plant profile: major vote of confidence for NP, by Martti Katka, TVO, Finland.

Understanding the Formation of the Self-Assembly of Colloidal Copper Nanoparticles by Surfactant: A Molecular Velcro

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Raquel Kely Bortoleto-Bugs

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Self-assembly procedure is employed to synthesize colloidal copper nanoparticles (ccNPs with cationic surfactant in an environmentally friendly method. Scanning electron microscopy images provide a clear view of the ccNPs formed having an approximate size of 15 nm. The X-ray diffraction reveals that the ccNPs have the two types of copper oxide as well as the metallic copper. The new procedure shows that the cationic surfactant CTAB plays an important role in the understanding and development of self-assembly. There is a strong relationship between the ccNPs formation with the critical micelle concentration of the CTAB which influences both shape and size. The outcomes allowed the development of a molecular model for the ccNPs synthesis showing that the CTAB monomer on the surface has the function of a molecular velcro making the linkage of ccNPs to form an agglomerate with size around 600 nm. Finally, with the emerging new technologies, the synthesis of copper oxide takes a new perspective for their applicability in diverse integrated areas such as the flexible electronics and energy.

A novel technology for fouling mitigation and dose reduction in BWR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Young-Jin; Varela, Juan

2014-01-01

In a boiling water reactor (BWR), a jet pump provides an internal circulation path for the core coolant flow and consists of four main sections: the nozzle section, inlet mixer section (throat barrel), flare and diffuser. A high velocity coolant flow moves through the nozzles and discharges into the inlet mixer, and over time, oxide particulates (cruds) build up on the inside 304 stainless steel (SS) surfaces of the nozzles and the inlet mixer forming a layer of crud fouling. Cruds are typically removed from the surfaces of BWR components during regularly scheduled shutdowns of the reactor that is highly costly. Thus, a cost-effective is being developed to mitigate the crud fouling and the accumulation of radioactive species by using a colloid-based process. A colloid-based process can be applied to components in service, and does not require extensive equipment and extreme processing parameters as compared to other deposition processes and is not limited by geometric constraints as is the CVD process. Several parameters, such as concentration of TiO 2 nanoparticle, deposition/post-annealing temperature, and hydrodynamic flow condition, etc., for developing the optimum TiO 2 coating process have been examined to identify the most critical condition that can be applicable at plants. Preliminary results showed that the post-annealing treatment of coating is essential for improving the adherence and coherence of colloidal TiO 2 nanoparticles to the substrate. In addition, the presence of oxide on the coating surface is detrimental to the coating durability and thus pre-existing oxide surfaces require to be cleaned before coating. (author)

Understanding the formation and composition of hazes in planetary atmospheres that contain carbon monoxide

Science.gov (United States)

Hörst, S. M.; Yoon, Y. H.; Hicks, R. K.; Tolbert, M. A.

2012-09-01

Measurements from the Cassini Plasma Spectrometer (CAPS) have revealed the presence of molecules in Titan's ionosphere with masses in excess of hundreds of amu. Negative ions with mass/charge (m/z) up to 10,000 amu/q [1] and positive ions with m/z up to 400 amu/q [2] have been detected. CAPS has also observed O+ flowing into Titan's upper atmosphere [3], which appears to originate from Enceladus and is likely the source of oxygen bearing molecules in Titan's atmosphere [4]. The observed O+ is deposited in the region now known to contain large organic molecules. A recent Titan atmosphere simulation experiment has shown that incorporation of oxygen into Titan aerosol analogues results in the formation of all five nucleotide bases and the two smallest amino acids, glycine and alanine [5]. Similar chemical processes may have occurred in the atmosphere of the early Earth, or in the atmospheres of extrasolar planets; atmospheric aerosols may be an important source of the building blocks of life. Atmospheric aerosols play an important role in determining the radiation budget of an atmosphere and can also provide a wealth of organic material to the surface. The presence of atmospheric aerosols has been invoked to explain the relatively featureless spectrum of HD 189773b, including the lack of predicted atmospheric Na and K spectral lines [9]. The majority of the O+ precipitating into Titan's atmosphere forms CO (O(3P)+CH3 -> CO+H2+H) [4]. CO has also been detected in the atmospheres of a number of exoplanets including HD 189733b, HD 209458b, and WASP-12b [6-8]. It is therefore important to understand the role CO plays in the formation and composition of hazes in planetary atmospheres. Using a High-Resolution Time-of-Flight Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (HR-ToF-AMS) (see e.g. [10]) we have obtained in situ composition measurements of aerosol particles (so-called "tholins") produced in N2/CH4/CO gas mixtures subjected to either FUV radiation (deuterium lamp, 115-400 nm) or a

Shadow Formation at Preschool from a Socio-materiality Perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Impedovo, Maria Antonietta; Delserieys-Pedregosa, Alice; Jégou, Corinne; Ravanis, Konstantinos

2017-06-01

The paper is set in socio-material farming to offer a way of conceptualising actions and interactions of children in preschool involved in the understanding of scientific concepts. A model of early science education about the physical phenomena of shadow formation is implemented in group work in a French context. The research involved 44 children (13 females and 31 males) of 5-6 years old. The research design was organised in three video recording steps: pre-test, teaching session and post-test. We focus on the analysis of nine teaching sessions to investigate children's `understanding' of shadow formation. A descriptive and qualitative approach was used. In particular, we have identified three main categories (the interaction of the children with the tools, the embodiment and verbal dimension)—with respective indicators—to perform the analysis. From the results, all the categories explored seem to influence each other: all material, human and social dimensions contribute to the children's understanding of shadow formation. Also we have identified some elements that can serve as a potential source of improvement of the teaching session on shadow formation. Finally, the research provides insights on how to improve science activities in preschool with the aim of supporting early understanding of physical phenomena.

Habit formation.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Kyle S; Graybiel, Ann M

2016-03-01

Habits, both good ones and bad ones, are pervasive in animal behavior. Important frameworks have been developed to understand habits through psychological and neurobiological studies. This work has given us a rich understanding of brain networks that promote habits, and has also helped us to understand what constitutes a habitual behavior as opposed to a behavior that is more flexible and prospective. Mounting evidence from studies using neural recording methods suggests that habit formation is not a simple process. We review this evidence and take the position that habits could be sculpted from multiple dissociable changes in neural activity. These changes occur across multiple brain regions and even within single brain regions. This strategy of classifying components of a habit based on different brain signals provides a potentially useful new way to conceive of disorders that involve overly fixed behaviors as arising from different potential dysfunctions within the brain's habit network.

Understanding map projections: Chapter 15

Science.gov (United States)

Usery, E. Lynn; Kent, Alexander J.; Vujakovic, Peter

2018-01-01

It has probably never been more important in the history of cartography than now that people understand how maps work. With increasing globalization, for example, world maps provide a key format for the transmission of information, but are often poorly used. Examples of poor understanding and use of projections and the resultant maps are many; for instance, the use of rectangular world maps in the United Kingdom press to show Chinese and Korean missile ranges as circles, something which can only be achieved on equidistant projections and then only from one launch point (Vujakovic, 2014).

Observational Corollaries of Proto-AGN: Understanding Formation of Supermassive Black Hole Seeds

Science.gov (United States)

Shlosman, Isaac

2016-10-01

Formation of supermassive black holes (SMBHs) is still an enigma. Recent detections of high-z quasars which harbor massive SMBHs provide a challenge to models of structure buildup in the universe. Main alternatives for the formation of SMBH seeds are (1) remnants of Population III stars, and (2) a direct baryonic collapse within dark matter (DM) halos of 10^8 Mo -- first halos whose virial temperature exceeds 10^4 K, and which can lead to the formation of proto-AGN -- luminous pre-SMBH objects. Potentially, this can involve both high-z objects as well as low-z dwarf galaxies in voids. We focus on the direct collapse in 10^8 Mo halos which circumvents the pitfalls of Pop III remnants. The collapse can proceed via a radiation pressure-supported quasistar -- with a modified blackbody continuum. Such a configuration requires a very efficient angular momentum transfer. Or, it can form a thick, differentially rotating, self-gravitating disk, which is associated with an X-ray-infrared continuum and Seyfert-level luminosity, anisotropic emission, massive bi-conical outflows, and will be a powerful source of the Ly-alpha emission. We propose to perform radiative transfer in the continuum and hydrogen lines (e.g., Lyman and Balmer), using our models of proto-AGN, and do it on-the-fly -- concurrently with the collapse. We shall test the path to quasistellar and disky proto-AGN, produce first synthetic spectra of proto-AGN, and address the issue of feasibility of their detection by the JWST. Finally, we shall develop the strategy of searching for these objects at high- and low-z, based on the specific features in the spectra and associated variability.

Analysis of Gamma Dose Rate Caused by Corrosion Products inside the Containment Building of Yonngwang Nuclear Power Plant Unit 3 During Shutdown Period

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ha, Wi Ho; Kim, Jae Cheon; Kim, Soon Young; Kim, Jong Kyung [Hanyang Univ., Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2005-07-01

Occupational radiation exposure(ORE) of nuclear power plant(NPP) workers mainly occurs during the shutdown period. Major radioactive sources are the corrosion products released from the reactor coolant system(RCS). The corrosion products consist of circulating crud and deposited crud. Major radioactive corrosion products, {sup 58}Co and {sup 60}Co, are known to contribute approximately more than 70% of the total ORE. In this study, the corrosion products regarding cobalt were evaluated during the shutdown period, and gamma dose rates caused by them were calculated at the main working area inside the containment building of the Yonggwang NPP Unit 3.

Understanding the role of contextual cues in supporting the formation of medication-taking habits

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katarzyna Stawarz

2015-10-01

in the presence of stable cues, with time they start to guide the behaviour and provide triggers to action (Lally & Gardner, 2011. However, adherence technologies tend to disregard contextual cues and the habitual nature of many medication regimens, and instead alert users when it is time to take the pill (Stawarz et al., 2014. Similarly, behaviour change technologies designed specifically to support habit formation also neglect contextual cues and instead focus on behaviour tracking and reminders (Stawarz et al, 2015. By supporting the identification and reinforcement of contextual cues, technology could aid both prospective memory and habit formation: it could help patients remember the new regimen and turn it into a reliable medication habit. Aims: Previous research by Stawarz et al. (2015 suggests that contextual cues support habit formation, but because habits take time to develop, people can still forget; conversely, reminders support remembering, but they can inhibit habit development. However, their study measured the development of an artificial habit (texting the researchers, lasted only for 4 weeks, and did not account for the role of location as a contextual cue. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore the impact of contextual cues and reminders on the development of automaticity of behaviour (representing habit strength and frequency of repetition (representing adherence to the regimen over a longer period and with behaviours participants wanted to turn into habit. The understanding of how these factors influence the process of habit formation would enable us to design more effective adherence technologies that assist patients when they start a new regimen (prospective memory support as well as over the long term (habit support. Method: 209 participants were recruited on social networks, and among students and university staff. They were 18-58 years old (mean age = 27, SD = 7.6 years; 68% were women, 74% were students. They were asked to repeat a

Forces in strategy formation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Steensen, Elmer Fly; Sanchez, Ron

2008-01-01

This chapter proposes that organizational strategy formation should be characterized theoretically as a process that is subject to several interacting forces, rather than represented by separate discrete decisionmodels or theoretic perspectives, as is commonly done in the strategic management...... literature. Based on an extensive review of relevant theory and empirical work in strategic decision-making, organizational change theory, cognitive and social psychology, and strategy processes, seven kinds of ''forces'' - rational, imposed, teleological, learning, political, heuristic, and social...... - are identified as interacting in and having significant influence on the strategy formation process. It is further argued that by applying a holistic ''forces-view'' of the significant and interacting influences on strategy formation, we can better understand the dynamics and challenges in managing the process...

Using Laboratory Methods to Better Understand Refractory Cloud Formation in Exoplanet Atmospheres

Science.gov (United States)

Kohler, E.; Ferguson, F.

2017-12-01

The high number of extrasolar planets found in recent years has brought a new importance to planetary atmospheres. These recently discovered planets show a large diversity in their masses, temperatures, orbital periods, and other properties. With such a diverse mix of planetary parameters, it is safe to assume that the atmospheric properties are just as varied. Recent literature suggests silicates and metals as possible condensates in extrasolar planetary atmospheres as well as the atmospheres of brown dwarfs. While theoretical studies have laid the foundation of cloud formation analysis, their findings still need to be validated via experiments. A verification of the condensation and vaporization predictions of refractory materials needs to be found in order to assist global circulation models in being as accurate as possible. The stability of minerals identified in the literature as potential candidates, will be tested in a thermogravimetric balance. The minerals will be pumped under vacuum for twenty-four hours under room temperature and then heated to a predetermined high temperature, dependent on the expected vaporization temperature of that sample. If there is apparent mass loss, then the temperature will be lowered at preset durations and mass measurements will be taken in similar measured increments. The data will be processed by a computer program in order to calculate the mass loss as a function of temperature. The current cloud formation and global circulation models are very important to the field of planetary science but their accuracy is hindered by the lack of experimental data. The aim of this work is to investigate the mineral stability of potential condensates in an effort to explain the formation of refractory clouds in the atmospheres of extrasolar planets and brown dwarfs.

Habit formation

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Kyle S.; Graybiel, Ann M.

2016-01-01

Habits, both good ones and bad ones, are pervasive in animal behavior. Important frameworks have been developed to understand habits through psychological and neurobiological studies. This work has given us a rich understanding of brain networks that promote habits, and has also helped us to understand what constitutes a habitual behavior as opposed to a behavior that is more flexible and prospective. Mounting evidence from studies using neural recording methods suggests that habit formation is not a simple process. We review this evidence and take the position that habits could be sculpted from multiple dissociable changes in neural activity. These changes occur across multiple brain regions and even within single brain regions. This strategy of classifying components of a habit based on different brain signals provides a potentially useful new way to conceive of disorders that involve overly fixed behaviors as arising from different potential dysfunctions within the brain's habit network. PMID:27069378

Combustion chemistry and formation of pollutants; Chimie de la combustion et formation des polluants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1996-12-31

This book of proceedings reports on 7 papers on combustion chemistry and formation of pollutants presented during the workshop organized by the `Combustion and Flames` section of the French society of thermal engineers. The chemistry of combustion is analyzed in various situations such as: turbojet engines, spark ignition engines, industrial burners, gas turbines etc... Numerical simulation is used to understand the physico-chemical processes involved in combustion, to describe the kinetics of oxidation, combustion and flame propagation, and to predict the formation of pollutants. (J.S.)

On the Magnitude and Orientation of Stress during Shock Metamorphism: Understanding Peak Ring Formation by Combining Observations and Models.

Science.gov (United States)

Rae, A.; Poelchau, M.; Collins, G. S.; Timms, N.; Cavosie, A. J.; Lofi, J.; Salge, T.; Riller, U. P.; Ferrière, L.; Grieve, R. A. F.; Osinski, G.; Morgan, J. V.; Expedition 364 Science Party, I. I.

2017-12-01

Shock metamorphism occurs during the earliest moments after impact. The magnitude and orientation of shock leaves recordable signatures in rocks, which spatially vary across an impact structure. Consequently, observations of shock metamorphism can be used to understand deformation and its history within a shock wave, and to examine subsequent deformation during crater modification. IODP-ICDP Expedition 364 recovered nearly 600 m of shocked target rocks from the peak ring of the Chicxulub Crater. Samples from the expedition were used to measure the magnitude and orientation of shock in peak ring materials, and to determine the mechanism of peak-ring emplacement. Here, we present the results of petrographic analyses of the shocked granitic target rocks of the Chicxulub peak ring; using universal-stage optical microscopy, back-scattered electron images, and electron back-scatter diffraction. Deformation microstructures in quartz include planar deformation features (PDFs), feather features (FFs), which are unique to shock conditions, as well as planar fractures and crystal-plastic deformation bands. The assemblage of PDFs in quartz suggest that the peak-ring rocks experienced shock pressures of 15 GPa throughout the recovered drill core, and that the orientation of FFs are consistent with the present-day orientation of the maximum principal stress direction during shock is close to vertical. Numerical impact simulations of the impact event were run to determine the magnitude and orientation of principal stresses during shock and track those orientations throughout crater formation. Our results are remarkably consistent with the geological data, and accurately predict both the shock-pressure magnitudes, and the final near-vertical orientation of the direction of maximum principal stress in the shock wave. Furthermore, analysis of the state of stress throughout the impact event can be used to constrain the timing of fracture and fault orientations observed in the core

Coevolutionary modeling in network formation

KAUST Repository

Al-Shyoukh, Ibrahim

2014-12-03

Network coevolution, the process of network topology evolution in feedback with dynamical processes over the network nodes, is a common feature of many engineered and natural networks. In such settings, the change in network topology occurs at a comparable time scale to nodal dynamics. Coevolutionary modeling offers the possibility to better understand how and why network structures emerge. For example, social networks can exhibit a variety of structures, ranging from almost uniform to scale-free degree distributions. While current models of network formation can reproduce these structures, coevolutionary modeling can offer a better understanding of the underlying dynamics. This paper presents an overview of recent work on coevolutionary models of network formation, with an emphasis on the following three settings: (i) dynamic flow of benefits and costs, (ii) transient link establishment costs, and (iii) latent preferential attachment.

Coevolutionary modeling in network formation

KAUST Repository

Al-Shyoukh, Ibrahim; Chasparis, Georgios; Shamma, Jeff S.

2014-01-01

Network coevolution, the process of network topology evolution in feedback with dynamical processes over the network nodes, is a common feature of many engineered and natural networks. In such settings, the change in network topology occurs at a comparable time scale to nodal dynamics. Coevolutionary modeling offers the possibility to better understand how and why network structures emerge. For example, social networks can exhibit a variety of structures, ranging from almost uniform to scale-free degree distributions. While current models of network formation can reproduce these structures, coevolutionary modeling can offer a better understanding of the underlying dynamics. This paper presents an overview of recent work on coevolutionary models of network formation, with an emphasis on the following three settings: (i) dynamic flow of benefits and costs, (ii) transient link establishment costs, and (iii) latent preferential attachment.

Drawing and Writing in Digital Science Notebooks: Sources of Formative Assessment Data

Science.gov (United States)

Shelton, Angi; Smith, Andrew; Wiebe, Eric; Behrle, Courtney; Sirkin, Ruth; Lester, James

2016-01-01

Formative assessment strategies are used to direct instruction by establishing where learners' understanding is, how it is developing, informing teachers and students alike as to how they might get to their next set of goals of conceptual understanding. For the science classroom, one rich source of formative assessment data about scientific…

Radiolytic formation of iron oxyhydroxide nanoparticles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sutherland, T.; Wren, J.C., E-mail: tsuther4@uwo.ca [The Univ. of Western Ontario, London, ON (Canada)

2014-07-01

The formation of iron oxyhydroxide nanoparticles under gamma irradiation of ferrous ion solutions is a process in the infancy of its understanding. Herein we present work to probe the mechanism by which these nanoparticles are formed. These results can be used to better understand the activity transport processes occurring within a reactor environment which may pose both environmental and safety concerns. Initial ferrous concentrations and solution pH were modified and found to have little effect on final particle size and composition. The nanoparticles were formed in the presence of scavengers and it was found that hydroxyl radicals promote the particle formation while solvated electrons diminish it. Post-synthesis heating was found to shift the initially-formed lepidocrocite particles towards a mixture of goethite and maghemite. (author)

Utilizing dendritic scaffold for feasible formation of naphthalene ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

the effect of dendritic scaffolds on the feasibility of naphthalene excimer formation has not been reported in the literature. Here, we report synthesis and photophysical study of naphthalene functionalized zero and first genera- tion PAMAM dendrimers in order to understand the mechanism of excimer formation in the system.

Simulated effect of timing and Pt quantity injected on On-line NobleChem application on total fuel liftoff

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pop, M.G.; Riddle, J.M.; Lamanna, L.S.; Gregorich, C.; Hoornik, A.

2015-01-01

Total liftoff is a measure of fuel performance and a risk indicator for fuel reliability. Fuel operability and license limits are directly related to the expected total lifetime liftoff. AREVA's continued commitment to zero fuel failure is expressed, among other efforts, in the continued development and improvement of its fuel cladding corrosion and crud risk assessment tools. The AREVA models used to assess and predict crud deposition on BWR cores over their lifespan have been refined by the development and incorporation of the PEZOG tool in response to the move in the industry to the On-Line NobleChem TM (OLNC) technology. PEZOG models the platinum-enhanced zirconium oxide growth of fuel cladding when exposed to platinum during operation. Depending on the local chemistry and radiation condition, noble metals act as catalysts for many reactions, including but not limited to hydrogen oxidation and oxygen reduction. OLNC's intention is to catalyze the hydrogen and oxygen recombination reaction for core internals protection. However, research has indicated that noble metals catalyze the oxygen reduction under the chemistry and radiation conditions as experienced in the pores of crud deposits, and hence, can increase the corrosion rate of zirconium alloy cladding. The developed PEZOG module calculates the oxide thickness as a function of platinum injection strategy. The stratified nature of oxide and crud layers formed on fuel cladding surfaces is reflected in the calculations as are the different platinum interaction in each of the layers. This paper presents examples of the evaluation of various aspects of the platinum injection strategies and their influence on the oxide growth enhancement as applied to conditions of a U.S. plant. (authors)

Experimental Investigation of the Root Cause Mechanism and Effectiveness of Mitigating Actions for Axial Offset Anomaly in Pressurized Water Reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Said Abdel-Khalik

2005-01-01

Axial offset anomaly (AOA) in pressurized water reactors refers to the presence of a significantly larger measured negative axial offset deviation than predicted by core design calculations. The neutron flux depression in the upper half of high-power rods experiencing significant subcooled boiling is believed to be caused by the concentration of boron species within the crud layer formed on the cladding surface. Recent investigations of the root-cause mechanism for AOA [1,2] suggest that boron build-up on the fuel is caused by precipitation of lithium metaborate (LiBO2) within the crud in regions of subcooled boiling. Indirect evidence in support of this hypothesis was inferred from operating experience at Callaway, where lithium return and hide-out were, respectively, observed following power reductions and power increases when AOA was present. However, direct evidence of lithium metaborate precipitation within the crud has, heretofore, not been shown because of its retrograde solubility. To this end, this investigation has been undertaken in order to directly verify or refute the proposed root-cause mechanism of AOA, and examine the effectiveness of possible mitigating actions to limit its impact in high power PWR cores

Spanish experience of fuel performance under zinc injection conditions in high duty plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanchez, Alicia; Doncel, Nuria

2008-01-01

Zinc is being added to the reactor coolant system in three Spanish PWRs (Vandellos II, Asco I and Asco II), owned by Association Nuclear Asco Vandellos AIE (ANAV), to delay Primary Water Stress Corrosion Cracking (PWSCC) initiation. Although additional advantages from zinc addition are expected, in the short term some concern exists concerning fuel performance during the first cycles of zinc addition due to a possible elevation of corrosion products from system materials when zinc is initially added. Elevated corrosion product levels in a high duty plant may cause an enhancement on crud deposited on fuel, increasing Axial Offset Anomaly (AOA) risk and accelerated cladding corrosion. To demonstrate the acceptable performance of ZIRLOTM clad fuel under zinc chemistry at a high duty plant, EPRI's Fuel Reliability Program (FRP) has chosen Vandellos II as a zinc demonstration plant to perform oxide thickness measurements and crud scraping and analysis. This paper presents the results from Vandellos II and Asco II oxide measurements as well as the conclusions from the crud samples analyses performed at Vandellos II. Furthermore, the effect of zinc addition on corrosion product behavior and dose rates are be discussed

Communicating patient-reported outcome scores using graphic formats: results from a mixed-methods evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Brundage, Michael D; Smith, Katherine C; Little, Emily A; Bantug, Elissa T; Snyder, Claire F

2015-10-01

Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) promote patient-centered care by using PRO research results ("group-level data") to inform decision making and by monitoring individual patient's PROs ("individual-level data") to inform care. We investigated the interpretability of current PRO data presentation formats. This cross-sectional mixed-methods study randomized purposively sampled cancer patients and clinicians to evaluate six group-data or four individual-data formats. A self-directed exercise assessed participants' interpretation accuracy and ratings of ease-of-understanding and usefulness (0 = least to 10 = most) of each format. Semi-structured qualitative interviews explored helpful and confusing format attributes. We reached thematic saturation with 50 patients (44 % < college graduate) and 20 clinicians. For group-level data, patients rated simple line graphs highest for ease-of-understanding and usefulness (median 8.0; 33 % selected for easiest to understand/most useful) and clinicians rated simple line graphs highest for ease-of-understanding and usefulness (median 9.0, 8.5) but most often selected line graphs with confidence limits or norms (30 % for each format for easiest to understand/most useful). Qualitative results support that clinicians value confidence intervals, norms, and p values, but patients find them confusing. For individual-level data, both patients and clinicians rated line graphs highest for ease-of-understanding (median 8.0 patients, 8.5 clinicians) and usefulness (median 8.0, 9.0) and selected them as easiest to understand (50, 70 %) and most useful (62, 80 %). The qualitative interviews supported highlighting scores requiring clinical attention and providing reference values. This study has identified preferences and opportunities for improving on current formats for PRO presentation and will inform development of best practices for PRO presentation. Both patients and clinicians prefer line graphs across group-level data and individual

Nanoparticle Surface Specific Adsorption of Zein and Its Self-assembled Behavior of Nanocubes Formation in Relation to On-Off SERS: Understanding Morphology Control of Protein Aggregates.

Science.gov (United States)

Navdeep; Banipal, Tarlok Singh; Kaur, Gurinder; Bakshi, Mandeep Singh

2016-01-27

Zein, an industrially important protein, is characterized in terms of its food and pharmaceutical coating applications by using surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) on Au, Ag, and PbS nanoparticles (NPs). Its specific surface adsorption behavior on Ag NPs produced self-assembled zein nanocubes which demonstrated on and off SERS activity. Both SERS characterization as well as nanocube formation of zein helped us to understand the complex protein aggregation behavior in shape controlled morphologies, a process with significant ramifications in protein crystallization to achieve ordered morphologies. Interestingly, nanocube formation was promoted in the presence of Ag rather than Au or PbS NPs under in situ synthesis and discussed in terms of specific adsorption. Zein fingerprinting was much more clear and enhanced on Au surface in comparison to Ag while PbS did not demonstrate SERS due to its semiconducting nature.

Biochemical studies on some anti nutritional factors in some feed stuffs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salah El-Din, M.F.S.

2001-01-01

the present work was carried out to study the effect of gamma radiation on some anti nutritional factors in sorghum and barley grains. also,to study the effect of the other treatments(poly ethlene glycol or K-enzyme ) on the physiological and biochemical responses of chicks (arbor acres). the results obtained revealed that , the treatment of sorghum or barley grains with different doses of gamma radiation (0,10,40,60,80 and 100 KGy) did not induce any significant differences in the dry matter and ash percentages. while, the crud fat, crud protein and crude fiber percentages were reduced, in contrast, the carbohydrate percentage was increased

Chemical decontamination method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Inoue, Susumu; Ikehara, Fumiaki; Miyazaki, Atsuo

1994-04-12

Pipelines and equipments deposited with cruds undergo an oxidative dissolving treatment by a cleaning liquid using persulfuric acid and persulfate. Then a reducing agent is added to cleaning liquid wastes by an excess amount than required for decomposing and reducing the remaining persulfuric acid and persulfate. As the reducing agent, one or more of materials selected from ascorbic acid, erythorbic acid, oxalic acid, salts and derivatives thereof are used. Further, if required, sulfuric acid or sulfuric acid is also added. This can effectively dissolve even less soluble cruds to shorten the processing time, thereby reducing the operators' exposure dose and attaining devoluming of the wastes. (T.M.).

Chemical decontamination method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Inoue, Susumu; Ikehara, Fumiaki; Miyazaki, Atsuo.

1994-01-01

Pipelines and equipments deposited with cruds undergo an oxidative dissolving treatment by a cleaning liquid using persulfuric acid and persulfate. Then a reducing agent is added to cleaning liquid wastes by an excess amount than required for decomposing and reducing the remaining persulfuric acid and persulfate. As the reducing agent, one or more of materials selected from ascorbic acid, erythorbic acid, oxalic acid, salts and derivatives thereof are used. Further, if required, sulfuric acid or sulfuric acid is also added. This can effectively dissolve even less soluble cruds to shorten the processing time, thereby reducing the operators' exposure dose and attaining devoluming of the wastes. (T.M.)

Complexity and formative experiences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roque Strieder

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The contemporaneity is characterized by instability and diversity calling into question certainties and truths proposed in modernity. We recognize that the reality of things and phenomena become effective as a set of events, interactions, retroactions and chances. This different frame extends the need for revision of the epistemological foundations that sustain educational practices and give them sense. The complex thinking is an alternative option for acting as a counterpoint to classical science and its reductionist logic and knowledge compartmentalization, as well as to answer to contemporary epistemological and educational challenges. It aims to associate different areas and forms of knowledge, without, however merge them, distinguishing without separating the several disciplines and instances of the realities. This study, in theoretical references, highlights the relevance of complex approaches to support formative experiences because also able to produce complexities in reflections about educational issues. We conclude that formative possibilities from complexity potentialize the resignification of human’s conception and the understanding of its singularity in interdependence; The understanding that pedagogical and educational activities is a constant interrogation about the possibilities of knowing the knowledge and reframe learning, far beyond knowing its functions and utilitarian purposes; and, as a formative possibility, places us on the trail of responsibility, not as something eventual, but present and indicative of freedom to choose to stay or go beyond.

Population I Cepheids and understanding star formation history of the Small Magellanic Cloud

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Joshi, Yogesh Chandra; Joshi, Santosh; Mohanty, Auro Prasad

2016-01-01

In this paper, we study the age and spatial distributions of Cepheids in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) as a function of their ages using data from the OGLE III photometric catalogue. A period - age relation derived for Classical Cepheids in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) has been used to find the ages of Cepheids. The age distribution of the SMC Classical Cepheids is found to have a peak at log(Age) = 8.40 ± 0.10 which suggests that a major star formation event might have occurred in the SMC about 250 ± 50 Myr ago. It is believed that this star forming burst had been triggered by close interactions of the SMC with the LMC and/or the Milky Way. A comparison of the observed spatial distributions of the Cepheids and open star clusters has also been carried out to study the star formation scenario in the SMC. (paper)

Towards predictive simulations of soot formation: from surrogate to turbulence

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Blanquart, Guillaume [California Inst. of Technology (CalTech), Pasadena, CA (United States)

2017-03-28

The combustion of transportation fuels leads to the formation of several kinds of pollutants, among which are soot particles. These particles, also formed during coal combustion and in fires, are the source of several health problems and environmental issues. Unfortunately, our current understanding of the chemical and physical phenomena leading to the formation of soot particles remains incomplete, and as a result, the predictive capability of our numerical tools is lacking. The objective of the work was to reduce the gap in the present understanding and modeling of soot formation both in laminar and turbulent flames. The effort spanned several length scales from the molecular level to large scale turbulent transport.

Comet formation

Science.gov (United States)

Blum, J.

2014-07-01

There has been vast progress in our understanding of planetesimal formation over the past decades, owing to a number of laboratory experiments as well as to refined models of dust and ice agglomeration in protoplanetary disks. Coagulation rapidly forms cm-sized ''pebbles'' by direct sticking in collisions at low velocities (Güttler et al. 2010; Zsom et al. 2010). For the further growth, two model approaches are currently being discussed: (1) Local concentration of pebbles in nebular instabilities until gravitational instability occurs (Johansen et al. 2007). (2) A competition between fragmentation and mass transfer in collisions among the dusty bodies, in which a few ''lucky winners'' make it to planetesimal sizes (Windmark et al. 2012a,b; Garaud et al. 2013). Predictions of the physical properties of the resulting bodies in both models allow a distinction of the two formation scenarios of planetesimals. In particular, the tensile strength (i.e, the inner cohesion) of the planetesimals differ widely between the two models (Skorov & Blum 2012; Blum et al. 2014). While model (1) predicts tensile strengths on the order of ˜ 1 Pa, model (2) results in rather compactified dusty bodies with tensile strengths in the kPa regime. If comets are km-sized survivors of the planetesimal-formation era, they should in principle hold the secret of their formation process. Water ice is the prime volatile responsible for the activity of comets. Thermophysical models of the heat and mass transport close to the comet-nucleus surface predict water-ice sublimation temperatures that relate to maximum sublimation pressures well below the kPa regime predicted for formation scenario (2). Model (1), however, is in agreement with the observed dust and gas activity of comets. Thus, a formation scenario for cometesimals involving gravitational instability is favored (Blum et al. 2014).

Developing New Pedagogy to Teach Planet Formation to Undergraduate Non-Science Majors

Science.gov (United States)

Simon, Molly; Impey, Chris David; Buxner, Sanlyn

2016-06-01

A first order understanding of planet formation and the scientific concepts therein is critical in order for undergraduate students to understand our place in the Universe. Furthermore, planet formation integrates the topics of gravity, angular momentum, migration, and condensation in a “story-book” fashion where students can apply these concepts to a specific event. We collected syllabi and course topics from over 30 undergraduate general-education astrobiology courses from around the globe in order to determine the extent to which professors address planet formation. Additionally, we were looking to see if faculty had developed specific or original pedagogy to teach this topic. We find on average, instructors spend ½ of a lecture discussing planet formation or they leave it out all together. In the classes where planet formation is taught more extensively, instructors use PowerPoint slides or occasional videos to teach the topic. We aim to develop new pedagogy that will allow us to better determine learning gains and student understanding of this critical topic. If students in an astrobiology class are unable to understand how our own Solar System forms, it is significantly more challenging to make parallels (or find differences) between our home in the Universe and extrasolar planetary systems.

Galaxy formation and evolution

CERN Document Server

Mo, Houjun; White, Simon

2010-01-01

The rapidly expanding field of galaxy formation lies at the interface between astronomy, particle physics, and cosmology. Covering diverse topics from these disciplines, all of which are needed to understand how galaxies form and evolve, this book is ideal for researchers entering the field. Individual chapters explore the evolution of the Universe as a whole and its particle and radiation content; linear and nonlinear growth of cosmic structure; processes affecting the gaseous and dark matter components of galaxies and their stellar populations; the formation of spiral and elliptical galaxies; central supermassive black holes and the activity associated with them; galaxy interactions; and the intergalactic medium. Emphasizing both observational and theoretical aspects, this book provides a coherent introduction for astronomers, cosmologists, and astroparticle physicists to the broad range of science underlying the formation and evolution of galaxies.

Influence of Streptococcus mutans on Enterococcus faecalis Biofilm Formation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Deng, Dong Mei; Hoogenkamp, Michel A.; Exterkate, Rob A. M.; Jiang, Lei Meng; van der Sluis, Lucas W. M.; ten Cate, Jacob M.; Crielaard, Wim

Introduction: An important virulence factor of Enterococcus faecalis is its ability to form biofilms. Most studies on biofilm formation have been carried out by using E. faecalis monocultures. Given the polymicrobial nature of root canal infections, it is important to understand biofilm formation of

Topic 2.0: Tropical cyclone formation and extratropical transition

OpenAIRE

Harr, Patrick A.

2010-01-01

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited In this section, progress since ITWC-VI on research, observations and forecasting of tropical cyclone formation and extratropical transition is summarized. While tropical cyclone formation and extratropical transition are stages at opposite ends of the tropical cyclone lifecycle, significant lack of understanding remains in relation to processes associated with each stage. Formation and extratropical transition involve interactions a...

Water chemistry and corrosion control of cladding and primary circuit components. Proceedings of a technical committee meeting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1999-12-01

Corrosion is the principal life limiting degradation mechanism in nuclear steam supply systems, especially taking into account the trends to increase fuel burnup, thermal rate and cycle length. Primary circuit components of water cooled power reactors have an impact on Zr-based alloys behaviour due to crud (primary circuit corrosion products) formation, transport and deposition on heat transfer surfaces. Crud deposits influence water chemistry, radiation and thermal hydraulic conditions near cladding surface, and by this way-Zr-based alloy corrosion. During the last decade, significant improvements were achieved in the reduction of the corrosion and dose rates by changing the cladding material for one more resistant to corrosion or by the improvement of water chemistry conditions. However, taking into account the above mentioned tendency for heavier fuel duties, corrosion and water chemistry, control will remain a serious task to work with for nuclear power plant operators and scientists, as well as development of generally accepted corrosion model of Zr-based alloys in a water environment in a new millennium. Upon the recommendation of the International Working Group on Water Reactor Fuel Performance and Technology, water chemistry and corrosion of cladding and primary circuit components are in the focus of the IAEA activities in the area of fuel technology and performance. At present the IAEA performs two co-ordinated research projects (CRPs): on On-line High Temperature Monitoring of Water Chemistry and Corrosion (WACOL) and on Activity Transport in Primary Circuits. Two CRPs deal with hydrogen and hydride degradation of the Zr-based alloys. A state-of-the-art review entitled: 'Waterside Corrosion of Zirconium Alloys in Nuclear Power Plants' was published in 1998. Technical Committee meetings on the subject were held in 1985 (Cadarache, France), 1989 (Portland, USA), 1993 (Rez, Czech Republic). During the last few years extensive exchange of experience in

Understanding signal integrity

CERN Document Server

Thierauf, Stephen C

2010-01-01

This unique book provides you with practical guidance on understanding and interpreting signal integrity (SI) performance to help you with your challenging circuit board design projects. You find high-level discussions of important SI concepts presented in a clear and easily accessible format, including question and answer sections and bulleted lists.This valuable resource features rules of thumb and simple equations to help you make estimates of critical signal integrity parameters without using circuit simulators of CAD (computer-aided design). The book is supported with over 120 illustratio

Can Process Understanding Help Elucidate The Structure Of The Critical Zone? Comparing Process-Based Soil Formation Models With Digital Soil Mapping.

