Sample records for accident sequences simulated

  1. Domino effect in chemical accidents: main features and accident sequences.

    PubMed

    Darbra, R M; Palacios, Adriana; Casal, Joaquim

    2010-11-15

    The main features of domino accidents in process/storage plants and in the transportation of hazardous materials were studied through an analysis of 225 accidents involving this effect. Data on these accidents, which occurred after 1961, were taken from several sources. Aspects analyzed included the accident scenario, the type of accident, the materials involved, the causes and consequences and the most common accident sequences. The analysis showed that the most frequent causes are external events (31%) and mechanical failure (29%). Storage areas (35%) and process plants (28%) are by far the most common settings for domino accidents. Eighty-nine per cent of the accidents involved flammable materials, the most frequent of which was LPG. The domino effect sequences were analyzed using relative probability event trees. The most frequent sequences were explosion→fire (27.6%), fire→explosion (27.5%) and fire→fire (17.8%). Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Severe Accident Sequence Analysis Program: Anticipated transient without scram simulations for Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Unit 1

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Dallman, R J; Gottula, R C; Holcomb, E E

    1987-05-01

    An analysis of five anticipated transients without scram (ATWS) was conducted at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL). The five detailed deterministic simulations of postulated ATWS sequences were initiated from a main steamline isolation valve (MSIV) closure. The subject of the analysis was the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Unit 1, a boiling water reactor (BWR) of the BWR/4 product line with a Mark I containment. The simulations yielded insights to the possible consequences resulting from a MSIV closure ATWS. An evaluation of the effects of plant safety systems and operator actions on accident progression and mitigation is presented.

  3. 1994 Accident sequence precursor program results

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Belles, R.J.; Cletcher, J.W.; Copinger, D.A.

    1996-01-01

    The Accident Sequence Precursor (ASP) Program involves the systematic review and evaluation of operational events that have occurred at light-water reactors to identify and categorize precursors to potential severe core damage accident sequences. The results of the ASP Program are published in an annual report. The most recent report, which contains the analyses of the precursors for 1994, is NUREG/CR-4674, Vols. 21 and 22, Precursors to Potential Severe Core Damage Accidents: 1994, A Status Report, published in December 1995. This article provides an overview of the ASP review and evaluation process and a summary of the results for 1994. 12more » refs., 2 figs., 4 tabs.« less

  4. Categorizing accident sequences in the external radiotherapy for risk analysis

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Purpose This study identifies accident sequences from the past accidents in order to help the risk analysis application to the external radiotherapy. Materials and Methods This study reviews 59 accidental cases in two retrospective safety analyses that have collected the incidents in the external radiotherapy extensively. Two accident analysis reports that accumulated past incidents are investigated to identify accident sequences including initiating events, failure of safety measures, and consequences. This study classifies the accidents by the treatments stages and sources of errors for initiating events, types of failures in the safety measures, and types of undesirable consequences and the number of affected patients. Then, the accident sequences are grouped into several categories on the basis of similarity of progression. As a result, these cases can be categorized into 14 groups of accident sequence. Results The result indicates that risk analysis needs to pay attention to not only the planning stage, but also the calibration stage that is committed prior to the main treatment process. It also shows that human error is the largest contributor to initiating events as well as to the failure of safety measures. This study also illustrates an event tree analysis for an accident sequence initiated in the calibration. Conclusion This study is expected to provide sights into the accident sequences for the prospective risk analysis through the review of experiences. PMID:23865005

  5. [The characteristics of computer simulation of traffic accidents].

    PubMed

    Zou, Dong-Hua; Liu, Ning-Guo; Chen, Jian-Guo; Jin, Xian-Long; Zhang, Xiao-Yun; Zhang, Jian-Hua; Chen, Yi-Jiu

    2008-12-01

    To reconstruct the collision process of traffic accident and the injury mode of the victim by computer simulation technology in forensic assessment of traffic accident. Forty actual accidents were reconstructed by stimulation software and high performance computer based on analysis of the trace evidences at the scene, damage of the vehicles and injury of the victims, with 2 cases discussed in details. The reconstruction correlated very well in 28 cases, well in 9 cases, and suboptimal in 3 cases with the above parameters. Accurate reconstruction of the accident would be helpful for assessment of the injury mechanism of the victims. Reconstruction of the collision process of traffic accident and the injury mechanism of the victim by computer simulation is useful in traffic accident assessment.

  6. ATWS at Browns Ferry Unit One - accident sequence analysis

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Harrington, R.M.; Hodge, S.A.

    1984-07-01

    This study describes the predicted response of Unit One at the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant to a postulated complete failure to scram following a transient occurrence that has caused closure of all Main Steam Isolation Valves (MSIVs). This hypothetical event constitutes the most severe example of the type of accident classified as Anticipated Transient Without Scram (ATWS). Without the automatic control rod insertion provided by scram, the void coefficient of reactivity and the mechanisms by which voids are formed in the moderator/coolant play a dominant role in the progression of the accident. Actions taken by the operator greatly influence themore » quantity of voids in the coolant and the effect is analyzed in this report. The progression of the accident sequence under existing and under recommended procedures is discussed. For the extremely unlikely cases in which equipment failure and wrongful operator actions might lead to severe core damage, the sequence of emergency action levels and the associated timing of events are presented.« less

  7. Accident sequence precursor events with age-related contributors

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Murphy, G.A.; Kohn, W.E.

    1995-12-31

    The Accident Sequence Precursor (ASP) Program at ORNL analyzed about 14.000 Licensee Event Reports (LERs) filed by US nuclear power plants 1987--1993. There were 193 events identified as precursors to potential severe core accident sequences. These are reported in G/CR-4674. Volumes 7 through 20. Under the NRC Nuclear Plant Aging Research program, the authors evaluated these events to determine the extent to which component aging played a role. Events were selected that involved age-related equipment degradation that initiated an event or contributed to an event sequence. For the 7-year period, ORNL identified 36 events that involved aging degradation as amore » contributor to an ASP event. Except for 1992, the percentage of age-related events within the total number of ASP events over the 7-year period ({approximately}19%) appears fairly consistent up to 1991. No correlation between plant ape and number of precursor events was found. A summary list of the age-related events is presented in the report.« less

  8. Preliminary Analysis of Aircraft Loss of Control Accidents: Worst Case Precursor Combinations and Temporal Sequencing

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Belcastro, Christine M.; Groff, Loren; Newman, Richard L.; Foster, John V.; Crider, Dennis H.; Klyde, David H.; Huston, A. McCall

    2014-01-01

    Aircraft loss of control (LOC) is a leading cause of fatal accidents across all transport airplane and operational classes, and can result from a wide spectrum of hazards, often occurring in combination. Technologies developed for LOC prevention and recovery must therefore be effective under a wide variety of conditions and uncertainties, including multiple hazards, and their validation must provide a means of assessing system effectiveness and coverage of these hazards. This requires the definition of a comprehensive set of LOC test scenarios based on accident and incident data as well as future risks. This paper defines a comprehensive set of accidents and incidents over a recent 15 year period, and presents preliminary analysis results to identify worst-case combinations of causal and contributing factors (i.e., accident precursors) and how they sequence in time. Such analyses can provide insight in developing effective solutions for LOC, and form the basis for developing test scenarios that can be used in evaluating them. Preliminary findings based on the results of this paper indicate that system failures or malfunctions, crew actions or inactions, vehicle impairment conditions, and vehicle upsets contributed the most to accidents and fatalities, followed by inclement weather or atmospheric disturbances and poor visibility. Follow-on research will include finalizing the analysis through a team consensus process, defining future risks, and developing a comprehensive set of test scenarios with correlation to the accidents, incidents, and future risks. Since enhanced engineering simulations are required for batch and piloted evaluations under realistic LOC precursor conditions, these test scenarios can also serve as a high-level requirement for defining the engineering simulation enhancements needed for generating them.

  9. ADAM: An Accident Diagnostic,Analysis and Management System - Applications to Severe Accident Simulation and Management

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Zavisca, M.J.; Khatib-Rahbar, M.; Esmaili, H.

    2002-07-01

    The Accident Diagnostic, Analysis and Management (ADAM) computer code has been developed as a tool for on-line applications to accident diagnostics, simulation, management and training. ADAM's severe accident simulation capabilities incorporate a balance of mechanistic, phenomenologically based models with simple parametric approaches for elements including (but not limited to) thermal hydraulics; heat transfer; fuel heatup, meltdown, and relocation; fission product release and transport; combustible gas generation and combustion; and core-concrete interaction. The overall model is defined by a relatively coarse spatial nodalization of the reactor coolant and containment systems and is advanced explicitly in time. The result is to enablemore » much faster than real time (i.e., 100 to 1000 times faster than real time on a personal computer) applications to on-line investigations and/or accident management training. Other features of the simulation module include provision for activation of water injection, including the Engineered Safety Features, as well as other mechanisms for the assessment of accident management and recovery strategies and the evaluation of PSA success criteria. The accident diagnostics module of ADAM uses on-line access to selected plant parameters (as measured by plant sensors) to compute the thermodynamic state of the plant, and to predict various margins to safety (e.g., times to pressure vessel saturation and steam generator dryout). Rule-based logic is employed to classify the measured data as belonging to one of a number of likely scenarios based on symptoms, and a number of 'alarms' are generated to signal the state of the reactor and containment. This paper will address the features and limitations of ADAM with particular focus on accident simulation and management. (authors)« less

  10. Simulating Wet Deposition of Radiocesium from the Chernobyl Accident

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2001-03-01

    In response to the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident of 1986, a cesium-137 deposition dataset was assembled. Most of the airborne Chernobyl ... Chernobyl cesium-137. A cloud base parameterization modification is tested and appears to slightly improve the accuracy of one HYSPLIT simulation of...daily Chernobyl cesium-137 deposition over the course of the accident at isolated European sites, and degrades the accuracy of another HYSPLIT simulation

  11. Loss of control air at Browns Ferry Unit One: accident sequence analysis

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Harrington, R.M.; Hodge, S.A.

    1986-04-01

    This study describes the predicted response of the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant to a postulated complete failure of plant control air. The failure of plant control air cascades to include the loss of drywell control air at Units 1 and 2. Nevertheless, this is a benign accident unless compounded by simultaneous failures in the turbine-driven high pressure injection systems. Accident sequence calculations are presented for Loss of Control Air sequences with assumed failure upon demand of the Reactor Core Isolation Cooling (RCIC) and the High Pressure Coolant Injection (HPCI) at Unit 1. Sequences with and without operator action are considered.more » Results show that the operators can prevent core uncovery if they take action to utilize the Control Rod Drive Hydraulic System as a backup high pressure injection system.« less

  12. Severe Accident Scoping Simulations of Accident Tolerant Fuel Concepts for BWRs

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Robb, Kevin R.

    2015-08-01

    Accident-tolerant fuels (ATFs) are fuels and/or cladding that, in comparison with the standard uranium dioxide Zircaloy system, can tolerate loss of active cooling in the core for a considerably longer time period while maintaining or improving the fuel performance during normal operations [1]. It is important to note that the currently used uranium dioxide Zircaloy fuel system tolerates design basis accidents (and anticipated operational occurrences and normal operation) as prescribed by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Previously, preliminary simulations of the plant response have been performed under a range of accident scenarios using various ATF cladding concepts and fully ceramicmore » microencapsulated fuel. Design basis loss of coolant accidents (LOCAs) and station blackout (SBO) severe accidents were analyzed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) for boiling water reactors (BWRs) [2]. Researchers have investigated the effects of thermal conductivity on design basis accidents [3], investigated silicon carbide (SiC) cladding [4], as well as the effects of ATF concepts on the late stage accident progression [5]. These preliminary analyses were performed to provide initial insight into the possible improvements that ATF concepts could provide and to identify issues with respect to modeling ATF concepts. More recently, preliminary analyses for a range of ATF concepts have been evaluated internationally for LOCA and severe accident scenarios for the Chinese CPR1000 [6] and the South Korean OPR-1000 [7] pressurized water reactors (PWRs). In addition to these scoping studies, a common methodology and set of performance metrics were developed to compare and support prioritizing ATF concepts [8]. A proposed ATF concept is based on iron-chromium-aluminum alloys (FeCrAl) [9]. With respect to enhancing accident tolerance, FeCrAl alloys have substantially slower oxidation kinetics compared to the zirconium alloys typically employed. During a severe accident, Fe

  13. SBLOCA outside containment at Browns Ferry Unit One: accident sequence analysis. [Small break

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Condon, W.A.; Harrington, R.M.; Greene, S.R.