Science.gov (United States)

Vanwalleghem, T.; Román, A.; Peña, A.; Laguna, A.; Giráldez, J. V.

2017-12-01

There is a need for better understanding the processes influencing soil formation and the resulting distribution of soil properties in the critical zone. Soil properties can exhibit strong spatial variation, even at the small catchment scale. Especially soil carbon pools in semi-arid, mountainous areas are highly uncertain because bulk density and stoniness are very heterogeneous and rarely measured explicitly. In this study, we explore the spatial variability in key soil properties (soil carbon stocks, stoniness, bulk density and soil depth) as a function of processes shaping the critical zone (weathering, erosion, soil water fluxes and vegetation patterns). We also compare the potential of traditional digital soil mapping versus a mechanistic soil formation model (MILESD) for predicting these key soil properties. Soil core samples were collected from 67 locations at 6 depths. Total soil organic carbon stocks were 4.38 kg m-2. Solar radiation proved to be the key variable controlling soil carbon distribution. Stone content was mostly controlled by slope, indicating the importance of erosion. Spatial distribution of bulk density was found to be highly random. Finally, total carbon stocks were predicted using a random forest model whose main covariates were solar radiation and NDVI. The model predicts carbon stocks that are double as high on north versus south-facing slopes. However, validation showed that these covariates only explained 25% of the variation in the dataset. Apparently, present-day landscape and vegetation properties are not sufficient to fully explain variability in the soil carbon stocks in this complex terrain under natural vegetation. This is attributed to a high spatial variability in bulk density and stoniness, key variables controlling carbon stocks. Similar results were obtained with the mechanistic soil formation model MILESD, suggesting that more complex models might be needed to further explore this high spatial variability.

Effects of substrates on biofilm formation observed by atomic force microscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oh, Y.J.; Lee, N.R.; Jo, W.; Jung, W.K.; Lim, J.S.

2009-01-01

Formation of biofilm is known to be strongly dependent on substrates including topography, materials, and chemical treatment. In this study, a variety of substrates are tested for understanding biofilm formation. Sheets of aluminum, steel, rubber, and polypropylene have been used to examine their effects on formation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm. In particular, the morphological variation, transition, and adhesiveness of biofilm were investigated through local measurement by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Mechanism of removing biofilm from adhering to substrate is also analyzed, thus the understanding of the mechanism can be potentially useful to prevent the biofilm formation. The results reveal that formation of biofilm can remain on rough surface regardless of substrates in hot water, which may easily induce extra-polymeric substances detachment from bacterial surface. By probing using AFM, local force-distance characterization of extra-cellular materials extracted from the bacteria can exhibit the progress of the biofilm formation and functional complexities.

XAFS studies of monodisperse Au nanoclusters formation in the etching process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Lina; Huang, Ting; Liu, Wei; Bao, Jie; Huang, Yuanyuan; Cao, Yuanjie; Yao, Tao; Sun, Zhihu; Wei, Shiqiang

2016-01-01

Understanding the formation mechanism of gold nanoclusters is essential to the development of their synthetic chemistry. Here, by using x-ray absorption fine-structure (XAFS) spectroscopy, UV-Vis and MS spectra, the formation process of monodisperse Au 13 nanoclusters is investigated. We find that a critical step involving the formation of smaller Au 8 -Au 11 metastable intermediate clusters induced by the HCl + HSR etching of the polydisperse Au n precursor clusters occurs firstly. Then these intermediate species undergo a size-growth to Au 13 cores, followed by a slow structure rearrangement to reach the final stable structure. This work enriches the understanding of cluster formation chemistry and may guide the way towards the design and the controllable synthesis of nanoclusters. (paper)

Toward an understanding of surface layer formation, growth, and transformation at the glass-fluid interface

Science.gov (United States)

Hopf, J.; Eskelsen, J. R.; Chiu, M.; Ievlev, A. V.; Ovchinnikova, O. S.; Leonard, D.; Pierce, E. M.

2018-05-01

Silicate glass is a metastable and durable solid that has application to a number of energy and environmental challenges (e.g., microelectronics, fiber optics, and nuclear waste storage). If allowed to react with water over time silicate glass develops an altered layer at the solid-fluid interface. In this study, we used borosilicate glass (LAWB45) as a model material to develop a robust understanding of altered layer formation (i.e., amorphous hydrated surface layer and crystalline reaction products). Experiments were conducted at high surface area-to-volume ratio (∼200,000 m-1) and 90 °C in the pressurized unsaturated flow (PUF) apparatus for 1.5-years to facilitate the formation of thick altered layers and allow for the effluent solution chemistry to be monitored continuously. A variety of microscopy techniques were used to characterize reacted grains and suggest the average altered layer thickness is 13.2 ± 8.3 μm with the hydrated and clay layer representing 74.8% and 25.2% of the total altered layer, respectively. The estimate of hydrated layer thickness is within the experimental error of the value estimated from the B release rate data (∼10 ± 1 μm/yr) over the 1.5-year duration. PeakForce® quantitative nanomechanical mapping results suggest the hydrated layer has a modulus that ranges between ∼20 and 40 GPa, which is in the range of porous silica that contains from ∼20 to ∼50% porosity, yet significantly lower than dense silica (∼70-80 GPa). Scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) images confirm the presence of pores and an analysis of a higher resolution image provides a qualitative estimate of ≥22% porosity in the hydrated layer with variations in void volume with increasing distance from the unaltered glass. Chemical composition analyses, based on a combination of time-of-flight secondary-ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS), scanning electron microscopy with X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and STEM-EDS, clearly show

Understanding the fate of iron in a modern temperate estuary: Leirarvogur, Iceland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Byrne, Gemma M.; Worden, Richard H.; Hodgson, David M.; Polya, David A.; Lythgoe, Paul R.; Barrie, Craig D.; Boyce, Adrian J.

2011-01-01

Highlights: → Fluvial Fe (aq) and Fe (total) concentrations drop upon mixing with seawater in estuaries. → The majority of Fe in estuaries is lost in the bay-head delta. → Our results suggest that the bay-head delta is a key location in Fe-mineral formation. → Isotopic variation in estuarine waters may play a role in the formation of Fe-minerals. - Abstract: Fluvial dissolved Fe concentrations decrease upon mixing with seawater, resulting in the formation of Fe-floccules. However, a clear understanding of the fate of these floccules has yet to be established. Assessing how tidal processes affect the formation of Fe-colloids in the Leirarvogur estuary, SW Iceland, is an important step in understanding the formation and potential deposition of estuarine Fe-rich minerals within this estuarine system. The Leirarvogur estuary drains predominately Fe-rich basalt, increasing the likelihood of detecting changes in Fe-phases. Fluvial waters and local lake waters that drain into the estuary were compared and the effects of seasonal changes were considered, in an attempt to understand how varying end-members and external factors play a role in Fe-rich mineral formation. Aqueous and colloidal Fe concentrations were found to be greater towards the head of the Leirarvogur estuary, suggesting that potential Fe-rich minerals and complexes are forming at sites of fluvial input. Increasing suspended colloidal Fe towards the estuary mouth suggests that Fe-colloids are readily transported seaward.

Formation of Irreversible H-bonds in Cellulose Materials

Science.gov (United States)

Umesh P. Agarwal; Sally A. Ralph; Rick S. Reiner; Nicole M. Stark

2015-01-01

Understanding of formation of irreversible Hbonds in cellulose is important in a number of fields. For example, fields as diverse as pulp and paper and enzymatic saccharification of cellulose are affected. In the present investigation, the phenomenon of formation of irreversible H-bonds is studied in a variety of celluloses and under two different drying conditions....

Exploring the value of usability feedback formats

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nørgaard, Mie; Hornbæk, Kasper Anders Søren

2009-01-01

The format used to present feedback from usability evaluations to developers affects whether problems are understood, accepted, and fixed. Yet, little research has investigated which formats are the most effective. We describe an explorative study where three developers assess 40 usability findings...... presented using five feedback formats. Our usability findings comprise 35 problems and 5 positive comments. Data suggest that feedback serves multiple purposes. Initially, feedback must convince developers about the relevance of a problem and convey an understanding of this. Feedback must next be easy...... working with the feedback to address the usability problems, there were no significant differences among the developers' ratings of the value of the different formats. This suggests that all of the formats may serve equally well as reminders in later stages of working with usability problems...

Comparison of Brief Summary Formats Through a Health Literacy Lens.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharp, Michele L; Hall, Lori; Eleftherion, Anthony; Simpson, Katherine; Neuhauser, Linda

2018-01-01

Print pharmaceutical advertisements in the United States require inclusion of a brief summary of side effects, warnings, precautions, and contraindications from the labeling. The full package insert, which sponsors have traditionally used to fulfill the brief summary requirement, does not adhere to health literacy best practices, limiting its value to consumers. This study compared the understandability and usability of brief summaries in 3 formats designed to be more consumer friendly. Three brief summary formats were tested: (1) 2-column "Question and Answer"; (2) "Prescription Drug Facts Box," similar to current US over-the-counter drug facts labeling; and (3) "Health Literacy," based on clear communication principles. Researchers evaluated the formats using the Suitability Assessment of Materials (SAM) tool and conducted structured, scripted, one-on-one interviews (usability tests) with participants with estimated low to average education levels. This research was replicated across 2 therapeutic areas (type 2 diabetes and plaque psoriasis). SAM scores showed that the Health Literacy format outperformed the Question and Answer format and the Prescription Drug Facts Box format in both therapeutic areas, with both Health Literacy brief summaries rated on the SAM as "superior." Qualitative usability tests supported the SAM findings, with the Health Literacy format preferred consistently over the Question and Answer format, and more often than not over the Prescription Drug Facts Box format. Sponsors can employ a user-tested Health Literacy format to improve the understandability and usability of brief summaries with patients.

THE BLACK HOLE FORMATION PROBABILITY

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clausen, Drew; Piro, Anthony L.; Ott, Christian D.

2015-01-01

A longstanding question in stellar evolution is which massive stars produce black holes (BHs) rather than neutron stars (NSs) upon death. It has been common practice to assume that a given zero-age main sequence (ZAMS) mass star (and perhaps a given metallicity) simply produces either an NS or a BH, but this fails to account for a myriad of other variables that may effect this outcome, such as spin, binarity, or even stochastic differences in the stellar structure near core collapse. We argue that instead a probabilistic description of NS versus BH formation may be better suited to account for the current uncertainties in understanding how massive stars die. We present an initial exploration of the probability that a star will make a BH as a function of its ZAMS mass, P BH (M ZAMS ). Although we find that it is difficult to derive a unique P BH (M ZAMS ) using current measurements of both the BH mass distribution and the degree of chemical enrichment by massive stars, we demonstrate how P BH (M ZAMS ) changes with these various observational and theoretical uncertainties. We anticipate that future studies of Galactic BHs and theoretical studies of core collapse will refine P BH (M ZAMS ) and argue that this framework is an important new step toward better understanding BH formation. A probabilistic description of BH formation will be useful as input for future population synthesis studies that are interested in the formation of X-ray binaries, the nature and event rate of gravitational wave sources, and answering questions about chemical enrichment

The Black Hole Formation Probability

Science.gov (United States)

Clausen, Drew; Piro, Anthony L.; Ott, Christian D.

2015-02-01

A longstanding question in stellar evolution is which massive stars produce black holes (BHs) rather than neutron stars (NSs) upon death. It has been common practice to assume that a given zero-age main sequence (ZAMS) mass star (and perhaps a given metallicity) simply produces either an NS or a BH, but this fails to account for a myriad of other variables that may effect this outcome, such as spin, binarity, or even stochastic differences in the stellar structure near core collapse. We argue that instead a probabilistic description of NS versus BH formation may be better suited to account for the current uncertainties in understanding how massive stars die. We present an initial exploration of the probability that a star will make a BH as a function of its ZAMS mass, P BH(M ZAMS). Although we find that it is difficult to derive a unique P BH(M ZAMS) using current measurements of both the BH mass distribution and the degree of chemical enrichment by massive stars, we demonstrate how P BH(M ZAMS) changes with these various observational and theoretical uncertainties. We anticipate that future studies of Galactic BHs and theoretical studies of core collapse will refine P BH(M ZAMS) and argue that this framework is an important new step toward better understanding BH formation. A probabilistic description of BH formation will be useful as input for future population synthesis studies that are interested in the formation of X-ray binaries, the nature and event rate of gravitational wave sources, and answering questions about chemical enrichment.

The Formation of the Identities of Contemporary Youth

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joel Luis Dumke

2013-07-01

Full Text Available This is a theoretical study which has as its goal the discussion of the formation of the identities of the youth in contemporary society. The article understands that the formation of the identities of the youth takes place in social, cultural and historical contexts, and thus, it is necessary to do a reading of youth in the plural, since there is no one type of youth, but there are heterogeneous youth which are constructed in the midst of daily relations, including the school space. Taking this into account, the article understands the school to be a an important space for the formation of the identities of human beings, when the school respects the culture and life of those being educated. The respect for the subject and the postures adopted by the teachers are emphasized in the works of Paulo Freire entitled Medo e Ousadia [Fear and Audacity] and the Pedagogy of the Oppressed, where the author dicusses the importance of dialog for the formation of the subjects and how damaging the school bench model is. The article ends the discussion on the importance of a dialogic posture in the construction of the identities of learners proposing a reflection about the caring administration. This is about an educational proposal which is open to diversities, which understands the students in a wholistic, affectionate, fraternal way and where dialog is understood as an ontological requirement and not as a teaching technique or some type of manipulation mechanism.

Biophysical and biochemical strategies to understand membrane binding and pore formation by sticholysins, pore-forming proteins from a sea anemone.

Science.gov (United States)

Alvarez, Carlos; Ros, Uris; Valle, Aisel; Pedrera, Lohans; Soto, Carmen; Hervis, Yadira P; Cabezas, Sheila; Valiente, Pedro A; Pazos, Fabiola; Lanio, Maria E

2017-10-01

Actinoporins constitute a unique class of pore-forming toxins found in sea anemones that are able to bind and oligomerize in membranes, leading to cell swelling, impairment of ionic gradients and, eventually, to cell death. In this review we summarize the knowledge generated from the combination of biochemical and biophysical approaches to the study of sticholysins I and II (Sts, StI/II), two actinoporins largely characterized by the Center of Protein Studies at the University of Havana during the last 20 years. These approaches include strategies for understanding the toxin structure-function relationship, the protein-membrane association process leading to pore formation and the interaction of toxin with cells. The rational combination of experimental and theoretical tools have allowed unraveling, at least partially, of the complex mechanisms involved in toxin-membrane interaction and of the molecular pathways triggered upon this interaction. The study of actinoporins is important not only to gain an understanding of their biological roles in anemone venom but also to investigate basic molecular mechanisms of protein insertion into membranes, protein-lipid interactions and the modulation of protein conformation by lipid binding. A deeper knowledge of the basic molecular mechanisms involved in Sts-cell interaction, as described in this review, will support the current investigations conducted by our group which focus on the design of immunotoxins against tumor cells and antigen-releasing systems to cell cytosol as Sts-based vaccine platforms.

Understanding carbon nanotube channel formation in the lipid membrane

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Moon-ki; Kim, Hyunki; Lee, Byung Ho; Kim, Teayeop; Rho, Junsuk; Kim, Moon Ki; Kim, Kyunghoon

2018-03-01

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been considered a prominent nano-channel in cell membranes because of their prominent ion-conductance and ion-selectivity, offering agents for a biomimetic channel platform. Using a coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulation, we clarify a construction mechanism of vertical CNT nano-channels in a lipid membrane for a long period, which has been difficult to observe in previous CNT-lipid interaction simulations. The result shows that both the lipid coating density and length of CNT affect the suitable fabrication condition for a vertical and stable CNT channel. Also, simulation elucidated that a lipid coating on the surface of the CNT prevents the CNT from burrowing into the lipid membrane and the vertical channel is stabilized by the repulsion force between the lipids in the coating and membrane. Our study provides an essential understanding of how CNTs can form stable and vertical channels in the membrane, which is important for designing new types of artificial channels as biosensors for bio-fluidic studies.

Understanding and using quality information for quality improvement: the effect of information presentation.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zwijnenberg, N.C.; Hendriks, M.; Delnoij, D.M.J.; Veer, A.J.E. de; Spreeuwenberg, P.; Wagner, C.

2016-01-01

Objective: To examine how information presentation affects the understanding and use of information for quality improvement. Design: An experimental design, testing 22 formats, and showing information on patient safety culture. Formats differed in visualization, outcomes and benchmark

Profile Septa cut out condensate crud

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Poschmann, T.

1991-01-01

Secondary side corrosion is a major factor leading to steam generator tube plugging. Large quantities of steam generator sludge can harden, prolonging system maintenance during an outage. However, eliminating the ingress of solids to the PWR steam generators can reduce the need for sludge lancing and increase the life of the steam generator tubes. The Pall Corporation has developed an improved filter demineralizer septum for retrofitting traditional yarn-wound elements without having to modify hardware. In November 1990, operators at Turkey Point installed 496 2in x 70in Pall's Profile Septa in one of the four filter demineralizer vessels on unit 3. After installation of the Profile Septa, samples of filter influent and effluent were taken and analyzed over a one-month period - these showed a particulate removal rate of 96-99%. Contaminant analysis by Pall Corporation identified the vast majority of particulates to be iron oxides. This is as was expected, since Turkey Point has titanium condenser tubes which reduce the source of copper oxides. The success of Profile Septa at Turkey Point has encouraged the other utilities to look at using the septa at their own plants. The cost for these retrofits would be recouped through savings in maintenance costs, due to faster steam generator lancing (fewer solids), reduced radiation exposure and, ultimately, longer steam generator life. (author)

Molecular understanding of atmospheric particle formation from sulfuric acid and large oxidized organic molecules

CERN Document Server

Schobesberger, Siegfried; Bianchi, Federico; Lönn, Gustaf; Ehn, Mikael; Lehtipalo, Katrianne; Dommen, Josef; Ehrhart, Sebastian; Ortega, Ismael K; Franchin, Alessandro; Nieminen, Tuomo; Riccobono, Francesco; Hutterli, Manuel; Duplissy, Jonathan; Almeida, João; Amorim, Antonio; Breitenlechner, Martin; Downard, Andrew J; Dunne, Eimear M; Flagan, Richard C; Kajos, Maija; Keskinen, Helmi; Kirkby, Jasper; Kupc, Agnieszka; Kürten, Andreas; Kurtén, Theo; Laaksonen, Ari; Mathot, Serge; Onnela, Antti; Praplan, Arnaud P; Rondo, Linda; Santos, Filipe D; Schallhart, Simon; Schnitzhofer, Ralf; Sipilä, Mikko; Tomé, António; Tsagkogeorgas, Georgios; Vehkamäki, Hanna; Wimmer, Daniela; Baltensperger, Urs; Carslaw, Kenneth S; Curtius, Joachim; Hansel, Armin; Petäjä, Tuukka; Kulmala, Markku; Donahue, Neil M; Worsnop, Douglas R

2013-01-01

Atmospheric aerosols formed by nucleation of vapors affect radiative forcing and therefore climate. However, the underlying mechanisms of nucleation remain unclear, particularly the involvement of organic compounds. Here, we present high-resolution mass spectra of ion clusters observed during new particle formation experiments performed at the Cosmics Leaving Outdoor Droplets chamber at the European Organization for Nuclear Research. The experiments involved sulfuric acid vapor and different stabilizing species, including ammonia and dimethylamine, as well as oxidation products of pinanediol, a surrogate for organic vapors formed from monoterpenes. A striking resemblance is revealed between the mass spectra from the chamber experiments with oxidized organics and ambient data obtained during new particle formation events at the Hyytiälä boreal forest research station. We observe that large oxidized organic compounds, arising from the oxidation of monoterpenes, cluster directly with single sulfuric acid molec...

Characterization of iodine species in the marine aerosol:to understand their roles in particle formation processes

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Hongwei Chen; Rolf Brandt; Rolf Bandur; Thorsten Hoffmann

2006-01-01

In this contribution,iodine chemistry in the Marine Boundary Layer(MBL)is introduced.A series of methodologies for the measurements of iodine species in the gas and particle phases of the coastal atmosphere has been developed.Iodine species in the gas phase in real air samples has been determined in two field campaigns at the west coast of Ireland,indicating that gaseous iodo-hydrocarbons and elemental iodine are the precursors of new particle formation.Particulate iodine speciation from the same measurement campaigns show that the non-water-soluble iodine compounds are the main iodine species during the marine particle formation.A seaweed-chamber experiment was performed,indicating that gaseous I2 is one of the important precursors that lead to new particle formation in the presence of solar light in the ambient air at the coastal tidal area.

Understanding and using quality information for quality improvement : The effect of information presentation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zwijnenberg, N.C.; Hendriks, M.; Delnoij, D.; De Veer, A.J.; Spreeuwenberg, P.; Wagner, C.

2016-01-01

Objective To examine how information presentation affects the understanding and use of information for quality improvement. Design An experimental design, testing 22 formats, and showing information on patient safety culture. Formats differed in visualization, outcomes and benchmark information.

Exploring undergraduates' understanding of photosynthesis using diagnostic question clusters.

Science.gov (United States)

Parker, Joyce M; Anderson, Charles W; Heidemann, Merle; Merrill, John; Merritt, Brett; Richmond, Gail; Urban-Lurain, Mark

2012-01-01

We present a diagnostic question cluster (DQC) that assesses undergraduates' thinking about photosynthesis. This assessment tool is not designed to identify individual misconceptions. Rather, it is focused on students' abilities to apply basic concepts about photosynthesis by reasoning with a coordinated set of practices based on a few scientific principles: conservation of matter, conservation of energy, and the hierarchical nature of biological systems. Data on students' responses to the cluster items and uses of some of the questions in multiple-choice, multiple-true/false, and essay formats are compared. A cross-over study indicates that the multiple-true/false format shows promise as a machine-gradable format that identifies students who have a mixture of accurate and inaccurate ideas. In addition, interviews with students about their choices on three multiple-choice questions reveal the fragility of students' understanding. Collectively, the data show that many undergraduates lack both a basic understanding of the role of photosynthesis in plant metabolism and the ability to reason with scientific principles when learning new content. Implications for instruction are discussed.

Physiological and molecular biochemical mechanisms of bile formation

Science.gov (United States)

Reshetnyak, Vasiliy Ivanovich

2013-01-01

This review considers the physiological and molecular biochemical mechanisms of bile formation. The composition of bile and structure of a bile canaliculus, biosynthesis and conjugation of bile acids, bile phospholipids, formation of bile micellar structures, and enterohepatic circulation of bile acids are described. In general, the review focuses on the molecular physiology of the transporting systems of the hepatocyte sinusoidal and apical membranes. Knowledge of physiological and biochemical basis of bile formation has implications for understanding the mechanisms of development of pathological processes, associated with diseases of the liver and biliary tract. PMID:24259965

Importance of mother-infant communication for social bond formation in mammals.

Science.gov (United States)

Okabe, Shota; Nagasawa, Miho; Mogi, Kazutaka; Kikusui, Takefumi

2012-06-01

Mother-infant bonding is a universal relationship of all mammalian species. Here, we describe the role of reciprocal communication between mother and infant in the formation of bonding for several mammalian species. Mother-infant bond formation is reinforced by various social cues or stimuli, including communicative signals, such as odor and vocalizations, or tactile stimuli. The mother also develops cross-modal sensory recognition of the infant, during bond formation. Many studies have indicated that the oxytocin neural system plays a pivotal role in bond formation by the mother; however, the underlying neural mechanisms for infants have not yet been clarified. The comparative understanding of cognitive functions of mother and infants may help us understand the biological significance of mother-infant communication in mammalian species. © 2012 The Authors. Animal Science Journal © 2012 Japanese Society of Animal Science.

Pebble pile-up and planetesimal formation at the snow line

Science.gov (United States)

Drazkowska, J.

2017-09-01

The planetesimal formation stage represents a major gap in our understanding of planet formation process. Because of this, the late-stage planet accretion models typically make arbitrary assumptions about planetesimals and pebbles distribution, while the state-of-the-art dust evolution models predict no or little planetesimal formation. With this contribution, I present a step toward bridging the gap between the early and late stages of planet formation by models that connect dust coagulation and planetesimal formation. With the aid of evaporation, outward diffusion, and re-condensation of water vapor, pile-up of large pebbles is formed outside of the snow line that facilitates planetesimal formation by streaming instability.

The Policy Formation Process: A Conceptual Framework for Analysis. Ph.D. Thesis

Science.gov (United States)

Fuchs, E. F.

1972-01-01

A conceptual framework for analysis which is intended to assist both the policy analyst and the policy researcher in their empirical investigations into policy phenomena is developed. It is meant to facilitate understanding of the policy formation process by focusing attention on the basic forces shaping the main features of policy formation as a dynamic social-political-organizational process. The primary contribution of the framework lies in its capability to suggest useful ways of looking at policy formation reality. It provides the analyst and the researcher with a group of indicators which suggest where to look and what to look for when attempting to analyze and understand the mix of forces which energize, maintain, and direct the operation of strategic level policy systems. The framework also highlights interconnections, linkage, and relational patterns between and among important variables. The framework offers an integrated set of conceptual tools which facilitate understanding of and research on the complex and dynamic set of variables which interact in any major strategic level policy formation process.

Expectation formation in dynamic market experiments

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Heemeijer, P.

2009-01-01

People often make mistakes when predicting economic variables such as prices. It is important to understand how these predictions are formed, since people's expectations have a large impact on the development and stability of economic systems. In this thesis the expectation formation of individuals

MP3 the meaning of a format

CERN Document Server

Sterne, Jonathan

2012-01-01

Jonathan Sterne shows that understanding the historical meaning of the MP3, the world's most common format for recorded audio, involves rethinking the place of digital technologies in the broader universe of twentieth-century communication history.

THE BLACK HOLE FORMATION PROBABILITY

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Clausen, Drew; Piro, Anthony L.; Ott, Christian D., E-mail: dclausen@tapir.caltech.edu [TAPIR, Walter Burke Institute for Theoretical Physics, California Institute of Technology, Mailcode 350-17, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States)

2015-02-01

A longstanding question in stellar evolution is which massive stars produce black holes (BHs) rather than neutron stars (NSs) upon death. It has been common practice to assume that a given zero-age main sequence (ZAMS) mass star (and perhaps a given metallicity) simply produces either an NS or a BH, but this fails to account for a myriad of other variables that may effect this outcome, such as spin, binarity, or even stochastic differences in the stellar structure near core collapse. We argue that instead a probabilistic description of NS versus BH formation may be better suited to account for the current uncertainties in understanding how massive stars die. We present an initial exploration of the probability that a star will make a BH as a function of its ZAMS mass, P {sub BH}(M {sub ZAMS}). Although we find that it is difficult to derive a unique P {sub BH}(M {sub ZAMS}) using current measurements of both the BH mass distribution and the degree of chemical enrichment by massive stars, we demonstrate how P {sub BH}(M {sub ZAMS}) changes with these various observational and theoretical uncertainties. We anticipate that future studies of Galactic BHs and theoretical studies of core collapse will refine P {sub BH}(M {sub ZAMS}) and argue that this framework is an important new step toward better understanding BH formation. A probabilistic description of BH formation will be useful as input for future population synthesis studies that are interested in the formation of X-ray binaries, the nature and event rate of gravitational wave sources, and answering questions about chemical enrichment.

Right timing in formative program evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Hall, Jori; Freeman, Melissa; Roulston, Kathy

2014-08-01

Since many educational researchers and program developers have limited knowledge of formative evaluation, formative data may be underutilized during the development and implementation of an educational program. The purpose of this article is to explain how participatory, responsive, educative, and qualitative approaches to formative evaluation can facilitate a partnership between evaluators and educational researchers and program managers to generate data useful to inform program implementation and improvement. This partnership is critical, we argue, because it enables an awareness of when to take appropriate action to ensure successful educational programs or "kairos". To illustrate, we use examples from our own evaluation work to highlight how formative evaluation may facilitate opportune moments to (1) define the substance and purpose of a program, (2) develop understanding and awareness of the cultural interpretations of program participants, and (3) show the relevance of stakeholder experiences to program goals. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A short review of our current understanding of the development of ring faults during collapse caldera formation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adelina eGeyer

2014-09-01

Full Text Available The term collapse caldera refers to those volcanic depressions resulting from the sinking of the chamber roof due to the rapid withdrawal of magma during the course of an eruption. During the last three decades, collapse caldera dynamics has been the focus of attention of numerous, theoretical, numerical and experimental studies. Nonetheless, even if there is a tendency to go for a general and comprehensive caldera dynamics model, some key aspects remain unclear, controversial or completely unsolved. This is the case of ring fault nucleation points and propagation and dip direction. Since direct information on calderas’ deeper structure comes mainly from partially eroded calderas or few witnessed collapses, ring faults layout at depth remains still uncertain. This has generated a strong debate over the detailed internal fault and fracture configuration of a caldera collapse and, in more detail, how ring faults initiate and propagate. We offer here a very short description of the main results obtained by those analogue and theoretical/mathematical models applied to the study of collapse caldera formation. We place special attention on those observations related to the nucleation and propagation of the collapse-controlling ring faults. This summary is relevant to understand the current state-of-the-art of this topic and it should be taken under consideration in future works dealing with collapse caldera dynamics.

The Formation of Formaldehyde on Interstellar Carbonaceous Grain Analogs by O/H Atom Addition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Potapov, Alexey; Jäger, Cornelia [Laboratory Astrophysics Group of the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy at the Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Institute of Solid State Physics, Helmholtzweg 3, D-07743 Jena (Germany); Henning, Thomas [Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Königstuhl 17, D-69117 Heidelberg (Germany); Jonusas, Mindaugas; Krim, Lahouari, E-mail: alexey.potapov@uni-jena.de [Department of Chemistry, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UMR 8233, MONARIS, Paris F-75005 (France)

2017-09-10

An understanding of possible scenarios for the formation of astrophysically relevant molecules, particularly complex organic molecules, will bring us one step closer to the understanding of our astrochemical heritage. In this context, formaldehyde is an important molecule as a precursor of methanol, which in turn is a starting point for the formation of more complex organic species. In the present experiments, for the first time, following the synthesis of CO, formaldehyde has been produced on the surface of interstellar grain analogs, hydrogenated fullerene-like carbon grains, by O and H atom bombardment. The formation of H{sub 2}CO is an indication for a possible methanol formation route in such systems.

Individual differences in children's understanding of inversion and arithmetical skill.

Science.gov (United States)

Gilmore, Camilla K; Bryant, Peter

2006-06-01

Background and aims. In order to develop arithmetic expertise, children must understand arithmetic principles, such as the inverse relationship between addition and subtraction, in addition to learning calculation skills. We report two experiments that investigate children's understanding of the principle of inversion and the relationship between their conceptual understanding and arithmetical skills. A group of 127 children from primary schools took part in the study. The children were from 2 age groups (6-7 and 8-9 years). Children's accuracy on inverse and control problems in a variety of presentation formats and in canonical and non-canonical forms was measured. Tests of general arithmetic ability were also administered. Children consistently performed better on inverse than control problems, which indicates that they could make use of the inverse principle. Presentation format affected performance: picture presentation allowed children to apply their conceptual understanding flexibly regardless of the problem type, while word problems restricted their ability to use their conceptual knowledge. Cluster analyses revealed three subgroups with different profiles of conceptual understanding and arithmetical skill. Children in the 'high ability' and 'low ability' groups showed conceptual understanding that was in-line with their arithmetical skill, whilst a 3rd group of children had more advanced conceptual understanding than arithmetical skill. The three subgroups may represent different points along a single developmental path or distinct developmental paths. The discovery of the existence of the three groups has important consequences for education. It demonstrates the importance of considering the pattern of individual children's conceptual understanding and problem-solving skills.

A Faculty Toolkit for Formative Assessment in Pharmacy Education.

Science.gov (United States)

DiVall, Margarita V; Alston, Greg L; Bird, Eleanora; Buring, Shauna M; Kelley, Katherine A; Murphy, Nanci L; Schlesselman, Lauren S; Stowe, Cindy D; Szilagyi, Julianna E

2014-11-15

This paper aims to increase understanding and appreciation of formative assessment and its role in improving student outcomes and the instructional process, while educating faculty on formative techniques readily adaptable to various educational settings. Included are a definition of formative assessment and the distinction between formative and summative assessment. Various formative assessment strategies to evaluate student learning in classroom, laboratory, experiential, and interprofessional education settings are discussed. The role of reflective writing and portfolios, as well as the role of technology in formative assessment, are described. The paper also offers advice for formative assessment of faculty teaching. In conclusion, the authors emphasize the importance of creating a culture of assessment that embraces the concept of 360-degree assessment in both the development of a student's ability to demonstrate achievement of educational outcomes and a faculty member's ability to become an effective educator.

HDR-Clinical Data Service (CDS)

Data.gov (United States)

Department of Veterans Affairs — CDS is a SOAP/REST web service interface that supports Create, Retrieve, Update, and Delete (CRUD) operations against HDR data stores over secure Hypertext Transfer...

The Role of Boundary Spanners in the Formation of Customer Attractiveness

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hald, Kim Sundtoft

2012-01-01

This paper examines the question of how to understand the formation of suppliers perceived customer attractiveness. It argues that existing conceptualization of buyer–supplier relationships are too simplistic to understand the full complexity involved in the formation of such perceptions......, and models the buyer–supplier relationship as a set of micro-dyads and intra-, inter-organizational exchange relationships. In exploring these micro-dyads this research apply an embedded case study approach and explores three buyer–supplier relationships. Following Bacharach et al. [Bacharach, S...... of action” is deployed. The analysis demonstrates how suppliers' formation of perceptions related to customer attractiveness can be understood as constituted through a set of discrete historical means/ends alignments and misalignments between boundary spanning roles in the involved organizations....

Understanding the formation process of the liquid slug in a hilly-terrain wet natural gas pipeline

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yang, Yan; Li, Jingbo; Wang, Shuli

2017-01-01

condition on the liquid slug formation is discussed including pipe diameter, inclination angle, gas superficial velocity and liquid holdup. The results show that the pipe is blocked by the liquid slug at the moment of slug formed. The pipe pressure suddenly increases, and then decreases gradually...... in the process of liquid slug formation and motion. The pipe pressure drop and liquid holdup decrease along with the increasing inclination angle of ascending pipe. On the contrary, they rise with the increase of the inclination angle of descending pipe. Higher gas superficial velocity and liquid holdup result...

How to start with technology-enhanced formative assessment of 21st century skills in your classroom(s)?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rusman, Ellen; Martínez-Monés, Alejandra; Tasouris, Christodoulos; Economou, Anastasia

2014-01-01

Workshop participants will learn to: Understand the reasons behind the shift from assessment of learning to assessment for learning; Make a difference between the objectives of formative and summative assessment; Distinguish between different formative eAassessment methods; Understand the benefits

From Fibril Formation to Fibril Properties and Rheology of Food Materials

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Linden, van der E.; Venema, P.

2013-01-01

For control and design of food properties it is important to understand how molecules and their interactions give rise to formation of microstructures and resulting rheological properties. This will be illustrated by discussing the formation and properties of fibrils in aqueous and non-aqueous

Assessment of gender understanding of classroom discipline in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The study aimed to establish females and males primary teachers' understanding of classroom discipline, the strategies that they apply in dealing with misbehaviour and their knowledge and awareness of discipline models. The study applied a mixed method approach, the dominant less dominant format. Both females and ...

Natural tracer profiles across argillaceous formations: the Claytrac project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mazurek, M.; Alt-Epping, P.; Gimi, Th.; Niklaus Waber, H.; Bath, A.; Gimmi, Th.

2009-01-01

Disposal of high-level radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel in engineered facilities, or repositories, located deep underground in suitable geological formations is being developed worldwide as the reference solution to protect humans and the environment both now and in the future. An important aspect of assessing the long-term safety of deep geological disposal is developing a comprehensive understanding of the geological environment in order to define the initial conditions for the disposal system as well as to provide a sound scientific basis for projecting its future evolution. The transport pathways and mechanisms by which contaminants could migrate in the surrounding host rock are key elements in any safety case. Relevant experiments in laboratories or underground test facilities can provide important information, but the challenge remains in being able to extrapolate the results to the spatial and temporal scales required for performance assessment, which are typically tens to hundreds of metres and from thousands to beyond a million years into the future. Profiles of natural tracers dissolved in pore water of argillaceous rock formations can be considered as large-scale and long-term natural experiments which enable the transport properties to be characterised. The CLAYTRAC Project on Natural Tracer Profiles Across Argillaceous Formations was established by the NEA Clay Club to evaluate the relevance of natural tracer data in understanding past geological evolution and in confirming dominant transport processes. Data were analysed for nine sites to support scientific understanding and development of geological disposal. The outcomes of the project show that, for the sites and clay-rich formations that were studied, there is strong evidence that solute transport is controlled mainly by diffusion. The results can improve site understanding and performance assessment in the context of deep geological disposal and have the potential to be applied to other

UNDERSTANDING COMPACT OBJECT FORMATION AND NATAL KICKS. II. THE CASE OF XTE J1118 + 480

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fragos, T.; Willems, B.; Kalogera, V.; Ivanova, N.; Rockefeller, G.; Fryer, C. L.; Young, P. A.

2009-01-01

In recent years, an increasing number of proper motions have been measured for Galactic X-ray binaries. When supplemented with accurate determinations of the component masses, orbital period, and donor effective temperature, these kinematical constraints harbor a wealth of information on the system's past evolution. Here, we consider all this available information to reconstruct the full evolutionary history of the black hole X-ray binary XTE J1118 + 480, assuming that the system originated in the Galactic disk and the donor has solar metallicity. This analysis accounts for four evolutionary phases: mass transfer through the ongoing X-ray phase, tidal evolution before the onset of Roche lobe overflow, motion through the Galactic potential after the formation of the black hole, and binary orbital dynamics due to explosive mass loss and possibly a black hole natal kick at the time of core collapse. We find that right after black hole formation, the system consists of a ≅6.0-10.0 M sun black hole and a ≅1.0-1.6 M sun main-sequence star. We also find that that an asymmetric natal kick is not only plausible but required for the formation of this system, and derive a lower and upper limit on the black hole natal kick velocity magnitude of 80 km s -1 and 310 km s -1 , respectively.

Planets around pulsars - Implications for planetary formation

Science.gov (United States)

Bodenheimer, Peter

1993-01-01

Data on planets around pulsars are summarized, and different models intended to explain the formation mechanism are described. Both theoretical and observational evidence suggest that very special circumstances are required for the formation of planetary systems around pulsars, namely, the prior presence of a millisecond pulsar with a close binary companion, probably a low mass main-sequence star. It is concluded that the discovery of two planets around PSR 1257+12 is important for better understanding the problems of dynamics and stellar evolution. The process of planetary formation should be learned through intensive studies of the properties of disks near young objects and application of techniques for detection of planets around main-sequence solar-type stars.

Formation of planetary systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brahic, A.

1982-01-01

It seemed appropriate to devote the 1980 School to the origin of the solar system and more particularly to the formation of planetary systems (dynamic accretion processes, small bodies, planetary rings, etc...) and to the physics and chemistry of planetary interiors, surface and atmospheres (physical and chemical constraints associated with their formation). This Summer School enabled both young researchers and hard-nosed scientists, gathered together in idyllic surroundings, to hold numerous discussions, to lay the foundations for future cooperation, to acquire an excellent basic understanding, and to make many useful contacts. This volume reflects the lectures and presentations that were delivered in this Summer School setting. It is aimed at both advanced students and research workers wishing to specialize in planetology. Every effort has been made to give an overview of the basic knowledge required in order to gain a better understanding of the origin of the solar system. Each article has been revised by one or two referees whom I would like to thank for their assistance. Between the end of the School in August 1980 and the publication of this volume in 1982, the Voyager probes have returned a wealth of useful information. Some preliminary results have been included for completeness

From the teachers' eyes: An ethnographic-case study on developing models of Informal Formative Assessments (IFA) and understanding the challenges to effective implementation in science classrooms

Science.gov (United States)

Sezen, Asli

The emphasis on socio-cultural theories of learning has required the understanding of multi-dimensional, dynamic and social nature of acquiring the scientific knowledge and practices. Recent policy documents suggest a focus on formative and dynamic assessment practices that will help understand and improve the complex nature of scientific learning in classrooms. This study focuses on teachers' use of "Informal Formative Assessments (IFA)" aimed at improving students' learning and teachers' frequent recognition of students' learning process. The study was designed as an ethnographic case study of four middle school teachers and their students at a local charter school. The data of the study included (a) teachers' responses to history of teaching questionnaire (b) video and audio records of teachers' assessment practices during two different scientific projects (c) video and audio records of ethnographic interviews with teachers during their reflections on their practices, and (d) field notes taken by the researcher to understand the assessment culture of the school. The analytical tools from sociolinguistics (e.g., transcripts and event maps) were prepared and discourse analysis based in an ethnographic perspective was used to analyze the data. Moreover, Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) was also introduced as an alternative data analysis framework for understanding the role of division of labor among the elements of the community on the challenges and the outcomes of IFA practices. The findings from the analysis of the classroom discourse showed three different types of IFA cycles: connected, non-connected, and repeating. The analysis of the teachers' reflections showed that the effectiveness of these cycles did not only depend on whether the cycles were connected, but also on other variables such as the phase of the lessons and student's identities and abilities. Teachers' reflections during researcher-teacher meetings on the concept and the aims of IFA

Use of a simplified consent form to facilitate patient understanding of informed consent for laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Science.gov (United States)

Borello, Alessandro; Ferrarese, Alessia; Passera, Roberto; Surace, Alessandra; Marola, Silvia; Buccelli, Claudio; Niola, Massimo; Di Lorenzo, Pierpaolo; Amato, Maurizio; Di Domenico, Lorenza; Solej, Mario; Martino, Valter

2016-01-01

Surgical informed consent forms can be complicated for patients to read and understand. We created a consent form with key information presented in bulleted texts and diagrams combined in a graphical format to facilitate the understanding of information during the verbal consent discussion. This prospective, randomized study involved 70 adult patients awaiting cholecystectomy for gallstones. Consent was obtained after standard verbal explanation using either a graphically formatted (study group, n=33) or a standard text document (control group, n=37). Comprehension was evaluated with a 9-item multiple-choice questionnaire administered before surgery and factors affecting comprehension were analyzed. Comparison of questionnaire scores showed no effect of age, sex, time between consent and surgery, or document format on understanding of informed consent. Educational level was the only predictor of comprehension. Simplified surgical consent documents meet the goals of health literacy and informed consent. Educational level appears to be a strong predictor of understanding.

Adjusting to bodily change following stoma formation: a phenomenological study.

Science.gov (United States)

Thorpe, Gabrielle; Arthur, Antony; McArthur, Maggie

2016-09-01

Scant research has been undertaken to explore in-depth the meaning of bodily change for individuals following stoma formation. The aim of this study was to understand the experience of living with a new stoma, with a focus on bodily change. The study adopted a longitudinal phenomenological approach. Purposeful sampling was used to recruit 12 participants who had undergone faecal stoma-forming surgery. In-depth, unstructured interviews were conducted at 3, 9 and 15 months following surgery. A five-stage framework facilitated iterative data analysis. Stoma formation altered the taken-for-granted relationship individuals had with their bodies in terms of appearance, function and sensation, undermining the unity between body and self. Increasing familiarity with and perceived control over their stoma over time diminished awareness of their changed body, facilitating adaptation and self-acceptance. Stoma formation can undermine an individual's sense of embodied self. A concept of embodiment is proposed to enable the experience of living with a new stoma to be understood as part of a wider process of re-establishing a unity between body, self and world. In defining a framework of care, individuals with a new stoma can be assisted to adapt to and accept a changed sense of embodied self. Implications for Rehabilitation Awareness and understanding of the diverse ways in which stoma formation disrupts the unconscious relationship between body and self can help clinicians to provide responsive, person-centred care. Supporting strategies that facilitate bodily mastery following stoma formation will facilitate rehabilitation and promote adjustment and self-acceptance. A concept of embodiment can help clinicians to deepen their understanding of the experiences of people living with a new stoma and the support they may require during the rehabilitation process. This paper provides clinicians with actionable insight that allows them to better support patients to a smoother

The autophagosome: current understanding of formation and maturation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mannack LVJC

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Lilith VJC Mannack, Jon D Lane Cell Biology Laboratories, School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK Abstract: Autophagy is an important and highly conserved catabolic process with roles in development, homeostasis, and cellular stress responses. It describes various distinct pathways for the delivery of cytoplasmic materials (including misfolded protein aggregates and some organelles to the lysosome for degradation and component recycling. The best understood form of autophagy (macroautophagy describes the de novo assembly, maturation, and trafficking of a unique double membrane-bound organelle – the autophagosomes – that sequesters cytoplasmic materials and ultimately merges with the lysosomal compartment to form a degradative autolysosome. To rapidly assemble such a structure in response to stimuli, cells express a family of dedicated autophagy-related (ATG gene products that act sequentially to control membrane events leading first to the nucleation of an isolation membrane or phagophore, followed by phagophore expansion, and sealing to form an autophagosome that traffics to – and ultimately fuses with – the lysosome. These molecules are activated in response to upstream signaling pathways (notably, the mechanistic target of rapamycin [mTOR] pathway, and comprise protein and lipid kinases, putative membrane coats, and unique ubiquitin-like conjugation systems. In concert, a barrage of accessory proteins involved in various membrane trafficking pathways focused on the endosomal compartment are co-opted at the assembly site to facilitate autophagosome biogenesis. Understanding the integrated pathways that coordinate autophagosome assembly at the molecular level will be crucial if we are to realize the potential for autophagy manipulation in future disease therapies. Keywords: autophagy, ATG proteins, lysosome, phagophore, omegasome, autolysosome, membrane trafficking, ULK1, mTOR, PI(3 kinase, PI3P, LIR motif

Understanding the role of the cytoskeleton in wood formation in angiosperm trees: hybrid aspen (Populus tremula x P. tremuloides) as a model species

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chaffey, N.; Barlow, P. [Bristol Univ., Dept. of Agricultural Sciences, Long Ashton, (United Kingdom); Sundberg, B. [Swedish Univ. of Agricultural Sciences, Dept. of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology, Umea (Sweden)

2002-03-01

The involvement of microfilaments (MFs) and microtubules (MTs) in the development of the radial and axial components of secondary wood in hybrid aspen (Populus tremula X P. tremuloides) was studied by indirect immunofluorescent localization techniques in order to elucidate a consensus view of the roles of the cytoskeleton during wood formation in angiosperm trees. Early and late vessel elements, axial parenchyma, normal-wood fibres and contact and isolation cells were included in addition to cambial cells. Microfilaments were found to be rare in cambial cells, but were abundant and axially arranged in their derivatives once cell elongation begun. Microtubules were randomly oriented in ray and fusiform cells of the cambial zone. Ellipses of microfilaments were associated with pit development in fiber cells and isolation ray cells. Rings of localized microtubules and microfilaments were associated with developing inter-vessel bordered pits and vessel-contact ray cell contact pits. Although only microtubules were seen in the periphery of the perforation plate of vessel elements, a prominent meshwork of microfilaments overlaid the perforation plate itself. These observations indicate that there are corresponding subcellular control points whose manipulation could lead to the development of 'designer wood'. However, such development would require a better understanding of the physiological basis for the behaviour of microtubule and microfibre cytoskeletons during wood formation. 44 refs., 6 figs.

THE ALLIANCE FORMATION PROCESS

OpenAIRE

Whipple, Judith M.; Frankel, Robert

1998-01-01

While interest in developing strategic alliances within the food system continues to increase, there remains considerable risk when firms adopt such a cooperative strategy. The risk is due in part to the lack of concrete guidelines that illustrate the steps or stages of alliance development and the important strategic and operational decisions required at each stage. The existence of such guidelines would facilitate alliance formation and enable managers and researchers to better understand a...

Exploring Formative Assessment Using Cultural Historical Activity Theory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mandy Asghar

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Formative assessment is a pedagogic practice that has been the subject of much research and debate, as to how it can be used most effectively to deliver enhanced student learning in the higher education setting. Often described as a complex concept it embraces activities that range from facilitating students understanding of assessment standards, to providing formative feedback on their work; from very informal opportunities of engaging in conversations, to the very formal process of submitting drafts of work. This study aims to show how cultural historical activity theory can be used as a qualitative analysis framework to explore the complexities of formative assessment as it is used in higher education. The original data for the research was collected in 2008 by semi structured interviews and analysed using a hermeneutic phenomenological approach. For this present paper three selected transcripts were re-examined, using a case study approach that sought to understand and compare the perceptions of five academic staff, from three distinct subject areas taught within a UK university. It is proposed that using activity theory can provide insight into the complexity of such experiences, about what teachers do and why, and the influence of the community in which they are situated. Individually the cases from each subject area were analysed using activity theory exploring how the mediating artefacts of formative assessment were used; the often implicit rules that governed their use and the roles of teachers and students within the local subject community. The analysis also considered the influence each aspect of the unit of activity had on the other in understanding formative assessment practice. Subsequently the three subject cases were compared and contrasted. The findings illuminate a variety of practices, including how students and staff engage together in formative assessment activities and for some, how dialogue is used as one of the key tools

West Valley facility spent fuel handling, storage, and shipping experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bailey, W.J.

1990-11-01

The result of a study on handling and shipping experience with spent fuel are described in this report. The study was performed by Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) and was jointly sponsored by the US Department of Energy (DOE) and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). The purpose of the study was to document the experience with handling and shipping of relatively old light-water reactor (LWR) fuel that has been in pool storage at the West Valley facility, which is at the Western New York Nuclear Service Center at West Valley, New York and operated by DOE. A subject of particular interest in the study was the behavior of corrosion product deposits (i.e., crud) deposits on spent LWR fuel after long-term pool storage; some evidence of crud loosening has been observed with fuel that was stored for extended periods at the West Valley facility and at other sites. Conclusions associated with the experience to date with old spent fuel that has been stored at the West Valley facility are presented. The conclusions are drawn from these subject areas: a general overview of the West Valley experience, handling of spent fuel, storing of spent fuel, rod consolidation, shipping of spent fuel, crud loosening, and visual inspection. A list of recommendations is provided. 61 refs., 4 figs., 5 tabs

The contribution of tracers in understanding transportation processes in indurated argillaceous formations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Savoye, Sebastien

2008-01-01

In a first part, the author recalls briefly the properties of the two argillaceous formations studied in this HDR report: the Toarcian/Domerian argillite and the Opalinus clay of Mont Terri. At first, have been described the two undamaged argillite materials and then the damaged Tournemire argillite. The second part gives the results obtained from the researches on the undamaged rock with natural tracers and with approaches using artificial tracers. The third part deals with the study of the damaged rock in separating natural perturbations of those of anthropogenic origin. At last, the conclusion gives the guiding thema of this research work and the main long-term future prospects that may result. (O.M.)

Understanding coastal morphodynamic patterns from depth-averaged sediment concentration

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ribas, F.; Falques, A.; de Swart, H. E.; Dodd, N.; Garnier, R.; Calvete, D.

This review highlights the important role of the depth-averaged sediment concentration (DASC) to understand the formation of a number of coastal morphodynamic features that have an alongshore rhythmic pattern: beach cusps, surf zone transverse and crescentic bars, and shoreface-connected sand

Analyzing social policy: multiple perspectives for critically understanding and evaluating policy

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

O'Connor, Mary Katherine; Netting, F. Ellen

2011-01-01

"This unique volume outlines the different frameworks of policy analysis and explains how readers can use research and critical thinking skills to understand the different models from their formation...

Formative Assessment and the Classroom Teacher: Recommendations for School Psychologists

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Stacy A. S.; Stenglein, Katherine

2016-01-01

In order for school psychologists to effectively work with teachers, it is important to understand not only the context in which they work, but to understand how educators consider and subsequently use data. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to examine how formative assessments are conceptualized in teacher training and pedagogical…

Formation of soap bubbles by gas jet

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Maolei; Li, Min; Chen, Zhiyuan; Han, Jifeng; Liu, Dong

2017-12-01

Soap bubbles can be easily generated by various methods, while their formation process is complicated and still worth studying. A model about the bubble formation process was proposed in the study by Salkin et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 116, 077801 (2016)] recently, and it was reported that the bubbles were formed when the gas blowing velocity was above one threshold. However, after a detailed study of these experiments, we found that the bubbles could be generated in two velocity ranges which corresponded to the laminar and turbulent gas jet, respectively, and the predicted threshold was only effective for turbulent gas flow. The study revealed that the bubble formation was greatly influenced by the aerodynamics of the gas jet blowing to the film, and these results will help to further understand the formation mechanism of the soap bubble as well as the interaction between the gas jet and the thin liquid film.

Coupling an aerosol box model with one-dimensional flow: a tool for understanding observations of new particle formation events

OpenAIRE

Kivekäs, N.; Carpman, J.; Roldin, P.; Leppä, J.; O'Connor, E. J.; Kristensson, A.; Asmi, E.

2016-01-01

Field observations of new particle formation and the subsequent particle growth are typically only possible at a fixed measurement location, and hence do not follow the temporal evolution of an air parcel in a Lagrangian sense. Standard analysis for determining formation and growth rates requires that the time-dependent formation rate and growth rate of the particles are spatially invariant; air parcel advection means that the observed temporal evolution of the particle size distribution at a...

Stratigraphy and dissolution of the Rustler Formation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bachman, G.O.

1985-01-01

The Rustler Formation is the uppermost evaporite-bearing unit in the Permian Ochoan series in southeastern New Mexico. It rests on the Salado Formation which includes the salt beds where the mined facility for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) is being constructed. An understanding of the physical stratigraphy of the Rustler Formation is pertinent to studies of the WIPP site because some portions of the Rustler are water-bearing and may provide paths for circulating waters to come into contact with, and dissolve, evaporites within the Ochoan sequence. Knowledge of the processes, magnitude, and history of evaporite dissolution in the vicinity of the WIPP site is important to an evaluation of the integrity of the site. 2 refs., 2 figs

Understanding the Irradiation Behavior of Zirconium Carbide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Motta, Arthur; Sridharan, Kumar; Morgan, Dane; Szlufarska, Izabela

2013-01-01

Zirconium carbide (ZrC) is being considered for utilization in high-temperature gas-cooled reactor fuels in deep-burn TRISO fuel. Zirconium carbide possesses a cubic B1-type crystal structure with a high melting point, exceptional hardness, and good thermal and electrical conductivities. The use of ZrC as part of the TRISO fuel requires a thorough understanding of its irradiation response. However, the radiation effects on ZrC are still poorly understood. The majority of the existing research is focused on the radiation damage phenomena at higher temperatures (>450ee)C) where many fundamental aspects of defect production and kinetics cannot be easily distinguished. Little is known about basic defect formation, clustering, and evolution of ZrC under irradiation, although some atomistic simulation and phenomenological studies have been performed. Such detailed information is needed to construct a model describing the microstructural evolution in fast-neutron irradiated materials that will be of great technological importance for the development of ZrC-based fuel. The goal of the proposed project is to gain fundamental understanding of the radiation-induced defect formation in zirconium carbide and irradiation response by using a combination of state-of-the-art experimental methods and atomistic modeling. This project will combine (1) in situ ion irradiation at a specialized facility at a national laboratory, (2) controlled temperature proton irradiation on bulk samples, and (3) atomistic modeling to gain a fundamental understanding of defect formation in ZrC. The proposed project will cover the irradiation temperatures from cryogenic temperature to as high as 800ee)C, and dose ranges from 0.1 to 100 dpa. The examination of this wide range of temperatures and doses allows us to obtain an experimental data set that can be effectively used to exercise and benchmark the computer calculations of defect properties. Combining the examination of radiation

Crystal habit modification of nickel-ferrite: development and results of initial laboratory testing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anderson, C.E.; Varrin, R.D.; Marks, C.; Barkatt, A.; Kim, K.; Fruzzetti, K.P.

2010-01-01

This paper documents the results of a laboratory test program conducted to assess the feasibility of using a new type of additive in the primary coolant of pressurized water reactors (PWRs) or to boiling water reactor (BWR) coolant. These additives, known as crystal habit modifiers (CHMs), could potentially be used to control the crystal habits, or shapes, that comprise primary deposits and crud. Similar additives are used throughout the chemical process industry to produce products with desirable crystalline structure, morphology, density, particle size, or surface area. Based on the successes of CHM technologies in other industries, CHMs may have the potential to alleviate problems associated with deposits in nuclear plants including axial offset anomaly (AOA). By controlling the habit of deposit materials, it may be possible to retard deposit formation, produce deposits with desirable properties (e.g., high friability, low or high porosity), or promote a preferred chemical composition or deposit structure that is more amenable to removal. Desirable properties that could be selected for include enhanced boiling efficiency, reduced surface affinity for boron, and resistance to consolidation. The results of this project demonstrate that crystal habit modification of nickel ferrite, a typical primary side deposit species, can be achieved by the addition of both inorganic and organic chemical species (CHMs). The most significant habit modification of nickel ferrite was observed with the addition of metal species (e.g., Zn, Cr) due to their incorporation into the crystal lattice of the oxide. Lesser degrees of modification were achieved with organic additives such as acetate. Specific CHM candidates that may have a beneficial effect on PWR operation are identified in this paper. In addition, this paper summarizes the refinement of several methods for synthesizing nickel ferrites under hydrothermal conditions that may benefit those interested in studying crud and

Crystal habit modification of nickel-ferrite: development and results of initial laboratory testing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anderson, C.E.; Varrin, R.D.; Marks, C. [Dominion Engineering, Inc., Reston, Virginia (United States); Barkatt, A. [The Catholic Univ. of America, Dept. of Chemistry, Washington, District of Columbia (United States); Kim, K.; Fruzzetti, K.P. [Electric Power Research Inst., Palo Alto, California (United States)

2010-07-01

This paper documents the results of a laboratory test program conducted to assess the feasibility of using a new type of additive in the primary coolant of pressurized water reactors (PWRs) or to boiling water reactor (BWR) coolant. These additives, known as crystal habit modifiers (CHMs), could potentially be used to control the crystal habits, or shapes, that comprise primary deposits and crud. Similar additives are used throughout the chemical process industry to produce products with desirable crystalline structure, morphology, density, particle size, or surface area. Based on the successes of CHM technologies in other industries, CHMs may have the potential to alleviate problems associated with deposits in nuclear plants including axial offset anomaly (AOA). By controlling the habit of deposit materials, it may be possible to retard deposit formation, produce deposits with desirable properties (e.g., high friability, low or high porosity), or promote a preferred chemical composition or deposit structure that is more amenable to removal. Desirable properties that could be selected for include enhanced boiling efficiency, reduced surface affinity for boron, and resistance to consolidation. The results of this project demonstrate that crystal habit modification of nickel ferrite, a typical primary side deposit species, can be achieved by the addition of both inorganic and organic chemical species (CHMs). The most significant habit modification of nickel ferrite was observed with the addition of metal species (e.g., Zn, Cr) due to their incorporation into the crystal lattice of the oxide. Lesser degrees of modification were achieved with organic additives such as acetate. Specific CHM candidates that may have a beneficial effect on PWR operation are identified in this paper. In addition, this paper summarizes the refinement of several methods for synthesizing nickel ferrites under hydrothermal conditions that may benefit those interested in studying crud and

Radionuclide migration in clayrock host formations for deep geological disposal of radioactive waste: advances in process understanding and up-scaling methods resulting from the EC integrated project `Funmig

Science.gov (United States)

Altmann, S.; Tournassat, C.; Goutelard, F.; Parneix, J. C.; Gimmi, T.; Maes, N.

2009-04-01

One of the ‘pillars' supporting Safety Cases for deep geological disposal of radioactive waste in clayrock formations is the knowledge base regarding radionuclide (Rn) retention by sorption and diffusion-driven transport which is why the EC integrated project ‘Funmig' focused a major part of its effort on advancing understanding of these two macroscopic phenomena. This talk presents some of the main results of this four year effort (2005-2008). One of the keys to understanding diffusion-driven transport of anionic and cationic radionuclide species in clayrocks lies in a detailed understanding of the phenomena governing Rn total concentration and speciation (dissolved, adsorbed) in the different types of pore spaces present in highly-compacted masses of permanently charged clay minerals. Work carried out on a specifically synthesized montmorillonite (a model for the clay mineral fraction in clayrocks) led to development, and preliminary experimental validation, of a conceptually coherent set of theoretical models (molecular dynamics, electrostatic double layer, thermodynamic) describing dissolved ion and water solvent behavior in this material. This work, complemented by the existing state of the art, provides a sound theoretical basis for explaining such important phenomena as anion exclusion, cation exchange and the diffusion behavior of anions, weakly sorbing cations and water tracers. Concerning the behavior of strongly sorbing and/or redox-reactive radionuclides in clay systems, project research improved understanding of the nature of sorption reactions and sorbed species structure for key radioelements, or analogues (U, Se, Eu, Sm, Yb, Nd) on the basal surfaces and in the interlayers of synthetic or purified clay minerals. A probable mechanism for Se(IV) retention by reduction to Se° in Fe2+-containing clays was brought to light; this same process was also studied on the Callovo-Oxfordien clayrock targeted by the French radwaste management program. The

The performance model of dynamic virtual organization (VO) formations within grid computing context

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han Liangxiu

2009-01-01

Grid computing aims to enable 'resource sharing and coordinated problem solving in dynamic, multi-institutional virtual organizations (VOs)'. Within the grid computing context, successful dynamic VO formations mean a number of individuals and institutions associated with certain resources join together and form new VOs in order to effectively execute tasks within given time steps. To date, while the concept of VOs has been accepted, few research has been done on the impact of effective dynamic virtual organization formations. In this paper, we develop a performance model of dynamic VOs formation and analyze the effect of different complex organizational structures and their various statistic parameter properties on dynamic VO formations from three aspects: (1) the probability of a successful VO formation under different organizational structures and statistic parameters change, e.g. average degree; (2) the effect of task complexity on dynamic VO formations; (3) the impact of network scales on dynamic VO formations. The experimental results show that the proposed model can be used to understand the dynamic VO formation performance of the simulated organizations. The work provides a good path to understand how to effectively schedule and utilize resources based on the complex grid network and therefore improve the overall performance within grid environment.

Current understanding of multi-species biofilms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yang, Liang; Liu, Yang; Wu, Hong

2011-01-01

every year worldwide to deal with damage to equipment, contaminations of products, energy losses, and infections in human beings resulted from microbial biofilms. Microorganisms compete, cooperate, and communicate with each other in multi-species biofilms. Understanding the mechanisms of multi......Direct observation of a wide range of natural microorganisms has revealed the fact that the majority of microbes persist as surface-attached communities surrounded by matrix materials, called biofilms. Biofilms can be formed by a single bacterial strain. However, most natural biofilms are actually......-species biofilm formation will facilitate the development of methods for combating bacterial biofilms in clinical, environmental, industrial, and agricultural areas. The most recent advances in the understanding of multi-species biofilms are summarized and discussed in the review....

COMPETENCYTHE FORMATION FOR LIFE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Milagros Mederos-Piñeiro

2016-07-01

Full Text Available The formation of life competences is the result of a quality education that prepares students to meet the challenges of a fast moving world where equality and equal opportunities should constitute premises of education; training them is a challenge teachers to assume new generations contribute actively to a better world. In Cuba are important research on the formation of communication competences and self-regulated learning in primary school. The paper shows the result of an investigation that provides a methodology for the formation of life competences in primary school education, used as an essential pathway research activity. The methodological approach of research has a quantitative approach and an explanatory scope to establish and make sense of understanding the causal relationship between the direction of research activity and training of life competences. Theoretical, empirical and mathematical-statistical, for characterizing the initial state, processing of results and analysis: research methods are used. The application of the methodology for the formation of life competences makes teachers lead the teaching-learning process with a research and transforming teaching concept, where the school is the protagonist of their learning and causes changes in their performances, which are evident in the formed competences related to effective and affective communication; the solution of problems related to life; the use of means in obtaining the knowledge and the expression of a behavior consistent with school and social demands. The effectiveness of the methodology confirms that there is a causal relationship between the direction of research activity by teachers and the formation of life competences in school.

Metastability in the formation of an experimental traffic jam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakayama, Akihiro; Fukui, Minoru; Kikuchi, Macoto; Hasebe, Katsuya; Nishinari, Katsuhiro; Sugiyama, Yuki; Tadaki, Shin-ichi; Yukawa, Satoshi

2009-01-01

We show detailed data about the process of jam formation in a traffic experiment on a circuit without any bottlenecks. The experiment was carried out using a circular road on a flat ground. At the initial stage, vehicles are running homogeneously distributed on the circuit with the same velocity, but roughly 10 min later a traffic jam emerges spontaneously on the circuit. In the process of the jam formation, we found a homogeneous flow with large velocity is temporarily realized before a jam cluster appears. The instability of such a homogeneous flow is the key to understanding jam formation.

A review of cobalt adsorption on transition metal oxides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walker, S.M.

1987-04-01

This report reviews studies of cobalt adsorption on transition metal oxides, in the context of corrosion product and radioactivity transport in PWR primary circuits. In general, uptake of cobalt increases with pH, with temperature and with decreasing ionic strength. Very little data are available under PWR primary circuit conditions, but the limited data available suggest that cobalt uptake by the zirconium oxide corrosion product layer on fuel pins may be significant compared to that deposited on fuel crud. If fuel crud levels can be reduced in future by coolant chemistry control then uptake by the zirconia will assume a greater relative role. It is planned to use an autoclave to study uptake of cobalt on oxidised Zircaloy surfaces at temperatures up to 593K under PWR primary circuit chemistry conditions. (author)

Assessing middle school students` understanding of science relationships and processes: Year 2 - instrument validation. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schau, C.; Mattern, N.; Weber, R.; Minnick, K.

1997-01-01

Our overall purpose for this multi-year project was to develop an alternative assessment format measuring rural middle school students understanding of science concepts and processes and the interrelationships among them. This kind of understanding is called structural knowledge. We had 3 major interrelated goals: (1) Synthesize the existing literature and critically evaluate the actual and potential use of measures of structural knowledge in science education. (2) Develop a structural knowledge alternative assessment format. (3) Examine the validity of our structural knowledge format. We accomplished the first two goals during year 1. The structural knowledge assessment we identified and developed further was a select-and-fill-in concept map format. The goal for our year 2 work was to begin to validate this assessment approach. This final report summarizes our year 2 work.

HOBYS and W43-HERO: Two more steps toward a Galaxy-wide understanding of high-mass star formation

Science.gov (United States)

Motte, Frédérique; Bontemps, Sylvain; Tigé, Jérémy

The Herschel/HOBYS key program allows to statistically study the formation of 10-20 M ⊙ stars. The IRAM/W43-HERO large program is itself dedicated to the much more extreme W43 molecular complex, which forms stars up to 50 M ⊙. Both reveal high-density cloud filaments of several pc3, which are forming clusters of OB-type stars. Given their activity, these so-called mini-starburst cloud ridges could be seen as ``miniature and instant models'' of starburst galaxies. Both surveys also strongly suggest that high-mass prestellar cores do not exist, in agreement with the dynamical formation of cloud ridges. The HOBYS and W43 surveys are necessary steps towards Galaxy-wide studies of high-mass star formation.

Often overlooked: formative evaluation in the development of ScienceComics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. Weitkamp

2009-10-01

Full Text Available Formative evaluation should play a key role in the development of a science communication project or initiative. Such research is vital to understanding the needs and interests of the audience or participants; meeting these needs and interests helps ensure the project’s success. However, there can be a temptation to plough ahead without undertaking adequate formative evaluation. Using ScienceComics (www.sciencecomics.uwe.ac.uk as a case study, this article explores both the challenges and benefits of using formative evaluation to guide project development. It focuses on the actors involved in the formative stages and the impacts these actors had on the final outputs. This evidence is used to develop practical guidance on integrating formative evaluation right from the start.

Quantification of Release of Critical Elements, Formation of Fly Ash and Aerosols: Status on Current Understanding and Research Needs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jappe Frandsen, Flemming

2017-01-01

Deposit formation in utility boilers occurs via a number of consecutive steps; 1) release of critical elements like K, Na, Pb, Zn, S and Cl, 2) formation of gaseous species, fly ash and aerosols, 3) transport and adhesion of ash species, 4) deposit build-up and consolidation, and, finally, 5...... formation (slagging and fouling) on superheater tubes, leading to a potential reduction in heat transfer efficiency to the water/steam cycle, or, to chemical attack (corrosion) or physical wear (erosion) of superheater tubes. These problems may give rise to irregular operation, or even costly shutdowns...... of combustion units.Through several years, high quality research has been conducted on characterization of fuels, ashes and deposit formation in utility boilers fired with coal, biomass and waste fractions. Huge amounts of experimental data have been reported, from such work, but the fact...

Planetesimals and Planet Formation

Science.gov (United States)

Chambers, John

The first step in the standard model for planet formation is the growth of gravitationally bound bodies called ``planetesimals'' from dust grains in a protoplanetary disk. Currently, we do not know how planetesimals form, how long they take to form, or what their sizes and mechanical properties are. The goal of this proposal is to assess how these uncertainties affect subsequent stages of planetary growth and the kind of planetary systems that form. The work will address three particular questions: (i) Can the properties of small body populations in the modern Solar System constrain the properties of planetesimals? (ii) How do the properties of planetesimals affect the formation of giant planets? (iii) How does the presence of a water ice condensation front (the ``snow line'') in a disk affect planetesimal formation and the later stages of planetary growth? These questions will be examined with computer simulations of planet formation using new computer codes to be developed as part of the proposal. The first question will be addressed using a statistical model for planetesimal coagulation and fragmentation. This code will be merged with the proposer's Mercury N-body integrator code to model the dynamics of large protoplanets in order to address the second question. Finally, a self- consistent model of disk evolution and the radial transport of water ice and vapour will be added to examine the third question. A theoretical understanding of how planets form is one of the key goals of NASA and the Origins of Solar Systems programme. Researchers have carried out many studies designed to address this goal, but the questions of how planetesimals form and how their properties affect planet formation have received relatively little attention. The proposed work will help address these unsolved questions, and place other research in context by assessing the importance of planetesimal origins and properties for planet formation.

Increased understanding of the dynamics and transport in ITB plasmas from multi- machine comparisons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gohil, P.

2002-01-01

This paper presents details on: (a) examination and compilation of experimental results on transport from the many machines worldwide to better understand the physics of ITB formation and sustainment; (b) the development of an international database on ITB experimental results to determine the requirements for the formation and sustainment of ITBs, especially for reactor relevant conditions; (c) determining and performing comprehensive tests of theory-based models and simulations using the experimental ITB database. This paper will further present the status of research on critical issues in ITB physics including barrier formation and access conditions, particle and impurity transport, fueling, core-edge integration, profile control and stability as well as issues of accessibility in reactor scale devices such as barriers with T e =T i , barriers with low toroidal rotation and flat density profiles. Results will be presented from many devices providing a clearer understanding of transport and ITB physics in present plasmas and how this understanding can be applied to increase the performance of plasmas in future devices. An ITB database is being developed. (author)

Design performances and chemistry program supporting the FA3/UK-EPR (TM) Activity Management: Experience and Modelling Balance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tigeras, A.; Bachet, M.; Bremmes, O.; Berger, M.; Clinard, M.H.; Jolivet, P.; Chahma, F.

2012-01-01

Several methodologies have been applied to evaluate the source term in the primary circuit and to define the appropriate chemistry conditioning for the EPR reactor. These methodologies are based on nuclear power plant (NPP) feedback experience, laboratory data and modelling considerations. It is concluded that the activity risks are understood and can be managed with EPR design options. A strategy for the chemical conditioning of the primary coolant has been defined through the specifications for 3 parameters: pH, Zn and H 2 whose target and limit values are based on NPP feedback, international experimental data from laboratory tests, theoretical studies and numerical simulations. The material inventory selected for the primary components will allow low dose rates and low crud formation despite the high power level of the EPR reactor

Higher-level processes in the formation and application of associations during action understanding

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Heil, L.; Pelt, S. van; Kwisthout, J.H.P.; Rooij, I.J.E.I. van; Bekkering, H.

2014-01-01

The associative account described in the target article provides a viable explanation for the origin of mirror neurons. We argue here that if mirror neurons develop purely by associative learning, then they cannot by themselves explain intentional action understanding. Higher-level processes seem to

ASDF - A Modern Data Format for Seismology

Science.gov (United States)

Krischer, Lion; Smith, James; Lei, Wenjie; Lefebvre, Matthieu; Ruan, Youyi; Sales de Andrade, Elliot; Podhorszki, Norbert; Bozdag, Ebru; Tromp, Jeroen

2017-04-01

Seismology as a science is driven by observing and understanding data and it is thus vital to make this as easy and accessible as possible. The growing volume of freely available data coupled with ever expanding computational power enables scientists to take on new and bigger problems. This evolution is to some part hindered as existing data formats have not been designed with it in mind. We present ASDF (http://seismic-data.org), the Adaptable Seismic Data Format, a novel, modern, and especially practical data format for all branches of seismology with particular focus on how it is incorporated into seismic full waveform inversion workflows. The format aims to solve five key issues: Efficiency: Fast I/O operations especially in high performance computing environments, especially limiting the total number of files. Data organization: Different types of data are needed for a variety of tasks. This results in ad hoc data organization and formats that are hard to maintain, integrate, reproduce, and exchange. Data exchange: We want to exchange complex and complete data sets. Reproducibility: Oftentimes just not existing but crucial to advance our science. Mining, visualization, and understanding of data: As data volumes grow, more complex, new techniques to query and visualize large datasets are needed. ASDF tackles these by defining a structure on top of HDF5 reusing as many existing standards (QuakeML, StationXML, PROV) as possible. An essential trait of ASDF is that it empowers the construction of completely self-describing data sets including waveform, station, and event data together with non-waveform data and a provenance description of everything. This for example for the first time enables the proper archival and exchange of processed or synthetic waveforms. To aid community adoption we developed mature tools in Python as well as in C and Fortran. Additionally we provide a formal definition of the format, a validation tool, and integration into widely used

Mechanism of vacancy formation induced by hydrogen in tungsten

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yi-Nan Liu

2013-12-01

Full Text Available We report a hydrogen induced vacancy formation mechanism in tungsten based on classical molecular dynamics simulations. We demonstrate the vacancy formation in tungsten due to the presence of hydrogen associated directly with a stable hexagonal self-interstitial cluster as well as a linear crowdion. The stability of different self-interstitial structures has been further studied and it is particularly shown that hydrogen plays a crucial role in determining the configuration of SIAs, in which the hexagonal cluster structure is preferred. Energetic analysis has been carried out to prove that the formation of SIA clusters facilitates the formation of vacancies. Such a mechanism contributes to the understanding of the early stage of the hydrogen blistering in tungsten under a fusion reactor environment.