    1982-11-01

    This study describes the predicted response of Unit 1 at the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant to a postulated small-break loss-of-coolant accident outside of the primary containment. The break has been assumed to occur in the scram discharge volume piping immediately following a reactor scram that cannot be reset. The events before core uncovering are discussed for both the worst-case accident sequence without operator action and for the more likely sequences with operator action. Without operator action, the events after core uncovering would include core meltdown and subsequent containment failure, and this event sequence has been determined through use of themore » MARCH code. An estimate of the magnitude and timing of the concomitant release of the noble gas, cesium, and iodine-based fission products to the environment is provided in Volume 2 of this report.« less

  14. Monte Carlo simulation of single accident airport risk profile

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1979-01-01

    A computer simulation model was developed for estimating the potential economic impacts of a carbon fiber release upon facilities within an 80 kilometer radius of a major airport. The model simulated the possible range of release conditions and the resulting dispersion of the carbon fibers. Each iteration of the model generated a specific release scenario, which would cause a specific amount of dollar loss to the surrounding community. By repeated iterations, a risk profile was generated, showing the probability distribution of losses from one accident. Using accident probability estimates, the risks profile for annual losses was derived. The mechanics are described of the simulation model, the required input data, and the risk profiles generated for the 26 large hub airports.

  15. Development of Northeast Asia Nuclear Power Plant Accident Simulator.

    PubMed

    Kim, Juyub; Kim, Juyoul; Po, Li-Chi Cliff

    2017-06-15

    A conclusion from the lessons learned after the March 2011 Fukushima Daiichi accident was that Korea needs a tool to estimate consequences from a major accident that could occur at a nuclear power plant located in a neighboring country. This paper describes a suite of computer-based codes to be used by Korea's nuclear emergency response staff for training and potentially operational support in Korea's national emergency preparedness and response program. The systems of codes, Northeast Asia Nuclear Accident Simulator (NANAS), consist of three modules: source-term estimation, atmospheric dispersion prediction and dose assessment. To quickly assess potential doses to the public in Korea, NANAS includes specific reactor data from the nuclear power plants in China, Japan and Taiwan. The completed simulator is demonstrated using data for a hypothetical release. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  16. Loss of DHR sequences at Browns Ferry Unit One - accident-sequence analysis

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Cook, D.H.; Grene, S.R.; Harrington, R.M.

    1983-05-01

    This study describes the predicted response of Unit One at the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant to a postulated loss of decay heat removal (DHR) capability following scram from full power with the power conversion system unavailable. In accident sequences without DHR capability, the residual heat removal (RHR) system functions of pressure suppression pool cooling and reactor vessel shutdown cooling are unavailable. Consequently, all decay heat energy is stored in the pressure suppression pool with a concomitant increase in pool temperature and primary containment pressure. With the assumption that DHR capability is not regained during the lengthy course of this accidentmore » sequence, the containment ultimately fails by overpressurization. Although unlikely, this catastrophic failure might lead to loss of the ability to inject cooling water into the reactor vessel, causing subsequent core uncovery and meltdown. The timing of these events and the effective mitigating actions that might be taken by the operator are discussed in this report.« less

  17. Predicting System Accidents with Model Analysis During Hybrid Simulation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Malin, Jane T.; Fleming, Land D.; Throop, David R.

    2002-01-01

    Standard discrete event simulation is commonly used to identify system bottlenecks and starving and blocking conditions in resources and services. The CONFIG hybrid discrete/continuous simulation tool can simulate such conditions in combination with inputs external to the simulation. This provides a means for evaluating the vulnerability to system accidents of a system's design, operating procedures, and control software. System accidents are brought about by complex unexpected interactions among multiple system failures , faulty or misleading sensor data, and inappropriate responses of human operators or software. The flows of resource and product materials play a central role in the hazardous situations that may arise in fluid transport and processing systems. We describe the capabilities of CONFIG for simulation-time linear circuit analysis of fluid flows in the context of model-based hazard analysis. We focus on how CONFIG simulates the static stresses in systems of flow. Unlike other flow-related properties, static stresses (or static potentials) cannot be represented by a set of state equations. The distribution of static stresses is dependent on the specific history of operations performed on a system. We discuss the use of this type of information in hazard analysis of system designs.

  18. Simulation on Poisson and negative binomial models of count road accident modeling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sapuan, M. S.; Razali, A. M.; Zamzuri, Z. H.; Ibrahim, K.

    2016-11-01

    Accident count data have often been shown to have overdispersion. On the other hand, the data might contain zero count (excess zeros). The simulation study was conducted to create a scenarios which an accident happen in T-junction with the assumption the dependent variables of generated data follows certain distribution namely Poisson and negative binomial distribution with different sample size of n=30 to n=500. The study objective was accomplished by fitting Poisson regression, negative binomial regression and Hurdle negative binomial model to the simulated data. The model validation was compared and the simulation result shows for each different sample size, not all model fit the data nicely even though the data generated from its own distribution especially when the sample size is larger. Furthermore, the larger sample size indicates that more zeros accident count in the dataset.

  19. MELCOR simulations of the severe accident at Fukushima Daiichi Unit 3

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Cardoni, Jeffrey; Gauntt, Randall; Kalinich, Donald

    In response to the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station in Japan, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and U.S. Department of Energy agreed to jointly sponsor an accident reconstruction study as a means of assessing the severe accident modeling capability of the MELCOR code. Objectives of the project included reconstruction of the accident progressions using computer models and accident data, and validation of the MELCOR code and the Fukushima models against plant data. A MELCOR 2.1 model of the Fukushima Daiichi Unit 3 reactor is developed using plant-specific information and accident-specific boundary conditions, which involve considerable uncertainty duemore » to the inherent nature of severe accidents. Publicly available thermal-hydraulic data and radioactivity release estimates have evolved significantly since the accidents. Such data are expected to continually change as the reactors are decommissioned and more measurements are performed. As a result, the MELCOR simulations in this work primarily use boundary conditions that are based on available plant data as of May 2012.« less

  20. MELCOR simulations of the severe accident at Fukushima Daiichi Unit 3

    DOE PAGES

    Cardoni, Jeffrey; Gauntt, Randall; Kalinich, Donald; ...

    2014-05-01

    In response to the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station in Japan, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and U.S. Department of Energy agreed to jointly sponsor an accident reconstruction study as a means of assessing the severe accident modeling capability of the MELCOR code. Objectives of the project included reconstruction of the accident progressions using computer models and accident data, and validation of the MELCOR code and the Fukushima models against plant data. A MELCOR 2.1 model of the Fukushima Daiichi Unit 3 reactor is developed using plant-specific information and accident-specific boundary conditions, which involve considerable uncertainty duemore » to the inherent nature of severe accidents. Publicly available thermal-hydraulic data and radioactivity release estimates have evolved significantly since the accidents. Such data are expected to continually change as the reactors are decommissioned and more measurements are performed. As a result, the MELCOR simulations in this work primarily use boundary conditions that are based on available plant data as of May 2012.« less

  1. Development of an Accident Reproduction Simulator System Using a Hemodialysis Extracorporeal Circulation System

    PubMed Central

    Nishite, Yoshiaki; Takesawa, Shingo

    2016-01-01

    Background: Accidents that occur during dialysis treatment are notified to the medical staff via alarms raised by the dialysis apparatus. Similar to such real accidents, apparatus activation or accidents can be reproduced by simulating a treatment situation. An alarm that corresponds to such accidents can be utilized in the simulation model. Objectives: The aim of this study was to create an extracorporeal circulation system (hereinafter, the circulation system) for dialysis machines so that it sets off five types of alarms for: 1) decreased arterial pressure, 2) increased arterial pressure, 3) decreased venous pressure, 4) increased venous pressure, and 5) blood leakage, according to the five types of accidents chosen based on their frequency of occurrence and the degree of severity. Materials and Methods: In order to verify the alarm from the dialysis apparatus connected to the circulation system and the accident corresponding to it, an evaluation of the alarm for its reproducibility of an accident was performed under normal treatment circumstances. The method involved testing whether the dialysis apparatus raised the desired alarm from the moment of control of the circulation system, and measuring the time it took until the desired alarm was activated. This was tested on five main models from four dialyzer manufacturers that are currently used in Japan. Results: The results of the tests demonstrated successful activation of the alarms by the dialysis apparatus, which were appropriate for each of the five types of accidents. The time between the control of the circulatory system to the alarm signal was as follows, 1) venous pressure lower limit alarm: 7 seconds; 2) venous pressure lower limit: 8 seconds; 3) venous pressure upper limit: 7 seconds; 4) venous pressure lower limit alarm: 2 seconds; and 5) blood leakage alarm: 19 seconds. All alarms were set off in under 20 seconds. Conclusions: Thus, we can conclude that a simulator system using an extracorporeal

  2. Development of an Accident Reproduction Simulator System Using a Hemodialysis Extracorporeal Circulation System.

    PubMed

    Nishite, Yoshiaki; Takesawa, Shingo

    2016-01-01

    Accidents that occur during dialysis treatment are notified to the medical staff via alarms raised by the dialysis apparatus. Similar to such real accidents, apparatus activation or accidents can be reproduced by simulating a treatment situation. An alarm that corresponds to such accidents can be utilized in the simulation model. The aim of this study was to create an extracorporeal circulation system (hereinafter, the circulation system) for dialysis machines so that it sets off five types of alarms for: 1) decreased arterial pressure, 2) increased arterial pressure, 3) decreased venous pressure, 4) increased venous pressure, and 5) blood leakage, according to the five types of accidents chosen based on their frequency of occurrence and the degree of severity. In order to verify the alarm from the dialysis apparatus connected to the circulation system and the accident corresponding to it, an evaluation of the alarm for its reproducibility of an accident was performed under normal treatment circumstances. The method involved testing whether the dialysis apparatus raised the desired alarm from the moment of control of the circulation system, and measuring the time it took until the desired alarm was activated. This was tested on five main models from four dialyzer manufacturers that are currently used in Japan. The results of the tests demonstrated successful activation of the alarms by the dialysis apparatus, which were appropriate for each of the five types of accidents. The time between the control of the circulatory system to the alarm signal was as follows, 1) venous pressure lower limit alarm: 7 seconds; 2) venous pressure lower limit: 8 seconds; 3) venous pressure upper limit: 7 seconds; 4) venous pressure lower limit alarm: 2 seconds; and 5) blood leakage alarm: 19 seconds. All alarms were set off in under 20 seconds. Thus, we can conclude that a simulator system using an extracorporeal circulation system can be set to different models of dialyzers, and that

  3. Simulation study of traffic car accidents at a single lane roundabout

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Echab, H.; Lakouari, N.; Ez-Zahraouy, H.; Benyoussef, A.

    2016-07-01

    In this paper, using the Nagel-Schreckenberg model, we numerically investigate the probability Pac of entering/circulating car accidents to occur at single-lane roundabout under the expanded open boundary. The roundabout consists of N on-ramps (respectively, off-ramps). The boundary is controlled by the injecting rates α1,α2 and the extracting rate β. The simulation results show that, depending on the injecting rates, the car accidents are more likely to happen when the capacity of the rotary is set to its maximum. Moreover, we found that the large values of rotary size L and the probability of preferential Pexit are reliable to improve safety and reduce accidents. However, the usage of indicator, the increase of β and/or N provokes an increase of car accident probability.

  4. Fukushima Accident: Sequence of Events and Lessons Learned

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Morse, Edward C.

    2011-10-01

    The Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear power station suffered a devastating Richter 9.0 earthquake followed by a 14.0 m tsunami on 11 March 2011. The subsequent loss of power for emergency core cooling systems resulted in damage to the fuel in the cores of three reactors. The relief of pressure from the containment in these three reactors led to sufficient hydrogen gas release to cause explosions in the buildings housing the reactors. There was probably subsequent damage to a spent fuel pool of a fourth reactor caused by debris from one of these explosions. Resultant releases of fission product isotopes in air were significant and have been estimated to be in the 3 . 7 --> 6 . 3 ×1017 Bq range (~10 MCi) for 131I and 137Cs combined, or approximately one tenth that of the Chernobyl accident. A synopsis of the sequence of events leading up to this large release of radioactivity will be presented, along with likely scenarios for stabilization and site cleanup in the future. Some aspects of the isotope monitoring programs, both locally and at large, will also be discussed. An assessment of radiological health risk for the plant workers as well as the general public will also be presented. Finally, the impact of this accident on design and deployment of nuclear generating stations in the future will be discussed.

  5. Validation of the CALSPAN gross-motion-simulation code with actually occurring injury patterns in aircraft accidents.

    PubMed

    Ballo, J M; Dunne, M J; McMeekin, R R

    1978-01-01

    Digital simulation of aircraft-accident kinematics has heretofore been used almost exclusively as a design tool to explore structural load limits, precalculate decelerative forces at various cabin stations, and describe the effect of protective devices in the crash environment. In an effort to determine the value of digital computer simulation of fatal aircraft accidents, a fatality involving an ejection-system failure (out-of-envelope ejection) was modeled, and the injuries actually incurred were compared to those predicted; good agreement was found. The simulation of fatal aircraft accidents is advantageous because of a well-defined endpoint (death), lack of therapeutic intervention, and a static anatomic situation that can be minutely investigated. Such simulation techniques are a useful tool in the study of experimental trauma.

  6. Ensemble Simulation of the Atmospheric Radionuclides Discharged by the Fukushima Nuclear Accident

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sekiyama, Thomas; Kajino, Mizuo; Kunii, Masaru

    2013-04-01

    Enormous amounts of radionuclides were discharged into the atmosphere by a nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant (FDNPP) after the earthquake and tsunami on 11 March 2011. The radionuclides were dispersed from the power plant and deposited mainly over eastern Japan and the North Pacific Ocean. A lot of numerical simulations of the radionuclide dispersion and deposition had been attempted repeatedly since the nuclear accident. However, none of them were able to perfectly simulate the distribution of dose rates observed after the accident over eastern Japan. This was partly due to the error of the wind vectors and precipitations used in the numerical simulations; unfortunately, their deterministic simulations could not deal with the probability distribution of the simulation results and errors. Therefore, an ensemble simulation of the atmospheric radionuclides was performed using the ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) data assimilation system coupled with the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) non-hydrostatic mesoscale model (NHM); this mesoscale model has been used operationally for daily weather forecasts by JMA. Meteorological observations were provided to the EnKF data assimilation system from the JMA operational-weather-forecast dataset. Through this ensemble data assimilation, twenty members of the meteorological analysis over eastern Japan from 11 to 31 March 2011 were successfully obtained. Using these meteorological ensemble analysis members, the radionuclide behavior in the atmosphere such as advection, convection, diffusion, dry deposition, and wet deposition was simulated. This ensemble simulation provided the multiple results of the radionuclide dispersion and distribution. Because a large ensemble deviation indicates the low accuracy of the numerical simulation, the probabilistic information is obtainable from the ensemble simulation results. For example, the uncertainty of precipitation triggered the uncertainty of wet deposition; the

  7. A better sequence-read simulator program for metagenomics.

    PubMed

    Johnson, Stephen; Trost, Brett; Long, Jeffrey R; Pittet, Vanessa; Kusalik, Anthony

    2014-01-01

    There are many programs available for generating simulated whole-genome shotgun sequence reads. The data generated by many of these programs follow predefined models, which limits their use to the authors' original intentions. For example, many models assume that read lengths follow a uniform or normal distribution. Other programs generate models from actual sequencing data, but are limited to reads from single-genome studies. To our knowledge, there are no programs that allow a user to generate simulated data following non-parametric read-length distributions and quality profiles based on empirically-derived information from metagenomics sequencing data. We present BEAR (Better Emulation for Artificial Reads), a program that uses a machine-learning approach to generate reads with lengths and quality values that closely match empirically-derived distributions. BEAR can emulate reads from various sequencing platforms, including Illumina, 454, and Ion Torrent. BEAR requires minimal user input, as it automatically determines appropriate parameter settings from user-supplied data. BEAR also uses a unique method for deriving run-specific error rates, and extracts useful statistics from the metagenomic data itself, such as quality-error models. Many existing simulators are specific to a particular sequencing technology; however, BEAR is not restricted in this way. Because of its flexibility, BEAR is particularly useful for emulating the behaviour of technologies like Ion Torrent, for which no dedicated sequencing simulators are currently available. BEAR is also the first metagenomic sequencing simulator program that automates the process of generating abundances, which can be an arduous task. BEAR is useful for evaluating data processing tools in genomics. It has many advantages over existing comparable software, such as generating more realistic reads and being independent of sequencing technology, and has features particularly useful for metagenomics work.

  8. Implementation of numerical simulation techniques in analysis of the accidents in complex technological systems

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Klishin, G.S.; Seleznev, V.E.; Aleoshin, V.V.

    1997-12-31

    Gas industry enterprises such as main pipelines, compressor gas transfer stations, gas extracting complexes belong to the energy intensive industry. Accidents there can result into the catastrophes and great social, environmental and economic losses. Annually, according to the official data several dozens of large accidents take place at the pipes in the USA and Russia. That is why prevention of the accidents, analysis of the mechanisms of their development and prediction of their possible consequences are acute and important tasks nowadays. The accidents reasons are usually of a complicated character and can be presented as a complex combination of natural,more » technical and human factors. Mathematical and computer simulations are safe, rather effective and comparatively inexpensive methods of the accident analysis. It makes it possible to analyze different mechanisms of a failure occurrence and development, to assess its consequences and give recommendations to prevent it. Besides investigation of the failure cases, numerical simulation techniques play an important role in the treatment of the diagnostics results of the objects and in further construction of mathematical prognostic simulations of the object behavior in the period of time between two inspections. While solving diagnostics tasks and in the analysis of the failure cases, the techniques of theoretical mechanics, of qualitative theory of different equations, of mechanics of a continuous medium, of chemical macro-kinetics and optimizing techniques are implemented in the Conversion Design Bureau {number_sign}5 (DB{number_sign}5). Both universal and special numerical techniques and software (SW) are being developed in DB{number_sign}5 for solution of such tasks. Almost all of them are calibrated on the calculations of the simulated and full-scale experiments performed at the VNIIEF and MINATOM testing sites. It is worth noting that in the long years of work there has been established a fruitful and

  9. Demonstration of fully coupled simplified extended station black-out accident simulation with RELAP-7

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Zhao, Haihua; Zhang, Hongbin; Zou, Ling

    2014-10-01

    The RELAP-7 code is the next generation nuclear reactor system safety analysis code being developed at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). The RELAP-7 code develop-ment effort started in October of 2011 and by the end of the second development year, a number of physical components with simplified two phase flow capability have been de-veloped to support the simplified boiling water reactor (BWR) extended station blackout (SBO) analyses. The demonstration case includes the major components for the primary system of a BWR, as well as the safety system components for the safety relief valve (SRV), the reactor core isolation cooling (RCIC)more » system, and the wet well. Three scenar-ios for the SBO simulations have been considered. Since RELAP-7 is not a severe acci-dent analysis code, the simulation stops when fuel clad temperature reaches damage point. Scenario I represents an extreme station blackout accident without any external cooling and cooling water injection. The system pressure is controlled by automatically releasing steam through SRVs. Scenario II includes the RCIC system but without SRV. The RCIC system is fully coupled with the reactor primary system and all the major components are dynamically simulated. The third scenario includes both the RCIC system and the SRV to provide a more realistic simulation. This paper will describe the major models and dis-cuss the results for the three scenarios. The RELAP-7 simulations for the three simplified SBO scenarios show the importance of dynamically simulating the SRVs, the RCIC sys-tem, and the wet well system to the reactor safety during extended SBO accidents.« less

  10. Simulation Modeling Requirements for Loss-of-Control Accident Prevention of Turboprop Transport Aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Crider, Dennis; Foster, John V.

    2012-01-01

    In-flight loss of control remains the leading contributor to aviation accident fatalities, with stall upsets being the leading causal factor. The February 12, 2009. Colgan Air, Inc., Continental Express flight 3407 accident outside Buffalo, New York, brought this issue to the forefront of public consciousness and resulted in recommendations from the National Transportation Safety Board to conduct training that incorporates stalls that are fully developed and develop simulator standards to support such training. In 2010, Congress responded to this accident with Public Law 11-216 (Section 208), which mandates full stall training for Part 121 flight operations. Efforts are currently in progress to develop recommendations on implementation of stall training for airline pilots. The International Committee on Aviation Training in Extended Envelopes (ICATEE) is currently defining simulator fidelity standards that will be necessary for effective stall training. These recommendations will apply to all civil transport aircraft including straight-wing turboprop aircraft. Government-funded research over the previous decade provides a strong foundation for stall/post-stall simulation for swept-wing, conventional tail jets to respond to this mandate, but turboprops present additional and unique modeling challenges. First among these challenges is the effect of power, which can provide enhanced flow attachment behind the propellers. Furthermore, turboprops tend to operate for longer periods in an environment more susceptible to ice. As a result, there have been a significant number of turboprop accidents as a result of the early (lower angle of attack) stalls in icing. The vulnerability of turboprop configurations to icing has led to studies on ice accumulation and the resulting effects on flight behavior. Piloted simulations of these effects have highlighted the important training needs for recognition and mitigation of icing effects, including the reduction of stall margins

  11. MySSP: Non-stationary evolutionary sequence simulation, including indels

    PubMed Central

    Rosenberg, Michael S.

    2007-01-01

    MySSP is a new program for the simulation of DNA sequence evolution across a phylogenetic tree. Although many programs are available for sequence simulation, MySSP is unique in its inclusion of indels, flexibility in allowing for non-stationary patterns, and output of ancestral sequences. Some of these features can individually be found in existing programs, but have not all have been previously available in a single package. PMID:19325855

  12. Updating source term and atmospheric dispersion simulations for the dose reconstruction in Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station Accident

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nagai, Haruyasu; Terada, Hiroaki; Tsuduki, Katsunori; Katata, Genki; Ota, Masakazu; Furuno, Akiko; Akari, Shusaku

    2017-09-01

    In order to assess the radiological dose to the public resulting from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS) accident in Japan, especially for the early phase of the accident when no measured data are available for that purpose, the spatial and temporal distribution of radioactive materials in the environment are reconstructed by computer simulations. In this study, by refining the source term of radioactive materials discharged into the atmosphere and modifying the atmospheric transport, dispersion and deposition model (ATDM), the atmospheric dispersion simulation of radioactive materials is improved. Then, a database of spatiotemporal distribution of radioactive materials in the air and on the ground surface is developed from the output of the simulation. This database is used in other studies for the dose assessment by coupling with the behavioral pattern of evacuees from the FDNPS accident. By the improvement of the ATDM simulation to use a new meteorological model and sophisticated deposition scheme, the ATDM simulations reproduced well the 137Cs and 131I deposition patterns. For the better reproducibility of dispersion processes, further refinement of the source term was carried out by optimizing it to the improved ATDM simulation by using new monitoring data.

  13. Differential evolution-simulated annealing for multiple sequence alignment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Addawe, R. C.; Addawe, J. M.; Sueño, M. R. K.; Magadia, J. C.