Epigenetic Regulation of Memory Formation and Maintenance

Science.gov (United States)

Zovkic, Iva B.; Guzman-Karlsson, Mikael C.; Sweatt, J. David

2013-01-01

Understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the formation and maintenance of memories is a central goal of the neuroscience community. It is well regarded that an organism's ability to lastingly adapt its behavior in response to a transient environmental stimulus relies on the central nervous system's capability for structural…

Understanding Electrically Active Interface Formation on Wide Bandgap Semiconductors through Molecular Beam Epitaxy Using Fe3O 4 for Spintronics as a Base Case

Science.gov (United States)

Hamedani Golshan, Negar

Nanoelectronics, complex heterostructures, and engineered 3D matrix materials are quickly advancing from research possibilities to manufacturing challenges for applications ranging from high-power devices to solar cells to any number of novel multifunctional sensors and controllers. Formation of an abrupt and effective interface is one of the basic requirements for integration of functional materials on different types of semiconductors (from silicon to the wide bandgaps) which can significantly impact the functionality of nanoscale electronic devices. To realize the potential of next-generation electronics, the understanding and control of those initial stages of film layer formation must be understood and translated to a process that can control the initial stages of film deposition. Thin film Fe3O4 has attracted much attention as a material for exploring the potential of spintronics in next-generation information technologies. Synthesis of highly spin-polarized material as spin sources, in combination with wide bandgap semiconductors which have a long spin relaxation time in addition to functionality in high-temperature, high-power, and high-frequency environments, would enhance the performance of today's spintronic devices. Spinel ferrite Fe3O4 has a high Curie temperature of 858 K and it is predicted to possess half-metallic properties, i.e. 100% spin polarization at the Fermi level, which can lead to ultrahigh tunneling magnetoresistance at room temperature. However, these properties have been very difficult to realize in thin film form, and device design strategies require high-quality thin films of Fe3O4. The most common reason reported in literature for the failure of the films to achieve theoretical performance is that the growth techniques used today produce films with antiphase boundaries (APB). These APBs have a strong antiferromagnetic coupling that negatively impact the magnetic and transport properties of epitaxial Fe 3O4 films. Therefore, greater

Recent advances in understanding secondary organic aerosol: Implications for global climate forcing

Science.gov (United States)

Shrivastava, Manish; Cappa, Christopher D.; Fan, Jiwen; Goldstein, Allen H.; Guenther, Alex B.; Jimenez, Jose L.; Kuang, Chongai; Laskin, Alexander; Martin, Scot T.; Ng, Nga Lee; Petaja, Tuukka; Pierce, Jeffrey R.; Rasch, Philip J.; Roldin, Pontus; Seinfeld, John H.; Shilling, John; Smith, James N.; Thornton, Joel A.; Volkamer, Rainer; Wang, Jian; Worsnop, Douglas R.; Zaveri, Rahul A.; Zelenyuk, Alla; Zhang, Qi

2017-06-01

Anthropogenic emissions and land use changes have modified atmospheric aerosol concentrations and size distributions over time. Understanding preindustrial conditions and changes in organic aerosol due to anthropogenic activities is important because these features (1) influence estimates of aerosol radiative forcing and (2) can confound estimates of the historical response of climate to increases in greenhouse gases. Secondary organic aerosol (SOA), formed in the atmosphere by oxidation of organic gases, represents a major fraction of global submicron-sized atmospheric organic aerosol. Over the past decade, significant advances in understanding SOA properties and formation mechanisms have occurred through measurements, yet current climate models typically do not comprehensively include all important processes. This review summarizes some of the important developments during the past decade in understanding SOA formation. We highlight the importance of some processes that influence the growth of SOA particles to sizes relevant for clouds and radiative forcing, including formation of extremely low volatility organics in the gas phase, acid-catalyzed multiphase chemistry of isoprene epoxydiols, particle-phase oligomerization, and physical properties such as volatility and viscosity. Several SOA processes highlighted in this review are complex and interdependent and have nonlinear effects on the properties, formation, and evolution of SOA. Current global models neglect this complexity and nonlinearity and thus are less likely to accurately predict the climate forcing of SOA and project future climate sensitivity to greenhouse gases. Efforts are also needed to rank the most influential processes and nonlinear process-related interactions, so that these processes can be accurately represented in atmospheric chemistry-climate models.

Spontaneous formation of quantized vortices in Bose-Einstein condensates

Science.gov (United States)

Weiler, Chad Nathan

Phase transitions abound in the physical world, from the subatomic length scales of quark condensation to the decoupling forces in the early universe. In the Bose-Einstein condensation phase transition, a gas of trapped bosonic atoms is cooled to a critical temperature. Below this temperature, a macroscopic number of atoms suddenly starts to occupy a single quantum state; these atoms comprise the Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC). The dynamics of the BEC phase transition are the focus of this dissertation and the experiments described here have provided new information on the details of BEC formation. New theoretical developments are proving to be valuable tools for describing BEC phase transition dynamics and interpreting new experimental results. With their amenability to optical manipulation and probing along with the advent of new microscopic theories, BECs provide an important new avenue for gaining insight into the universal dynamics of phase transitions in general. Spontaneous symmetry breaking in the system's order parameter may be one result of cooling through a phase transition. A potential consequence of this is the spontaneous formation of topological defects, which in a BEC appear as vortices. We experimentally observed and characterized the spontaneous formation of vortices during BEC growth. We attribute vortex creation to coherence length limitations during the initial stages of the phase transition. Parallel to these experimental observations, theory collaborators have used the Stochastic Gross-Pitaevski Equation formalism to simulate the growth of a condensate from a thermal cloud. The experimental and theoretical statistical results of the spontaneous formation of vortex cores during the growth of the condensate are in good quantitative agreement with one another, supporting our understanding of the dynamics of the phase transition. We believe that our results are also qualitatively consistent with the Kibble-Zurek mechanism, a universal model for

Hysteresis of methane hydrate formation/decomposition at subsea geological conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klapproth, Alice; Piltz, Ross; Peterson, Vanessa K.; Kennedy, Shane J.; Kozielski, Karen A.; Hartley, Patrick G.

2009-01-01

Full text: Gas hydrates are a major risk when transporting oil and gas in offshore subsea pipelines. Under typical conditions in these pipelines (at high pressure and low temperature) the formation of gas hydrates is favourable. The hydrates form large solid plugs that can block pipelines and can even cause them to burst. This represents a major problem for the gas mining industry, which currently goes to extreme measures to reduce the risk of hydrate formation because there is no reliable experimental data on hydrate processes. The mechanisms of gas hydrate formation, growth and inhibition are poorly understood. A clear understanding of the fundamental processes will allow development of cost effective technologies to avoid production losses in gas pipelines. We are studying the nucleation of the methane hydrates by measuring the hysteresis of hydrate formation/decomposition by neutron diffraction. When a gas hydrate is decomposed (melted) the resulting water has a 'supposed memory effect' raising the probability of rapid hydrate reformation. This rapid reformation does not occur for pure water where nucleation can be delayed by several hours (induction time) due to metastability [1]. The memory effect can only be destroyed by extreme heating of the effected area. Possible causes of this effect include residual water structure, persistent hydrate crystal lites remaining in solution and remaining dissolved gas. We will compare the kinetics of formation and the stability region of hydrate formation of 'memory' water for comparison with pure water. This information has important implications for the oil and gas industry because it should provide a better understanding of the role of multiple dissociation and reformation of gas hydrates in plug formation.

Insights from simulations of star formation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Larson, Richard B

2007-01-01

Although the basic physics of star formation is classical, numerical simulations have yielded essential insights into how stars form. They show that star formation is a highly nonuniform runaway process characterized by the emergence of nearly singular peaks in density, followed by the accretional growth of embryo stars that form at these density peaks. Circumstellar discs often form from the gas being accreted by the forming stars, and accretion from these discs may be episodic, driven by gravitational instabilities or by protostellar interactions. Star-forming clouds typically develop filamentary structures, which may, along with the thermal physics, play an important role in the origin of stellar masses because of the sensitivity of filament fragmentation to temperature variations. Simulations of the formation of star clusters show that the most massive stars form by continuing accretion in the dense cluster cores, and this again is a runaway process that couples star formation and cluster formation. Star-forming clouds also tend to develop hierarchical structures, and smaller groups of forming objects tend to merge into progressively larger ones, a generic feature of self-gravitating systems that is common to star formation and galaxy formation. Because of the large range of scales and the complex dynamics involved, analytic models cannot adequately describe many aspects of star formation, and detailed numerical simulations are needed to advance our understanding of the subject. 'The purpose of computing is insight, not numbers.' Richard W Hamming, in Numerical Methods for Scientists and Engineers (1962) 'There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.' William Shakespeare, in Hamlet, Prince of Denmark (1604) (key issues review)

Insights from simulations of star formation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Larson, Richard B [Department of Astronomy, Yale University, Box 208101, New Haven, CT 06520-8101 (United States)

2007-03-15

Although the basic physics of star formation is classical, numerical simulations have yielded essential insights into how stars form. They show that star formation is a highly nonuniform runaway process characterized by the emergence of nearly singular peaks in density, followed by the accretional growth of embryo stars that form at these density peaks. Circumstellar discs often form from the gas being accreted by the forming stars, and accretion from these discs may be episodic, driven by gravitational instabilities or by protostellar interactions. Star-forming clouds typically develop filamentary structures, which may, along with the thermal physics, play an important role in the origin of stellar masses because of the sensitivity of filament fragmentation to temperature variations. Simulations of the formation of star clusters show that the most massive stars form by continuing accretion in the dense cluster cores, and this again is a runaway process that couples star formation and cluster formation. Star-forming clouds also tend to develop hierarchical structures, and smaller groups of forming objects tend to merge into progressively larger ones, a generic feature of self-gravitating systems that is common to star formation and galaxy formation. Because of the large range of scales and the complex dynamics involved, analytic models cannot adequately describe many aspects of star formation, and detailed numerical simulations are needed to advance our understanding of the subject. 'The purpose of computing is insight, not numbers.' Richard W Hamming, in Numerical Methods for Scientists and Engineers (1962) 'There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.' William Shakespeare, in Hamlet, Prince of Denmark (1604) (key issues review)

THE PSYCHOLOGICAL PECULIARITIES OF THE INFORMATION-COMMUNICATION COMPETENCE FORMATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pyannikov Mikhail Mikhailovich

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Informatization of society has significantly changed the paradigm of education, posing the new problems to the scientists. One of such problems is the formation of new conscience – conscience, whose inalienable part is the information culture. The information-communication competence is the basis for the formation of such conscience. In this connection the aim of study is the analysis of psychological peculiarities of the formation of information-communication competence and determination of the role of this personality new formation in conscience of a modern human. The characteristic features of psychological new formations, the stages of cultural development and the role of cultural level of society in the formation of world outlook of a child are studied in this work. In the result of study there was found out the basis of psychic development. The sphere of results application includes the conclusions received in the result of study, which can be used by scholars, who deal with the problem of psychic development of a child. In practice the data of study help to understand better the stages of skill formation and the role of elementary actions in the formation of complex behavioral system.

"Straitjacket" or "Springboard for Sustainable Learning"? The Implications of Formative Assessment Practices in Vocational Learning Cultures

Science.gov (United States)

Davies, Jenifer; Ecclestone, Kathryn

2008-01-01

In contrast to theoretical and empirical insights from research into formative assessment in compulsory schooling, understanding the relationship between formative assessment, motivation and learning in vocational education has been a topic neglected by researchers. The Improving Formative Assessment project (IFA) addresses this gap, using a…

On why we need a good theory of star formation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lynden-Bell, D.

1977-01-01

The author discusses the relevance of the other papers in the symposium to astronomy. He considers three great areas of astronomy to which a theory of star formation is vital: I. The formation and evolution of galaxies. II. The understanding of the properties and evolution of all those fascinating objects that can be classed as nebular variables or nebular objects. III. The origin of the solar system. (Auth.)

Galaxy formation: internal mechanisms and cosmological processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martig, Marie

2010-01-01

This thesis is devoted to galaxy formation and evolution in a cosmological context. Cosmological simulations have unveiled two main modes of galaxy growth: hierarchical growth by mergers and accretion of cold gas from cosmic filaments. However, these simulations rarely take into account small scale mechanisms, that govern internal evolution and that are a key ingredient to understand galaxy formation and evolution. Thanks to a new simulation technique that I have developed, I first studied the colors of galaxies, and in particular the reddening of elliptical galaxies. I showed that the gas disk in an elliptical galaxy could be stabilized against star formation because of the galaxy's stellar component being within a spheroid instead of a disk. This mechanism can explain the red colors of some elliptical galaxies that contain a gas disk. I also studied the formation of spiral galaxies: most cosmological simulations cannot explain the formation of Milky Way-like galaxies, i.e. with a large disk and a small bulge. I showed that this issue could be partly solved by taking into account in the simulations the mass loss from evolved stars through stellar winds, planetary nebulae and supernovae explosions. (author) [fr

Laboratory studies of the behavior of undissolved solids in both pulsed and packed column extraction systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siemer, D.D.

1989-01-01

A substantial fraction of the finely divided undissolved solid material found in nuclear fuel reprocessing dissolver-product solutions is hydrophobic and tends to ''seek'' any organic-aqueous interface existing within countercurrent liquid-liquid extraction systems. While passing through pulsed-type columns this material is swept out of the aqueous phase by the combined surface area of the tiny bubbles of dispersed phase. Because these bubbles have a net velocity towards the end of the column where the nominal interface is located, the solids are swept in that direction too. These solids tend to gather in a three-phase ''crud'' layer at the nominal interface point. At equilibrium, about the same amount breaks off from the crud layer and escapes into the liquid exiting from that end of the column as enters it from the other side. If large enough, the crud layer can even interfere with interface detection and control equipment. In packed-column extraction systems, an additional problem is that feed solids can accumulate within the packing material to the point that the column '' floods'' or even totally plugs. The keys to preventing solids-related problems is the correct choice of interface level, and with packed columns, the addition of a ''pulsing leg'' at the bottom of the column. Pulsing packed column systems not only prevents solids from settling onto packing material but it also increses the number of theoretical stages available for extraction. 3 figs., 2 tabs

Toward understanding dynamic annealing processes in irradiated ceramics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Myers, Michael Thomas [Texas A & M Univ., College Station, TX (United States)

2013-05-01

High energy particle irradiation inevitably generates defects in solids. The ballistic formation and thermalization of the defect creation process occur rapidly, and are believed to be reasonably well understood. However, knowledge of the evolution of defects after damage cascade thermalization, referred to as dynamic annealing, is quite limited. Unraveling the mechanisms associated with dynamic annealing is crucial since such processes play an important role in the formation of stable postirradiation disorder in ion-beam-processing of semiconductors, and determines the “radiation tolerance” of many nuclear materials. The purpose of this dissertation is to further our understanding of the processes involved in dynamic annealing. In order to achieve this, two main tasks are undertaken.

Black-hole-regulated star formation in massive galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Martín-Navarro, Ignacio; Brodie, Jean P.; Romanowsky, Aaron J.; Ruiz-Lara, Tomás; van de Ven, Glenn

2018-01-01

Supermassive black holes, with masses more than a million times that of the Sun, seem to inhabit the centres of all massive galaxies. Cosmologically motivated theories of galaxy formation require feedback from these supermassive black holes to regulate star formation. In the absence of such feedback, state-of-the-art numerical simulations fail to reproduce the number density and properties of massive galaxies in the local Universe. There is, however, no observational evidence of this strongly coupled coevolution between supermassive black holes and star formation, impeding our understanding of baryonic processes within galaxies. Here we report that the star formation histories of nearby massive galaxies, as measured from their integrated optical spectra, depend on the mass of the central supermassive black hole. Our results indicate that the black-hole mass scales with the gas cooling rate in the early Universe. The subsequent quenching of star formation takes place earlier and more efficiently in galaxies that host higher-mass central black holes. The observed relation between black-hole mass and star formation efficiency applies to all generations of stars formed throughout the life of a galaxy, revealing a continuous interplay between black-hole activity and baryon cooling.

Black-hole-regulated star formation in massive galaxies.

Science.gov (United States)

Martín-Navarro, Ignacio; Brodie, Jean P; Romanowsky, Aaron J; Ruiz-Lara, Tomás; van de Ven, Glenn

2018-01-18

Supermassive black holes, with masses more than a million times that of the Sun, seem to inhabit the centres of all massive galaxies. Cosmologically motivated theories of galaxy formation require feedback from these supermassive black holes to regulate star formation. In the absence of such feedback, state-of-the-art numerical simulations fail to reproduce the number density and properties of massive galaxies in the local Universe. There is, however, no observational evidence of this strongly coupled coevolution between supermassive black holes and star formation, impeding our understanding of baryonic processes within galaxies. Here we report that the star formation histories of nearby massive galaxies, as measured from their integrated optical spectra, depend on the mass of the central supermassive black hole. Our results indicate that the black-hole mass scales with the gas cooling rate in the early Universe. The subsequent quenching of star formation takes place earlier and more efficiently in galaxies that host higher-mass central black holes. The observed relation between black-hole mass and star formation efficiency applies to all generations of stars formed throughout the life of a galaxy, revealing a continuous interplay between black-hole activity and baryon cooling.

MOOSE Implementation of MAMBA

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Galloway, Jack [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Matthews, Topher [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2017-01-17

The development of MAMBA is targeted at capturing both core wide CRUD induced power shifts (CIPS) as well as pin-­level CRUD induced localized corrosion (CILC). Both CIPS and CILC require some sort of information from thermal-­hydraulic, neutronics, and fuel performance codes, although the degree of coupling is different for the two effects. Since CIPS necessarily requires a core-­wide power distribution solve, it requires tight coupling with a neutronics code. Conversely, CIPS tends to be an individual pin phenomenon, requiring tight coupling a fuel performance code. As efforts are now focused on coupling MAMBA within the VERA suite, a natural separation has surfaced in which a FORTRAN rewrite of MAMBA is optimal for VERA integration to capture CIPS behavior, while a CILC focused calculation would benefit from a tight coupling with BISON, motivating a MOOSE version of MAMBA.

A Conceptual Understanding of Organizational Identity in the Social Media Environment

OpenAIRE

Jimmy Young

2013-01-01

Nonprofit organizations have increasingly adopted the use of social media over the last several years. This presents a myriad of challenges and opportunities in regards to organizational identity. This paper provides a conceptual understanding of identity as an entry point for nonprofit organizations to deliberate their own use of social media and the relative impact on organizational identity. A theoretical understanding of the formation of social identity situates the development of organiz...

Understanding Litter Input Controls on Soil Organic Matter Turnover and Formation are Essential for Improving Carbon-Climate Feedback Predictions for Arctic, Tundra Ecosystems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wallenstein, Matthew [Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins, CO (United States)

2017-12-05

The Arctic region stored vast amounts of carbon (C) in soils over thousands of years because decomposition has been limited by cold, wet conditions. Arctic soils now contain roughly as much C that is contained in all other soils across the globe combined. However, climate warming could unlock this oil C as decomposition accelerates and permafrost thaws. In addition to temperature-driven acceleration of decomposition, several additional processes could either counteract or augment warming-induced SOM losses. For example, increased plant growth under a warmer climate will increase organic matter inputs to soils, which could fuel further soil decomposition by microbes, but will also increase the production of new SOM. Whether Arctic ecosystems store or release carbon in the future depends in part on the balance between these two counteracting processes. By differentiating SOM decomposition and formation and understanding the drivers of these processes, we will better understand how these systems function. We did not find evidence of priming under current conditions, defined as an increase in the decomposition of native SOM stocks. This suggests that decomposition is unlikely to be further accelerated through this mechanism. We did find that decomposition of native SOM did occur when nitrogen was added to these soils, suggesting that nitrogen limits decomposition in these systems. Our results highlight the resilience and extraordinary C storage capacity of these soils, and suggest shrub expansion may partially mitigate C losses from decomposition of old SOM as Arctic soils warm.

Mechanisms of Formation of Human Culture in Education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Baboshina Helen B.

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The relevance of the research problem lies in the necessity of an axiological approach to the formation of the personality in education and the task of strengthening the ideal image of the function. The aim of this article is studying and understanding the culture of personality formation mechanisms in relation to future specialists. The leading method of research was the theoretical analysis of philosophical and cultural approaches to the cultural formation of the personality and to the content of human culture. Content analysis was based on the philosophical and cultural concepts of V. S. Bibler, M. Buber, J. G. Herder, I. Kant, L. N. Kogan, D. S. Likhachev, A. Schweitzer, M. Scheler, and others. The experiment method was the experimental realization of formation stages of the future specialist as a person of culture, which allowed revealing the positive role of cultural mechanisms in this process. The result is the stages of human culture formation as well as mechanisms for their implementation. The article may be useful for specialists of the educational sphere, social philosophers, and culturologists.

Shape understanding system machine understanding and human understanding

CERN Document Server

Les, Zbigniew

2015-01-01

This is the third book presenting selected results of research on the further development of the shape understanding system (SUS) carried out by authors in the newly founded Queen Jadwiga Research Institute of Understanding. In this book the new term Machine Understanding is introduced referring to a new area of research aiming to investigate the possibility of building machines with the ability to understand. It is presented that SUS needs to some extent mimic human understanding and for this reason machines are evaluated according to the rules applied for the evaluation of human understanding. The book shows how to formulate problems and how it can be tested if the machine is able to solve these problems.    

ENDF/X: An Extended ENDF Format (Evolution, not Revolution)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cullen, Dermott E.

2014-04-01

Recently there has been yet another round of complaints about the ENDF format not being modern and general enough to handle today’s nuclear data. This has led to suggestions to abandon the current ENDF and move on to a new format. The complaints I hear I fear are based upon not understanding the primary purpose of ENDF and a lack of experience in using the ENDF format and not being flexible enough to deal with the current format. Personally I don’t think that any changes to the ENDF format are NECESSARY. But here I address the complaints that I have recently heard about the limitations of the ENDF format, and I suggest minor changes that will completely handle these complaints. In turn I would ask those who are complaining and feel that extensions are needed PLEASE give us some examples where these extensions are NEEDED. Personally I am not aware of any such data, but I am keeping an open mind and I would love to see examples that really REQUIRE extensions.

Using Clumped Isotopes to Understand Early Diagenetic Processes in Carbonate Microbialites of Mid-Cretaceous Codó Formation, NE Brazil

Science.gov (United States)

Bahniuk, A. M.; Vasconcelos, C.; McKenzie, J. A.; Franca, A. B.; Matsuda, N.; Eiler, J.

2010-12-01

Recent studies of the sedimentological, stratigraphic and geochemical aspects of carbonate microbialites have been carried out to characterize the paleoenvironmental and hydrological conditions of deposition for the Aptian Codó Formation (Parnaíba Basin) and the time-equivalent Santana Formation (Araripe Basin). This environmental interpretation is of interest because these sediments record the early stages of the opening of the Equatorial Atlantic Ocean, as well as being potentially important reservoir rock. Specifically, clumped isotope thermometry has been applied to evaluate the growth temperatures of carbonate components in selected samples from both outcrop and drill core. Preliminary results of clumped isotope measurements provide paleotemperatures derived for dense stromatolitic fabrics drilled from outcrop samples of the Codó Formation which vary between 29 and 33°C. In contrast, the micritic matrix of the drill core samples of the Codó Formation indicates a temperature range from 30 to 48°C. The lower values for the outcrop samples may represent a primary or early diagenetic temperature signal preserved in the rock. Moreover, the micritic matrix from the Santana Formation drill core samples indicates paleotemperatures ranging from 40 to 68°C, which are slightly higher than those for all measured samples of the Codó Formation. We propose that the higher paleotemperatures for all drill core samples denote a diagenetic effect that occurred with sediment lithification processes during burial; that is, isotopic reequilibration at depth is reflected in the higher measured paleotemperatures. Increased paleotemperatures are probably present in some carbonate fabrics of the outcrop samples of the Codo Formation, which also underwent lithification, but this signal was missed by our inability to micro-sample primary or early diagenetic stromatolitic fabrics. Assuming that the outcrop samples of the Codó Formation preserve an original stable isotope signal

Muonium formation in noble gases and noble gas mixtures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stambaugh, R.D.; Casperson, D.E.; Crane, T.W.; Hughes, V.W.; Kaspar, H.F.; Souder, P.; Thompson, P.A.; Orth, H.; zu Putlitz, G.; Denison, A.B.

1974-01-01

An experiment is reported to study the behavior of positive muons stopped in He, Ne, and Xe in order to provide a more complete understanding of muonium formation in the noble gases. Free muon and muonium precession are plotted. (U.S.)

THE ROLE OF MULTIPLICITY IN DISK EVOLUTION AND PLANET FORMATION

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kraus, Adam L. [Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii, 2680 Woodlawn Dr., Honolulu, HI 96822 (United States); Ireland, Michael J. [Sydney Institute for Astronomy (SIfA), School of Physics, University of Sydney, NSW 2006 (Australia); Hillenbrand, Lynne A. [California Institute of Technology, Department of Astrophysics, MC 249-17, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Martinache, Frantz [National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Subaru Telescope, Hilo, HI 96720 (United States)

2012-01-20

The past decade has seen a revolution in our understanding of protoplanetary disk evolution and planet formation in single-star systems. However, the majority of solar-type stars form in binary systems, so the impact of binary companions on protoplanetary disks is an important element in our understanding of planet formation. We have compiled a combined multiplicity/disk census of Taurus-Auriga, plus a restricted sample of close binaries in other regions, in order to explore the role of multiplicity in disk evolution. Our results imply that the tidal influence of a close ({approx}<40 AU) binary companion significantly hastens the process of protoplanetary disk dispersal, as {approx}2/3 of all close binaries promptly disperse their disks within {approx}<1 Myr after formation. However, prompt disk dispersal only occurs for a small fraction of wide binaries and single stars, with {approx}80%-90% retaining their disks for at least {approx}2-3 Myr (but rarely for more than {approx}5 Myr). Our new constraints on the disk clearing timescale have significant implications for giant planet formation; most single stars have 3-5 Myr within which to form giant planets, whereas most close binary systems would have to form giant planets within {approx}<1 Myr. If core accretion is the primary mode for giant planet formation, then gas giants in close binaries should be rare. Conversely, since almost all single stars have a similar period of time within which to form gas giants, their relative rarity in radial velocity (RV) surveys indicates either that the giant planet formation timescale is very well matched to the disk dispersal timescale or that features beyond the disk lifetime set the likelihood of giant planet formation.

ON THE STAR FORMATION RATES IN MOLECULAR CLOUDS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lada, Charles J.; Lombardi, Marco; Alves, Joao F.

2010-01-01

In this paper, we investigate the level of star formation activity within nearby molecular clouds. We employ a uniform set of infrared extinction maps to provide accurate assessments of cloud mass and structure and compare these with inventories of young stellar objects within the clouds. We present evidence indicating that both the yield and rate of star formation can vary considerably in local clouds, independent of their mass and size. We find that the surface density structure of such clouds appears to be important in controlling both these factors. In particular, we find that the star formation rate (SFR) in molecular clouds is linearly proportional to the cloud mass (M 0.8 ) above an extinction threshold of A K ∼ 0.8 mag, corresponding to a gas surface density threshold of Σ gas ∼ 116 M sun pc 2 . We argue that this surface density threshold corresponds to a gas volume density threshold which we estimate to be n(H 2 ) ∼ 10 4 cm -3 . Specifically, we find SFR (M sun yr -1 ) = 4.6 ± 2.6 x 10 -8 M 0.8 (M sun ) for the clouds in our sample. This relation between the rate of star formation and the amount of dense gas in molecular clouds appears to be in excellent agreement with previous observations of both galactic and extragalactic star-forming activity. It is likely the underlying physical relationship or empirical law that most directly connects star formation activity with interstellar gas over many spatial scales within and between individual galaxies. These results suggest that the key to obtaining a predictive understanding of the SFRs in molecular clouds and galaxies is to understand those physical factors which give rise to the dense components of these clouds.

Clustered star formation and the origin of stellar masses.

Science.gov (United States)

Pudritz, Ralph E

2002-01-04

Star clusters are ubiquitous in galaxies of all types and at all stages of their evolution. We also observe them to be forming in a wide variety of environments, ranging from nearby giant molecular clouds to the supergiant molecular clouds found in starburst and merging galaxies. The typical star in our galaxy and probably in others formed as a member of a star cluster, so star formation is an intrinsically clustered and not an isolated phenomenon. The greatest challenge regarding clustered star formation is to understand why stars have a mass spectrum that appears to be universal. This review examines the observations and models that have been proposed to explain these fundamental issues in stellar formation.

Control analysis as a tool to understand the formation of the las operon in Lactococcus lactis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Købmann, Brian Jensen; Solem, Christian; Jensen, Peter Ruhdal

2005-01-01

control on glycolysis and growth rate but high negative control on formate production. We find that PFK and PK have zero control on glycolysis and growth rate at the wildtype enzyme level but both enzymes exert strong positive control on the glycolytic flux at reduced activities. PK has high positive...... coefficient increased towards 3. Increased las expression resulted in a slight decrease in the glycolytic flux. At the wildtype level the control was close to zero on both glycolysis and the pyruvate branches. The sum of control coefficients for the three enzymes individually was comparable to the control...... coefficient found for the entire operon; the strong positive control by PK almost cancels out the negative control by LDH on formate production. The analysis suggests that co-regulation of PFK and PK provides a very efficient way to regulate glycolysis, and co-regulating PK and LDH allows the cells...

Othering, identity formation and agency

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sune Qvotrup Jensen

2011-10-01

Full Text Available The article examines the potentials of the concept of othering to describe identity formation among ethnic minorities. First, it outlines the history of the concept, its contemporary use, as well as some criticisms. Then it is argued that young ethnic minority men in Denmark are subject to intersectional othering, which contains elements of exoticist fascination of the other. On the basis of ethnographic material, it is analysed how young marginalized ethnic minority men react to othering. Two types of reactions are illustrated: 1 capitalization on being positioned as the other, and 2 refusing to occupy the position of the other by disidentification and claims to normality. Finally, it is argued that the concept of othering is well suited for understanding the power structures as well as the historic symbolic meanings conditioning such identity formation, but problematic in terms of agency.

Star Formation-Driven Winds in the Early Universe

Science.gov (United States)

Peek, Matthew; Lundgren, Britt; Brammer, Gabriel

2018-01-01

Measuring the extent of star formation-driven winds from galaxies in the early universe is crucial for understanding of how galaxies evolve over cosmic time. Using WFC3/IR grism data from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), we have measured the star formation rates and star formation rate surface densities of several hundred galaxies at redshift (z) = 1, when the universe was roughly half its present age. The galaxies we examine are also probed by background quasars, whose spectra provide information about the extent of metal-enriched gas in their halos. We use a computational pipeline to measure the density of the star formation in each galaxy and correlate these measurements with detections of Mg II absorption in nearby quasar spectra from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. Our preliminary results support a model in which galaxies with high SFR surface densities drive metal-enriched gas out of the disk and into these galaxies’ extended halos, where that gas is detected in the spectra of more distant quasars.

Enhancing and accelarating flavour formation by salt-tolerant yeasts in Japanese soy-sauce processes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sluis, van der C.; Tramper, J.; Wijffels, R.H.

2001-01-01

In soy-sauce processes salt-tolerant yeasts are very important for the flavour formation. This flavour formation is, however, slow and poorly understood. In the last decades, a concerted research effort has increased the understanding and resulted in the derivation of mutants with an enhanced

Formative assessment practices in Bhutanese secondary schools and its impact on Quality of Education

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Utha, Karma

Using case study approach, the dissertation provides the notions and practices of formative assessment in Bhutanese Secondary Schools. It includes the teachers’ understanding of the practice of student-centered teaching and learning, which is regarded as a precondition for effective formative...... assessment. It also take account of those features of formative assessment which are much more favored by students and teachers in the case study schools....

Computational Study of Thrombus Formation and Clotting Factor Effects under Venous Flow Conditions

Science.gov (United States)

2016-04-26

domain used in our thrombus formation simulations. Fig. 2 B shows the 3D geometry of the flow-chamber section consisting of two channels measuring 250 60...ArticleComputational Study of Thrombus Formation and Clotting Factor Effects under Venous Flow ConditionsVijay Govindarajan,1 Vineet Rakesh,1 Jaques...understanding of thrombus formation as a physicochemical process that has evolved to protect the integrity of the human vasculature is critical to our ability to

THE PSYCHOLOGICAL PECULIARITIES OF THE INFORMATION-COMMUNICATION COMPETENCE FORMATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Михаил Михайлович Пьянников

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Informatization of society has significantly changed the paradigm of education, posing the new problems to the scientists. One of such problems is the formation of new conscience – conscience, whose inalienable part is the information culture. The information-communication competence is the basis for the formation of such conscience. In this connection the aim of study is the analysis of psychological peculiarities of the formation of information-communication competence and determination of the role of this personality new formation in conscience of a modern human. The characteristic features of psychological new formations, the stages of cultural development and the role of cultural level of society in the formation of world outlook of a child are studied in this work. In the result of study there was found out the basis of psychic development. The sphere of results application includes the conclusions received in the result of study, which can be used by scholars, who deal with the problem of psychic development of a child. In practice the data of study help to understand better the stages of skill formation and the role of elementary actions in the formation of complex behavioral system.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.12731/2218-7405-2013-1-33

Consumer acceptability and understanding of front-of-pack nutrition labels.

Science.gov (United States)

Mejean, C; Macouillard, P; Péneau, S; Hercberg, S; Castetbon, K

2013-10-01

Front-of-pack (FOP) nutrition labelling has been proposed as a tool for helping consumers make healthy choices. Before determining its effects on consumer behaviour, factors involved in its use must be elucidated, i.e. understanding and acceptability on the part of the consumer. Among five FOP labels, we sought to determine which formats were most easily understood and accepted by a large sample of adults. Among 39 370 adults who participated in the French Nutrinet-Santé cohort study, understanding and indicators of acceptability (attitude, liking, visual attractiveness and perceived cognitive workload) were measured for five FOP labels: The currently used 'multiple traffic lights' (MTL) and 'simple traffic lights' (STL), and the 'colour range' logo (CR), the 'green tick' and the PNNS logo. We investigated the contribution of the different elements to consumer perception of FOP labels using multiple correspondence analyses. Over half of the sample population showed a high level of understanding and perceived no discomfort in terms of the different logos. Label formats were positioned along an acceptability gradient ranging from acceptance to rejection, consisting of 'liking', 'attractiveness' and indicators of perceived cognitive workload. MTL was significantly more often liked and was viewed as reliable and informative. MTL, STL and the green tick performed better than the CR and PNNS logos in terms of ease of identification and comprehension. CR was clearly the least appreciated and it had the most complex format. Consumers prefer FOP labels which give complete, reliable and simplified information on the nutrient quality of foods. © 2013 The Authors Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics © 2013 The British Dietetic Association Ltd.

Developing classroom formative assessment in dutch primary mathematics education

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van den Berg, M.; Harskamp, E.G.; Suhre, C.J.M.

2016-01-01

In the last two decades Dutch primary school students scored below expectation in international mathematics tests. An explanation for this may be that teachers fail to adequately assess their students’ understanding of learning goals and provide timely feedback. To improve the teachers’ formative

The Role of Magnetic Fields in Star Formation

Science.gov (United States)

Pipher, Judith

2018-06-01

The SOFIA instrument complement makes available the capability to characterize the physical properties (turbulence, dynamics, magnetic field structure and strength, gas density) of the molecular cloud filaments in which stars form.HAWC+, the newest SOFIA instrument, provides a unique opportunity to probe the complex roles that magnetic fields play in the star formation process on spatial scales intermediate to those explored by Planck (5’ scale), to those of ALMA at the smallest spatial scales (powerful tools to further our understanding of the fundamental physics of both low mass and high mass star formation, including the role that magnetic fields play in each.

Understanding r-process nucleosynthesis with dwarf galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Ji, Alexander P.

2018-06-01

The Milky Way's faintest dwarf galaxy satellites each sample short, independent bursts of star formation from the first 1-2 Gyr of the universe. Their simple formation history makes them ideal systems to understand how rare events like neutron star mergers contribute to early enrichment of r-process elements. I will focus on the ultra-faint galaxy Reticulum II, which experienced a single prolific r-process event that left ~80% of its stars extremely enriched in r-process elements. I will present abundances of ~40 elements derived from the highest signal-to-noise high-resolution spectrum ever taken for an ultra-faint dwarf galaxy star. Precise measurements of elements from all three r-process peaks reaffirm the universal nature of the r-process abundance pattern from Ba to Ir. The first r-process peak is significantly lower than solar but matches other r-process enhanced stars. This constrains the neutron-richness of r-process ejecta in neutron star mergers. The radioactive element thorium is detected with a somewhat low abundance. Naive application of currently predicted initial production ratios could imply an age >20 Gyr, but more likely indicates that the initial production ratios require revision. The abundance of lighter elements up to Zn are consistent with extremely metal-poor Milky Way halo stars. These elements may eventually provide a way to test for other hypothesized r-process sites, but only after a more detailed understanding of the chemical evolution in this galaxy. Reticulum II provides a clean view of early r-process enrichment that can be used to understand the increasing number of r-process measurements in other dwarf galaxies.