    2017-10-01

    Multiple sequence alignments (MSA) are used in the analysis of molecular evolution and sequence structure relationships. In this paper, a hybrid algorithm, Differential Evolution - Simulated Annealing (DESA) is applied in optimizing multiple sequence alignments (MSAs) based on structural information, non-gaps percentage and totally conserved columns. DESA is a robust algorithm characterized by self-organization, mutation, crossover, and SA-like selection scheme of the strategy parameters. Here, the MSA problem is treated as a multi-objective optimization problem of the hybrid evolutionary algorithm, DESA. Thus, we name the algorithm as DESA-MSA. Simulated sequences and alignments were generated to evaluate the accuracy and efficiency of DESA-MSA using different indel sizes, sequence lengths, deletion rates and insertion rates. The proposed hybrid algorithm obtained acceptable solutions particularly for the MSA problem evaluated based on the three objectives.

  14. [Automobile versus pedestrian accidents analysis by fixed-parameters computer simulation].

    PubMed

    Mao, Ming-Yuan; Chen, Yi-Jiu; Liu, Ning-Guo; Zou, Dong-Hua; Liu, Jun-Yong; Jin, Xian-Long

    2008-04-01

    Using computer simulation to analyze the effects of speed, type of automobile and impacted position on crash-course and injuries of pedestrians in automobile vs. pedestrian accidents. Automobiles (bus, minibus, car and truck) and pedestrian models were constructed with multi-body dynamics computing method. The crashes were simulated at different impact speeds (20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 km/h) and different positions (front, lateral and rear of pedestrians). Crash-courses and their biomechanical responses were studied. If the type of automobile and impact position were the same, the crash-courses were similar (impact speed < or = 60 km/h). There were some characteristics in the head acceleration, upper neck axial force and leg axial force. Multi-body dynamics computer simulation of crash can be applied to analyze crash-course and injuries (head, neck and leg) of pedestrians.

  15. RENEB accident simulation exercise.

    PubMed

    Brzozowska, Beata; Ainsbury, Elizabeth; Baert, Annelot; Beaton-Green, Lindsay; Barrios, Leonardo; Barquinero, Joan Francesc; Bassinet, Celine; Beinke, Christina; Benedek, Anett; Beukes, Philip; Bortolin, Emanuela; Buraczewska, Iwona; Burbidge, Christopher; De Amicis, Andrea; De Angelis, Cinzia; Della Monaca, Sara; Depuydt, Julie; De Sanctis, Stefania; Dobos, Katalin; Domene, Mercedes Moreno; Domínguez, Inmaculada; Facco, Eva; Fattibene, Paola; Frenzel, Monika; Monteiro Gil, Octávia; Gonon, Géraldine; Gregoire, Eric; Gruel, Gaëtan; Hadjidekova, Valeria; Hatzi, Vasiliki I; Hristova, Rositsa; Jaworska, Alicja; Kis, Enikő; Kowalska, Maria; Kulka, Ulrike; Lista, Florigio; Lumniczky, Katalin; Martínez-López, Wilner; Meschini, Roberta; Moertl, Simone; Moquet, Jayne; Noditi, Mihaela; Oestreicher, Ursula; Orta Vázquez, Manuel Luis; Palma, Valentina; Pantelias, Gabriel; Montoro Pastor, Alegria; Patrono, Clarice; Piqueret-Stephan, Laure; Quattrini, Maria Cristina; Regalbuto, Elisa; Ricoul, Michelle; Roch-Lefevre, Sandrine; Roy, Laurence; Sabatier, Laure; Sarchiapone, Lucia; Sebastià, Natividad; Sommer, Sylwester; Sun, Mingzhu; Suto, Yumiko; Terzoudi, Georgia; Trompier, Francois; Vral, Anne; Wilkins, Ruth; Zafiropoulos, Demetre; Wieser, Albrecht; Woda, Clemens; Wojcik, Andrzej

    2017-01-01

    The RENEB accident exercise was carried out in order to train the RENEB participants in coordinating and managing potentially large data sets that would be generated in case of a major radiological event. Each participant was offered the possibility to activate the network by sending an alerting email about a simulated radiation emergency. The same participant had to collect, compile and report capacity, triage categorization and exposure scenario results obtained from all other participants. The exercise was performed over 27 weeks and involved the network consisting of 28 institutes: 21 RENEB members, four candidates and three non-RENEB partners. The duration of a single exercise never exceeded 10 days, while the response from the assisting laboratories never came later than within half a day. During each week of the exercise, around 4500 samples were reported by all service laboratories (SL) to be examined and 54 scenarios were coherently estimated by all laboratories (the standard deviation from the mean of all SL answers for a given scenario category and a set of data was not larger than 3 patient codes). Each participant received training in both the role of a reference laboratory (activating the network) and of a service laboratory (responding to an activation request). The procedures in the case of radiological event were successfully established and tested.

  16. Pyvolve: A Flexible Python Module for Simulating Sequences along Phylogenies.

    PubMed

    Spielman, Stephanie J; Wilke, Claus O

    2015-01-01

    We introduce Pyvolve, a flexible Python module for simulating genetic data along a phylogeny using continuous-time Markov models of sequence evolution. Easily incorporated into Python bioinformatics pipelines, Pyvolve can simulate sequences according to most standard models of nucleotide, amino-acid, and codon sequence evolution. All model parameters are fully customizable. Users can additionally specify custom evolutionary models, with custom rate matrices and/or states to evolve. This flexibility makes Pyvolve a convenient framework not only for simulating sequences under a wide variety of conditions, but also for developing and testing new evolutionary models. Pyvolve is an open-source project under a FreeBSD license, and it is available for download, along with a detailed user-manual and example scripts, from http://github.com/sjspielman/pyvolve.

  17. Station Blackout at Browns Ferry Unit One - accident sequence analysis. Volume 1

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Cook, D.H.; Harrington, R.M.; Greene, S.R.

    1981-11-01

    This study describes the predicted response of Unit 1 at the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant to Station Blackout, defined as a loss of offsite power combined with failure of all onsite emergency diesel-generators to start and load. Every effort has been made to employ the most realistic assumptions during the process of defining the sequence of events for this hypothetical accident. DC power is assumed to remain available from the unit batteries during the initial phase and the operator actions and corresponding events during this period are described using results provided by an analysis code developed specifically for this purpose.more » The Station Blackout is assumed to persist beyond the point of battery exhaustion and the events during this second phase of the accident in which dc power would be unavailable were determined through use of the MARCH code. Without dc power, cooling water could no longer be injected into the reactor vessel and the events of the second phase include core meltdown and subsequent containment failure. An estimate of the magnitude and timing of the concomitant release of the noble gas, cesium, and iodine-based fission products to the environment is provided in Volume 2 of this report. 58 refs., 75 figs., 8 tabs.« less

  18. Sequence-dependent DNA deformability studied using molecular dynamics simulations.

    PubMed

    Fujii, Satoshi; Kono, Hidetoshi; Takenaka, Shigeori; Go, Nobuhiro; Sarai, Akinori

    2007-01-01

    Proteins recognize specific DNA sequences not only through direct contact between amino acids and bases, but also indirectly based on the sequence-dependent conformation and deformability of the DNA (indirect readout). We used molecular dynamics simulations to analyze the sequence-dependent DNA conformations of all 136 possible tetrameric sequences sandwiched between CGCG sequences. The deformability of dimeric steps obtained by the simulations is consistent with that by the crystal structures. The simulation results further showed that the conformation and deformability of the tetramers can highly depend on the flanking base pairs. The conformations of xATx tetramers show the most rigidity and are not affected by the flanking base pairs and the xYRx show by contrast the greatest flexibility and change their conformations depending on the base pairs at both ends, suggesting tetramers with the same central dimer can show different deformabilities. These results suggest that analysis of dimeric steps alone may overlook some conformational features of DNA and provide insight into the mechanism of indirect readout during protein-DNA recognition. Moreover, the sequence dependence of DNA conformation and deformability may be used to estimate the contribution of indirect readout to the specificity of protein-DNA recognition as well as nucleosome positioning and large-scale behavior of nucleic acids.

  19. Simulation-Based Evaluation of Learning Sequences for Instructional Technologies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McEneaney, John E.

    2016-01-01

    Instructional technologies critically depend on systematic design, and learning hierarchies are a commonly advocated tool for designing instructional sequences. But hierarchies routinely allow numerous sequences and choosing an optimal sequence remains an unsolved problem. This study explores a simulation-based approach to modeling learning…

  20. Molecular structures and thermodynamic properties of monohydrated gaseous iodine compounds: Modelling for severe accident simulation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sudolská, Mária; Cantrel, Laurent; Budzák, Šimon; Černušák, Ivan

    2014-03-01

    Monohydrated complexes of iodine species (I, I2, HI, and HOI) have been studied by correlated ab initio calculations. The standard enthalpies of formation, Gibbs free energy and the temperature dependence of the heat capacities at constant pressure were calculated. The values obtained have been implemented in ASTEC nuclear accident simulation software to check the thermodynamic stability of hydrated iodine compounds in the reactor coolant system and in the nuclear containment building of a pressurised water reactor during a severe accident. It can be concluded that iodine complexes are thermodynamically unstable by means of positive Gibbs free energies and would be represented by trace level concentrations in severe accident conditions; thus it is well justified to only consider pure iodine species and not hydrated forms.

  1. Reconstruction of the 1994 Pittsburgh Airplane Accident Using a Computer Simulation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Parks, Edwin K.; Bach, Ralph E., Jr.; Shin, Jae Ho

    1998-01-01

    On September 8, 1994, a Boeing 737-300 passenger airplane was on a downwind approach to the Pittsburgh International Airport at an altitude of 5000 feet above ground level (6000 feet MSL). While in a shallow left turn onto a downwind approach heading, the airplane crossed into the vortex trail of a Boeing 727 flying in the same approach pattern about 4 miles ahead. The B-737 airplane rolled and turned sharply to the left, exited the vortex wake and plunged into the ground. Weather was not a factor in the accident. The airplane was equipped with a 11+ channel digital Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and a multiple channel Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR). Both recorders were recovered from the crash site and provided excellent data for the development of an accident scenario. Radar tracking of the two airplanes as well as the indicated air speed (IAS) perturbations clearly visible on the B-737 FDR recordings indicate that the upset was apparently initiated by the airplane's crossing into the wake of the B-727 flying ahead in the same traffic pattern. A 6 degree-of-freedom simulation program for the B-737 airplane using MATLAB and SIMULINK was constructed. The simulation was initialized at the stabilized flight conditions of the airplane about 13 seconds prior to its entry into the vortex trail of the B-727 airplane. By assuming a certain combination of control inputs, it was possible to produce a simulated motion that closely matched that recorded on the FDR.

  2. Simulation of three lanes one-way freeway in low visibility weather by possible traffic accidents

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pang, Ming-bao; Zheng, Sha-sha; Cai, Zhang-hui

    2015-09-01

    The aim of this work is to investigate the traffic impact of low visibility weather on a freeway including the fraction of real vehicle rear-end accidents and road traffic capacity. Based on symmetric two-lane Nagel-Schreckenberg (STNS) model, a cellular automaton model of three-lane freeway mainline with the real occurrence of rear-end accidents in low visibility weather, which considers delayed reaction time and deceleration restriction, was established with access to real-time traffic information of intelligent transportation system (ITS). The characteristics of traffic flow in different visibility weather were discussed via the simulation experiments. The results indicate that incoming flow control (decreasing upstream traffic volume) and inputting variable speed limits (VSL) signal are effective in accident reducing and road actual traffic volume's enhancing. According to different visibility and traffic demand the appropriate control strategies should be adopted in order to not only decrease the probability of vehicle accidents but also avoid congestion.

  3. Simulating Next-Generation Sequencing Datasets from Empirical Mutation and Sequencing Models

    PubMed Central

    Stephens, Zachary D.; Hudson, Matthew E.; Mainzer, Liudmila S.; Taschuk, Morgan; Weber, Matthew R.; Iyer, Ravishankar K.

    2016-01-01

    An obstacle to validating and benchmarking methods for genome analysis is that there are few reference datasets available for which the “ground truth” about the mutational landscape of the sample genome is known and fully validated. Additionally, the free and public availability of real human genome datasets is incompatible with the preservation of donor privacy. In order to better analyze and understand genomic data, we need test datasets that model all variants, reflecting known biology as well as sequencing artifacts. Read simulators can fulfill this requirement, but are often criticized for limited resemblance to true data and overall inflexibility. We present NEAT (NExt-generation sequencing Analysis Toolkit), a set of tools that not only includes an easy-to-use read simulator, but also scripts to facilitate variant comparison and tool evaluation. NEAT has a wide variety of tunable parameters which can be set manually on the default model or parameterized using real datasets. The software is freely available at github.com/zstephens/neat-genreads. PMID:27893777

  4. Application of MELCOR Code to a French PWR 900 MWe Severe Accident Sequence and Evaluation of Models Performance Focusing on In-Vessel Thermal Hydraulic Results

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    De Rosa, Felice

    2006-07-01

    In the ambit of the Severe Accident Network of Excellence Project (SARNET), funded by the European Union, 6. FISA (Fission Safety) Programme, one of the main tasks is the development and validation of the European Accident Source Term Evaluation Code (ASTEC Code). One of the reference codes used to compare ASTEC results, coming from experimental and Reactor Plant applications, is MELCOR. ENEA is a SARNET member and also an ASTEC and MELCOR user. During the first 18 months of this project, we performed a series of MELCOR and ASTEC calculations referring to a French PWR 900 MWe and to themore » accident sequence of 'Loss of Steam Generator (SG) Feedwater' (known as H2 sequence in the French classification). H2 is an accident sequence substantially equivalent to a Station Blackout scenario, like a TMLB accident, with the only difference that in H2 sequence the scram is forced to occur with a delay of 28 seconds. The main events during the accident sequence are a loss of normal and auxiliary SG feedwater (0 s), followed by a scram when the water level in SG is equal or less than 0.7 m (after 28 seconds). There is also a main coolant pumps trip when {delta}Tsat < 10 deg. C, a total opening of the three relief valves when Tric (core maximal outlet temperature) is above 603 K (330 deg. C) and accumulators isolation when primary pressure goes below 1.5 MPa (15 bar). Among many other points, it is worth noting that this was the first time that a MELCOR 1.8.5 input deck was available for a French PWR 900. The main ENEA effort in this period was devoted to prepare the MELCOR input deck using the code version v.1.8.5 (build QZ Oct 2000 with the latest patch 185003 Oct 2001). The input deck, completely new, was prepared taking into account structure, data and same conditions as those found inside ASTEC input decks. The main goal of the work presented in this paper is to put in evidence where and when MELCOR provides good enough results and why, in some cases mainly referring

  5. Development of the simulation system {open_quotes}IMPACT{close_quotes} for analysis of nuclear power plant severe accidents

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Naitoh, Masanori; Ujita, Hiroshi; Nagumo, Hiroichi

    1997-07-01

    The Nuclear Power Engineering Corporation (NUPEC) has initiated a long-term program to develop the simulation system {open_quotes}IMPACT{close_quotes} for analysis of hypothetical severe accidents in nuclear power plants. IMPACT employs advanced methods of physical modeling and numerical computation, and can simulate a wide spectrum of senarios ranging from normal operation to hypothetical, beyond-design-basis-accident events. Designed as a large-scale system of interconnected, hierarchical modules, IMPACT`s distinguishing features include mechanistic models based on first principles and high speed simulation on parallel processing computers. The present plan is a ten-year program starting from 1993, consisting of the initial one-year of preparatory work followed bymore » three technical phases: Phase-1 for development of a prototype system; Phase-2 for completion of the simulation system, incorporating new achievements from basic studies; and Phase-3 for refinement through extensive verification and validation against test results and available real plant data.« less

  6. Quantifying the risk of extreme aviation accidents

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Das, Kumer Pial; Dey, Asim Kumer

    2016-12-01

    Air travel is considered a safe means of transportation. But when aviation accidents do occur they often result in fatalities. Fortunately, the most extreme accidents occur rarely. However, 2014 was the deadliest year in the past decade causing 111 plane crashes, and among them worst four crashes cause 298, 239, 162 and 116 deaths. In this study, we want to assess the risk of the catastrophic aviation accidents by studying historical aviation accidents. Applying a generalized Pareto model we predict the maximum fatalities from an aviation accident in future. The fitted model is compared with some of its competitive models. The uncertainty in the inferences are quantified using simulated aviation accident series, generated by bootstrap resampling and Monte Carlo simulations.

  7. Using fire dynamics simulator to reconstruct a hydroelectric power plant fire accident.

    PubMed

    Chi, Jen-Hao; Wu, Sheng-Hung; Shu, Chi-Min

    2011-11-01

    The location of the hydroelectric power plant poses a high risk to occupants seeking to escape in a fire accident. Calculating the heat release rate of transformer oil as 11.5 MW/m(2), the fire at the Taiwan Dajia-River hydroelectric power plant was reconstructed using the fire dynamics simulator (FDS). The variations at the escape route of the fire hazard factors temperature, radiant heat, carbon monoxide, and oxygen were collected during the simulation to verify the causes of the serious casualties resulting from the fire. The simulated safe escape time when taking temperature changes into account is about 236 sec, 155 sec for radiant heat changes, 260 sec for carbon monoxide changes, and 235-248 sec for oxygen changes. These escape times are far less than the actual escape time of 302 sec. The simulation thus demonstrated the urgent need to improve escape options for people escaping a hydroelectric power plant fire. © 2011 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

  8. Sim3C: simulation of Hi-C and Meta3C proximity ligation sequencing technologies.

    PubMed

    DeMaere, Matthew Z; Darling, Aaron E

    2018-02-01

    Chromosome conformation capture (3C) and Hi-C DNA sequencing methods have rapidly advanced our understanding of the spatial organization of genomes and metagenomes. Many variants of these protocols have been developed, each with their own strengths. Currently there is no systematic means for simulating sequence data from this family of sequencing protocols, potentially hindering the advancement of algorithms to exploit this new datatype. We describe a computational simulator that, given simple parameters and reference genome sequences, will simulate Hi-C sequencing on those sequences. The simulator models the basic spatial structure in genomes that is commonly observed in Hi-C and 3C datasets, including the distance-decay relationship in proximity ligation, differences in the frequency of interaction within and across chromosomes, and the structure imposed by cells. A means to model the 3D structure of randomly generated topologically associating domains is provided. The simulator considers several sources of error common to 3C and Hi-C library preparation and sequencing methods, including spurious proximity ligation events and sequencing error. We have introduced the first comprehensive simulator for 3C and Hi-C sequencing protocols. We expect the simulator to have use in testing of Hi-C data analysis algorithms, as well as more general value for experimental design, where questions such as the required depth of sequencing, enzyme choice, and other decisions can be made in advance in order to ensure adequate statistical power with respect to experimental hypothesis testing.

  9. The effect of concentric constriction of the visual field to 10 and 15 degrees on simulated motor vehicle accidents

    PubMed Central

    Udagawa, Sachiko; Iwase, Aiko; Susuki, Yuto; Kunimatsu-Sanuki, Shiho; Fukuchi, Takeo; Matsumoto, Chota; Ohno, Yuko; Ono, Hiroshi; Sugiyama, Kazuhisa; Araie, Makoto

    2018-01-01

    Purpose Traffic accidents are associated with the visual function of drivers, as well as many other factors. Driving simulator systems have the advantage of controlling for traffic- and automobile-related conditions, and using pinhole glasses can control the degree of concentric concentration of the visual field. We evaluated the effect of concentric constriction of the visual field on automobile driving, using driving simulator tests. Methods Subjects meeting criteria for normal eyesight were included in the study. Pinhole glasses with variable aperture sizes were adjusted to mimic the conditions of concentric visual field constrictions of 10° and 15°, using a CLOCK CHART®. The test contained 8 scenarios (2 oncoming right-turning cars and 6 jump-out events from the side). Results Eighty-eight subjects were included in the study; 37 (mean age = 52.9±15.8 years) subjects were assigned to the 15° group, and 51 (mean = 48.6±15.5 years) were assigned to the 10° group. For all 8 scenarios, the number of accidents was significantly higher among pinhole wearing subjects. The average number of all types of accidents per person was significantly higher in the pinhole 10° group (4.59±1.81) than the pinhole 15° group (3.68±1.49) (P = 0.032). The number of accidents associated with jump-out scenarios, in which a vehicle approaches from the side on a straight road with a good view, was significantly higher in the pinhole 10° group than in the pinhole 15° group. Conclusions Concentric constriction of the visual field was associated with increased number of traffic accidents. The simulation findings indicated that a visual field of 10° to 15° may be important for avoiding collisions in places where there is a straight road with a good view. PMID:29538425

  10. Aircraft Loss-of-Control Accident Analysis

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Belcastro, Christine M.; Foster, John V.

    2010-01-01

    Loss of control remains one of the largest contributors to fatal aircraft accidents worldwide. Aircraft loss-of-control accidents are complex in that they can result from numerous causal and contributing factors acting alone or (more often) in combination. Hence, there is no single intervention strategy to prevent these accidents. To gain a better understanding into aircraft loss-of-control events and possible intervention strategies, this paper presents a detailed analysis of loss-of-control accident data (predominantly from Part 121), including worst case combinations of causal and contributing factors and their sequencing. Future potential risks are also considered.

  11. Nursing Student Perceptions Regarding Simulation Experience Sequencing.

    PubMed

    Woda, Aimee A; Gruenke, Theresa; Alt-Gehrman, Penny; Hansen, Jamie

    2016-09-01

    The use of simulated learning experiences (SLEs) have increased within nursing curricula with positive learning outcomes for nursing students. The purpose of this study is to explore nursing students' perceptions of their clinical decision making (CDM) related to the block sequencing of different patient care experiences, SLEs versus hospital-based learning experiences (HLEs). A qualitative descriptive design used open-ended survey questions to generate information about the block sequencing of SLEs and its impact on nursing students' perceived CDM. Three themes emerged from the data: Preexperience Anxiety, Real-Time Decision Making, and Increased Patient Care Experiences. Nursing students identified that having SLEs prior to HLEs provided several benefits. Even when students preferred SLEs prior to HLEs, the sequence did not impact their CDM. This suggests that alternating block sequencing can be used without impacting the students' perceptions of their ability to make decisions. [J Nurs Educ. 2016;55(9):528-532.]. Copyright 2016, SLACK Incorporated.

  12. Analysis of accident sequences and source terms at waste treatment and storage facilities for waste generated by U.S. Department of Energy Waste Management Operations, Volume 3: Appendixes C-H

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Mueller, C.; Nabelssi, B.; Roglans-Ribas, J.

    1995-04-01

    This report contains the Appendices for the Analysis of Accident Sequences and Source Terms at Waste Treatment and Storage Facilities for Waste Generated by the U.S. Department of Energy Waste Management Operations. The main report documents the methodology, computational framework, and results of facility accident analyses performed as a part of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Waste Management Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (WM PEIS). The accident sequences potentially important to human health risk are specified, their frequencies are assessed, and the resultant radiological and chemical source terms are evaluated. A personal computer-based computational framework and database have been developedmore » that provide these results as input to the WM PEIS for calculation of human health risk impacts. This report summarizes the accident analyses and aggregates the key results for each of the waste streams. Source terms are estimated and results are presented for each of the major DOE sites and facilities by WM PEIS alternative for each waste stream. The appendices identify the potential atmospheric release of each toxic chemical or radionuclide for each accident scenario studied. They also provide discussion of specific accident analysis data and guidance used or consulted in this report.« less

  13. Preliminary Modeling of Accident Tolerant Fuel Concepts under Accident Conditions

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Gamble, Kyle A.; Hales, Jason D.