Galaxy formation hydrodynamics: From cosmic flows to star-forming clouds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bournaud, F.

2011-01-01

Major progress has been made over the last few years in understanding hydrodynamical processes on cosmological scales, in particular how galaxies get their baryons. There is increasing recognition that a large part of the baryons accrete smoothly onto galaxies, and that internal evolution processes play a major role in shaping galaxies mergers are not necessarily the dominant process. However, predictions from the various assembly mechanisms are still in large disagreement with the observed properties of galaxies in the nearby Universe. Small-scale processes have a major impact on the global evolution of galaxies over a Hubble time and the usual sub-grid models account for them in a far too uncertain way. Understanding when, where and at which rate galaxies formed their stars becomes crucial to understand the formation of galaxy populations. I discuss recent improvements and current limitations in 'resolved' modeling of star formation, aiming at explicitly capturing star-foul-ling instabilities, in cosmological and galaxy-sized simulations. Such models need to develop three-dimensional turbulence in the ISM, which requires parsec-scale resolution at redshift zero. (authors)

Geographic Literacy and Moral Formation among University Students

Science.gov (United States)

Bascom, Jonathan

2011-01-01

This study extends analysis of geographic literacy further by examining the relationship of geographic knowledge with the primary goal of geographic educators--cultivation of cultural understanding and moral sensitivity for global citizenry. The main aim is to examine contributors to moral formation during the university years based on a survey…

Formation of the satellites of the outer solar system - Sources of their atmospheres

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coradini, A.; Cerroni, P.; Magni, G.; Federico, C.

1989-01-01

The present account of the current understanding of regular satellite systems' origins gives attention to the essential processes leading to current satellite configurations, proceeding on the concept that the presence of atmospheres is connected with the final phases of satellite formation. Four major formation stages are envisioned: (1) the disk phase, linking the formation of the primary body to that of the satellites; (2) the formation phase of intermediate-sized bodies; (3) the collisional evolution of planatesimals; and (4) a series of evolutionary phases linking the primordial phases to currently observed states, in which the internal composition and thermal history of the satellites are key factors in satellite atmosphere formation

Some aspects of influence of coolant water chemistry on reliability of WWER and RBMK type fuels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Solyany, V.I.; Bibilashvili, Yu.K.; Sukhanov, G.I.; Pimenov, Yu.V.; Gosudarstvennyj Komitet po Ispol'zovaniyu Atomnoj Ehnergii SSSR, Moscow)

1983-01-01

In WWER and RBMK reactors now in operation a good quality of primary coolant is achieved and the required corrosion resistance of structural materials and normal irradiation conditions are ensured. Data on commercial fuel operation and clad material (Zr 1% Nb alloy) condition are briefly generalized. Some results of reactor investigations of corrosion behaviour of commercial Zr 1% Nb alloy under the condition of WWER and RBMK coolant are discussed and compared. It is established that the chemical effect of coolant on fuel cladding does not in itself limit its serviceability at design burn-ups but due to the possible processes of crud formation, corrosion (total and local), fretting-corrosion and hydriding it can influence the fuel reliability. This influence is qualitatively assessed through a rise in the clad temperature, a reduction of material plasticity and clad thickness. (author)

Some aspects of influence of coolant water chemistry on reliability of WWER and RBMK type fuels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Solyany, V I; Bibilashvili, Yu K; Sukhanov, G I; Pimenov, Yu V [Vsesoyuznyj Nauchno-Issledovatel' skij Inst. Neorganicheskikh Materialov, Moscow (USSR); Gosudarstvennyj Komitet po Ispol' zovaniyu Atomnoj Ehnergii SSSR, Moscow)

1983-12-01

In WWER and RBMK reactors now in operation a good quality of primary coolant is achieved and the required corrosion resistance of structural materials and normal irradiation conditions are ensured. Data on commercial fuel operation and clad material (Zr 1% Nb alloy) condition are briefly generalized. Some results of reactor investigations of corrosion behaviour of commercial Zr 1% Nb alloy under the condition of WWER and RBMK coolant are discussed and compared. It is established that the chemical effect of coolant on fuel cladding does not in itself limit its serviceability at design burn-ups but due to the possible processes of crud formation, corrosion (total and local), fretting-corrosion and hydriding it can influence the fuel reliability. This influence is qualitatively assessed through a rise in the clad temperature, a reduction of material plasticity and clad thickness.

Star Formation in low mass galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Mehta, Vihang

2018-01-01

Our current hierarchical view of the universe asserts that the large galaxies we see today grew via mergers of numerous smaller galaxies. As evidenced by recent literature, the collective impact of these low mass galaxies on the universe is more substantial than previously thought. Studying the growth and evolution of these low mass galaxies is critical to our understanding of the universe as a whole. Star formation is one of the most important ongoing processes in galaxies. Forming stars is fundamental to the growth of a galaxy. One of the main goals of my thesis is to analyze the star formation in these low mass galaxies at different redshifts.Using the Hubble UltraViolet Ultra Deep Field (UVUDF), I investigate the star formation in galaxies at the peak of the cosmic star formation history using the ultraviolet (UV) light as a star formation indicator. Particularly, I measure the UV luminosity function (LF) to probe the volume-averaged star formation properties of galaxies at these redshifts. The depth of the UVUDF is ideal for a direct measurement of the faint end slope of the UV LF. This redshift range also provides a unique opportunity to directly compare UV to the "gold standard" of star formation indicators, namely the Hα nebular emission line. A joint analysis of the UV and Hα LFs suggests that, on average, the star formation histories in low mass galaxies (~109 M⊙) are more bursty compared to their higher mass counterparts at these redshifts.Complementary to the analysis of the average star formation properties of the bulk galaxy population, I investigate the details of star formation in some very bursty galaxies at lower redshifts selected from Spitzer Large Area Survey with Hyper-Suprime Cam (SPLASH). Using a broadband color-excess selection technique, I identify a sample of low redshift galaxies with bright nebular emission lines in the Subaru-XMM Deep Field (SXDF) from the SPLASH-SXDF catalog. These galaxies are highly star forming and have

Sogin enriched uranium extraction (EUREX) plant spent fuel pool cleaning and decontamination utilizing the Smart Safe solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Denton, M.S.; Gili, M.; Nasta, M.; Quintiliani, R.; Caccia, G.; Botzen, W.; Forrester, K.

2009-01-01

SOGIN's EUREX facility in Italy was developed as a pilot plant functional testing laboratory for spent fuel reprocessing. This facility was operated successfully for many years since 1970 and was eventually shutdown consistent with Italy's suspension of all nuclear operations. At the time of suspension, the EUREX facility still had spent nuclear fuel assemblies in storage from a nearby PWR. Other fuel assemblies from an Italian AGR had remained stored in the spent fuel pool for the 20 years or so waiting for removal and reprocessing abroad. Being Magnox fuel elements, their recovery for the transport produced a huge amount of sludge in the pool. During this time, sediment, dirt, corrosion products, fuel cladding, etc. has collected within the fuel pool as a crud layer dispersed throughout. Most of this crud has accumulated on the horizontal surfaces of the pool and fuel element assemblies, while some remains as a suspended colloidal material. Furthermore many other contaminated metal components, used during the operation years, where still inside the pool. Due to a pool leak discovered in 2006, SOGIN speeded up its pool decommissioning program, making also available the transfer of the spent fuel to a nearby interim repository, with the goal to completely drain the pool in the shortest period of time. In order for SOGIN to successfully transfer the fuel assemblies from their current storage basket locations to the spent fuel transfer cask, the bulk of the crud needed to be removed. This cleanup operation was deemed necessary to minimize the suspension of contamination in the water during underwater handling operations. This would reduce the decontamination efforts on the transfer cask upon removal, once loaded with the spent fuel, and enhance safety by reducing potential underwater visibility issues. The operations were completed in July 2008 with the release to the environment of the pool water, thoroughly purified and without any relevant radiological impact. The

GSK-3β and Memory Formation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Akihiko eTakashima

2012-04-01

Full Text Available In Alzheimer’s disease (AD, tau hyperphosphorylation and neurofibrillary tangle (NFT formation are strongly associated with dementia. Memory impairment is a characteristic, early symptom of AD. Glycogen synthase kinase 3 β (GSK-3β, which is activated in response to amyloid β (Aβ formation, and the normal process of aging, hyperphosphorylates tau present in the NFTs. Furthermore, activation of GSK-3β inhibits synaptic long-term potentiation (LTP through tau. It is therefore likely, that activation of GSK-3β is responsible for the memory problems seen in both advanced age, and AD. Indeed, inhibition of GSK-3 by lithium halts the progression of symptoms in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI. However, long-term treatment of lithium increases the risk of dementia in old age, in bipolar patients. To understand the role of GSK-3β in brain function, we analyzed memory formation in GSK-3β heterozygote, knockout mice. Results indicate that these mice show impaired memory reconsolidation. It would seem that activation of GSK-3β is required for memory maintenance, with a higher requirement as animals age, and the volume of memory increases. This in turn causes exaggerated activation of GSK-3β, leading to memory problems, and the formation of NFTs.

Canine hippocampal formation composited into three-dimensional structure using MPRAGE.

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, Mi-Ae; Nahm, Sang-Soep; Lee, Min-Su; Lee, In-Hye; Lee, Ah-Ra; Jang, Dong-Pyo; Kim, Young-Bo; Cho, Zang-Hee; Eom, Ki-Dong

2010-07-01

This study was performed to anatomically illustrate the living canine hippocampal formation in three-dimensions (3D), and to evaluate its relationship to surrounding brain structures. Three normal beagle dogs were scanned on a MR scanner with inversion recovery segmented 3D gradient echo sequence (known as MP-RAGE: Magnetization Prepared Rapid Gradient Echo). The MRI data was manually segmented and reconstructed into a 3D model using the 3D slicer software tool. From the 3D model, the spatial relationships between hippocampal formation and surrounding structures were evaluated. With the increased spatial resolution and contrast of the MPRAGE, the canine hippocampal formation was easily depicted. The reconstructed 3D image allows easy understanding of the hippocampal contour and demonstrates the structural relationship of the hippocampal formation to surrounding structures in vivo.

Toward Understanding Pore Formation and Mobility during Controlled Directional Solidification in a Microgravity Environment Investigation (PFMI)

Science.gov (United States)

Grugel, Richard N.; Anilkumar, A. V.; Luz, Paul; Jeter, Linda; Volz, Martin P.; Spivey, Reggie; Smith, G.

2003-01-01

The generation and inclusion of detrimental porosity, e.g., pipes and rattails can occur during controlled directional solidification processing. The origin of these defects is generally attributed to gas evolution and entrapment during solidification of the melt. On Earth, owing to buoyancy, an initiated bubble can rapidly rise through the liquid melt and pop at the surface; this is obviously not ensured in a low gravity or microgravity environment. Clearly, porosity generation and inclusion is detrimental to conducting any meaningful solidification-science studies in microgravity. Thus it is essential that model experiments be conducted in microgravity, to understand the details of the generation and mobility of porosity, so that methods can be found to eliminate it. In hindsight, this is particularly relevant given the results of the previous directional solidification experiments conducted in Space. The current International Space Station (ISS) Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) investigation addresses the central issue of porosity formation and mobility during controlled directional solidification processing in microgravity. The study will be done using a transparent metal-analogue material, succinonitrile (SCN) and succinonitrile-water 'alloys', so that direct observation and recording of pore generation and mobility can be made during the experiments. Succinonitrile is particularly well suited for the proposed investigation because it is transparent, it solidifies in a manner analogous to most metals, it has a convenient melting point, its material properties are well characterized and, it has been successfully used in previous microgravity experiments. The PFMI experiment will be launched on the UF-2, STS-111 flight. Highlighting the porosity development problem in metal alloys during microgravity processing, the poster will describe: (i) the intent of the proposed experiments, (ii) the theoretical rationale behind using SCN as the study material for

Grounding formative assessment in high-school chemistry classrooms: Connections between professional development and teacher practice

Science.gov (United States)

Cisterna Alburquerque, Dante Igor

This study describes and analyzes the experiences of two high-school chemistry teachers who participated in a team-based professional development program to learn about and enact formative assessment in their classrooms. The overall purpose of this study is to explain how participation in this professional development influenced both teachers' classroom enactment of formative assessment practices. This study focuses on 1) teachers' participation in the professional development program, 2) teachers' enactment of formative assessment, and 3) factors that enabled or hindered enactment of formative assessment. Drawing on cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT) and using evidence from teacher lessons, teacher interviews, professional development meetings as data sources, this single embedded case study analyzes how these two teachers who participated in the same learning team and have similar characteristics (i.e., teaching in the same school, teaching the same courses and population of students, and using the same materials) differentially used the professional development learning about formative assessment as mediating tools to improve their classroom instruction. The learning team experience contributed to both teachers' development of a better understanding of formative assessment---especially in recognizing that their current grading and assessment practices were not appropriate to promote student learning---and the co-creation of artifacts to gather evidence of students' ideas. Although both teachers demonstrated understanding about how formative assessment may serve to promote student learning and had a set of tools available to utilize for formative assessment use, they did not enact these tools in the same way. One teacher appropriated formative assessment as mediating tool to verify if the students were following her explanations, and to check if the students were able to provide the correct response. The other teacher used the mediating tool to promote

Planetesimal formation starts at the snow line

Science.gov (United States)

Drążkowska, J.; Alibert, Y.

2017-12-01

Context. The formation stage of planetesimals represents a major gap in our understanding of the planet formation process. Late-stage planet accretion models typically make arbitrary assumptions about planetesimal and pebble distribution, while dust evolution models predict that planetesimal formation is only possible at some orbital distances. Aims: We wish to test the importance of the water snow line in triggering the formation of the first planetesimals during the gas-rich phase of a protoplanetary disk, when cores of giant planets have to form. Methods: We connected prescriptions for gas disk evolution, dust growth and fragmentation, water ice evaporation and recondensation, the transport of both solids and water vapor, and planetesimal formation via streaming instability into a single one-dimensional model for protoplanetary disk evolution. Results: We find that processes taking place around the snow line facilitate planetesimal formation in two ways. First, because the sticking properties between wet and dry aggregates change, a "traffic jam" inside of the snow line slows the fall of solids onto the star. Second, ice evaporation and outward diffusion of water followed by its recondensation increases the abundance of icy pebbles that trigger planetesimal formation via streaming instability just outside of the snow line. Conclusions: Planetesimal formation is hindered by growth barriers and radial drift and thus requires particular conditions to take place. The snow line is a favorable location where planetesimal formation is possible for a wide range of conditions, but not in every protoplanetary disk model, however. This process is particularly promoted in large cool disks with low intrinsic turbulence and an increased initial dust-to-gas ratio. The movie attached to Fig. 3 is only available at http://www.aanda.org

Teaching Teaching & Understanding Understanding

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

2006-01-01

"Teaching Teaching & Understanding Understanding" is a 19-minute award-winning short-film about teaching at university and higher-level educational institutions. It is based on the "Constructive Alignment" theory developed by Prof. John Biggs. The film delivers a foundation for understanding what...

Spatially-resolved star formation histories of CALIFA galaxies. Implications for galaxy formation

Science.gov (United States)

González Delgado, R. M.; Pérez, E.; Cid Fernandes, R.; García-Benito, R.; López Fernández, R.; Vale Asari, N.; Cortijo-Ferrero, C.; de Amorim, A. L.; Lacerda, E. A. D.; Sánchez, S. F.; Lehnert, M. D.; Walcher, C. J.

2017-11-01

This paper presents the spatially resolved star formation history (SFH) of nearby galaxies with the aim of furthering our understanding of the different processes involved in the formation and evolution of galaxies. To this end, we apply the fossil record method of stellar population synthesis to a rich and diverse data set of 436 galaxies observed with integral field spectroscopy in the CALIFA survey. The sample covers a wide range of Hubble types, with stellar masses ranging from M⋆ 109 to 7 × 1011 M⊙. Spectral synthesis techniques are applied to the datacubes to retrieve the spatially resolved time evolution of the star formation rate (SFR), its intensity (ΣSFR), and other descriptors of the 2D SFH in seven bins of galaxy morphology (E, S0, Sa, Sb, Sbc, Sc, and Sd) and five bins of stellar mass. Our main results are that (a) galaxies form very fast independently of their current stellar mass, with the peak of star formation at high redshift (z > 2). Subsequent star formation is driven by M⋆ and morphology, with less massive and later type spirals showing more prolonged periods of star formation. (b) At any epoch in the past, the SFR is proportional to M⋆, with most massive galaxies having the highest absolute (but lowest specific) SFRs. (c) While today, the ΣSFR is similar for all spirals and significantly lower in early-type galaxies (ETG), in the past, the ΣSFR scales well with morphology. The central regions of today's ETGs are where the ΣSFR reached the highest values (> 103 M⊙ Gyr-1 pc-2), similar to those measured in high-redshift star-forming galaxies. (d) The evolution of ΣSFR in Sbc systems matches that of models for Milky Way-like galaxies, suggesting that the formation of a thick disk may be a common phase in spirals at early epochs. (e) The SFR and ΣSFR in outer regions of E and S0 galaxies show that they have undergone an extended phase of growth in mass between z = 2 and 0.4. The mass assembled in this phase is in agreement with

The formation of galaxies from pregalactic stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jones, Janet

1982-01-01

A knowledge of how and when the first stars formed is vital for our understanding of the formation and early evolution of galaxies. Evidence is given that the first stars were pregalactic: indeed, that at least two generations of stars had formed before galaxies collapsed. A model is presented describing the effects of pregalactic stars on galaxy evolution. The first generation -primordial stars- were massive and few in number. A brief description is given for the formation of such a star. The second generation included stars of all masses and involved widespread star formation. Gas ejected from these stars on timescales of 6 x 10 7 to 6 x 10 8 years induced a qualitative change into the dynamics of collapsing perturbations, leading to a characteristic mass of galaxies of 10 10 - 10 12 M 0 . Variations in the rate of gas ejection were responsible for different morphological structures - elliptical and spirals. A few comments are made on some other implications of the model

How memory of direct animal interactions can lead to territorial pattern formation.

Science.gov (United States)

Potts, Jonathan R; Lewis, Mark A

2016-05-01

Mechanistic home range analysis (MHRA) is a highly effective tool for understanding spacing patterns of animal populations. It has hitherto focused on populations where animals defend their territories by communicating indirectly, e.g. via scent marks. However, many animal populations defend their territories using direct interactions, such as ritualized aggression. To enable application of MHRA to such populations, we construct a model of direct territorial interactions, using linear stability analysis and energy methods to understand when territorial patterns may form. We show that spatial memory of past interactions is vital for pattern formation, as is memory of 'safe' places, where the animal has visited but not suffered recent territorial encounters. Additionally, the spatial range over which animals make decisions to move is key to understanding the size and shape of their resulting territories. Analysis using energy methods, on a simplified version of our system, shows that stability in the nonlinear system corresponds well to predictions of linear analysis. We also uncover a hysteresis in the process of territory formation, so that formation may depend crucially on initial space-use. Our analysis, in one dimension and two dimensions, provides mathematical groundwork required for extending MHRA to situations where territories are defended by direct encounters. © 2016 The Author(s).

Cloud fluid models of gas dynamics and star formation in galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Struck-Marcell, Curtis; Scalo, John M.; Appleton, P. N.

1987-01-01

The large dynamic range of star formation in galaxies, and the apparently complex environmental influences involved in triggering or suppressing star formation, challenges the understanding. The key to this understanding may be the detailed study of simple physical models for the dominant nonlinear interactions in interstellar cloud systems. One such model is described, a generalized Oort model cloud fluid, and two simple applications of it are explored. The first of these is the relaxation of an isolated volume of cloud fluid following a disturbance. Though very idealized, this closed box study suggests a physical mechanism for starbursts, which is based on the approximate commensurability of massive cloud lifetimes and cloud collisional growth times. The second application is to the modeling of colliding ring galaxies. In this case, the driving processes operating on a dynamical timescale interact with the local cloud processes operating on the above timescale. The results is a variety of interesting nonequilibrium behaviors, including spatial variations of star formation that do not depend monotonically on gas density.

Use of a simplified consent form to facilitate patient understanding of informed consent for laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Borello Alessandro

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Surgical informed consent forms can be complicated for patients to read and understand. We created a consent form with key information presented in bulleted texts and diagrams combined in a graphical format to facilitate the understanding of information during the verbal consent discussion.

Filters for radioactive liquid wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koshiba, Yukihiko; Kawashima, Akio

1980-01-01

In the crud generated in the reactor cooling water for nuclear power plants, iron oxides (hematite and magnetite) are contained as the main components, and also Co, Mn, Fe, Cr exist as radioactive nuclides. A new filter to separate these cruds, nuclepore membrane filter (NPMF), was investigated for its adaptability, and has been adopted as a practical filter for radioactive liquid wastes. The NPMF has such features as the possibility of complete automation of operation, no generation of secondary wastes, and easy maintenance, because the NPMF has uniform circular holes in poly-carbonate thin films, and shows the properties of stable filtering of particulates, capability of back washing, and others. The elements mounted in a practical system have such construction that the membrane is cut in the form of doughnut, and sandwiched with 100 mesh polyester nets (spacer); the obtained unit filter (cassette) is mounted on the stackable plate of the same size; and 80 pieces of this cassette are formed in a filter of 4 m 2 filtering area. The performance varies with the properties of suspended matters and the turbidity of wastes. For example, the filtered liquid of 0.1 ppm or less can be obtained when the 1 μm filter material is used to treat the liquid waste containing 1 to 100 ppm suspended matters. Usually back washed water is produced by about 1/100 of treated liquid wastes. The lifetime of the membrane is expected to be 1 or 2 years if crud is the main component. (Wakatsuki, Y.)

[Impression Formation in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Mental Disorders].

Science.gov (United States)

Linden, Michael; Dymke, Tina; Hüttner, Susanne; Schnaubelt, Sabine

2016-06-01

The first item of any psychopathological assessment is "general impression". There is some research under the heading of "impression formation" which shows that the outer appearance of a person decides about how a person is perceived by others and how others react. Impression formation is an important factor in social interaction. This is of special importance in mental disorders, which may express themselves in a distorted impression formation. As impression formation is by and large an emotional process, measurement can be done by adjective lists. An example is the bipolar MED rating scale. Such lists can be used in therapy to help patients and therapists to understand the problem and initiate modifications. A special group intervention in occupational therapy is described. Results suggest that impression formation is quite objective, that self- and observer judgments coincide and that therapy can help to adopt a less irritating outer appearance. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Negotiating the use of formative assessment for learning in an era of accountability testing

Science.gov (United States)

Yin, Xinying

The purpose of this collaborative action research was to understand how science educators can negotiate the tension between integrating formative assessment (FA) for students' learning and meeting the need for standardized summative assessment (testing) from a critical perspective. Using formative assessment in the era of accountability testing was a process in which the science educators identified the ways that the standardized testing system constrained the teacher's use of FA to improve students' learning, sought solutions to overcome the obstacles and came to understand how FA can be utilized to neutralize the power relationship between the institutional requirement and classroom teaching and learning. The challenge of doing FA under the pressure of standardized testing mainly lie in two dimensions: one was the demand of teaching all the desired standard-based content to all students in a limited amount of time and the sufficient time and flexibility required by doing FA to improve students' understanding, the other was the different levels of knowledge and forms of knowledge representation on FA and tests. The negotiation of doing FA for teaching standards and preparing students for tests entailed six aspects for the collaborative team, including clarifying teaching objectives, reconstructing instructional activities, negotiating with time constraints, designing effective FA activities, attending to students' needs in doing FA, and modifying end-of-unit tests to better assess the learning goals. As the teacher's instructional goals evolved to be more focused on conceptual understanding of standards and more thorough understanding for less activities, she perceived doing FA for learning and preparing students for standardized tests as more congruent. By integrating both divergent and convergent FA into instruction as well as modifying tests to be more aligned with standards, students' learning were enhanced and they were also being prepared for tests. This

Densities and Kinematic Viscosities for the Systems Benzene + Methyl Formate, Benzene + Ethyl Formate, Benzene + Propyl Formate, and Benzene + Butyl Formate

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Emmerling, Uwe; Rasmussen, Peter

1998-01-01

a Redlich-Kister type of expression with temperature-independent parameters and the data for the systems benzene + ethyl formate, benzene + propyl formate, and benzene + butyl formate with temperature-dependent parameters. The viscosities have furthermore been compared to values predicted by means of the GC......Densities and kinematic viscosities have been measured for the system benzene + methyl formate at 20°C and for the systems benzene + ethyl formate, benzene + propyl formate, and benzene + butyl formate from 20°C to 50°C. The results for the system benzene + methyl formate have been correlated using...

Review of access, licenses and understandability of open datasets used in hydrology research

Science.gov (United States)

Falkenroth, Esa; Arheimer, Berit; Lagerbäck Adolphi, Emma

2015-04-01

could be that many data sets have been assembled by research project that no longer are funded. Hence, their server infrastructure would be less maintained compared to large-scale operational services. Regarding understandability of the data sets, the issues encountered were mainly due to incomplete documentation or metadata and problems with decoding binary formats. Ideally, open data sets should be represented in well-known formats and they should be accompanied with sufficient documentation so the data set can be understood. Furthermore, machine-readable format would be preferrable. Here, the development efforts on Water ML and NETCDF and other standards should improve understandability of data sets over time but in this review, only a few data sets were provided in these wellknown formats. Instead, the majority of datasets were stored in various text-based or binary formats or even document-oriented formats such as PDF. For some binary formats, we could not find information on what software was necessary to decipher the files. Other domains such as meteorology have long-standing traditions of operational data exchange format whereas hydrology research is still quite fragmented and the data exchange is usually done on a case-by-case basis. With the increased sharing of open data there is a good chance the situation will improve for data sets used in hydrology research. Finally, regarding licensce issue, a high number of data sets did not have a clear statement on terms of use and limitation for access. In most cases the provider could be contacted regarding licensing issues.

Effect of water chemistry on deposition for PWR plant operation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Le Calvar, Marc; Bretelle, J. L.; Cailleaux, J. P.; Lacroix, R.; Guivarch, M.; Gay, N.; Taunier, S.; Gressier, F.; Varry, P.; Corredera, G.; Alos-Ramos, O.; Dijoux, M.

2012-09-01

For Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) operation, water chemistry guidelines, specifications and associated surveillance programs are key to avoid deposition of oxides. Deposition of oxides can be detrimental by disrupting results of flow measurements, decreasing the thermal exchange capacity, or even by impairing safety. This paper describes the most important cases of deposition, their consequences for operation, and the implemented improvements to avoid their reoccurrence. Deposition that led to a Crud Induced Power Shift (CIPS) is also described. In the primary and in the secondary sides, orifice plates are typically used for measuring feedwater flow rate in nuclear power plants. Feedwater flow rates are used for control purposes and are important safety parameters as they are used to determine the plant's operating power level. Fouling of orifice plates in the primary side has been found during surveillance testing. For reactor coolant pumps, the formation of deposits on the seal No.1 can cause abnormally high or low leak rates through the seal. The leak rate through this seal must be carefully maintained within a prescribed range during plant operation. In the secondary side, orifice plate fouling has been the cause of feedwater flow/reference thermal power drift. For the steam generators (SG), magnetite deposition has led to fouling of the tube bundle, clogging of the quadri-foiled support plate holes and hard sludge formation on the base plate. For the generators, copper hollow conductors are widely used. Buildup of copper oxides on the interior walls of copper conductors has caused insufficient heat transfer. All these deposition cases have received adequate attention, understanding and response via improvement of our surveillance programs. (authors)

Assessing middle school students` understanding of science relationships and processes. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schau, C.; Mattern, N.; Weber, R. [Univ. of New Nexico, Albuquerque, NM (United States); Minnick, K. [Minnick & Associates, Inc., Albuquerque, NM (United States)

1994-09-01

Our overall goal for this multi-year project is to develop and validate an alternative assessment format that effectively measures middle school students understanding of the relationships among selected science concepts and processes. In this project, we collaborate with the staff of the Los Alamos National Laboratory`s TOPS Program and the Programs participating teachers and their students. We also work with selected middle school science teachers from the TOPS program at Sandia National Laboratories. Our goal for this past year was to develop and field test informally a variety of potential measurement formats. This work has allowed us to identify formats to test during the validation phase of the project which will occur during the second year.

Identification of genes that promote or inhibit olfactory memory formation in Drosophila.

Science.gov (United States)

Walkinshaw, Erica; Gai, Yunchao; Farkas, Caitlin; Richter, Daniel; Nicholas, Eric; Keleman, Krystyna; Davis, Ronald L

2015-04-01

Genetic screens in Drosophila melanogaster and other organisms have been pursued to filter the genome for genetic functions important for memory formation. Such screens have employed primarily chemical or transposon-mediated mutagenesis and have identified numerous mutants including classical memory mutants, dunce and rutabaga. Here, we report the results of a large screen using panneuronal RNAi expression to identify additional genes critical for memory formation. We identified >500 genes that compromise memory when inhibited (low hits), either by disrupting the development and normal function of the adult animal or by participating in the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying memory formation. We also identified >40 genes that enhance memory when inhibited (high hits). The dunce gene was identified as one of the low hits and further experiments were performed to map the effects of the dunce RNAi to the α/β and γ mushroom body neurons. Additional behavioral experiments suggest that dunce knockdown in the mushroom body neurons impairs memory without significantly affecting acquisition. We also characterized one high hit, sickie, to show that RNAi knockdown of this gene enhances memory through effects in dopaminergic neurons without apparent effects on acquisition. These studies further our understanding of two genes involved in memory formation, provide a valuable list of genes that impair memory that may be important for understanding the neurophysiology of memory or neurodevelopmental disorders, and offer a new resource of memory suppressor genes that will aid in understanding restraint mechanisms employed by the brain to optimize resources. Copyright © 2015 by the Genetics Society of America.

The effects of infographics and several quantitative versus qualitative formats for cardiovascular disease risk, including heart age, on people's risk understanding.

Science.gov (United States)

Damman, Olga C; Vonk, Suzanne I; van den Haak, Maaike J; van Hooijdonk, Charlotte M J; Timmermans, Danielle R M

2018-03-11

To study how comprehension of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk is influenced by: (1) infographics about qualitative risk information, with/without risk numbers; (2) which qualitative risk dimension is emphasized; (3) heart age vs. traditional risk format. For aim 1, a 2 (infographics versus text) x 2 (risk number versus no risk number) between-subjects design was used. For aim 2, three pieces of information were tested within-subjects. Aim 3 used a simple comparison group. Participants (45-65 yrs old) were recruited through an online access panel; low educated people were oversampled. They received hypothetical risk information (20%/61yrs). Primary outcomes: recall, risk appraisals, subjective/objective risk comprehension. behavioral intentions, information evaluations. Infographics of qualitative risk dimensions negatively affected recall, subjective risk comprehension and information evaluations. No effect of type of risk dimension was found on risk perception. Heart age influenced recall, comprehension, evaluations and affective risk appraisals. Infographics of hypothetical CVD risk information had detrimental effects on measures related to risk perception/comprehension, but effects were mainly seen in undereducated participants. Heart age influenced perceptions/comprehension of hypothetical risk in a way that seemed to support understanding. Heart age seems a fruitful risk communication approach in disease risk calculators. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

H2O Formation in C-rich AGB Winds

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lombaert, R.; Decin, L.; Royer, P.; de Koter, A.; Cox, N.L.J.; De Ridder, J.; Khouri, T.; Agúndez, M.; Blommaert, J.A.D.L.; Gernicharo, J.; González-Alfonso, E.; Groenewegen, M.A.T.; Kerschbaum, F.; Neufeld, D.; Vandenbussche, B.; Waelkens, C.

2015-01-01

The Herschel detection of warm H2O vapor emission from C-rich winds of AGB stars challenges the current understanding of circumstellar chemistry. Two mechanisms have been invoked to explain warm H2O formation. In the first, penetration of UV interstellar radiation through a clumpy circumstellar

Circuit Formation by Spatio-Temporal Control of Messenger RNA ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

The connections inside the brain need to be wired in a precise manner during development to ensure its proper function. This project will provide insight into circuit formation to help us understand how axon regeneration can improve clinical outcomes. Brain wiring, damage, and developmental defects Researchers have ...

[Homeostasis and Disorder of Musculoskeletal System.Enthesis formation and repair:Current understanding and perspectives for the future regenerative therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Tokunaga, Takuya; Arimura, Hitoshi; Mizuta, Hiroshi; Hiraki, Yuji; Shukunami, Chisa

Tendons and ligaments are dense fibrous connective tissues mainly composed of type I collagen, aligned in highly ordered arrays along the axis of the tendon and ligament. The enthesis is defined as the attachment site of a tendon, ligament, joint capsule, or fascia to bone. During morphogenesis, the cell population co-expressing Scleraxis(Scx)and the SRY-box containing gene 9(Sox9)contributes to the formation of fibrocartilaginous entheses. Scx regulates tendon and ligament maturation, while Sox9 is a key regulatory factor for cartilage formation. The considerable mechanical forces transmitted through the enthesis and avascular properties of the tissue make it more prone to injuries and degenerative changes. Thus, integration of tendons or ligaments with bone following surgical repair remains a clinical challenge. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge regarding the formation, maintenance, damage, and repair of fibrocartilaginous entheses, focusing on the rotator cuff tendon-to-bone attachment sites.

Parental Understanding of Tuberous Sclerosis Complex.

Science.gov (United States)

Samia, Pauline; Donald, Kirsten A; Schlegel, Birgit; Wilmshurst, Jo M

2015-09-01

Tuberous sclerosis complex is a genetic disorder with multisystem involvement that poses significant challenges to the affected child and family. Caregiver knowledge in the South African population has not previously been reported. A prospective study of the parents of 21 children with tuberous sclerosis complex was undertaken. Median parental age was 38 (interquartile range 34.5-45) years. Parents were randomly allocated to receive written information about the condition, or to receive verbal counseling already established in clinic. A significant difference (P = .001) was observed in the change in the mean knowledge scores for the parent group that received written information (34.2 at baseline, 51.7 at the second visit. This impact was higher in parents with an education level of at least grade 8 (P = .003). Parental understanding of tuberous sclerosis complex can be improved by provision of written information and should be routinely available in a readily understandable format. © The Author(s) 2014.

Diagnostic Appraisal of Grade 12 Students' Understanding of Reaction Kinetics

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Yaw Kai; Subramaniam, R.

2016-01-01

The study explored grade 12 students' understanding of reaction kinetics, a topic which has not been extensively explored in the chemistry education literature at this level. A 3-tier diagnostic instrument with 11 questions was developed--this format is of very recent origin and has been the subject of only a handful of studies. The findings…

Peculiar early-type galaxies with central star formation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ge Chong; Gu Qiusheng

2012-01-01

Early-type galaxies (ETGs) are very important for understanding the formation and evolution of galaxies. Recent observations suggest that ETGs are not simply old stellar spheroids as we previously thought. Widespread recent star formation, cool gas and dust have been detected in a substantial fraction of ETGs. We make use of the radial profiles of g — r color and the concentration index from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey database to pick out 31 peculiar ETGs with central blue cores. By analyzing the photometric and spectroscopic data, we suggest that the blue cores are caused by star formation activities rather than the central weak active galactic nucleus. From the results of stellar population synthesis, we find that the stellar population of the blue cores is relatively young, spreading from several Myr to less than one Gyr. In 14 galaxies with H I observations, we find that the average gas fraction of these galaxies is about 0.55. The bluer galaxies show a higher gas fraction, and the total star formation rate (SFR) correlates very well with the H I gas mass. The star formation history of these ETGs is affected by the environment, e.g. in the denser environment the H I gas is less and the total SFR is lower. We also discuss the origin of the central star formation of these early-type galaxies.

Linker-dependent Junction Formation Probability in Single-Molecule Junctions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yoo, Pil Sun; Kim, Taekyeong [HankukUniversity of Foreign Studies, Yongin (Korea, Republic of)

2015-01-15

We compare the junction formation probabilities of single-molecule junctions with different linker molecules by using a scanning tunneling microscope-based break-junction technique. We found that the junction formation probability varies as SH > SMe > NH2 for the benzene backbone molecule with different types of anchoring groups, through quantitative statistical analysis. These results are attributed to different bonding forces according to the linker groups formed with Au atoms in the electrodes, which is consistent with previous works. Our work allows a better understanding of the contact chemistry in the metal.molecule junction for future molecular electronic devices.

Star formation rates and abundance gradients in disk galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wyse, R.F.G.; Silk, J.

1989-01-01

Analytic models for the evolution of disk galaxies are presented, placing special emphasis on the radial properties. These models are straightforward extensions of the original Schmidt (1959, 1963) models, with a dependence of star formation rate on gas density. The models provide successful descriptions of several measures of galactic disk evolution, including solar neighborhood chemical evolution, the presence and amplitude of metallicity and color gradients in disk galaxies, and the global rates of star formation in disk galaxies, and aid in the understanding of the apparent connection between young and old stellar populations in spiral galaxies. 67 refs

Using Butler to Understand the Multiplicity and Variability of Policy Reception

Science.gov (United States)

Gowlett, Christina; Keddie, Amanda; Mills, Martin; Renshaw, Peter; Christie, Pam; Geelan, David; Monk, Sue

2015-01-01

Understanding how teachers make sense of education policy is important. We argue that an exploration of teacher reactions to policy requires an engagement with theory focused on the formation of "the subject" since this form of theorisation addresses the creation of a seemingly coherent identity and attitude while acknowledging variation…

Time-resolved diffraction of shock-released SiO2 and diaplectic glass formation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gleason, A. E.; Bolme, C. A.; Lee, H. J.; Nagler, B.

2017-01-01

Understanding how rock-forming minerals transform under shock loading is critical for modeling collisions between planetary bodies, interpreting the significance of shock features in minerals and for using them as diagnostic indicators of impact conditions, such as shock pressure. To date, our understanding of the formation processes experienced by shocked materials is based exclusively on ex situ analyses of recovered samples. Formation mechanisms and origins of commonly observed mesoscale material features, such as diaplectic (i.e., shocked) glass, remain therefore controversial and unresolvable. Here in this paper we show in situ pump-probe X-ray diffraction measurements on fused silica crystallizing to stishovite on shock compression and then converting to an amorphous phase on shock release in only 2.4 ns from 33.6 GPa. Recovered glass fragments suggest permanent densification. These observations of real-time diaplectic glass formation attest that it is a back-transformation product of stishovite with implications for revising traditional shock metamorphism stages.

IMPACTS OF BIOFILM FORMATION ON CELLULOSE FERMENTATION

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Leschine, Susan

2009-10-31

This project addressed four major areas of investigation: i) characterization of formation of Cellulomonas uda biofilms on cellulose; ii) characterization of Clostridium phytofermentans biofilm development; colonization of cellulose and its regulation; iii) characterization of Thermobifida fusca biofilm development; colonization of cellulose and its regulation; and iii) description of the architecture of mature C. uda, C. phytofermentans, and T. fusca biofilms. This research is aimed at advancing understanding of biofilm formation and other complex processes involved in the degradation of the abundant cellulosic biomass, and the biology of the microbes involved. Information obtained from these studies is invaluable in the development of practical applications, such as the single-step bioconversion of cellulose-containing residues to fuels and other bioproducts. Our results have clearly shown that cellulose-decomposing microbes rapidly colonize cellulose and form complex structures typical of biofilms. Furthermore, our observations suggest that, as cells multiply on nutritive surfaces during biofilms formation, dramatic cell morphological changes occur. We speculated that morphological changes, which involve a transition from rod-shaped cells to more rounded forms, might be more apparent in a filamentous microbe. In order to test this hypothesis, we included in our research a study of biofilm formation by T. fusca, a thermophilic cellulolytic actinomycete commonly found in compost. The cellulase system of T. fusca has been extensively detailed through the work of David Wilson and colleagues at Cornell, and also, genome sequence of a T. fusca strain has been determine by the DOE Joint Genome Institute. Thus, T. fusca is an excellent subject for studies of biofilm development and its potential impacts on cellulose degradation. We also completed a study of the chitinase system of C. uda. This work provided essential background information for understanding how C. uda

Promoting Prospective Elementary Teachers' Learning to Use Formative Assessment for Life Science Instruction

Science.gov (United States)

Sabel, Jaime L.; Forbes, Cory T.; Zangori, Laura

2015-06-01

To support elementary students' learning of core, standards-based life science concepts highlighted in the Next Generation Science Standards, prospective elementary teachers should develop an understanding of life science concepts and learn to apply their content knowledge in instructional practice to craft elementary science learning environments grounded in students' thinking. To do so, teachers must learn to use high-leverage instructional practices, such as formative assessment, to engage students in scientific practices and connect instruction to students' ideas. However, teachers may not understand formative assessment or possess sufficient science content knowledge to effectively engage in related instructional practices. To address these needs, we developed and conducted research within an innovative course for preservice elementary teachers built upon two pillars—life science concepts and formative assessment. An embedded mixed methods study was used to evaluate the effect of the intervention on preservice teachers' (n = 49) content knowledge and ability to engage in formative assessment practices for science. Findings showed that increased life content knowledge over the semester helped preservice teachers engage more productively in anticipating and evaluating students' ideas, but not in identifying effective instructional strategies to respond to those ideas.

The idiopathic interstitial pneumonias: understanding key radiological features

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dixon, S. [Department of Radiology, Churchill Hospital, Old Road, Oxford OX3 7LJ (United Kingdom); Benamore, R., E-mail: Rachel.Benamore@orh.nhs.u [Department of Radiology, Churchill Hospital, Old Road, Oxford OX3 7LJ (United Kingdom)

2010-10-15

Many radiologists find it challenging to distinguish between the different interstitial idiopathic pneumonias (IIPs). The British Thoracic Society guidelines on interstitial lung disease (2008) recommend the formation of multidisciplinary meetings, with diagnoses made by combined radiological, pathological, and clinical findings. This review focuses on understanding typical and atypical radiological features on high-resolution computed tomography between the different IIPs, to help the radiologist determine when a confident diagnosis can be made and how to deal with uncertainty.

The idiopathic interstitial pneumonias: understanding key radiological features

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dixon, S.; Benamore, R.

2010-01-01

Many radiologists find it challenging to distinguish between the different interstitial idiopathic pneumonias (IIPs). The British Thoracic Society guidelines on interstitial lung disease (2008) recommend the formation of multidisciplinary meetings, with diagnoses made by combined radiological, pathological, and clinical findings. This review focuses on understanding typical and atypical radiological features on high-resolution computed tomography between the different IIPs, to help the radiologist determine when a confident diagnosis can be made and how to deal with uncertainty.

Investigation of antihemolytic, xanthine oxidase inhibition ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Abbreviations: SVEs: Salvia Verbenaca L. aerial part Extracts; CrE: Crud Extract; ChE: Chloroform Extract ; EAE: Ethyl Acetate Extract; AqE : Aqueous Extract ; ROS: Reactive Oxygen Spices; AAPH : 2,2, -Azobis (2-AmidinoPropane) Dihydrochloride ; DPPH: DiPhenyl- Picryl-Hydrazyl; XO: Xanthine Oxidase; Gen: Gentamicin ...

Production of milk-clotting enzyme by Bacillus subtilis B1 from wheat ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Jane

2011-08-22

Aug 22, 2011 ... average percentages of starch, proteins, moisture, crud fibers, ash and others in ... To confirm optimum reaction temperature, the milk samples were previously equilibrated at ... casein digestion method (Shieh et al., 2009). One unit of ..... medium for α-amylase production from a hyper-producing Bacillus.

The Cold Side of Galaxy Formation: Dense Gas Through Cosmic Time

Science.gov (United States)

Riechers, Dominik A.; ngVLA Galaxy Assembly through Cosmic Time Science Working Group, ngVLA Galaxy Ecosystems Science Working Group

2018-01-01

The processes that lead to the formation and evolution of galaxies throughout the history of the Universe involve the complex interplay between hierarchical merging of dark matter halos, accretion of primordial and recycled gas, transport of gas within galaxy disks, accretion onto central super-massive black holes, and the formation of molecular clouds which subsequently collapse and fragment. The resulting star formation and black hole accretion provide large sources of energy and momentum that light up galaxies and lead to feedback. The ngVLA will be key to further understand how gas is accreted onto galaxies, and the processes that regulate the growth of galaxies through cosmic history. It will reveal how and on which timescales star formation and black hole accretion impact the gas in galaxies, and how the physical properties and chemical state of the gas change as gas cycles between different phases for different galaxy populations over a broad range in redshifts. The ngVLA will have the capability to carry out unbiased, large cosmic volume surveys at virtually any redshift down to an order of magnitude lower gas masses than currently possible in the critical low-level CO lines, thus exposing the evolution of gaseous reservoirs from the earliest epochs to the peak of the cosmic history of star formation. It will also image routinely and systematically the sub-kiloparsec scale distribution and kinematic structure of molecular gas in both normal main-sequence galaxies and large starbursts. The ngVLA thus is poised to revolutionize our understanding of galaxy evolution through cosmic time.

Mantle dynamics following supercontinent formation

Science.gov (United States)

Heron, Philip J.

This thesis presents mantle convection numerical simulations of supercontinent formation. Approximately 300 million years ago, through the large-scale subduction of oceanic sea floor, continental material amalgamated to form the supercontinent Pangea. For 100 million years after its formation, Pangea remained relatively stationary, and subduction of oceanic material featured on its margins. The present-day location of the continents is due to the rifting apart of Pangea, with supercontinent dispersal being characterized by increased volcanic activity linked to the generation of deep mantle plumes. The work presented here investigates the thermal evolution of mantle dynamics (e.g., mantle temperatures and sub-continental plumes) following the formation of a supercontinent. Specifically, continental insulation and continental margin subduction are analyzed. Continental material, as compared to oceanic material, inhibits heat flow from the mantle. Previous numerical simulations have shown that the formation of a stationary supercontinent would elevate sub-continental mantle temperatures due to the effect of continental insulation, leading to the break-up of the continent. By modelling a vigorously convecting mantle that features thermally and mechanically distinct continental and oceanic plates, this study shows the effect of continental insulation on the mantle to be minimal. However, the formation of a supercontinent results in sub-continental plume formation due to the re-positioning of subduction zones to the margins of the continent. Accordingly, it is demonstrated that continental insulation is not a significant factor in producing sub-supercontinent plumes but that subduction patterns control the location and timing of upwelling formation. A theme throughout the thesis is an inquiry into why geodynamic studies would produce different results. Mantle viscosity, Rayleigh number, continental size, continental insulation, and oceanic plate boundary evolution are

Vesicles and vesicle gels - structure and dynamics of formation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gradzielski, M

2003-01-01

Vesicles constitute an interesting morphology formed by self-aggregating amphiphilic molecules. They exhibit a rich structural variety and are of interest both from a fundamental point of view (for studying closed bilayer systems) and from a practical point of view (whenever one is interested in the encapsulation of active molecules). In many circumstances vesicular structures have to be formed by external forces, but of great interest are amphiphilic systems, where they form spontaneously. Here the question arises of whether this means that they are also thermodynamically stable structures, which at least in some systems appears to be the case. If such vesicles are well defined in size, it is possible to pack them densely and thereby form vesicle gels that possess highly elastic properties even for relatively low volume fractions of amphiphile. Conditions for the formation and the microstructure of such vesicle gels have been studied in some detail for the case of unilamellar vesicles. Another important and topical issue is the dynamics of vesicle formation/breakdown, as the understanding of the transition process will open the way to a deeper understanding of their stability and also allow controlling of the structures formed, by means of their formation processes. Significant progress in the study of the transformation processes has been achieved, in particular by means of time-resolved scattering experiments. (topical review)

Nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Inami, Ichiro; Kobayashi, Minoru.

1995-01-01

In a condensate cleanup system and a reactor water cleanup system of a BWR-type reactor, in which primary coolants flow, there is disposed a filtering and desalting device using hollow thread membrane filter and ion exchange resin for a condensate cleanup system, and using a high temperature filter made of a metal, a metal oxide or ceramics as a filtering material and a precoat filter made of a powdery ion exchange resin as a filtering material for a reactor water cleanup system. This can completely remove cruds generated in the condensate system. Since the reactor water cleanup system comprises the powdery resin precoat-type filtering and desalting device and the high temperature filter using ceramics, ionic impurities such as radioactive materials can be removed. Accordingly, cruds are not carried into the inside of the reactor, and since the radioactive concentration in the reactor water is reduced, radiation exposure upon periodical inspection can be minimized almost to zero, to attain a clean plant. (T.M.)

Recent improvements in the filtration of corrosion products in high temperature water and application to reactor circuits

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Darras, R.; Dolle, L.; Chenouard, J.; Laylavoix, F.

1977-01-01

The nature and physico-chemical behavior of corrosion products released by structural materials into high temperature water flowing in power reactor circuits have been investigated in test loops and different power plants. The results improve more particularly the knowledge of probable rate constants governing their disappearance through deposition of crud on the fuel cladding. It appears that a considerable limitation of radioactivity transportation in the primary circuit components of pressurized water reactors is in a general way only possible through extraction of the corrosion products by filtration at a rate adequate to minimize the amount of crud deposited in the core. This extraction rate has been estimated; its magnitude implicates a filtration operating on the high temperature water in the primary circuit which allows the necessary high flows. The application of magnetic and electromagnetic so as deep granular graphite bed filters has been studied. The results concerning efficiencies and limiting yields at high temperatures are given. Estimates concerning technological feasibility and corresponding investments are discussed

Method of removing suspended impurity from mixed floor type filtering desalter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oya, Takashi; Morikawa, Yoshitake; Hagiwara, Masahiro; Kozu, Hideo; Izumi, Takeshi.

1989-01-01

In BWR type nuclear power plants, since the inside of a nuclear reactor has to be always kept clean, condensates flowing from a condensator to the inside of the reactor are cleaned-up by a condensate desalting tower into a highly cleaned-up state and then utilized as coolants for the inside of the reactor. Upon processing primary coolants, a mixed floor is formed with a resin in which the crosslinking rate of granular or powdery cationic exchange resins is reduced as from 7.5 to 3% of divinyl benzene (DVB) content. Crud separating effect is larger as the DVB content (%) is lower. However, if the DVB content is too small fracture strength and heat exchange capacity of the resins are decreased making it difficult for handling and, accordingly, practical lower limit is set to 3%. This enables sufficient removal of cruds upon eliminating suspended impurities in a mixed floor type filtering desalter. (T.M.)

Effect of gamma irradiation on the microbial load, chemical and sensory properties of the goat meat

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al-Bachir, M.; Zeinou, R.

2010-07-01

The present study was undertaken to assess the quality characteristics and to evaluate the effects of gamma irradiation (0, 2, 4, and 6 kGy) of Jabaly Syrian goat meat on microbiological, chemical, and sensory characteristics during storage at 4 degree centigrade (1, 3, 4, and 5 weeks). Irradiation was effective in reducing the microbial load and increasing the shelf-life of goat meat. The radiation doses required to reduce the microorganisms by 90 percent (D10) in goat meat were 294 and 400 Gy for the Salmonella and E. coli, respectively. The main fatty acids identified from the goat meat were oleic, stearic, and palmitic acids. No significant differences were observed in moisture, crud protein, crud fat, ash, pH value, fatty acids, total acidity, volatile basic nitrogen, and sensory properties (texture, flavor, color, and taste) of the radiation processing and non-irradiated goat meat. Lipid peroxidation measured in term of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) on irradiation and chilled storage increased. (Author)

Understanding Gas-Phase Ammonia Chemistry in Protoplanetary Disks

Science.gov (United States)

Chambers, Lauren; Oberg, Karin I.; Cleeves, Lauren Ilsedore

2017-01-01

Protoplanetary disks are dynamic regions of gas and dust around young stars, the remnants of star formation, that evolve and coagulate over millions of years in order to ultimately form planets. The chemical composition of protoplanetary disks is affected by both the chemical and physical conditions in which they develop, including the initial molecular abundances in the birth cloud, the spectrum and intensity of radiation from the host star and nearby systems, and mixing and turbulence within the disk. A more complete understanding of the chemical evolution of disks enables a more complete understanding of the chemical composition of planets that may form within them, and of their capability to support life. One element known to be essential for life on Earth is nitrogen, which often is present in the form of ammonia (NH3). Recent observations by Salinas et al. (2016) reveal a theoretical discrepancy in the gas-phase and ice-phase ammonia abundances in protoplanetary disks; while observations of comets and protostars estimate the ice-phase NH3/H2O ratio in disks to be 5%, Salinas reports a gas-phase NH3/H2O ratio of ~7-84% in the disk surrounding TW Hydra, a young nearby star. Through computational chemical modeling of the TW Hydra disk using a reaction network of over 5000 chemical reactions, I am investigating the possible sources of excess gas-phase NH3 by determining the primary reaction pathways of NH3 production; the downstream chemical effects of ionization by ultraviolet photons, X-rays, and cosmic rays; and the effects of altering the initial abundances of key molecules such as N and N2. Beyond providing a theoretical explanation for the NH3 ice/gas discrepancy, this new model may lead to fuller understanding of the gas-phase formation processes of all nitrogen hydrides (NHx), and thus fuller understanding of the nitrogen-bearing molecules that are fundamental for life as we know it.

Modern limnology, sediment accumulation and varve formation processes in Lake Żabińskie, northeastern Poland: comprehensive process studies as a key to understand the sediment record

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alicja Bonk

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Reconstructions of paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental data from sediment records require a thorough knowledge of the physical, chemical and biological factors that influence sediment-formation processes and signal preservation in lake sediments. Lake Żabińskie, an eutrophic hardwater lake located in northeastern Poland (Masurian Lake District, provides an unique environment for the investigation of processes that lead to the varve formation. During a two-year long observation period we investigated limnological and hydrochemical conditions within the water column, recent sediment fluxes and laminations preserved in the sediments of this lake to understand the relationship between the lake water properties and the sediment formation processes. We demonstrate that different mixing patterns may occur in Lake Żabińskie, from dimictic to meromictic depending on the meteorological conditions. Regardless of the water mixing pattern, the lake was stratified during much of the year which led to significant differences between surface and near-bottom water environments. The hypolimnion was characterized by higher conductivity and anoxic conditions with only short periods of better oxygenation, which created conditions ideal for the formation and preservation of biogenic varves. The material collected from the sediment trap revealed notable changes in sediment fluxes with characteristic spring maxima and, optionally, a second late fall maxima. Considerable variability was also observed for the fluxes of total organic carbon, biogenic silica and calcite. Microscopic investigation of the topmost sediments revealed a complex structure of the varves showing a distinct spring calcite lamina followed by several fine calcite laminae interbedded with diatom-rich laminae and, finally, by an organic-rich lamina with minerogenic admixtures deposited during winter. This seasonal variability was also reflected in the chemical composition inferred from high

The interstellar medium, expanding nebulae and triggered star formation theory and simulations

CERN Document Server

Bisbas, Thomas G

2016-01-01

This brief brings together the theoretical aspects of star formation and ionized regions with the most up-to-date simulations and observations. Beginning with the basic theory of star formation, the physics of expanding HII regions is reviewed in detail and a discussion on how a massive star can give birth to tens or hundreds of other stars follows. The theoretical description of star formation is shown in simplified and state-of-the-art numerical simulations, describing in a more clear way how feedback from massive stars can trigger star and planet formation. This is also combined with spectacular images of nebulae taken by talented amateur astronomers. The latter is very likely to stimulate the reader to observe the structure of nebulae from a different point of view, and better understand the associated star formation therein.

The formation of aromatics and PAH's in laminar flames

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marinov, N M; Pitz, W J; Westbrook, C K

1999-01-01

The formation of aromatics and PAH's is an important problem in combustion. These compounds are believed to contribute to the formation of soot whose emission from diesel engines is regulated widely throughout the industrial world. Additionally, the United States Environmental Protection Agency regulates the emission of many aromatics and PAH species from stationary industrial burners, under the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments. The above emission regulations have created much interest in understanding how these species are formed in combustion systems. Much previous work has been done on aromatics and PAH's. The work is too extensive to review here, but is reviewed in Reference 1. A few recent developments are highlighted here. McEnally, Pfefferle and coworkers have studied aromatic, PAH and soot formation in a variety of non-premixed flames with hydrocarbon additives[2-4]. They found additives that contain a C5 ring increase the concentration of aromatics and soot[4]. Howard and coworkers have studied the formation of aromatic and PAH's in low pressure, premixed, laminar hydrocarbon flames. They found the cyclopentadienyl radical to be a key species in naphthalene formation in a fuel-rich, benzene/Ar/O2 flame[5

Towards an understanding of the propensity for crystalline hydrate formation by molecular compounds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alankriti Bajpai

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Hydrates are technologically important and ubiquitous yet they remain a poorly understood and understudied class of molecular crystals. In this work, we attempt to rationalize propensity towards hydrate formation through crystallization studies of molecules that lack strong hydrogen-bond donor groups. A Cambridge Structural Database (CSD survey indicates that the statistical occurrence of hydrates in 124 molecules that contain five- and six-membered N-heterocyclic aromatic moieties is 18.5%. However, hydrate screening experiments on a library of 11 N-heterocyclic aromatic compounds with at least two acceptor moieties and no competing hydrogen-bond donors or acceptors reveals that over 70% of this group form hydrates, suggesting that extrapolation from CSD statistics might, at least in some cases, be deceiving. Slurrying in water and exposure to humidity were found to be the most effective discovery methods. Electrostatic potential maps and/or analysis of the crystal packing in anhydrate structures was used to rationalize why certain molecules did not readily form hydrates.

Activation of PAD4 in NET formation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amanda eRohrbach

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Peptidyl arginine deiminases, or PADs, convert arginine residues to the non-ribosomally encoded amino acid citrulline in a variety of protein substrates. PAD4 is expressed in granulocytes and is essential for the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs via PAD4-mediated histone citrullination. Citrullination of histones is thought to promote NET formation by inducing chromatin decondensation and facilitating the expulsion of chromosomal DNA that is coated with antimicrobial molecules. Numerous stimuli have been reported to lead to PAD4 activation and NET formation. However, how this signaling process proceeds and how PAD4 becomes activated in cells is largely unknown. Herein, we describe the various stimuli and signaling pathways that have been implicated in PAD4 activation and NET formation, including the role of reactive oxygen species generation. To provide a foundation for the above discussion, we first describe PAD4 structure and function, and how these studies led to the development of PAD-specific inhibitors. A comprehensive survey of the receptors and signaling pathways that regulate PAD4 activation will be important for our understanding of innate immunity, and the identification of signaling intermediates in PAD4 activation may also lead to the generation of pharmaceuticals to target NET-related pathogenesis.

Messenger RNA 3' end formation in plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Hunt, A G

2008-01-01

Messenger RNA 3' end formation is an integral step in the process that gives rise to mature, translated messenger RNAs in eukaryotes. With this step, a pre-messenger RNA is processed and polyadenylated, giving rise to a mature mRNA bearing the characteristic poly(A) tract. The poly(A) tract is a fundamental feature of mRNAs, participating in the process of translation initiation and being the focus of control mechanisms that define the lifetime of mRNAs. Thus messenger RNA 3' end formation impacts two steps in mRNA biogenesis and function. Moreover, mRNA 3' end formation is something of a bridge that integrates numerous other steps in mRNA biogenesis and function. While the process is essential for the expression of most genes, it is also one that is subject to various forms of regulation, such that both quantitative and qualitative aspects of gene expression may be modulated via the polyadenylation complex. In this review, the current status of understanding of mRNA 3' end formation in plants is discussed. In particular, the nature of mRNA 3' ends in plants is reviewed, as are recent studies that are beginning to yield insight into the functioning and regulation of plant polyadenylation factor subunits.

SOKRATOR manual. Format of the recommended nuclear data library for reactor calculations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kolesov, V.E.; Nikolaev, M.N.

1977-08-01

The formats represent a generalization and extension of the English formats ''Parker, K., the Aldermaston Nuclear Data Library as at May 1963''. (AWRE 0-70/63, September 1963). An important feature of the formats proposed here is the introduction of a special classification of the information according to the type of representation. This makes the system of nuclear data storage more flexible and allows the capabilities of modern computers to be more fully utilized. This complete format description of the SOKRATOR library (Soviet Library of Evaluated Nuclear Data) is a translation from Russian original and its supplement. The document will help the user of SOKRATOR files to understand the physics definitions and coding conventions for the various types of numerical data

The Galactic Distribution of Massive Star Formation from the Red MSX Source Survey

Science.gov (United States)

Figura, Charles C.; Urquhart, J. S.

2013-01-01

Massive stars inject enormous amounts of energy into their environments in the form of UV radiation and molecular outflows, creating HII regions and enriching local chemistry. These effects provide feedback mechanisms that aid in regulating star formation in the region, and may trigger the formation of subsequent generations of stars. Understanding the mechanics of massive star formation presents an important key to understanding this process and its role in shaping the dynamics of galactic structure. The Red MSX Source (RMS) survey is a multi-wavelength investigation of ~1200 massive young stellar objects (MYSO) and ultra-compact HII (UCHII) regions identified from a sample of colour-selected sources from the Midcourse Space Experiment (MSX) point source catalog and Two Micron All Sky Survey. We present a study of over 900 MYSO and UCHII regions investigated by the RMS survey. We review the methods used to determine distances, and investigate the radial galactocentric distribution of these sources in context with the observed structure of the galaxy. The distribution of MYSO and UCHII regions is found to be spatially correlated with the spiral arms and galactic bar. We examine the radial distribution of MYSOs and UCHII regions and find variations in the star formation rate between the inner and outer Galaxy and discuss the implications for star formation throughout the galactic disc.

Opinion Formation on Environmental Protection: Understanding the Origins of Attitudes toward Resource Enhancement and Protection in Iowa.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodriguez, Lulu; Farnall, Olan; Geske, Joel; Peterson, Jane W.

1998-01-01

A study of 483 Iowa citizens and state legislators found that self-interest had the strongest effect on formation of opinions toward environmental protection; sociotropic and symbolic politics models were also effective. Results indicate that campaign messages must stress the benefits of environmental protection to the individual. (JOW)

Analysis on the Word-formation of English Netspeak Neologism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wei Liu

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The emergence of computer-mediated communication provides a resourceful database for language researchers as well as learners. This study focuses on the Internet neologisms, a derivative of new media age, which in many ways affects the netizens in terms of communication. The collected data are examined empirically to figure out the characteristics of netspeak neologisms and their patterns of formation. It suggests that the most frequently occurring word-formation process of netspeak neologisms is compounding, subsequently, blending, affixation, old words with new meaning, acronyms, conversion, and clipping. Through probing into each process, the examples are illustrated and sub-categories are listed in terms of blending for further understanding. This study has proven that the diversity of word-formation processes of English netspeak neologism and may shed light on the creativity of language in the online context.

The role of NNH in NO formation and control

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Klippenstein, Stephen J.; Harding, Lawrence B.; Glarborg, Peter

2011-01-01

One of the remaining issues in our understanding of nitrogen chemistry in combustion is the chemistry of NNH. This species is known as a key intermediate in Thermal DeNOx, where NH3 is used as a reducing agent for selective non-catalytic reduction of NO. In addition, NNH has been proposed to faci...... potential energy surfaces using methods previously developed by Miller, Klippenstein, Harding, and their co-workers. Their impact on Thermal DeNOx and the NNH mechanism for NO formation is investigated in detail....... to facilitate formation of NO from thermal fixation of molecular nitrogen through the so-called NNH mechanism. The importance of NNH for formation and reduction of NO depends on its thermal stability and its major consumption channels. In the present work, we study reactions on the NNH+O, NNH+O2, and NH2+O2...

Formation rate of natural gas hydrate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mork, Marit

2002-07-01

The rate of methane hydrate and natural gas hydrate formation was measured in a 9.5 litre stirred tank reactor of standard design. The experiments were performed to better understand the performance and scale-up of a reactor for continuous production of natural gas hydrates. The hydrate formation rate was measured at steady-state conditions at pressures between 70 and 90 bar and temperatures between 7 and 15 deg C. Between 44 and 56 % of the gas continuously supplied to the reactor was converted to hydrate. The experimental results show that the rate of hydrate formation is strongly influenced by gas injection rate and pressure. The effect of stirring rate is less significant and subcooling has no observable effect on the formation rate. Hydrate crystal concentration and gas composition do not influence the hydrate formation rate. Observations of produced hydrate crystals indicate that the crystals are elongated, about 5 micron in diameter and 10 micron long. Analysis of the results shows that the rate of hydrate formation is dominated by gas-liquid mass transfer. A mass transfer model, the bubble-to-crystal model, was developed for the hydrate formation rate in a continuous stirred tank reactor, given in terms of concentration driving force and an overall mass transfer coefficient. The driving force is the difference between the gas concentration at the gas-liquid interface and at the hydrate crystal surface. These concentrations correspond to the solubility of gas in water at experimental temperature and pressure and the solubility of gas at hydrate equilibrium temperature and experimental pressure, respectively. The overall mass transfer coefficient is expressed in terms of superficial gas velocity and impeller power consumption, parameters commonly used in study of stirred tank reactors. Experiments and modeling show that the stirred tank reactor has a considerable potential for increased production capacity. However, at higher hydrate production rates the

Alternate extractants to tributyl phosphate for reactor fuel reprocessing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crouse, D.J.; Arnold, W.D.; Hurst, F.J.

1983-01-01

Both tri(n-hexyl) phosphate (THP) and tri(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate (TEHP) have some important potential process advantages over TBP for reactor fuel reprocessing. These include negligible aqueous phase solubility and less tendency toward third phase and crud formation. The alkyl chain branching of TEHP makes it much more stable to chemical degradation than TBP and probably also accounts for its much weaker ruthenium extraction. The higher uranium and plutonium extraction power of THP and TEHP allows higher solvent loadings in extraction but makes them somewhat more difficult to strip. The phase separation properties of 1.09 M solutions of THP and TEHP are inferior to those of 1.09 M TBP (30 vol %) but are favorable at lower concentrations. Use of more dilute THP and TEHP solutions is recommended for this reason and to obtain a better balance of extraction power in the extraction versus stripping steps

Shadow Formation at Preschool from a Socio-Materiality Perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Impedovo, Maria Antonietta; Delserieys-Pedregosa, Alice; Jégou, Corinne; Ravanis, Konstantinos

2017-01-01

The paper is set in socio-material farming to offer a way of conceptualising actions and interactions of children in preschool involved in the understanding of scientific concepts. A model of early science education about the physical phenomena of shadow formation is implemented in group work in a French context. The research involved 44 children…

Thermodynamics and kinetics of vesicles formation processes.

Science.gov (United States)

Guida, Vincenzo

2010-12-15

Vesicles are hollow aggregates, composed of bilayers of amphiphilic molecules, dispersed into and filled with a liquid solvent. These aggregates can be formed either as equilibrium or as out of equilibrium meta-stable structures and they exhibit a rich variety of different morphologies. The surprising richness of structures, the vast range of industrial applications and the presence of vesicles in a number of biological systems have attracted the interest of numerous researchers and scientists. In this article, we review both the thermodynamics and the kinetics aspects of the phenomena of formation of vesicles. We start presenting the thermodynamics of bilayer membranes formation and deformation, with the aim of deriving the conditions for the existence of equilibrium vesicles. Specifically, we use the results from continuum thermodynamics to discuss the possibility of formation of stable equilibrium vesicles, from both mixed amphiphiles and single component systems. We also link the bilayer membrane properties to the molecular structure of the starting amphiphiles. In the second part of this article, we focus on the dynamics and kinetics of vesiculation. We review the process of vesicles formation both from planar lamellar phase under shear and from isotropic micelles. In order to clarify the physical mechanisms of vesicles formation, we continuously draw a parallel between emulsification and vesiculation processes. Specifically, we compare the experimental results, the driving forces and the relative scaling laws identified for the two processes. Describing the dynamics of vesicles formation, we also discuss why non equilibrium vesicles can be formed by kinetics control and why they are meta-stable. Understanding how to control the properties, the stability and the formation process of vesicles is of fundamental importance for a vast number of industrial applications. Copyright © 2009. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Formate Formation and Formate Conversion in Biological Fuels Production

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bryan R. Crable

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Biomethanation is a mature technology for fuel production. Fourth generation biofuels research will focus on sequestering CO2 and providing carbon-neutral or carbon-negative strategies to cope with dwindling fossil fuel supplies and environmental impact. Formate is an important intermediate in the methanogenic breakdown of complex organic material and serves as an important precursor for biological fuels production in the form of methane, hydrogen, and potentially methanol. Formate is produced by either CoA-dependent cleavage of pyruvate or enzymatic reduction of CO2 in an NADH- or ferredoxin-dependent manner. Formate is consumed through oxidation to CO2 and H2 or can be further reduced via the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway for carbon fixation or industrially for the production of methanol. Here, we review the enzymes involved in the interconversion of formate and discuss potential applications for biofuels production.

Atmospheric particle formation in spatially and temporally varying conditions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lauros, J.

2011-07-01

Atmospheric particles affect the radiation balance of the Earth and thus the climate. New particle formation from nucleation has been observed in diverse atmospheric conditions but the actual formation path is still unknown. The prevailing conditions can be exploited to evaluate proposed formation mechanisms. This study aims to improve our understanding of new particle formation from the view of atmospheric conditions. The role of atmospheric conditions on particle formation was studied by atmospheric measurements, theoretical model simulations and simulations based on observations. Two separate column models were further developed for aerosol and chemical simulations. Model simulations allowed us to expand the study from local conditions to varying conditions in the atmospheric boundary layer, while the long-term measurements described especially characteristic mean conditions associated with new particle formation. The observations show statistically significant difference in meteorological and back-ground aerosol conditions between observed event and non-event days. New particle formation above boreal forest is associated with strong convective activity, low humidity and low condensation sink. The probability of a particle formation event is predicted by an equation formulated for upper boundary layer conditions. The model simulations call into question if kinetic sulphuric acid induced nucleation is the primary particle formation mechanism in the presence of organic vapours. Simultaneously the simulations show that ignoring spatial and temporal variation in new particle formation studies may lead to faulty conclusions. On the other hand, the theoretical simulations indicate that short-scale variations in temperature and humidity unlikely have a significant effect on mean binary water sulphuric acid nucleation rate. The study emphasizes the significance of mixing and fluxes in particle formation studies, especially in the atmospheric boundary layer. The further

Formation of the Isthmus of Panama

Science.gov (United States)

O'Dea, Aaron; Aguilera, Orangel; Aubry, Marie-Pierre; Berggren, William A.; Cione, Alberto L.; Coates, Anthony G.; Collins, Laurel S.; Coppard, Simon E.; Cozzuol, Mario A.; de Queiroz, Alan; Duque-Caro, Herman; Eytan, Ron I.; Farris, David W.; Gasparini, German M.; Grosmman, Ethan L.; Jackson, Jeremy B. C.; Johnson, Kenneth G.; Keigwin, Lloyd D.; Knowlton, Nancy; Leigh, Egbert G.; Leonard-Pingel, Jill S.; Lessios, Hailaos A.; Marko, Peter B.; Norris, Richard D.; Rachello-Dolmen, Paola G.; Restrepo-Moreno, Sergio A.; Soibelzon, Leopoldo; Stallard, Robert F.; Todd, Jonathan A.; Vermeiju, Geerat J.; Woodburne, Michael O.

2016-01-01

The formation of the Isthmus of Panama stands as one of the greatest natural events of the Cenozoic, driving profound biotic transformations on land and in the oceans. Some recent studies suggest that the Isthmus formed many millions of years earlier than the widely recognized age of approximately 3 million years ago (Ma), a result that if true would revolutionize our understanding of environmental, ecological, and evolutionary change across the Americas. To bring clarity to the question of when the Isthmus of Panama formed, we provide an exhaustive review and reanalysis of geological, paleontological, and molecular records. These independent lines of evidence converge upon a cohesive narrative of gradually emerging land and constricting seaways, with formation of the Isthmus of Panama sensu stricto around 2.8 Ma. The evidence used to support an older isthmus is inconclusive, and we caution against the uncritical acceptance of an isthmus before the Pliocene.

Role of bacterial efflux pumps in biofilm formation.

Science.gov (United States)

Alav, Ilyas; Sutton, J Mark; Rahman, Khondaker Miraz

2018-02-28

Efflux pumps are widely implicated in antibiotic resistance because they can extrude the majority of clinically relevant antibiotics from within cells to the extracellular environment. However, there is increasing evidence from many studies to suggest that the pumps also play a role in biofilm formation. These studies have involved investigating the effects of efflux pump gene mutagenesis and efflux pump inhibitors on biofilm formation, and measuring the levels of efflux pump gene expression in biofilms. In particular, several key pathogenic species associated with increasing multidrug resistance, such as Acinetobacter baumannii, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus, have been investigated, whilst other studies have focused on Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium as a model organism and problematic pathogen. Studies have shown that efflux pumps, including AcrAB-TolC of E. coli, MexAB-OprM of P. aeruginosa, AdeFGH of A. baumannii and AcrD of S. enterica, play important roles in biofilm formation. The substrates for such pumps, and whether changes in their efflux activity affect biofilm formation directly or indirectly, remain to be determined. By understanding the roles that efflux pumps play in biofilm formation, novel therapeutic strategies can be developed to inhibit their function, to help disrupt biofilms and improve the treatment of infections. This review will discuss and evaluate the evidence for the roles of efflux pumps in biofilm formation and the potential approaches to overcome the increasing problem of biofilm-based infections.

Percolation transport theory and relevance to soil formation, vegetation growth, and productivity

Science.gov (United States)

Hunt, A. G.; Ghanbarian, B.

2016-12-01

Scaling laws of percolation theory have been applied to generate the time dependence of vegetation growth rates (both intensively managed and natural) and soil formation rates. The soil depth is thus equal to the solute vertical transport distance, the soil production function, chemical weathering rates, and C and N storage rates are all given by the time derivative of the soil depth. Approximate numerical coefficients based on the maximum flow rates in soils have been proposed, leading to a broad understanding of such processes. What is now required is an accurate understanding of the variability of the coefficients in the scaling relationships. The present abstract focuses on the scaling relationship for solute transport and soil formation. A soil formation rate relates length, x, and time, t, scales, meaning that the missing coefficient must include information about fundamental space and time scales, x0 and t0. x0 is proposed to be a fundamental mineral heterogeneity scale, i.e. a median particle diameter. to is then found from the ratio of x0 and a fundamental flow rate, v0, which is identified with the net infiltration rate. The net infiltration rate is equal to precipitation P less evapotranspiration, ET, plus run-on less run-off. Using this hypothesis, it is possible to predict soil depths and formation rates as functions of time and P - ET, and the formation rate as a function of depth, soil calcic and gypsic horizon depths as functions of P-ET. It is also possible to determine when soils are in equilibrium, and predict relationships of erosion rates and soil formation rates.