    2016-12-01

    The catastrophic events that occurred at the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear power plant in 2011 have led to widespread interest in research of alternative fuels and claddings that are proposed to be accident tolerant. Thus, the United States Department of Energy through its NEAMS (Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation) program has funded an Accident Tolerant Fuel (ATF) High Impact Problem (HIP). The ATF HIP is funded for a three-year period. The purpose of the HIP is to perform research into two potential accident tolerant concepts and provide an in-depth report to the Advanced Fuels Campaign (AFC) describing the behavior of themore » concepts, both of which are being considered for inclusion in a lead test assembly scheduled for placement into a commercial reactor in 2022. The initial focus of the HIP is on uranium silicide fuel and iron-chromium-aluminum (FeCrAl) alloy cladding. Utilizing the expertise of three national laboratory participants (INL, LANL, and ANL) a comprehensive mulitscale approach to modeling is being used including atomistic modeling, molecular dynamics, rate theory, phase-field, and fuel performance simulations. In this paper, we present simulations of two proposed accident tolerant fuel systems: U3Si2 fuel with Zircaloy-4 cladding, and UO2 fuel with FeCrAl cladding. The simulations investigate the fuel performance response of the proposed ATF systems under Loss of Coolant and Station Blackout conditions using the BISON code. Sensitivity analyses are completed using Sandia National Laboratories’ DAKOTA software to determine which input parameters (e.g., fuel specific heat) have the greatest influence on the output metrics of interest (e.g., fuel centerline temperature). Early results indicate that each concept has significant advantages as well as areas of concern. Further work is required prior to formulating the proposition report for the Advanced Fuels Campaign.« less

  14. Benchmarking MARS (accident management software) with the Browns Ferry fire

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Dawson, S.M.; Liu, L.Y.; Raines, J.C.

    1992-01-01

    The MAAP Accident Response System (MARS) is a userfriendly computer software developed to provide management and engineering staff with the most needed insights, during actual or simulated accidents, of the current and future conditions of the plant based on current plant data and its trends. To demonstrate the reliability of the MARS code in simulatng a plant transient, MARS is being benchmarked with the available reactor pressure vessel (RPV) pressure and level data from the Browns Ferry fire. The MRS software uses the Modular Accident Analysis Program (MAAP) code as its basis to calculate plant response under accident conditions. MARSmore » uses a limited set of plant data to initialize and track the accidnt progression. To perform this benchmark, a simulated set of plant data was constructed based on actual report data containing the information necessary to initialize MARS and keep track of plant system status throughout the accident progression. The initial Browns Ferry fire data were produced by performing a MAAP run to simulate the accident. The remaining accident simulation used actual plant data.« less

  15. Simulation of the transient processes of load rejection under different accident conditions in a hydroelectric generating set

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guo, W. C.; Yang, J. D.; Chen, J. P.; Peng, Z. Y.; Zhang, Y.; Chen, C. C.

    2016-11-01

    Load rejection test is one of the essential tests that carried out before the hydroelectric generating set is put into operation formally. The test aims at inspecting the rationality of the design of the water diversion and power generation system of hydropower station, reliability of the equipment of generating set and the dynamic characteristics of hydroturbine governing system. Proceeding from different accident conditions of hydroelectric generating set, this paper presents the transient processes of load rejection corresponding to different accident conditions, and elaborates the characteristics of different types of load rejection. Then the numerical simulation method of different types of load rejection is established. An engineering project is calculated to verify the validity of the method. Finally, based on the numerical simulation results, the relationship among the different types of load rejection and their functions on the design of hydropower station and the operation of load rejection test are pointed out. The results indicate that: The load rejection caused by the accident within the hydroelectric generating set is realized by emergency distributing valve, and it is the basis of the optimization for the closing law of guide vane and the calculation of regulation and guarantee. The load rejection caused by the accident outside the hydroelectric generating set is realized by the governor. It is the most efficient measure to inspect the dynamic characteristics of hydro-turbine governing system, and its closure rate of guide vane set in the governor depends on the optimization result in the former type load rejection.

  16. Analysis of simulated image sequences from sensors for restricted-visibility operations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kasturi, Rangachar

    1991-01-01

    A real time model of the visible output from a 94 GHz sensor, based on a radiometric simulation of the sensor, was developed. A sequence of images as seen from an aircraft as it approaches for landing was simulated using this model. Thirty frames from this sequence of 200 x 200 pixel images were analyzed to identify and track objects in the image using the Cantata image processing package within the visual programming environment provided by the Khoros software system. The image analysis operations are described.

  17. Real time simulation of computer-assisted sequencing of terminal area operations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dear, R. G.

    1981-01-01

    A simulation was developed to investigate the utilization of computer assisted decision making for the task of sequencing and scheduling aircraft in a high density terminal area. The simulation incorporates a decision methodology termed Constrained Position Shifting. This methodology accounts for aircraft velocity profiles, routes, and weight classes in dynamically sequencing and scheduling arriving aircraft. A sample demonstration of Constrained Position Shifting is presented where six aircraft types (including both light and heavy aircraft) are sequenced to land at Denver's Stapleton International Airport. A graphical display is utilized and Constrained Position Shifting with a maximum shift of four positions (rearward or forward) is compared to first come, first serve with respect to arrival at the runway. The implementation of computer assisted sequencing and scheduling methodologies is investigated. A time based control concept will be required and design considerations for such a system are discussed.

  18. Research on hyperspectral dynamic scene and image sequence simulation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sun, Dandan; Liu, Fang; Gao, Jiaobo; Sun, Kefeng; Hu, Yu; Li, Yu; Xie, Junhu; Zhang, Lei

    2016-10-01

    This paper presents a simulation method of hyperspectral dynamic scene and image sequence for hyperspectral equipment evaluation and target detection algorithm. Because of high spectral resolution, strong band continuity, anti-interference and other advantages, in recent years, hyperspectral imaging technology has been rapidly developed and is widely used in many areas such as optoelectronic target detection, military defense and remote sensing systems. Digital imaging simulation, as a crucial part of hardware in loop simulation, can be applied to testing and evaluation hyperspectral imaging equipment with lower development cost and shorter development period. Meanwhile, visual simulation can produce a lot of original image data under various conditions for hyperspectral image feature extraction and classification algorithm. Based on radiation physic model and material characteristic parameters this paper proposes a generation method of digital scene. By building multiple sensor models under different bands and different bandwidths, hyperspectral scenes in visible, MWIR, LWIR band, with spectral resolution 0.01μm, 0.05μm and 0.1μm have been simulated in this paper. The final dynamic scenes have high real-time and realistic, with frequency up to 100 HZ. By means of saving all the scene gray data in the same viewpoint image sequence is obtained. The analysis results show whether in the infrared band or the visible band, the grayscale variations of simulated hyperspectral images are consistent with the theoretical analysis results.

  19. Research on hyperspectral dynamic scene and image sequence simulation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sun, Dandan; Gao, Jiaobo; Sun, Kefeng; Hu, Yu; Li, Yu; Xie, Junhu; Zhang, Lei

    2016-10-01

    This paper presents a simulation method of hyper-spectral dynamic scene and image sequence for hyper-spectral equipment evaluation and target detection algorithm. Because of high spectral resolution, strong band continuity, anti-interference and other advantages, in recent years, hyper-spectral imaging technology has been rapidly developed and is widely used in many areas such as optoelectronic target detection, military defense and remote sensing systems. Digital imaging simulation, as a crucial part of hardware in loop simulation, can be applied to testing and evaluation hyper-spectral imaging equipment with lower development cost and shorter development period. Meanwhile, visual simulation can produce a lot of original image data under various conditions for hyper-spectral image feature extraction and classification algorithm. Based on radiation physic model and material characteristic parameters this paper proposes a generation method of digital scene. By building multiple sensor models under different bands and different bandwidths, hyper-spectral scenes in visible, MWIR, LWIR band, with spectral resolution 0.01μm, 0.05μm and 0.1μm have been simulated in this paper. The final dynamic scenes have high real-time and realistic, with frequency up to 100 HZ. By means of saving all the scene gray data in the same viewpoint image sequence is obtained. The analysis results show whether in the infrared band or the visible band, the grayscale variations of simulated hyper-spectral images are consistent with the theoretical analysis results.

  20. Nuclear accident dosimetry intercomparison studies

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Sims, C.S.

    1989-09-01

    Twenty-two nuclear accident dosimetry intercomparison studies utilizing the fast-pulse Health Physics Research Reactor at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory have been conducted since 1965. These studies have provided a total of 62 different organizations a forum for discussion of criticality accident dosimetry, an opportunity to test their neutron and gamma-ray dosimetry systems under a variety of simulated criticality accident conditions, and the experience of comparing results with reference dose values as well as with the measured results obtained by others making measurements under identical conditions. Sixty-nine nuclear accidents (27 with unmoderated neutron energy spectra and 42 with eight different shieldedmore » spectra) have been simulated in the studies. Neutron doses were in the 0.2-8.5 Gy range and gamma doses in the 0.1-2.0 Gy range. A total of 2,289 dose measurements (1,311 neutron, 978 gamma) were made during the intercomparisons. The primary methods of neutron dosimetry were activation foils, thermoluminescent dosimeters, and blood sodium activation. The main methods of gamma dose measurement were thermoluminescent dosimeters, radiophotoluminescent glass, and film. About 68% of the neutron measurements met the accuracy guidelines (+/- 25%) and about 52% of the gamma measurements met the accuracy criterion (+/- 20%) for accident dosimetry.« less

  1. Real life safety benefits of increasing brake deceleration in car-to-pedestrian accidents: Simulation of Vacuum Emergency Braking.

    PubMed

    Jeppsson, Hanna; Östling, Martin; Lubbe, Nils

    2018-02-01

    The objective of this study is to predict the real-life benefits, namely the number of injuries avoided rather than the reduction in impact speed, offered by a Vacuum Emergency Brake (VEB) added to a pedestrian automated emergency braking (AEB) system. We achieve this through the virtual simulation of simplified mathematical models of a system which incorporates expected future advances in technology, such as a wide sensor field of view, and reductions in the time needed for detection, classification, and brake pressure build up. The German In-Depth Accident Study database and the related Pre Crash Matrix, both released in the beginning of 2016, were used for this study and resulted in a final sample of 526 collisions between passenger car fronts and pedestrians. Weight factors were calculated for both simulation model and injury risk curves to make the data representative of Germany as a whole. The accident data was used with a hypothetical AEB system in a simulation model, and injury risk was calculated from the new impact speed using injury risk curves to generate new situations using real accidents. Adding a VEB to a car with pedestrian AEB decreased pedestrian casualties by an additional 8-22%, depending on system setting and injury level, over the AEB-only system. The overall decrease in fatalities was 80-87%, an improvement of 8%. Collision avoidance was improved by 14-28%. VEB with a maximum deceleration in the middle of the modelled performance range has an effectiveness similar to that of an "early activation" system, where the AEB is triggered as early as 2 s before collision. VEB may therefore offer a substantial increase in performance without increasing false positive rates, which earlier AEB activation does. Most collisions and injuries can be avoided when AEB is supplemented by the high performance VEB; remaining cases are characterised by high pedestrian walking speed and late visibility due to view obstructions. VEB is effective in all analysed

  2. Fossils out of sequence: Computer simulations and strategies for dealing with stratigraphic disorder

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Cutler, A.H.; Flessa, K.W.