Formation Dynamics of Oral Oil Coatings and Their Effect on Subsequent Sweetness Perception of Liquid Stimuli

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Camacho, S.; Eck, van Arianne; De Velde, Van Fred; Stieger, M.A.

2015-01-01

Knowledge of the formation of oral coatings and their influence on subsequent taste perception is necessary to understand possible taste-masking effects by oil coatings. This study investigated (a) the dynamics of the formation of oral oil coatings formed by o/w emulsions and (b) the effect of oral

Using an ACTIVE teaching format versus a standard lecture format for increasing resident interaction and knowledge achievement during noon conference: a prospective, controlled study

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Background The traditional lecture is used by many residency programs to fulfill the mandate for regular didactic sessions, despite limited evidence to demonstrate its effectiveness. Active teaching strategies have shown promise in improving medical knowledge but have been challenging to implement within the constraints of residency training. We developed and evaluated an innovative structured format for interactive teaching within the residency noon conference. Methods We developed an ACTIVE teaching format structured around the following steps: assemble (A) into groups, convey (C) learning objectives, teach (T) background information, inquire (I) through cases and questions, verify (V) understanding, and explain (E) answer choices and educate on the learning points. We conducted a prospective, controlled study of the ACTIVE teaching format versus the standard lecture format, comparing resident satisfaction, immediate knowledge achievement and long-term knowledge retention. We qualitatively assessed participating faculty members’ perspectives on the faculty development efforts and the feasibility of teaching using the ACTIVE format. Results Sixty-nine internal medicine residents participated in the study. Overall, there was an improvement in perceived engagement using the ACTIVE teaching format (4.78 vs. 3.80, P teaching format (overall absolute score increase of 11%, P = 0.04) and a trend toward improvement in long-term knowledge retention. Faculty members felt adequately prepared to use the ACTIVE teaching format, and enjoyed teaching with the ACTIVE teaching format more than the standard lecture. Conclusions A structured ACTIVE teaching format improved resident engagement and initial knowledge, and required minimal resources. The ACTIVE teaching format offers an exciting alternative to the standard lecture for resident noon conference and is easy to implement. PMID:24985781

Modeling the Formation of Giant Planet Cores I: Evaluating Key Processes

OpenAIRE

Levison, H. F.; Thommes, E.; Duncan, M. J.

2009-01-01

One of the most challenging problems we face in our understanding of planet formation is how Jupiter and Saturn could have formed before the the solar nebula dispersed. The most popular model of giant planet formation is the so-called 'core accretion' model. In this model a large planetary embryo formed first, mainly by two-body accretion. This is then followed by a period of inflow of nebular gas directly onto the growing planet. The core accretion model has an Achilles heel, namely the very...

Strecker Aldehyde Formation in Wine: New Insights into the Role of Gallic Acid, Glucose, and Metals in Phenylacetaldehyde Formation.

Science.gov (United States)

Monforte, Ana Rita; Martins, Sara I F S; Silva Ferreira, Antonio C

2018-03-14

Strecker degradation (SD) leading to the formation of phenylacetaldehyde (PA) was studied in wine systems. New insights were gained by using two full factorial designs focusing on the effects of (1) pH and (2) temperature. In each design of experiments (DoE) three factors, glucose, gallic acid, and metals at two levels (present or absence), were varied while phenylalanine was kept constant. The obtained results gave a clear indication, with statistical significance, that in wine conditions, the SD occurs in the presence of metals preferentially via the phenolic oxidation independent of the temperature (40 or 80 °C). The reaction of the amino acid with the o-quinone formed by the oxidation of the gallic acid seems to be favored when compared with the SD promoted by the reaction with α-dicarbonyls formed by MR between glucose and phenylalanine. In fact, kinetics results showed that the presence of glucose had an inhibitory effect on PA rate of formation. PA formation was 4 times higher in the control wine when compared to the same wine with 10 g/L glucose added. By gallic acid quinone quantitation it is shown that glucose affects directly the concentration of the quinone. decreasing the rate of quinone formation. This highlights the role of sugar in o-quinone concentration and consequently in the impact on Strecker aldehyde formation, a promising new perspective regarding wine shelf-life understanding.

Hyper-massive cloud, shock and stellar formation efficiency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Louvet, Fabien

2014-01-01

O and B types stars are of paramount importance in the energy budget of galaxies and play a crucial role enriching the interstellar medium. However, their formation, unlike that of solar-type stars, is still subject to debate, if not an enigma. The earliest stages of massive star formation and the formation of their parent cloud are still crucial astrophysical questions that drew a lot of attention in the community, both from the theoretical and observational perspective, during the last decade. It has been proposed that massive stars are born in massive dense cores that form through very dynamic processes, such as converging flows of gas. During my PhD, I conducted a thorough study of the formation of dense cores and massive stars in the W43-MM1 supermassive structure, located at 6 kpc from the sun. At first, I showed a direct correlation between the star formation efficiency and the volume gas density of molecular clouds, in contrast with scenarios suggested by previous studies. Indeed, the spatial distribution and mass function of the massive dense cores currently forming in W43-MM1 suggests that this supermassive filament is undergoing a star formation burst, increasing as one approaches its center. I compared these observational results with the most recent numerical and analytical models of star formation. This comparison not only provides new constraints on the formation of supermassive filaments, but also suggests that understanding star formation in high density, extreme ridges requires a detailed portrait of the structure of these exceptional objects. Second, having shown that the formation of massive stars depends strongly on the properties of the ridges where they form, I studied the formation processes of these filaments, thanks of the characterization of their global dynamics. Specifically, I used a tracer of shocks (SiO molecule) to disentangle the feedback of local star formation processes (bipolar jets and outflows) from shocks tracing the pristine

Scaffolds for design communication : research through design of shared understanding in design meetings

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dijk, van J.; Lugt, van der R.

2013-01-01

In this paper we explore the influence of the physical and social environment (the design space) son the formation of shared understanding in multidisciplinary design teams. We concentrate on the creative design meeting as a microenvironment for studying processes of design communication. Our

Mechanisms of Formation of Secondary Organic Aerosols and Implications for Global Radiative Forcing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Seinfeld, John H. [California Inst. of Technology (CalTech), Pasadena, CA (United States)

2011-12-02

Organic material constitutes about 50% of global atmospheric aerosol mass, and the dominant source of organic aerosol is the oxidation of volatile hydrocarbons, to produce secondary organic aerosol (SOA). Understanding the formation of SOA is crucial to predicting present and future climate effects of atmospheric aerosols. The goal of this program is to significantly increase our understanding of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation in the atmosphere. Ambient measurements indicate that the amount of SOA in the atmosphere exceeds that predicted in current models based on existing laboratory chamber data. This would suggest that either the SOA yields measured in laboratory chambers are understated or that all major organic precursors have not been identified. In this research program we are systematically exploring these possibilities.

Formation of ghost images due to metal objects on the surface of the patient's face: A pictorial essay.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramos, Bárbara Couto; da Silva Izar, Bruna Raquel; Pereira, Jéssica Lourdes Costa; Souza, Priscilla Sena; Valerio, Claudia Scigliano; Tuji, Fabrício Mesquita; Manzi, Flávio Ricardo

2016-03-01

Panoramic radiographs are a relatively simple technique that is commonly used in all dental specialties. In panoramic radiographs, in addition to the formation of real images of metal objects, ghost images may also form, and these ghost images can hinder an accurate diagnosis and interfere with the accuracy of radiology reports. Dentists must understand the formation of these images in order to avoid making incorrect radiographic diagnoses. Therefore, the present study sought to present a study of the formation of panoramic radiograph ghost images caused by metal objects in the head and neck region of a dry skull, as well as to report a clinical case n order to warn dentists about ghost images and to raise awareness thereof. An understanding of the principles of the formation of ghost images in panoramic radiographs helps prevent incorrect diagnoses.

The impact of permafrost-associated microorganisms on hydrate formation kinetics

Science.gov (United States)

Luzi-Helbing, Manja; Liebner, Susanne; Spangenberg, Erik; Wagner, Dirk; Schicks, Judith M.

2016-04-01

The relationship between gas hydrates, microorganisms and the surrounding sediment is extremely complex: On the one hand, microorganisms producing methane provide the prerequisite for gas hydrate formation. As it is known most of the gas incorporated into natural gas hydrates originates from biogenic sources. On the other hand, as a result of microbial activity gas hydrates are surrounded by a great variety of organic compounds which are not incorporated into the hydrate structure but may influence the formation or degradation process. For gas hydrate samples from marine environments such as the Gulf of Mexico a direct association between microbes and gas hydrates was shown by Lanoil et al. 2001. It is further assumed that microorganisms living within the gas hydrate stability zone produce biosurfactants which were found to enhance the hydrate formation process significantly and act as nucleation centres (Roger et al. 2007). Another source of organic compounds is sediment organic matter (SOM) originating from plant material or animal remains which may also enhance hydrate growth. So far, the studies regarding this relationship were focused on a marine environment. The scope of this work is to extend the investigations to microbes originating from permafrost areas. To understand the influence of microbial activity in a permafrost environment on the methane hydrate formation process and the stability conditions of the resulting hydrate phase we will perform laboratory studies. Thereby, we mimic gas hydrate formation in the presence and absence of methanogenic archaea (e.g. Methanosarcina soligelidi) and other psychrophilic bacteria isolated from permafrost environments of the Arctic and Antarctic to investigate their impact on hydrate induction time and formation rates. Our results may contribute to understand and predict the occurrences and behaviour of potential gas hydrates within or adjacent to the permafrost. Lanoil BD, Sassen R, La Duc MT, Sweet ST, Nealson KH

Effects of online advertising format and persuasion knowledge on audience reactions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tutaj, K.; van Reijmersdal, E.A.

2012-01-01

In an experiment (N = 99), effects of subtle and prominent online advertising formats, respectively sponsored content and banner ads, on audience reactions toward the advertisement are tested. In addition, the role of several persuasion knowledge elements such as understanding of persuasive intent

Research on Coolant Radiochemistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ha, Yeong Keong; Kim, W. H.; Yeon, J. W.; Jung, Y. J.; Choi, K. C.; Choi, K. S.; Park, Y. J.; Cho, Y. H.

2007-06-01

The final objective of this study is to develop a method for reducing radioactive materials formed in the reactor coolant circuit. This second stage research was categorized into the following three subgroups: the development of the estimation technique of microscopic chemical variation at high temperatures and pressures, the fundamental study on the thermodynamics at high temperatures and pressures, and the study on the deposition of metal oxides and the determination of the main factors responsible for the growth of CRUD. First, in the development of the estimation technique of microscopic chemical change at high temperatures and pressures, the technique for measuring coolant chemistry such as pH, conductivity and Eh was developed to be appropriate for the high temperature and pressure condition. The coolant chemistry measuring system including the self-devised high temperature pH sensor can be applied to the field of nuclear reactor and contribute on a large scale in the automation of the coolant chemistry control and the establishment of the real-time on-line measuring technique. Secondly, the dissociation constant of water and the solubility of metal oxides were measured in the fundamental study on the thermodynamics at high temperatures and pressures. Finally, in the study on the deposition of metal oxides and the determination of the main factors responsible for the growth of CRUD, the careful investigation of the deposition phenomena of micro particles on the cladding surface showed that subcooled boiling and the dissolved hydrogen are the main factors responsible for the growth of CRUD. In addition, the basis was provided for the construction of a new particle behavior model in the reactor coolant circuit

Application of PHADEC method for the decontamination of radioactive steam piping components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lo Frano, R.; Pilo, F.; Aquaro, D.

2013-01-01

The dismantling of nuclear plants is a complex activity that originates often a large quantity of radioactive contaminated residue. In this paper the attention was focused on the PHADEC (Phosphoric Acid Decontamination) plant adopted for the clearance of Caorso NPP (in Italy) metallic systems and components contaminated by Co 60 (produced by the neutron capture in the iron materials), like the main steam lines, moisture separator of the turbine buildings, etc.. The PHADEC plant consists in a chemical off line treatment: the crud, deposited along the steam piping during life plant as an example, is removed by means of acid attacks in ponds coupled to a high pressure water washing. Due to the fact that the removed contaminated layers, essentially, iron oxides of various chemical composition, depend on components geometry, type of contamination and time of treatment in the PHADEC plant, it becomes of meaningful importance to suggest a procedure capable to improve the control of the PHADEC process parameters. This study aimed thus at the prediction and optimization of the mentioned treatment time in order to improve the efficiency of the plant itself and to achieve, in turn, the minimization of produced wastes. To the purpose an experimental campaign was carried out by analysing several samples, i.e. taken along the main steam piping line. Smear tests as well as metallographic analyses were carried out in order to determine respectively the radioactivity distribution and the crud composition on the inner surface of the components. Moreover the radioactivity in the crud thickness was measured. These values allowed finally to correlate the residence time in the acid attack ponds to the level of the achieved decontamination. (authors)

Study on supporting system for operator's comprehensive understanding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshikawa, Shinji

1996-01-01

Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corp. has participated in the development of a system to support the process of operator's plant understanding by the use of information processing techniques such as artificial intelligence since 1994. Analysis and model formation of the process leading to operator's comprehensive understanding of plant (mental model) are undertaken attempting to determine the basic structure of the mental model available for the description of knowledge using the precedent survey and to observe how to utilize operator's own knowledge. After consideration of the way by which plant operators utilize their physical knowledges and the knowledges of physical observation in practice, a basic structure composed of 3 components a qualitative causal network, a hierarchical function model and 3 links joining the two was proposed for the mental model. A questionnaire survey on operator's statements was made and the contents were assigned in several categories for objective analysis. An unified form usable to make a data base was established. Further, we have a plan to develop the first proto-type system to promote operator's understanding by 1998. (M.N.)

NASA Standard for Airborne Data: ICARTT Format ESDS-RFC-019

Science.gov (United States)

Thornhill, A.; Brown, C.; Aknan, A.; Crawford, J. H.; Chen, G.; Williams, E. J.

2011-12-01

Airborne field studies generate a plethora of data products in the effort to study atmospheric composition and processes. Data file formats for airborne field campaigns are designed to present data in an understandable and organized way to support collaboration and to document relevant and important meta data. The ICARTT file format was created to facilitate data management during the International Consortium for Atmospheric Research on Transport and Transformation (ICARTT) campaign in 2004 that involved government-agencies and university participants from five countries. Since this mission the ICARTT format has been used in subsequent field campaigns such as Polar Study Using Aircraft Remote Sensing, Surface Measurements and Models of Climates, Chemistry, Aerosols, and Transport (POLARCAT) and the first phase of Deriving Information on Surface Conditions from COlumn and VERtically Resolved Observations Relevant to Air Quality (DISCOVER-AQ). The ICARTT file format has been endorsed as a standard format for airborne data by the Standard Process Group (SPG), one of the Earth Science Data Systems Working Groups (ESDSWG) in 2010. The detailed description of the ICARTT format can be found at http://www-air.larc.nasa.gov/missions/etc/ESDS-RFC-019-v1.00.pdf. The ICARTT data format is an ASCII, comma delimited format that was based on the NASA Ames and GTE file formats. The file header is detailed enough to fully describe the data for users outside of the instrument group and includes a description of the meta data. The ICARTT scanning tools, format structure, implementations, and examples will be presented.

Numerical Investigation of Soot Formation in Non-premixed Flames

KAUST Repository

Abdelgadir, Ahmed Gamaleldin

2017-05-01

Soot is a carbon particulate formed as a result of the combustion of fossil fuels. Due to the health hazard posed by the carbon particulate, government agencies have applied strict regulations to control soot emissions from road vehicles, airplanes, and industrial plants. Thus, understanding soot formation and evolution is critical. Practical combustion devices operate at high pressure and in the turbulent regime. Elevated pressures and turbulence on soot formation significantly and fundamental understanding of these complex interactions is still poor. In this study, the effects of pressure and turbulence on soot formation and growth are investigated numerically. As the first step, the evolution of the particle size distribution function (PSDF) and soot particles morphology are investigated in turbulent non-premixed flames. A Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) code is developed and used. The stochastic reactor describes the evolution of soot in fluid parcels following Lagrangian trajectories in a turbulent flow field. The trajectories are sampled from a Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) of an n-heptane turbulent non-premixed flame. Although individual trajectories display strong bimodality as in laminar flames, the ensemble-average PSDF possesses only one mode and a broad tail, which implies significant polydispersity induced by turbulence. Secondly, the effect of the flow and mixing fields on soot formation at atmospheric and elevated pressures is investigated in coflow laminar diffusion flames. The experimental observation and the numerical prediction of the spatial distribution are in good agreement. Based on the common scaling methodology of the flames (keeping the Reynolds number constant), the scalar dissipation rate decreases as pressure increases, promoting the formation of PAH species and soot. The decrease of the scalar dissipation rate significantly contributes to soot formation occurring closer to the nozzle and outward on the flames wings as pressure

WE-DE-206-03: MRI Image Formation - Slice Selection, Phase Encoding, Frequency Encoding, K-Space, SNR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, C.

2016-01-01

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become an essential part of clinical imaging due to its ability to render high soft tissue contrast. Instead of ionizing radiation, MRI use strong magnetic field, radio frequency waves and field gradients to create diagnostic useful images. It can be used to image the anatomy and also functional and physiological activities within the human body. Knowledge of the basic physical principles underlying MRI acquisition is vitally important to successful image production and proper image interpretation. This lecture will give an overview of the spin physics, imaging principle of MRI, the hardware of the MRI scanner, and various pulse sequences and their applications. It aims to provide a conceptual foundation to understand the image formation process of a clinical MRI scanner. Learning Objectives: Understand the origin of the MR signal and contrast from the spin physics level. Understand the main hardware components of a MRI scanner and their purposes Understand steps for MR image formation including spatial encoding and image reconstruction Understand the main kinds of MR pulse sequences and their characteristics.

WE-DE-206-03: MRI Image Formation - Slice Selection, Phase Encoding, Frequency Encoding, K-Space, SNR

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lin, C. [Indiana University School of Medicine (United States)

2016-06-15

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become an essential part of clinical imaging due to its ability to render high soft tissue contrast. Instead of ionizing radiation, MRI use strong magnetic field, radio frequency waves and field gradients to create diagnostic useful images. It can be used to image the anatomy and also functional and physiological activities within the human body. Knowledge of the basic physical principles underlying MRI acquisition is vitally important to successful image production and proper image interpretation. This lecture will give an overview of the spin physics, imaging principle of MRI, the hardware of the MRI scanner, and various pulse sequences and their applications. It aims to provide a conceptual foundation to understand the image formation process of a clinical MRI scanner. Learning Objectives: Understand the origin of the MR signal and contrast from the spin physics level. Understand the main hardware components of a MRI scanner and their purposes Understand steps for MR image formation including spatial encoding and image reconstruction Understand the main kinds of MR pulse sequences and their characteristics.

NDMA formation by chloramination of ranitidine: Kinetics and mechanism

KAUST Repository

Le Roux, Julien

2012-10-16

The kinetics of decomposition of the pharmaceutical ranitidine (a major precursor of NDMA) during chloramination was investigated and some decomposition byproducts were identified by using high performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS). The reaction between monochloramine and ranitidine followed second order kinetics and was acid-catalyzed. Decomposition of ranitidine formed different byproducts depending on the applied monochloramine concentration. Most identified products were chlorinated and hydroxylated analogues of ranitidine. In excess of monochloramine, nucleophilic substitution between ranitidine and monochloramine led to byproducts that are critical intermediates involved in the formation of NDMA, for example, a carbocation formed from the decomposition of the methylfuran moiety of ranitidine. A complete mechanism is proposed to explain the high formation yield of NDMA from chloramination of ranitidine. These results are of great importance to understand the formation of NDMA by chloramination of tertiary amines. © 2012 American Chemical Society.

RNA Recognition and Stress Granule Formation by TIA Proteins

Science.gov (United States)

Waris, Saboora; Wilce, Matthew Charles James; Wilce, Jacqueline Anne

2014-01-01

Stress granule (SG) formation is a primary mechanism through which gene expression is rapidly modulated when the eukaryotic cell undergoes cellular stresses (including heat, oxidative, viral infection, starvation). In particular, the sequestration of specifically targeted translationally stalled mRNAs into SGs limits the expression of a subset of genes, but allows the expression of heatshock proteins that have a protective effect in the cell. The importance of SGs is seen in several disease states in which SG function is disrupted. Fundamental to SG formation are the T cell restricted intracellular antigen (TIA) proteins (TIA-1 and TIA-1 related protein (TIAR)), that both directly bind to target RNA and self-associate to seed the formation of SGs. Here a summary is provided of the current understanding of the way in which TIA proteins target specific mRNA, and how TIA self-association is triggered under conditions of cellular stress. PMID:25522169

Effect of defects on the small polaron formation and transport properties of hematite from first-principles calculations.

Science.gov (United States)

Smart, Tyler J; Ping, Yuan

2017-10-04

Hematite (α-Fe 2 O 3 ) is a promising candidate as a photoanode material for solar-to-fuel conversion due to its favorable band gap for visible light absorption, its stability in an aqueous environment and its relatively low cost in comparison to other prospective materials. However, the small polaron transport nature in α-Fe 2 O 3 results in low carrier mobility and conductivity, significantly lowering its efficiency from the theoretical limit. Experimentally, it has been found that the incorporation of oxygen vacancies and other dopants, such as Sn, into the material appreciably enhances its photo-to-current efficiency. Yet no quantitative explanation has been provided to understand the role of oxygen vacancy or Sn-doping in hematite. We employed density functional theory to probe the small polaron formation in oxygen deficient hematite, N-doped as well as Sn-doped hematite. We computed the charged defect formation energies, the small polaron formation energy and hopping activation energies to understand the effect of defects on carrier concentration and mobility. This work provides us with a fundamental understanding regarding the role of defects on small polaron formation and transport properties in hematite, offering key insights into the design of new dopants to further improve the efficiency of transition metal oxides for solar-to-fuel conversion.

Understanding and managing diversity readings, cases, and exercises

CERN Document Server

Harvey, Carol P

2015-01-01

For undergraduate and graduate courses in human resources. A diverse approach to understanding and managing diversity. Understanding and Managing Diversity uses applications to clarify the complexity of a diverse workforce, and explains how it can be used as an organizational asset. This text also provides students with a wide range of expertise—from the perspective of experienced interdisciplinary instructors (business, psychology, economics, theology, law, politics, history, etc.) to practitioners (diversity trainers, corporate managers, etc.). Teaching and Learning Experience This program will provide a better teaching and learning experience–for you and your students. Here’s how: Provide Students with an Accessible Format: Information is presented in a logical succession to help students learn that is in a way accessible to them. Present New and Timely Diversity Topics: Topics include Racial Identity, Work-Life Balance, Diversity Leadership, and Workplace Communication. Stimulat...

Star formation history of the galaxy merger Mrk848 with SDSS-IV MaNGA

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Fang-Ting; Shen, Shiyin; Hao, Lei; Fernandez, Maria Argudo

2017-03-01

With the 3D data of SDSS-IV MaNGA (Bundy et al. 2015) spectra and multi-wavelength SED modeling, we expect to have a better understanding of the distribution of dust, gas and star formation of galaxy mergers. For a case study of the merging galaxy Mrk848, we use both UV-to-IR broadband SED and the MaNGA integral field spectroscopy to obtain its star formation histories at the tail and core regions. From the SED fitting and full spectral fitting, we find that the star formation in the tail regions are affected by the interaction earlier than the core regions. The core regions show apparently two times of star formation and a strong burst within 500Myr, indicating the recent star formation is triggered by the interaction. The star formation histories derived from these two methods are basically consistent.

2007 Joint Chem Bio Decon and Protection Conference and Exhibition

Science.gov (United States)

2007-10-25

Choung USMC Ms. Lindy Burkhart USN Mr. Carl Goalie Technical Manager (Navy) Mr. Kiko Lama Transition Manager (Joint) LTC Green Oversight Group DUSD (AS&C...may not be possible to pull units for decon for days at a time UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED 13 Mud, Crud, & Blood • Should be assumed as a

Mural cell associated VEGF is required for organotypic vessel formation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lasse Evensen

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Blood vessels comprise endothelial cells, mural cells (pericytes/vascular smooth muscle cells and basement membrane. During angiogenesis, mural cells are recruited to sprouting endothelial cells and define a stabilizing context, comprising cell-cell contacts, secreted growth factors and extracellular matrix components, that drives vessel maturation and resistance to anti-angiogenic therapeutics. METHODS AND FINDINGS: To better understand the basis for mural cell regulation of angiogenesis, we conducted high content imaging analysis on a microtiter plate format in vitro organotypic blood vessel system comprising primary human endothelial cells co-cultured with primary human mural cells. We show that endothelial cells co-cultured with mural cells undergo an extensive series of phenotypic changes reflective of several facets of blood vessel formation and maturation: Loss of cell proliferation, pathfinding-like cell migration, branching morphogenesis, basement membrane extracellular matrix protein deposition, lumen formation, anastamosis and development of a stabilized capillary-like network. This phenotypic sequence required endothelial-mural cell-cell contact, mural cell-derived VEGF and endothelial VEGFR2 signaling. Inhibiting formation of adherens junctions or basement membrane structures abrogated network formation. Notably, inhibition of mural cell VEGF expression could not be rescued by exogenous VEGF. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest a unique role for mural cell-associated VEGF in driving vessel formation and maturation.

Condensation Mechanism of Hydrocarbon Field Formation.

Science.gov (United States)

Batalin, Oleg; Vafina, Nailya

2017-08-31

Petroleum geology explains how hydrocarbon fluids are generated, but there is a lack of understanding regarding how oil is expelled from source rocks and migrates to a reservoir. To clarify the process, the multi-layer Urengoy field in Western Siberia was investigated. Based on this example, we have identified an alternative mechanism of hydrocarbon field formation, in which oil and gas accumulations result from the phase separation of an upward hydrocarbon flow. There is evidence that the flow is generated by the gases released by secondary kerogen destruction. This study demonstrates that oil components are carried by the gas flow and that when the flow reaches a low-pressure zone, it condenses into a liquid with real oil properties. The transportation of oil components in the gas flow provides a natural explanation for the unresolved issues of petroleum geology concerning the migration process. The condensation mechanism can be considered as the main process of oil field formation.

Simulating the formation of cosmic structure.

Science.gov (United States)

Frenk, C S

2002-06-15

A timely combination of new theoretical ideas and observational discoveries has brought about significant advances in our understanding of cosmic evolution. Computer simulations have played a key role in these developments by providing the means to interpret astronomical data in the context of physical and cosmological theory. In the current paradigm, our Universe has a flat geometry, is undergoing accelerated expansion and is gravitationally dominated by elementary particles that make up cold dark matter. Within this framework, it is possible to simulate in a computer the emergence of galaxies and other structures from small quantum fluctuations imprinted during an epoch of inflationary expansion shortly after the Big Bang. The simulations must take into account the evolution of the dark matter as well as the gaseous processes involved in the formation of stars and other visible components. Although many unresolved questions remain, a coherent picture for the formation of cosmic structure is now beginning to emerge.

Exploring the influence of encoding format on subsequent memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Turney, Indira C; Dennis, Nancy A; Maillet, David; Rajah, M Natasha

2017-05-01

Distinctive encoding is greatly influenced by gist-based processes and has been shown to suffer when highly similar items are presented in close succession. Thus, elucidating the mechanisms underlying how presentation format affects gist processing is essential in determining the factors that influence these encoding processes. The current study utilised multivariate partial least squares (PLS) analysis to identify encoding networks directly associated with retrieval performance in a blocked and intermixed presentation condition. Subsequent memory analysis for successfully encoded items indicated no significant differences between reaction time and retrieval performance and presentation format. Despite no significant behavioural differences, behaviour PLS revealed differences in brain-behaviour correlations and mean condition activity in brain regions associated with gist-based vs. distinctive encoding. Specifically, the intermixed format encouraged more distinctive encoding, showing increased activation of regions associated with strategy use and visual processing (e.g., frontal and visual cortices, respectively). Alternatively, the blocked format exhibited increased gist-based processes, accompanied by increased activity in the right inferior frontal gyrus. Together, results suggest that the sequence that information is presented during encoding affects the degree to which distinctive encoding is engaged. These findings extend our understanding of the Fuzzy Trace Theory and the role of presentation format on encoding processes.

SAUDI TEACHERS’ PRACTICES OF FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT: A QUALITATIVE STUDY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saeed Almuntasheri

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Shifting from teacher-centred to student-centred practices requires teachers to understand strategies to interact with students in science classes. Formative assessment strategies are very critical component of classroom interaction where teachers obtain information about student learning wherever possible. Traditionally, however, teachers ask questions and evaluate student responses but without investigating student contributions to the classroom interaction. This qualitative study aimed at developing teachers’ knowledge of formative assessment strategies when teaching science-based inquiry in Saudi Arabia. 12 teachers were observed when teaching science and details of one teachers’ practices of formative assessment is presented in this study. Formative assessment framework that describes assessment conversations is used and modified to observe teachers’ assessment practices. Assessment conversation consists of four-step cycles, where the teacher elicits information from students through questioning, the student responds, the teacher recognizes the student’s response, and then uses the information to develop further inquiry. Findings indicate that teachers ask questions and receive responses but rarely allow students to share their own ideas or discuss their own thinking. The study underlines the importance of integrating formative assessment strategies during scientific inquiry teaching for professional development as a way to increase student participation and allow opportunities for students’ inquiry in science classes.

Multi-Level Formation of Complex Software Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hui Li

2016-05-01

Full Text Available We present a multi-level formation model for complex software systems. The previous works extract the software systems to software networks for further studies, but usually investigate the software networks at the class level. In contrast to these works, our treatment of software systems as multi-level networks is more realistic. In particular, the software networks are organized by three levels of granularity, which represents the modularity and hierarchy in the formation process of real-world software systems. More importantly, simulations based on this model have generated more realistic structural properties of software networks, such as power-law, clustering and modularization. On the basis of this model, how the structure of software systems effects software design principles is then explored, and it could be helpful for understanding software evolution and software engineering practices.

Review of the investigation of mixture formation and combustion process using rapid compression machine and direct visualization system

Science.gov (United States)

Jaat, M.; Khalid, Amir; Manshoor, B.; Ramsy, Him

2013-12-01

This paper reviews of some applications of optical visualization systems to compute the fuel-air mixing process during early stage of mixture formation in Diesel Combustion Engines. A number of studies have contributed to the understanding of fuel air mixing in DI diesel engine. This review has shown that the mixture formation process affects initial flame development. The review also found that injection pressure has a great effect on the mixture formation then the flame development and combustion characteristics. The method of the simulation of real phenomenon of diesel combustion with optical access rapid compression machine is also reviewed and experimental results are presented. The application of these methods to the investigation of diesel sprays highlights mechanisms which govern propagation and distribution of the formation of a combustible fuel-air mixture. A summary of the implementation of constant volume chamber and optical visualization system are shown in the accompanying tables and figures. The visualization of the formation process of diesel spray and its combustion in the diesel combustion chamber of diesel engine has been recognized as one of the best ways to understand the characteristics of the mixture formation.

Gender Structure and Women's Agency: Toward Greater Theoretical Understanding of Education for Transformation

Science.gov (United States)

Stromquist, Nelly P.

2015-01-01

Under the research radar, and yet highly influential in transformation of practices concerning the social understanding and enactment of gender, are women-led non-governmental organizations (WNGOs). Their continued efforts to reconfigure gender identities and their impact on public policy formation have expanded notions of citizenship and…

Data format standard for sharing light source measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Gregory, G. Groot; Ashdown, Ian; Brandenburg, Willi; Chabaud, Dominique; Dross, Oliver; Gangadhara, Sanjay; Garcia, Kevin; Gauvin, Michael; Hansen, Dirk; Haraguchi, Kei; Hasna, Günther; Jiao, Jianzhong; Kelley, Ryan; Koshel, John; Muschaweck, Julius

2013-09-01

Optical design requires accurate characterization of light sources for computer aided design (CAD) software. Various methods have been used to model sources, from accurate physical models to measurement of light output. It has become common practice for designers to include measured source data for design simulations. Typically, a measured source will contain rays which sample the output distribution of the source. The ray data must then be exported to various formats suitable for import into optical analysis or design software. Source manufacturers are also making measurements of their products and supplying CAD models along with ray data sets for designers. The increasing availability of data has been beneficial to the design community but has caused a large expansion in storage needs for the source manufacturers since each software program uses a unique format to describe the source distribution. In 2012, the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) formed a working group to understand the data requirements for ray data and recommend a standard file format. The working group included representatives from software companies supplying the analysis and design tools, source measurement companies providing metrology, source manufacturers creating the data and users from the design community. Within one year the working group proposed a file format which was recently approved by the IES for publication as TM-25. This paper will discuss the process used to define the proposed format, highlight some of the significant decisions leading to the format and list the data to be included in the first version of the standard.

Game Over: Assessment as Formative Transitions through and beyond Playful Media

Science.gov (United States)

Zuiker, Steven J.

2016-01-01

Educational videogames support productive learning by organizing content in relation to meaningful contexts and roles. Videogames can also create new opportunities for understanding and supporting learning when the game ends. This presents formative transitions as a strategy for revealing what players learn through videogames, while also…

"Formative ""Use"" of Assessment Information: It's a Process, so Let's Say What We Mean"

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robert Good

2011-02-01

Full Text Available The term formative assessment is often used to describe a type of assessment. The purpose of this paper is to challenge the use of this phrase given that formative assessment as a noun phrase ignores the well-established understanding that it is a process more than an object. A model that combines content, context, and strategies is presented as one way to view the process nature of assessing formatively. The alternate phrase formative use of assessment information is suggested as a more appropriate way to describe how content, context, and strategies can be used together in order to close the gap between where a student is performing currently and the intended learning goal.

Pore Scale Dynamics of Microemulsion Formation.

Science.gov (United States)

Unsal, Evren; Broens, Marc; Armstrong, Ryan T

2016-07-19

Experiments in various porous media have shown that multiple parameters come into play when an oleic phase is displaced by an aqueous solution of surfactant. In general, the displacement efficiency is improved when the fluids become quasi-miscible. Understanding the phase behavior oil/water/surfactant systems is important because microemulsion has the ability to generate ultralow interfacial tension (microemulsion formation and the resulting properties under equilibrium conditions. However, the majority of applications where microemulsion is present also involve flow, which has received relatively less attention. It is commonly assumed that the characteristics of an oil/water/surfactant system under flowing conditions are identical to the one under equilibrium conditions. Here, we show that this is not necessarily the case. We studied the equilibrium phase behavior of a model system consisting of n-decane and an aqueous solution of olefin sulfonate surfactant, which has practical applications for enhanced oil recovery. The salt content of the aqueous solution was varied to provide a range of different microemulsion compositions and oil-water interfacial tensions. We then performed microfluidic flow experiments to study the dynamic in situ formation of microemulsion by coinjecting bulk fluids of n-decane and surfactant solution into a T-junction capillary geometry. A solvatochromatic fluorescent dye was used to obtain spatially resolved compositional information. In this way, we visualized the microemulsion formation and the flow of it along with the excess phases. A complex interaction between the flow patterns and the microemulsion properties was observed. The formation of microemulsion influenced the flow regimes, and the flow regimes affected the characteristics of the microemulsion formation. In particular, at low flow rates, slug flow was observed, which had profound consequences on the pore scale mixing behavior and resulting microemulsion properties.

KEY ISSUES REVIEW: Insights from simulations of star formation

Science.gov (United States)

Larson, Richard B.

2007-03-01

Although the basic physics of star formation is classical, numerical simulations have yielded essential insights into how stars form. They show that star formation is a highly nonuniform runaway process characterized by the emergence of nearly singular peaks in density, followed by the accretional growth of embryo stars that form at these density peaks. Circumstellar discs often form from the gas being accreted by the forming stars, and accretion from these discs may be episodic, driven by gravitational instabilities or by protostellar interactions. Star-forming clouds typically develop filamentary structures, which may, along with the thermal physics, play an important role in the origin of stellar masses because of the sensitivity of filament fragmentation to temperature variations. Simulations of the formation of star clusters show that the most massive stars form by continuing accretion in the dense cluster cores, and this again is a runaway process that couples star formation and cluster formation. Star-forming clouds also tend to develop hierarchical structures, and smaller groups of forming objects tend to merge into progressively larger ones, a generic feature of self-gravitating systems that is common to star formation and galaxy formation. Because of the large range of scales and the complex dynamics involved, analytic models cannot adequately describe many aspects of star formation, and detailed numerical simulations are needed to advance our understanding of the subject. 'The purpose of computing is insight, not numbers.' Richard W Hamming, in Numerical Methods for Scientists and Engineers (1962) 'There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.' William Shakespeare, in Hamlet, Prince of Denmark (1604)

The role of chloramine species in NDMA formation.