    Microstratigraphic resolution is limited by vertical mixing and reworking of fossils. Stratigraphic disorder is the degree to which fossils within a stratigraphic sequence are not in proper chronological order. Stratigraphic disorder arises through in situ vertical mixing of fossils and reworking of older fossils into younger deposits. The authors simulated the effects of mixing and reworking by simple computer models, and measured stratigraphic disorder using rank correlation between age and stratigraphic position (Spearman and Kendall coefficients). Mixing was simulated by randomly transposing pairs of adjacent fossils in a sequence. Reworking was simulated by randomly inserting older fossils into a youngermore » sequence. Mixing is an inefficient means of producing disorder; after 500 mixing steps stratigraphic order is still significant at the 99% to 95% level, depending on the coefficient used. Reworking disorders sequences very efficiently: significant order begins to be lost when reworked shells make up 35% of the sequence. Thus a sequence can be dominated by undisturbed, autochthonous shells and still be disordered. The effects of mixing-produced disorder can be minimized by increasing sample size at each horizon. Increased spacing between samples is of limited utility in dealing with disordered sequences: while widely separated samples are more likely to be stratigraphically ordered, the smaller number of samples makes the detection of trends problematic.« less

  3. The impact of simulation sequencing on perceived clinical decision making.

    PubMed

    Woda, Aimee; Hansen, Jamie; Paquette, Mary; Topp, Robert

    2017-09-01

    An emerging nursing education trend is to utilize simulated learning experiences as a means to optimize competency and decision making skills. The purpose of this study was to examine differences in students' perception of clinical decision making and clinical decision making-related self-confidence and anxiety based on the sequence (order) in which they participated in a block of simulated versus hospital-based learning experiences. A quasi-experimental crossover design was used. Between and within group differences were found relative to self-confidence with the decision making process. When comparing groups, at baseline the simulation followed by hospital group had significantly higher self-confidence scores, however, at 14-weeks both groups were not significantly different. Significant within group differences were found in the simulation followed by hospital group only, demonstrating a significant decrease in clinical decision making related anxiety across the semester. Finally, there were no significant difference in; perceived clinical decision making within or between the groups at the two measurement points. Preliminary findings suggest that simulated learning experiences can be offered with alternating sequences without impacting the process, anxiety or confidence with clinical decision making. This study provides beginning evidence to guide curriculum development and allow flexibility based on student needs and available resources. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  4. An Exercise Health Simulation Method Based on Integrated Human Thermophysiological Model

    PubMed Central

    Chen, Xiaohui; Yu, Liang; Yang, Kaixing

    2017-01-01

    Research of healthy exercise has garnered a keen research for the past few years. It is known that participation in a regular exercise program can help improve various aspects of cardiovascular function and reduce the risk of suffering from illness. But some exercise accidents like dehydration, exertional heatstroke, and even sudden death need to be brought to attention. If these exercise accidents can be analyzed and predicted before they happened, it will be beneficial to alleviate or avoid disease or mortality. To achieve this objective, an exercise health simulation approach is proposed, in which an integrated human thermophysiological model consisting of human thermal regulation model and a nonlinear heart rate regulation model is reported. The human thermoregulatory mechanism as well as the heart rate response mechanism during exercise can be simulated. On the basis of the simulated physiological indicators, a fuzzy finite state machine is constructed to obtain the possible health transition sequence and predict the exercise health status. The experiment results show that our integrated exercise thermophysiological model can numerically simulate the thermal and physiological processes of the human body during exercise and the predicted exercise health transition sequence from finite state machine can be used in healthcare. PMID:28702074

  5. Simulation of ¹³⁷Cs transport and deposition after the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident and radiological doses over the Anatolian peninsula.

    PubMed

    Simsek, V; Pozzoli, L; Unal, A; Kindap, T; Karaca, M

    2014-11-15

    The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (CNPP) accident occurred on April 26 of 1986, it is still an episode of interest, due to the large amount of radionuclides dispersed in the atmosphere. Caesium-137 ((137)Cs) is one of the main radionuclides emitted during the Chernobyl accident, with a half-life of 30years, which can be accumulated in humans and animals, and for this reason the impacts on population are still monitored today. One of the main parameters in order to estimate the exposure of population to (137)Cs is the concentration in the air, during the days after the accident, and the deposition at surface. The transport and deposition of (137)Cs over Europe occurred after the CNPP accident has been simulated using the WRF-HYSPLIT modeling system. Four different vertical and temporal emission rate profiles have been simulated, as well as two different dry deposition velocities. The model simulations could reproduce fairly well the observations of (137)Cs concentrations and deposition, which were used to generate the 'Atlas of Caesium deposition on Europe after the Chernobyl accident' and published in 1998. An additional focus was given on (137)Cs deposition and air concentrations over Turkey, which was one of the main affected countries, but not included in the results of the Atlas. We estimated a total deposition of 2-3.5 PBq over Turkey, with 2 main regions affected, East Turkey and Central Black Sea coast until Central Anatolia, with values between 10 kBq m(-2) and 100 kBq m(-2). Mean radiological effective doses from simulated air concentrations and deposition has been estimated for Turkey reaching 0.15 mSv/year in the North Eastern part of Turkey, even if the contribution from ingestion of contaminated food and water is not considered, the estimated levels are largely below the 1 mSv limit indicated by the International Commission on Radiological Protection. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Intramural activation and repolarization sequences in canine ventricles. Experimental and simulation studies.

    PubMed

    Taccardi, Bruno; Punske, Bonnie B; Sachse, Frank; Tricoche, Xavier; Colli-Franzone, Piero; Pavarino, Luca F; Zabawa, Christine

    2005-10-01

    There are no published data showing the three-dimensional sequence of repolarization and the associated potential fields in the ventricles. Knowledge of the sequence of repolarization has medical relevance because high spatial dispersion of recovery times and action potential durations favors cardiac arrhythmias. In this study we describe measured and simulated 3-D excitation and recovery sequences and activation-recovery intervals (ARIs) (measured) or action potential durations (APDs) (simulated) in the ventricular walls. We recorded from 600 to 1400 unipolar electrograms from canine ventricular walls during atrial and ventricular pacing at 350-450 ms cycle length. Measured excitation and recovery times and ARIs were displayed as 2-D maps in transmural planes or 3-D maps in the volume explored, using specially developed software. Excitation and recovery sequences and APD distributions were also simulated in parallelepipedal slabs using anisotropic monodomain or bidomain models based on the Lou-Rudy version 1 model with homogeneous membrane properties. Simulations showed that in the presence of homogeneous membrane properties, the sequence of repolarization was similar but not identical to the excitation sequence. In a transmural plane perpendicular to epicardial fiber direction, both activation and recovery pathways starting from an epicardial pacing site returned toward the epicardium at a few cm distance from the pacing site. However, APDs were not constant, but had a dispersion of approximately 14 ms in the simulated domain. The maximum APD value was near the pacing site and two minima appeared along a line perpendicular to fiber directions, passing through the pacing site. Electrical measurements in dog ventricles showed that, for short cycle lengths, both excitation and recovery pathways, starting from an epicardial pacing site, returned toward the epicardium. For slower pacing rates, pathways of recovery departed from the pathway of excitation. Highest ARI

  7. CAMELOT: A machine learning approach for coarse-grained simulations of aggregation of block-copolymeric protein sequences

    PubMed Central

    Ruff, Kiersten M.; Harmon, Tyler S.; Pappu, Rohit V.

    2015-01-01

    We report the development and deployment of a coarse-graining method that is well suited for computer simulations of aggregation and phase separation of protein sequences with block-copolymeric architectures. Our algorithm, named CAMELOT for Coarse-grained simulations Aided by MachinE Learning Optimization and Training, leverages information from converged all atom simulations that is used to determine a suitable resolution and parameterize the coarse-grained model. To parameterize a system-specific coarse-grained model, we use a combination of Boltzmann inversion, non-linear regression, and a Gaussian process Bayesian optimization approach. The accuracy of the coarse-grained model is demonstrated through direct comparisons to results from all atom simulations. We demonstrate the utility of our coarse-graining approach using the block-copolymeric sequence from the exon 1 encoded sequence of the huntingtin protein. This sequence comprises of 17 residues from the N-terminal end of huntingtin (N17) followed by a polyglutamine (polyQ) tract. Simulations based on the CAMELOT approach are used to show that the adsorption and unfolding of the wild type N17 and its sequence variants on the surface of polyQ tracts engender a patchy colloid like architecture that promotes the formation of linear aggregates. These results provide a plausible explanation for experimental observations, which show that N17 accelerates the formation of linear aggregates in block-copolymeric N17-polyQ sequences. The CAMELOT approach is versatile and is generalizable for simulating the aggregation and phase behavior of a range of block-copolymeric protein sequences. PMID:26723608

  8. Does the sequence of instruction matter during simulation?

    PubMed

    Stefaniak, Jill E; Turkelson, Carman L

    2014-02-01

    Instructional strategies must be balanced when subjecting students to full-immersion simulation so as not to discourage learning and increase cognitive overload. The purpose of this study was to determine if participating in a simulation exercise before lecture yielded better performance outcomes among novice learners. Twenty-nine participants were divided into 2 groups as follows: group 1 participated in simulation exercises followed by a didactic lecture and group 2 participated in the same learning activities presented in the opposite order. Participants were administered a multiple-choice cognitive assessment upon completion of a workshop. Learners who participated in the simulated exercises followed by the didactic lecture performed better on postassessments as compared with those who participated in the simulation after the lecture. A repeated-measures or nested analysis of variance generated statistically significant results in terms of model fit F (α=0.05; 4.54)=176.07 with a P<0.0001. Despite their higher levels of increased performance, 76% of those who participated in simulation activities first indicated that they would have preferred to participate in a lecture first. The findings of this study suggest that differences occur among learners when the sequencing of instructional components is altered. Learners who participated in simulation before lecture demonstrated increased knowledge compared with learners who participated in simulation after a lecture.

  9. United States Department of Energy severe accident research following the Fukushima Daiichi accidents

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Farmer, M. T.; Corradini, M.; Rempe, J.

    The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has played a major role in the U.S. response to the events at Fukushima Daiichi. During the first several weeks following the accident, U.S. assistance efforts were guided by results from a significant and diverse set of analyses. In the months that followed, a coordinated analysis activity aimed at gaining a more thorough understanding of the accident sequence was completed using laboratory-developed, system-level best-estimate accident analysis codes, while a parallel analysis was conducted by U.S. industry. A comparison of predictions for Unit 1 from these two studies indicated significant differences between MAAP and MELCORmore » results for key plant parameters, such as in-core hydrogen production. On that basis, a crosswalk was completed to determine the key modeling variations that led to these differences. In parallel with these activities, it became clear that there was a need to perform a technology gap evaluation on accident-tolerant components and severe accident analysis methodologies with the goal of identifying any data and/or knowledge gaps that may exist given the current state of light water reactor (LWR) severe accident research and augmented by insights from Fukushima. In addition, there is growing international recognition that data from Fukushima could significantly reduce uncertainties related to severe accident progression, particularly for boiling water reactors. On these bases, a group of U. S. experts in LWR safety and plant operations was convened by the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) to complete technology gap analysis and Fukushima forensics data needs identification activities. The results from these activities were used as the basis for refining DOE-NE's severe accident research and development (R&D) plan. Finally, this paper provides a high-level review of DOE-sponsored R&D efforts in these areas, including planned activities on accident-tolerant components and accident analysis methods.« less

  10. United States Department of Energy severe accident research following the Fukushima Daiichi accidents

    DOE PAGES

    Farmer, M. T.; Corradini, M.; Rempe, J.; ...

    2016-11-02

    The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has played a major role in the U.S. response to the events at Fukushima Daiichi. During the first several weeks following the accident, U.S. assistance efforts were guided by results from a significant and diverse set of analyses. In the months that followed, a coordinated analysis activity aimed at gaining a more thorough understanding of the accident sequence was completed using laboratory-developed, system-level best-estimate accident analysis codes, while a parallel analysis was conducted by U.S. industry. A comparison of predictions for Unit 1 from these two studies indicated significant differences between MAAP and MELCORmore » results for key plant parameters, such as in-core hydrogen production. On that basis, a crosswalk was completed to determine the key modeling variations that led to these differences. In parallel with these activities, it became clear that there was a need to perform a technology gap evaluation on accident-tolerant components and severe accident analysis methodologies with the goal of identifying any data and/or knowledge gaps that may exist given the current state of light water reactor (LWR) severe accident research and augmented by insights from Fukushima. In addition, there is growing international recognition that data from Fukushima could significantly reduce uncertainties related to severe accident progression, particularly for boiling water reactors. On these bases, a group of U. S. experts in LWR safety and plant operations was convened by the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) to complete technology gap analysis and Fukushima forensics data needs identification activities. The results from these activities were used as the basis for refining DOE-NE's severe accident research and development (R&D) plan. Finally, this paper provides a high-level review of DOE-sponsored R&D efforts in these areas, including planned activities on accident-tolerant components and accident analysis methods.« less

  11. A fortran program for Monte Carlo simulation of oil-field discovery sequences

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Bohling, Geoffrey C.; Davis, J.C.