Science.gov (United States)

Selbes, Meric; Beita-Sandí, Wilson; Kim, Daekyun; Karanfil, Tanju

2018-09-01

N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), a probable human carcinogen disinfection by-product, has been detected in chloraminated drinking water systems. Understanding its formation over time is important to control NDMA levels in distribution systems. The main objectives of this study were to investigate the role of chloramine species (i.e., monochloramine and dichloramine); and the factors such as pH, sulfate, and natural organic matter (NOM) influencing the formation of NDMA. Five NDMA precursors (i.e., dimethylamine (DMA), trimethylamine (TMA), N,N-dimethylisopropylamine (DMiPA), N,N-dimethylbenzylamine (DMBzA), and ranitidine (RNTD)) were carefully selected based on their chemical structures and exposed to varying ratios of monochloramine and dichloramine. All amine precursors reacted relatively fast to form NDMA and reached their maximum NDMA yields within 24 h in the presence of excess levels of chloramines (both mono- and dichloramine) or excess levels of dichloramine conditions (with limited monochloramine). When the formation of dichloramine was suppressed (i.e., only monochloramine existed in the system) over the 5 day contact time, NDMA formation from DMA, TMA, and DMiPA was drastically reduced (∼0%). Under monochloramine abundant conditions, however, DMBzA and RNTD showed 40% and 90% NDMA conversions at the end of 5 day contact time, respectively, with slow formation rates, indicating that while these amine precursors react preferentially with dichloramine to form NDMA, they can also react with monochloramine in the absence of dichloramine. NOM and pH influenced dichloramine levels that affected NDMA yields. NOM had an adverse effect on NDMA formation as it created a competition with NDMA precursors for dichloramine. Sulfate did not increase the NDMA formation from the two selected NDMA precursors. pH played a key role as it influenced both chloramine speciation and protonation state of amine precursors and the highest NDMA formation was observed at the p

By-product formation in repetitive PCR amplification of DNA libraries during SELEX.

Science.gov (United States)

Tolle, Fabian; Wilke, Julian; Wengel, Jesper; Mayer, Günter

2014-01-01

The selection of nucleic acid aptamers is an increasingly important approach to generate specific ligands binding to virtually any molecule of choice. However, selection-inherent amplification procedures are prone to artificial by-product formation that prohibits the enrichment of target-recognizing aptamers. Little is known about the formation of such by-products when employing nucleic acid libraries as templates. We report on the formation of two different forms of by-products, named ladder- and non-ladder-type observed during repetitive amplification in the course of in vitro selection experiments. Based on sequence information and the amplification behaviour of defined enriched nucleic acid molecules we suppose a molecular mechanism through which these amplification by-products are built. Better understanding of these mechanisms might help to find solutions minimizing by-product formation and improving the success rate of aptamer selection.

Kinetics of BaSO4 crystal growth and effect in formation damage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wat, R.M.S.; Sorbie, K.S.; Todd, A.C.; Chen, P.; Jiang, P.

1992-01-01

In the North Sea, due to the extensive use of water injection for oil displacement and pressure maintenance, many reservoirs experience the problem of scale deposition when injection water starts to breakthrough. In most cases the scaled-up wells are caused by the formation of sulphate scales of Barium and Strontium. Due to their relative hardness and low solubility, there are limited processes available for their removal and the preventative measure such as the squeeze inhibitor treatment has to be taken. It is therefore important to have a proper understanding of the kinetics of scale formation and its detrimental effect on formation damage under both inhibited and uninhibited environment. In this paper, the authors present results of BaSO 4 formation kinetics in both beaker tests and in highly reproducible sandpacks which simulates the flow in porous medium

Critical Incidents as Formative Influences on the Work of Educational Researchers: Understanding an Insider Perspective through Narrative Enquiry

Science.gov (United States)

Holligan, Chris; Wilson, Michael

2015-01-01

Drawing on insights from phenomenological sociology and various strands of socio-cultural theory, this paper reports the findings of a qualitative investigation into critical incidents as formative influences in the research orientation and research cultivation of 22 academics working in research-intensive university education departments. The…

New Discoveries in Planetary Systems and Star Formation through Advances in Laboratory Astrophysics

OpenAIRE

WGLA, AAS; Brickhouse, Nancy; Cowan, John; Drake, Paul; Federman, Steven; Ferland, Gary; Frank, Adam; Herbst, Eric; Olive, Keith; Salama, Farid; Savin, Daniel Wolf; Ziurys, Lucy

2009-01-01

As the panel on Planetary Systems and Star Formation (PSF) is fully aware, the next decade will see major advances in our understanding of these areas of research. To quote from their charge, these advances will occur in studies of solar system bodies (other than the Sun) and extrasolar planets, debris disks, exobiology, the formation of individual stars, protostellar and protoplanetary disks, molecular clouds and the cold ISM, dust, and astrochemistry. Central to the progress in these areas ...

ENDF/X: an Extended ENDF Format (Evolution, not Revolution)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cullen, Dermott E.

2012-01-01

Recently there has been yet another round of complaints about the ENDF format not being modern and general enough to handle today's nuclear data. This has led to suggestions to abandon the current ENDF and move on to a new format. The complaints I hear I fear are based upon not understanding the primary purpose of ENDF and a lack of experience in using the ENDF format and not being flexible to enough to deal with the current format. Personally I do not think that any changes to the ENDF format are Necessary. But here I address the complaints that I have recently heard about the limitations of the ENDF format, and I suggest minor changes that will completely handle these complaints. In turn I would ask those who are complaining and feel that extensions are needed Please give us some examples where these extensions are Needed. Personally I am not aware of any such data, but I am keeping an open mind and I would love to see examples that really Require extensions. I propose a few fairly simple extensions to the current ENDF/B format; what I call ENDF/X. Compared to other suggested revolutionary changes, my evolutionary approach has the advantage that it maintains compatibility with the existing ENDF/B format that we have used successfully for almost fifty years, and still allows the format to be extended for use with other types of data. In addition to my suggested changes to the ENDF/B format I also include a brief history of ENDF/B, in the hope that the experience we have gained over the last almost 50 years will be of help to the present generation of nuclear data developers and users. Please let's not make the mistake of learning nothing from history. Lastly I finish by identifying what I see as the weak point in the current infrastructure that we use to handle evaluated nuclear data; it me it is not the format of the data. (author)

Nogo receptor 1 regulates formation of lasting memories

Science.gov (United States)

Karlén, Alexandra; Karlsson, Tobias E.; Mattsson, Anna; Lundströmer, Karin; Codeluppi, Simone; Pham, Therese M.; Bäckman, Cristina M.; Ögren, Sven Ove; Åberg, Elin; Hoffman, Alexander F.; Sherling, Michael A.; Lupica, Carl R.; Hoffer, Barry J.; Spenger, Christian; Josephson, Anna; Brené, Stefan; Olson, Lars

2009-01-01

Formation of lasting memories is believed to rely on structural alterations at the synaptic level. We had found that increased neuronal activity down-regulates Nogo receptor-1 (NgR1) in brain regions linked to memory formation and storage, and postulated this to be required for formation of lasting memories. We now show that mice with inducible overexpression of NgR1 in forebrain neurons have normal long-term potentiation and normal 24-h memory, but severely impaired month-long memory in both passive avoidance and swim maze tests. Blocking transgene expression normalizes these memory impairments. Nogo, Lingo-1, Troy, endogenous NgR1, and BDNF mRNA expression levels were not altered by transgene expression, suggesting that the impaired ability to form lasting memories is directly coupled to inability to down-regulate NgR1. Regulation of NgR1 may therefore serve as a key regulator of memory consolidation. Understanding the molecular underpinnings of synaptic rearrangements that carry lasting memories may facilitate development of treatments for memory dysfunction. PMID:19915139

Sheet, ligament and droplet formation in swirling primary atomization

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Changxiao Shao

2018-04-01

Full Text Available We report direct numerical simulations of swirling liquid atomization to understand the physical mechanism underlying the sheet breakup of a non-turbulent liquid swirling jet which lacks in-depth investigation. The volume-of-fluid (VOF method coupled with adapted mesh refinement (AMR technique in GERRIS code is employed in the present simulation. The mechanisms of sheet, ligament and droplet formation are investigated. It is observed that the olive-shape sheet structure is similar to the experimental result qualitatively. The numerical results show that surface tension, pressure difference and swirling effect contribute to the contraction and extension of liquid sheet. The ligament formation is partially at the sheet rim or attributed to the extension of liquid hole. Especially, the movement of hairpin vortex exerts by an anti-radial direction force to the sheet surface and leads to the sheet thinness. In addition, droplet formation is attributed to breakup of ligament and central sheet.

Sheet, ligament and droplet formation in swirling primary atomization

Science.gov (United States)

Shao, Changxiao; Luo, Kun; Chai, Min; Fan, Jianren

2018-04-01

We report direct numerical simulations of swirling liquid atomization to understand the physical mechanism underlying the sheet breakup of a non-turbulent liquid swirling jet which lacks in-depth investigation. The volume-of-fluid (VOF) method coupled with adapted mesh refinement (AMR) technique in GERRIS code is employed in the present simulation. The mechanisms of sheet, ligament and droplet formation are investigated. It is observed that the olive-shape sheet structure is similar to the experimental result qualitatively. The numerical results show that surface tension, pressure difference and swirling effect contribute to the contraction and extension of liquid sheet. The ligament formation is partially at the sheet rim or attributed to the extension of liquid hole. Especially, the movement of hairpin vortex exerts by an anti-radial direction force to the sheet surface and leads to the sheet thinness. In addition, droplet formation is attributed to breakup of ligament and central sheet.

Kiloparsec-scale Simulations of Star Formation in Disk Galaxies. IV. Regulation of Galactic Star Formation Rates by Stellar Feedback

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Butler, Michael J.; Tan, Jonathan C.; Teyssier, Romain; Nickerson, Sarah; Rosdahl, Joakim; Van Loo, Sven

2017-01-01

Star formation from the interstellar medium of galactic disks is a basic process controlling the evolution of galaxies. Understanding the star formation rate (SFR) in a local patch of a disk with a given gas mass is thus an important challenge for theoretical models. Here we simulate a kiloparsec region of a disk, following the evolution of self-gravitating molecular clouds down to subparsec scales, as they form stars that then inject feedback energy by dissociating and ionizing UV photons and supernova explosions. We assess the relative importance of each feedback mechanism. We find that H 2 -dissociating feedback results in the largest absolute reduction in star formation compared to the run with no feedback. Subsequently adding photoionization feedback produces a more modest reduction. Our fiducial models that combine all three feedback mechanisms yield, without fine-tuning, SFRs that are in excellent agreement with observations, with H 2 -dissociating photons playing a crucial role. Models that only include supernova feedback—a common method in galaxy evolution simulations—settle to similar SFRs, but with very different temperatures and chemical states of the gas, and with very different spatial distributions of young stars.

Kiloparsec-scale Simulations of Star Formation in Disk Galaxies. IV. Regulation of Galactic Star Formation Rates by Stellar Feedback

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Butler, Michael J. [Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Königstuhl 17, D-69117 Heidelberg (Germany); Tan, Jonathan C. [Departments of Astronomy and Physics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611 (United States); Teyssier, Romain; Nickerson, Sarah [Institute for Computational Science, University of Zurich, 8049 Zurich (Switzerland); Rosdahl, Joakim [Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9513, NL-2300 RA Leiden (Netherlands); Van Loo, Sven [School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT (United Kingdom)

2017-06-01

Star formation from the interstellar medium of galactic disks is a basic process controlling the evolution of galaxies. Understanding the star formation rate (SFR) in a local patch of a disk with a given gas mass is thus an important challenge for theoretical models. Here we simulate a kiloparsec region of a disk, following the evolution of self-gravitating molecular clouds down to subparsec scales, as they form stars that then inject feedback energy by dissociating and ionizing UV photons and supernova explosions. We assess the relative importance of each feedback mechanism. We find that H{sub 2}-dissociating feedback results in the largest absolute reduction in star formation compared to the run with no feedback. Subsequently adding photoionization feedback produces a more modest reduction. Our fiducial models that combine all three feedback mechanisms yield, without fine-tuning, SFRs that are in excellent agreement with observations, with H{sub 2}-dissociating photons playing a crucial role. Models that only include supernova feedback—a common method in galaxy evolution simulations—settle to similar SFRs, but with very different temperatures and chemical states of the gas, and with very different spatial distributions of young stars.

Ammonia role in WWER primary circuit water chemistry optimization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kritskij, V.G.; Stjagkin, P.S.; Chvedova, M.N.; Slobodov, A.A.

1999-01-01

Ammonia influence on iron crud's solubility at 300 deg. C and different relations of boric acid and alkaline cation sum are considered. Reduction of dose rate on WWER-440 steam generators at average ammonia concentration increasing is empirically explained. Practical recommendations on optimization of WWER primary circuit water chemistry are given. (author)

Cellular metabolic responses of the marine diatom Pseudo-nitzschia multiseries associated with cell wall formation.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Bin; Luo, Chun-Shan; Liang, Jun-Rong; Chen, Dan-Dan; Zhuo, Wen-Hao; Gao, Ya-Hui; Chen, Chang-Ping; Song, Si-Si

2014-08-01

In this study a comparative proteomics approach involving a mass spectrometric analysis of synchronized cells was employed to investigate the cellular-level metabolic mechanisms associated with siliceous cell wall formation in the pennate diatom Pseudo-nitzschia multiseries. Cultures of P. multiseries were synchronized using the silicate limitation method. Approximately 75% of cells were arrested at the G2+M phase of the cell cycle after 48 h of silicate starvation. The majority of cells progressed to new valve synthesis within 5h of silicon replenishment. We compared the proteome of P. multiseries at 0, 4, 5, and 6h of synchronization progress upon silicon replenishment using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Forty-eight differentially expressed protein spots were identified in abundance (greater than two-fold change; Pwall formation. The proteomic profile analysis suggests that P. multiseries most likely employs multiple synergistic biochemical mechanisms for cell wall formation. These results improve our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying silicon cell wall formation and enhance our understanding of the important role played by diatoms in silicon biogeochemical cycling. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Stellar formation

CERN Document Server

Reddish, V C

1978-01-01

Stellar Formation brings together knowledge about the formation of stars. In seeking to determine the conditions necessary for star formation, this book examines questions such as how, where, and why stars form, and at what rate and with what properties. This text also considers whether the formation of a star is an accident or an integral part of the physical properties of matter. This book consists of 13 chapters divided into two sections and begins with an overview of theories that explain star formation as well as the state of knowledge of star formation in comparison to stellar structure

Recent progress in simulating galaxy formation from the largest to the smallest scales

Science.gov (United States)

Faucher-Giguère, Claude-André

2018-05-01

Galaxy formation simulations are an essential part of the modern toolkit of astrophysicists and cosmologists alike. Astrophysicists use the simulations to study the emergence of galaxy populations from the Big Bang, as well as the formation of stars and supermassive black holes. For cosmologists, galaxy formation simulations are needed to understand how baryonic processes affect measurements of dark matter and dark energy. Owing to the extreme dynamic range of galaxy formation, advances are driven by novel approaches using simulations with different tradeoffs between volume and resolution. Large-volume but low-resolution simulations provide the best statistics, while higher-resolution simulations of smaller cosmic volumes can be evolved with self-consistent physics and reveal important emergent phenomena. I summarize recent progress in galaxy formation simulations, including major developments in the past five years, and highlight some key areas likely to drive further advances over the next decade.

Dynamics of bubble formation in highly viscous liquids.

Science.gov (United States)

Pancholi, Ketan; Stride, Eleanor; Edirisinghe, Mohan

2008-04-15

There has recently been considerable interest in the development of devices for the preparation of monodisperse microbubble suspensions for use as ultrasound contrast agents and drug delivery vehicles. These applications require not only a high degree of bubble uniformity but also a maximum bubble size of 8 mum, and this provides a strong motivation for developing an improved understanding of the process of bubble formation in a given device. The aim of this work was to investigate bubble formation in a T-junction device and determine the influence of the different processing parameters upon bubble size, in particular, liquid viscosity. Images of air bubble formation in a specially designed T-junction were recorded using a high-speed camera for different ratios of liquid to gas flow rate (Ql/Qg) and different liquid viscosities (microl). It was found that theoretical predictions of the flow profile in the focal region based on analysis of axisymmetric Stokes flow were accurate to within 6% when compared with the experimental data, indicating that this provided a suitable means of describing the bubble formation process. Both the theoretical and experimental results showed that Ql/Qg and mul had a significant influence upon bubble formation and eventual size, with higher flow rates and higher viscosities producing smaller bubbles. There were, however, found to be limiting values of Ql/Qg and mul beyond which no further reduction in bubble size was achieved.

Particle formation with supercritical fluids challenges and limitations

CERN Document Server

Türk, Michael

2014-01-01

Particle formation with supercritical fluids is a promising alternative to conventional precipitation processes as it allows the reduction of particle size and control of morphology and particle size distribution without degradation or contamination of the product. The book comprehensively examines the current status of research and development and provides perspectives and insights on promising future directions. The introduction to high pressure and high temperature phase equilibria and nucleation phenomena provides the basic principles of the underlying physical and chemical phenomena, allowing the reader an understanding of the relationship between process conditions and particle characteristics. Bridging the gap between theory and application, the book imparts the scientific and engineering fundamentals for innovative particle formation processes. The interdisciplinary "modus operandi" will encourage cooperation between scientists and researchers from different but complementary disciplines. Focuses on ...

Kalirin, a key player in synapse formation, is implicated in human diseases.

Science.gov (United States)

Mandela, Prashant; Ma, Xin-Ming

2012-01-01

Synapse formation is considered to be crucial for learning and memory. Understanding the underlying molecular mechanisms of synapse formation is a key to understanding learning and memory. Kalirin-7, a major isoform of Kalirin in adult rodent brain, is an essential component of mature excitatory synapses. Kalirin-7 interacts with multiple PDZ-domain-containing proteins including PSD95, spinophilin, and GluR1 through its PDZ-binding motif. In cultured hippocampal/cortical neurons, overexpression of Kalirin-7 increases spine density and spine size whereas reduction of endogenous Kalirin-7 expression decreases synapse number, and spine density. In Kalirin-7 knockout mice, spine length, synapse number, and postsynaptic density (PSD) size are decreased in hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons; these morphological alterations are accompanied by a deficiency in long-term potentiation (LTP) and a decreased spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic current (sEPSC) frequency. Human Kalirin-7, also known as Duo or Huntingtin-associated protein-interacting protein (HAPIP), is equivalent to rat Kalirin-7. Recent studies show that Kalirin is relevant to many human diseases such as Huntington's Disease, Alzheimer's Disease, ischemic stroke, schizophrenia, depression, and cocaine addiction. This paper summarizes our recent understanding of Kalirin function.

Characteristics of Methane Hydrate Formation in Artificial and Natural Media

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qingbai Wu

2013-03-01

Full Text Available The formation of methane hydrate in two significantly different media was investigated, using silica gel as an artificial medium and loess as a natural medium. The methane hydrate formation was observed through the depletion of water in the matrix, measured via the matrix potential and the relationship between the matrix potential and the water content was determined using established equations. The velocity of methane hydrate nucleation slowed over the course of the reaction, as it relied on water transfer to the hydrate surfaces with lower Gibbs free energy after nucleation. Significant differences in the reactions in the two types of media arose from differences in the water retention capacity and lithology of media due to the internal surface area and pore size distributions. Compared with methane hydrate formation in silica gel, the reaction in loess was much slower and formed far less methane hydrate. The results of this study will advance the understanding of how the properties of the environment affect the formation of gas hydrates in nature.

A model for the origin of bursty star formation in galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Faucher-Giguère, Claude-André

2018-01-01

We propose a simple analytic model to understand when star formation is time steady versus bursty in galaxies. Recent models explain the observed Kennicutt-Schmidt relation between star formation rate and gas surface densities in galaxies as resulting from a balance between stellar feedback and gravity. We argue that bursty star formation occurs when such an equilibrium cannot be stably sustained, and identify two regimes in which galaxy-scale star formation should be bursty: (i) at high redshift (z ≳ 1) for galaxies of all masses, and (ii) at low masses (depending on gas fraction) for galaxies at any redshift. At high redshift, characteristic galactic dynamical time-scales become too short for supernova feedback to effectively respond to gravitational collapse in galactic discs (an effect recently identified for galactic nuclei), whereas in dwarf galaxies star formation occurs in too few bright star-forming regions to effectively average out. Burstiness is also enhanced at high redshift owing to elevated gas fractions in the early Universe. Our model can thus explain the bursty star formation rates predicted in these regimes by recent high-resolution galaxy formation simulations, as well as the bursty star formation histories observationally inferred in both local dwarf and high-redshift galaxies. In our model, bursty star formation is associated with particularly strong spatiotemporal clustering of supernovae. Such clustering can promote the formation of galactic winds and our model may thus also explain the much higher wind mass loading factors inferred in high-redshift massive galaxies relative to their z ∼ 0 counterparts.

How well do commonly used data presentation formats support comparative effectiveness evaluations?

Science.gov (United States)

Dolan, James G; Qian, Feng; Veazie, Peter J

2012-01-01

Good decisions depend on an accurate understanding of the comparative effectiveness of decision alternatives. The best way to convey data needed to support these comparisons is unknown. To determine how well 5 commonly used data presentation formats convey comparative effectiveness information. The study was an Internet survey using a factorial design. Participants consisted of 279 members of an online survey panel. Study participants compared outcomes associated with 3 hypothetical screening test options relative to 5 possible outcomes with probabilities ranging from 2 per 5000 (0.04%) to 500 per 1000 (50%). Data presentation formats included a table, a "magnified" bar chart, a risk scale, a frequency diagram, and an icon array. Outcomes included the number of correct ordinal judgments regarding the more likely of 2 outcomes, the ratio of perceived versus actual relative likelihoods of the paired outcomes, the intersubject consistency of responses, and perceived clarity. The mean number of correct ordinal judgments was 12 of 15 (80%), with no differences among data formats. On average, there was a 3.3-fold difference between perceived and actual likelihood ratios (95% confidence interval = 3.0-3.6). Comparative judgments based on flowcharts, icon arrays, and tables were all significantly more accurate and consistent than those based on risk scales and bar charts (P charts, and flow diagrams. None of the data presentation formats studied can reliably provide patients, especially those with low subjective numeracy, with an accurate understanding of comparative effectiveness information.

Using Oral Examination as a Technique to Assess Student Understanding and Teaching Effectiveness

Science.gov (United States)

Roecker, Lee

2007-01-01

This paper discusses the use of oral examinations to assess student understanding in a general chemistry course and in an advanced inorganic chemistry course. Examination design, administration, and grading are explored, as well as the benefits to both instructors and students. Students react positively to the oral examination format and generally…

Stress: key element in the labor formation for the occupational health

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrés Miranda-Ledesma

2018-02-01

Full Text Available The article analyzes the diverse manifestations generated by the stress in the labor environment and its implication with the individual's health, for the sake of achieving a understanding of the phenomenon for the formative programs of the companies. The articulates it approaches two of the factors fundamental stress generators, among other essential aspects, as well as to some strategies to organizational level and singular, that can be used as part of the labor formation of the workers for the confrontation of the stress, revealing a solution that integrates to the organizational subjectivity in all their expression dimensions.

Dynamical scenario of intermediary mass fragments formation in heavy ion collisions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ayik, S.; Belkacem, M.; Gregoire, C.; Stryjewski, J.; Suraud, E.

1989-01-01

We briefly remind the possible dynamical scenario of fragments formation in heavy-ion collisions at some tens fo MeV/A. We discuss how present day dynamical models can describe fragment formation. We next turn to the Boltzmann-Langevin formalism which provides a well defined theoretical framework for the understanding of the growing of the dynamical instabilities leading to multifragmentation. We present a first numerical solution of the Boltzmann-Langevin equation and we apply the formalism to the onset of multifragmentation of the 40 Ca + 40 Ca system between 20 and 60 MeV/A beam energy [fr

Formation of ghost images due to meta objects on the surface of the patient's face: A pictorial essay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramons, BarbaraCouto; Da Silva Izar, Bruna Raquel; Pereira, Jessica Lourdes Costa; Souza Priscilla Serna; Valerio, Cludia Scigliano; Manzi, Flavio Ricardo; Tuji, Fabricio Mesquita

2016-01-01

Panoramic radiographs are a relatively simple technique that is commonly used in all dental specialties. In panoramic radiographs, in addition to the formation of real images of metal objects, ghost images may also form, and these ghost images can hinder an accurate diagnosis and interfere with the accuracy of radiology reports. Dentists must understand the formation of these images in order to avoid making incorrect radiographic diagnoses. Therefore, the present study sought to present a study of the formation of panoramic radiograph ghost images caused by metal objects in the head and neck region of a dry skull, as well as to report a clinical case n order to warn dentists about ghost images and to raise awareness thereof. An understanding of the principles of the formation of ghost images in panoramic radiographs helps prevent incorrect diagnoses

Formation of ghost images due to meta objects on the surface of the patient's face: A pictorial essay

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ramons, BarbaraCouto; Da Silva Izar, Bruna Raquel; Pereira, Jessica Lourdes Costa; Souza Priscilla Serna; Valerio, Cludia Scigliano; Manzi, Flavio Ricardo [Dept. of Oral Radiology, School of Dentistry, Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte (Brazil); Tuji, Fabricio Mesquita [Federal University of Pará, Belém do Pará (Brazil)

2016-03-15

Panoramic radiographs are a relatively simple technique that is commonly used in all dental specialties. In panoramic radiographs, in addition to the formation of real images of metal objects, ghost images may also form, and these ghost images can hinder an accurate diagnosis and interfere with the accuracy of radiology reports. Dentists must understand the formation of these images in order to avoid making incorrect radiographic diagnoses. Therefore, the present study sought to present a study of the formation of panoramic radiograph ghost images caused by metal objects in the head and neck region of a dry skull, as well as to report a clinical case n order to warn dentists about ghost images and to raise awareness thereof. An understanding of the principles of the formation of ghost images in panoramic radiographs helps prevent incorrect diagnoses.

A RESTful Web service interface to the ATLAS COOL database

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roe, S A

2010-01-01

The COOL database in ATLAS is primarily used for storing detector conditions data, but also status flags which are uploaded summaries of information to indicate the detector reliability during a run. This paper introduces the use of CherryPy, a Python application server which acts as an intermediate layer between a web interface and the database, providing a simple means of storing to and retrieving from the COOL database which has found use in many web applications. The software layer is designed to be RESTful, implementing the common CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) database methods by means of interpreting the HTTP method (POST, GET, PUT, DELETE) on the server along with a URL identifying the database resource to be operated on. The format of the data (text, xml etc) is also determined by the HTTP protocol. The details of this layer are described along with a popular application demonstrating its use, the ATLAS run list web page.

PENGUKURAN KINERJA BEBERAPA SISTEM BASIS DATA RELASIONAL DENGAN KEMAMPUAN MENYIMPAN DATA BERFORMAT GML (GEOGRAPHY MARKUP LANGUAGE YANG DAPAT DIGUNAKAN UNTUK MENDASARI APLIKASI-APLIKASI SISTEM INFORMASI GEOGRAFIS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adi Nugroho

2009-01-01

Full Text Available If we want to represent spatial data to user using GIS (Geographical Information System applications, we have 2 choices about the underlying database, that is general RDBMS (Relational Database Management System for saving general spatial data (number, char, varchar, etc., or saving spatial data in GML (Geography Markup Language format. (GML is an another XML’s special vocabulary for spatial data. If we choose GML for saving spatial data, we also have 2 choices, that is saving spatial data in XML Enabled Database (relational databases that can be use for saving XML data or we can use Native XML Database (NXD, that is special databases that can be use for saving XML data. In this paper, we try to make performance comparison for several XML Enabled Database when we do GML’s CRUD (Create-Read-Update-Delete operations to these databases. On the other side, we also want to see flexibility of XML Enabled Database from programmers view.

Connected Classroom Technology Facilitates Multiple Components of Formative Assessment Practice

Science.gov (United States)

Shirley, Melissa L.; Irving, Karen E.

2015-02-01

Formative assessment has been demonstrated to result in increased student achievement across a variety of educational contexts. When using formative assessment strategies, teachers engage students in instructional tasks that allow the teacher to uncover levels of student understanding so that the teacher may change instruction accordingly. Tools that support the implementation of formative assessment strategies are therefore likely to enhance student achievement. Connected classroom technologies (CCTs) include a family of devices that show promise in facilitating formative assessment. By promoting the use of interactive student tasks and providing both teachers and students with rapid and accurate data on student learning, CCT can provide teachers with necessary evidence for making instructional decisions about subsequent lessons. In this study, the experiences of four middle and high school science teachers in their first year of implementing the TI-Navigator™ system, a specific type of CCT, are used to characterize the ways in which CCT supports the goals of effective formative assessment. We present excerpts of participant interviews to demonstrate the alignment of CCT with several main phases of the formative assessment process. CCT was found to support implementation of a variety of instructional tasks that generate evidence of student learning for the teacher. The rapid aggregation and display of student learning evidence provided teachers with robust data on which to base subsequent instructional decisions.

Not all stories of professional identity formation are equal: An analysis of formation narratives of highly humanistic physicians.

Science.gov (United States)

Branch, William T; Frankel, Richard

2016-08-01

We sought to identify and define "highly humanistic" formation narratives, and understand how these events described, together with a reflective learning process, the professional development of physicians in a longitudinal faculty development program. Qualitative analysis of twenty highly humanistic appreciative inquiry narratives selected from a total of 124 written by faculty members at the beginning and end of an eighteen month program at eight medical schools. [9,10] We employed the immersion/crystallization method of Borkan [20] to capture the rich meanings and emotional depth of the twenty narratives. Highly humanistic formation narratives described emotionally charged events in which the faculty writers provided humanistic care that went beyond what they had previously thought themselves capable of; benefited the patient, family or faculty member to a major extent; and reaffirmed or strengthened their professional values. Highly humanistic formation narratives were clustered at the end of our eighteen month curriculum. Participation in faculty development for humanism may have increased the numbers of highly humanistic events by sensitizing and motivating faculty members to meet their patients' emotional needs. Our paper describes a process whereby faculty members may achieve growth in their capacities to meet patients' needs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Precision and some other problems in ENDF-6 format: thoughts of a programmer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zerkin, V.; )

2012-01-01

Problems of ENDF-6 format mentioned in presentations and private communications on several recent nuclear data meetings can be summarized as following: Rigid structure not allowing extensions; Fixed number of digits for data presentation (not enough precision for covariance data); Dropped 'E' in REAL numbers (allowed by FORTRAN, but not by other languages); Impossible to read by a human; Punch-card structure of information (repeating MAT/MF/MT); Short MAT (4 digits only); Short MT (3 digits)[, and long procedure to add new official MT]; Extensive usage of MT=5 for many reactions/products; Complex coding needed to read, no standard software support; Price to rewrite large codes dealing with ENDF-6 format in case it would be replaced by another format/s or modern language/s, etc.. Although it may look strange to start development of a universal FORTRAN library for ENDF-6 files after 20 years of existence of ENDF-6 format, and at the time when nuclear data community begins the development of a new (XML) format to replace ENDF-6 format, nevertheless, the steps described in this paper can help to solve some current problems of ENDF-6 format, to prepare software structure to make transition to XML format for existing codes: smooth, understandable, tested and confirmed at the end

Theoretical Propositions for the Citizen Formation Mediated by Technology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tania Margarita Martínez de Padrón

2018-02-01

Full Text Available The research presented emerges from the connotations concerning the formation of the citizenship by the information technology and communication. Be part of the conception of the current citizen and the influence that has emerged through the utility of the various social networks, as well as Canaima education project and the guidance provided to schoolchildren in this sense. The general objective was to generate propositions theoretical that guide the formation of citizenship mediated by ICT in the primary schools of Santa Teresa del Tuy. The methodology used was the qualitative paradigm, based on the interpretative phenomenological approach of Heidegger, which is interested in discovering and understanding the meanings, habits and practices of the human being. Castle (2000: 5. The researcher approached the field object of study to observe, describe and interpret a reality. As an instrument used the interview in depth. The information obtained was recorded in pictures which allowed to comply with the development of specific objectives through triangulation. On whose findings prevailed deviating from the use of technological tools and how these have formed the formation of citizenship in school children in their behavior and actions. At the same time, allowed know from educational technological approach, that sparing the teacher provides guidance that redirect the formation of citizenship. Also was the stated objective as it was the theoretical propositions that guide the formation of citizens ICT-mediated.

Parametric studies of contrail ice particle formation in jet regime using microphysical parcel modeling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H.-W. Wong

2010-04-01

Full Text Available Condensation trails (contrails formed from water vapor emissions behind aircraft engines are the most uncertain components of the aviation impacts on climate change. To gain improved knowledge of contrail and contrail-induced cirrus cloud formation, understanding of contrail ice particle formation immediately after aircraft engines is needed. Despite many efforts spent in modeling the microphysics of ice crystal formation in jet regime (with a plume age <5 s, systematic understanding of parametric effects of variables affecting contrail ice particle formation is still limited. In this work, we apply a microphysical parcel modeling approach to study contrail ice particle formation in near-field aircraft plumes up to 1000 m downstream of an aircraft engine in the soot-rich regime (soot number emission index >1×10¹⁵ (kg-fuel⁻¹ at cruise. The effects of dilution history, ion-mediated nucleation, ambient relative humidity, fuel sulfur contents, and initial soot emissions were investigated. Our simulation results suggest that ice particles are mainly formed by water condensation on emitted soot particles. The growth of ice coated soot particles is driven by water vapor emissions in the first 1000 m and by ambient relative humidity afterwards. The presence of chemi-ions does not significantly contribute to the formation of ice particles in the soot-rich regime, and the effect of fuel sulfur contents is small over the range typical of standard jet fuels. The initial properties of soot emissions play the most critical role, and our calculations suggest that higher number concentration and smaller size of contrail particle nuclei may be able to effectively suppress the formation of contrail ice particles. Further modeling and experimental studies are needed to verify if our findings can provide a possible approach for contrail mitigation.

Indian experience with radionuclide transport, deposition and decontamination in water-cooled nuclear power reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Narasimhan, S.V.; Das, P.C.; Lawrence, D.A.; Mathur, P.K.; Venkateswarlu, K.S.

1983-01-01

The present generation of water-cooled nuclear reactors uses construction materials chosen with utmost care so that minimum corrosion occurs during the life of the reactor. As interaction between the primary coolant and the construction materials is unavoidable, the coolant is chemically treated to achieve maximum compatibility. First measurements of the chemical and radiochemical composition of the crud present on the in-core and out-of-core primary heat transport system surfaces of a pressurized heavy-water-moderated and cooled reactor (PHWR) are given; then experience in India in the development of a low temperature, one-stage decontaminating formulation for chemical decontamination of the radioactive deposits formed on stainless steel surfaces under BWR conditions is discussed. The effect of the magnitude of the transients in parameters such as reactor power, system temperature, dissolved oxygen content in the coolant, etc. on the nature and migration behaviour of primary heat transport system crud in a PHWR is described. Contributions to radioactive sources and insoluble crud from different primary heat transport system materials are identified and correlated with reactor operations in a PHWR. Man-rem problems faced by nuclear reactors, especially during off-line maintenance, stress the need for reducing the deposited radioactive sources from system surfaces which would otherwise be accessible. Laboratory and on-site experimentation was carried out to effect chemical decontamination on the radioactive deposits formed on the stainless steel surfaces under BWR conditions. Both the reducing and oxidizing formulations were subsequently used in a small-scale, in-plant trial in the clean-up system of a BWR. More than 85% of the deposited 60 Co activity was found to have been removed by the oxidizing formulation. Efforts to develop a decontaminating mixture containing a reducing agent with the help of a circulating loop are in progress in the laboratory. (author)

Use of a simplified consent form to facilitate patient understanding of informed consent for laparoscopic cholecystectomy

OpenAIRE

Borello Alessandro; Ferrarese Alessia; Passera Roberto; Surace Alessandra; Marola Silvia; Buccelli Claudio; Niola Massimo; Di Lorenzo Pierpaolo; Amato Maurizio; Di Domenico Lorenza; Solej Mario; Martino Valter

2016-01-01

Abstract Background Surgical informed consent forms can be complicated for patients to read and understand. We created a consent form with key information presented in bulleted texts and diagrams combined in a graphical format to facilitate the understanding of information during the verbal consent discussion. Methods This prospective, randomized study involved 70 adult patients awaiting cholecystectomy for gallstones. Consent was obtained after standard verbal explanation using either a grap...

Water chemistry regimes for VVER-440 units: water chemistry influence on fuel cladding behaviour

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zmitko, M.

1999-01-01

In this lecture next problems of water chemistry influence on fuel cladding behaviour for VVER-440 units are presented: primary coolant technologies; water chemistry specification and control; fuel integrity considerations; zirconium alloys cladding corrosion (corrosion versus burn-up; water chemistry effect; crud deposition; hydrogen absorption; axial offset anomaly); alternatives for the primary coolant regimes

Satellite formation flying relative dynamics, formation design, fuel optimal maneuvers and formation maintenance

CERN Document Server

Wang, Danwei; Poh, Eng Kee

2017-01-01

This book systematically describes the concepts and principles for multi-satellite relative motion, passive and near passive formation designs, trajectory planning and control for fuel optimal formation maneuvers, and formation flying maintenance control design. As such, it provides a sound foundation for researchers and engineers in this field to develop further theories and pursue their implementations. Though satellite formation flying is widely considered to be a major advance in space technology, there are few systematic treatments of the topic in the literature. Addressing that gap, the book offers a valuable resource for academics, researchers, postgraduate students and practitioners in the field of satellite science and engineering.

Online information Impact in the virtual destination image formation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Célia Maria Conceição Salmim Rafael

2014-05-01

Full Text Available The influence of the destination image in the decision process and choice of destination by tourists is transverse to its intangible nature. Recent studies expand and modify the conventional image constructs specifying information sources transmitted through the internet. The scenario resulting from the literature review allows us to understand the importance of experience for touristic activity and theoretical proposition of virtual tourism as "virtual tourist experience", its determinants and its implications for the overall image destination formation. This study presents a literature review base to the empiric research proposal whose general objective comprises the analysis of the influence of factors, such as interactivity, in online communication and contact with virtual tourism experiences online in image destination formation and image destination.

The interconnection between biofilm formation and horizontal gene transfer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)