    1993-01-01

    We have developed a program for performing Monte Carlo simulation of oil-field discovery histories. A synthetic parent population of fields is generated as a finite sample from a distribution of specified form. The discovery sequence then is simulated by sampling without replacement from this parent population in accordance with a probabilistic discovery process model. The program computes a chi-squared deviation between synthetic and actual discovery sequences as a function of the parameters of the discovery process model, the number of fields in the parent population, and the distributional parameters of the parent population. The program employs the three-parameter log gamma model for the distribution of field sizes and employs a two-parameter discovery process model, allowing the simulation of a wide range of scenarios. ?? 1993.

  12. Analysis of loss of decay-heat-removal sequences at Browns Ferry Unit One

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Harrington, R.M.

    1983-01-01

    This paper summarizes the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) report Loss of DHR Sequences at Browns Ferry Unit One - Accident Sequence Analysis (NUREG/CR-2973). The Loss of DHR investigation is the third in a series of accident studies concerning the BWR 4 - MK I containment plant design. These studies, sponsored by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission Severe Accident Sequence Analysis (SASA) program, have been conducted at ORNL with the full cooperation of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). The purpose of the SASA studies is to predetermine the probable course of postulated severe accidents so as to establish the timing andmore » the sequence of events. The SASA studies also produce recommendations concerning the implementation of better system design and better emergency operating instructions and operator training. The ORNL studies also include a detailed, best-estimate calculation of the release and transport of radioactive fission products following postulated severe accidents.« less

  13. On the Simulation-Based Reliability of Complex Emergency Logistics Networks in Post-Accident Rescues.

    PubMed

    Wang, Wei; Huang, Li; Liang, Xuedong

    2018-01-06

    This paper investigates the reliability of complex emergency logistics networks, as reliability is crucial to reducing environmental and public health losses in post-accident emergency rescues. Such networks' statistical characteristics are analyzed first. After the connected reliability and evaluation indices for complex emergency logistics networks are effectively defined, simulation analyses of network reliability are conducted under two different attack modes using a particular emergency logistics network as an example. The simulation analyses obtain the varying trends in emergency supply times and the ratio of effective nodes and validates the effects of network characteristics and different types of attacks on network reliability. The results demonstrate that this emergency logistics network is both a small-world and a scale-free network. When facing random attacks, the emergency logistics network steadily changes, whereas it is very fragile when facing selective attacks. Therefore, special attention should be paid to the protection of supply nodes and nodes with high connectivity. The simulation method provides a new tool for studying emergency logistics networks and a reference for similar studies.

  14. On the Simulation-Based Reliability of Complex Emergency Logistics Networks in Post-Accident Rescues

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Wei; Huang, Li; Liang, Xuedong

    2018-01-01

    This paper investigates the reliability of complex emergency logistics networks, as reliability is crucial to reducing environmental and public health losses in post-accident emergency rescues. Such networks’ statistical characteristics are analyzed first. After the connected reliability and evaluation indices for complex emergency logistics networks are effectively defined, simulation analyses of network reliability are conducted under two different attack modes using a particular emergency logistics network as an example. The simulation analyses obtain the varying trends in emergency supply times and the ratio of effective nodes and validates the effects of network characteristics and different types of attacks on network reliability. The results demonstrate that this emergency logistics network is both a small-world and a scale-free network. When facing random attacks, the emergency logistics network steadily changes, whereas it is very fragile when facing selective attacks. Therefore, special attention should be paid to the protection of supply nodes and nodes with high connectivity. The simulation method provides a new tool for studying emergency logistics networks and a reference for similar studies. PMID:29316614

  15. SESAME: a software tool for the numerical dosimetric reconstruction of radiological accidents involving external sources and its application to the accident in Chile in December 2005.

    PubMed

    Huet, C; Lemosquet, A; Clairand, I; Rioual, J B; Franck, D; de Carlan, L; Aubineau-Lanièce, I; Bottollier-Depois, J F

    2009-01-01

    Estimating the dose distribution in a victim's body is a relevant indicator in assessing biological damage from exposure in the event of a radiological accident caused by an external source. This dose distribution can be assessed by physical dosimetric reconstruction methods. Physical dosimetric reconstruction can be achieved using experimental or numerical techniques. This article presents the laboratory-developed SESAME--Simulation of External Source Accident with MEdical images--tool specific to dosimetric reconstruction of radiological accidents through numerical simulations which combine voxel geometry and the radiation-material interaction MCNP(X) Monte Carlo computer code. The experimental validation of the tool using a photon field and its application to a radiological accident in Chile in December 2005 are also described.

  16. Laser-heating and Radiance Spectrometry for the Study of Nuclear Materials in Conditions Simulating a Nuclear Power Plant Accident.

    PubMed

    Manara, Dario; Soldi, Luca; Mastromarino, Sara; Boboridis, Kostantinos; Robba, Davide; Vlahovic, Luka; Konings, Rudy

    2017-12-14

    Major and severe accidents have occurred three times in nuclear power plants (NPPs), at Three Mile Island (USA, 1979), Chernobyl (former USSR, 1986) and Fukushima (Japan, 2011). Research on the causes, dynamics, and consequences of these mishaps has been performed in a few laboratories worldwide in the last three decades. Common goals of such research activities are: the prevention of these kinds of accidents, both in existing and potential new nuclear power plants; the minimization of their eventual consequences; and ultimately, a full understanding of the real risks connected with NPPs. At the European Commission Joint Research Centre's Institute for Transuranium Elements, a laser-heating and fast radiance spectro-pyrometry facility is used for the laboratory simulation, on a small scale, of NPP core meltdown, the most common type of severe accident (SA) that can occur in a nuclear reactor as a consequence of a failure of the cooling system. This simulation tool permits fast and effective high-temperature measurements on real nuclear materials, such as plutonium and minor actinide-containing fission fuel samples. In this respect, and in its capability to produce large amount of data concerning materials under extreme conditions, the current experimental approach is certainly unique. For current and future concepts of NPP, example results are presented on the melting behavior of some different types of nuclear fuels: uranium-plutonium oxides, carbides, and nitrides. Results on the high-temperature interaction of oxide fuels with containment materials are also briefly shown.

  17. Laser-heating and Radiance Spectrometry for the Study of Nuclear Materials in Conditions Simulating a Nuclear Power Plant Accident

    PubMed Central

    Manara, Dario; Soldi, Luca; Mastromarino, Sara; Boboridis, Kostantinos; Robba, Davide; Vlahovic, Luka; Konings, Rudy

    2017-01-01

    Major and severe accidents have occurred three times in nuclear power plants (NPPs), at Three Mile Island (USA, 1979), Chernobyl (former USSR, 1986) and Fukushima (Japan, 2011). Research on the causes, dynamics, and consequences of these mishaps has been performed in a few laboratories worldwide in the last three decades. Common goals of such research activities are: the prevention of these kinds of accidents, both in existing and potential new nuclear power plants; the minimization of their eventual consequences; and ultimately, a full understanding of the real risks connected with NPPs. At the European Commission Joint Research Centre's Institute for Transuranium Elements, a laser-heating and fast radiance spectro-pyrometry facility is used for the laboratory simulation, on a small scale, of NPP core meltdown, the most common type of severe accident (SA) that can occur in a nuclear reactor as a consequence of a failure of the cooling system. This simulation tool permits fast and effective high-temperature measurements on real nuclear materials, such as plutonium and minor actinide-containing fission fuel samples. In this respect, and in its capability to produce large amount of data concerning materials under extreme conditions, the current experimental approach is certainly unique. For current and future concepts of NPP, example results are presented on the melting behavior of some different types of nuclear fuels: uranium-plutonium oxides, carbides, and nitrides. Results on the high-temperature interaction of oxide fuels with containment materials are also briefly shown. PMID:29286382

  18. COMPUTER SIMULATION STUDY OF AMYLOID FIBRIL FORMATION BY PALINDROMIC SEQUENCES IN PRION PEPTIDES

    PubMed Central

    Wagoner, Victoria; Cheon, Mookyung; Chang, Iksoo; Hall, Carol

    2011-01-01

    We simulate the aggregation of large systems containing palindromic peptides from the Syrian hamster prion protein SHaPrP 113–120 (AGAAAAGA) and the mouse prion protein MoPrP 111–120 (VAGAAAAGAV) and eight sequence variations: GAAAAAAG, (AG)4, A8, GAAAGAAA, A10, V10, GAVAAAAVAG, and VAVAAAAVAV The first two peptides are thought to act as the Velcro that holds the parent prion proteins together in amyloid structures and can form fibrils themselves. Kinetic events along the fibrillization pathway influence the types of structures that occur and variations in the sequence affect aggregation kinetics and fibrillar structure. Discontinuous molecular dynamics simulations using the PRIME20 force field are performed on systems containing 48 peptides starting from a random coil configuration. Depending on the sequence, fibrillar structures form spontaneously over a range of temperatures, below which amorphous aggregates form and above which no aggregation occurs. AGAAAAGA forms well organized fibrillar structures whereas VAGAAAAGAV forms less well organized structures that are partially fibrillar and partially amorphous. The degree of order in the fibrillar structure stems in part from the types of kinetic events leading up to its formation, with AGAAAAGA forming less amorphous structures early in the simulation than VAGAAAAGAV. The ability to form fibrils increases as the chain length and the length of the stretch of hydrophobic residues increase. However as the hydrophobicity of the sequence increases, the ability to form well-ordered structures decreases. Thus, longer hydrophobic sequences form slightly disordered aggregates that are partially fibrillar and partially amorphous. Subtle changes in sequence result in slightly different fibril structures. PMID:21557317

  19. The Fukushima Daiichi Accident Study Information Portal

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Shawn St. Germain; Curtis Smith; David Schwieder

    This paper presents a description of The Fukushima Daiichi Accident Study Information Portal. The Information Portal was created by the Idaho National Laboratory as part of joint NRC and DOE project to assess the severe accident modeling capability of the MELCOR analysis code. The Fukushima Daiichi Accident Study Information Portal was created to collect, store, retrieve and validate information and data for use in reconstructing the Fukushima Daiichi accident. In addition to supporting the MELCOR simulations, the Portal will be the main DOE repository for all data, studies and reports related to the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear powermore » station. The data is stored in a secured (password protected and encrypted) repository that is searchable and accessible to researchers at diverse locations.« less

  20. Injury protection and accident causation parameters for vulnerable road users based on German In-Depth Accident Study GIDAS.

    PubMed

    Otte, Dietmar; Jänsch, Michael; Haasper, Carl

    2012-01-01

    Within a study of accident data from GIDAS (German In-Depth Accident Study), vulnerable road users are investigated regarding injury risk in traffic accidents. GIDAS is the largest in-depth accident study in Germany. Due to a well-defined sampling plan, representativeness with respect to the federal statistics is also guaranteed. A hierarchical system ACASS (Accident Causation Analysis with Seven Steps) was developed in GIDAS, describing the human causation factors in a chronological sequence. The accordingly classified causation factors - derived from the systematic of the analysis of human accident causes ("7 steps") - can be used to describe the influence of accident causes on the injury outcome. The bases of the study are accident documentations over ten years from 1999 to 2008 with 8204 vulnerable road users (VRU), of which 3 different groups were selected as pedestrians n=2041, motorcyclists n=2199 and bicyclists n=3964, and analyzed on collisions with cars and trucks as well as vulnerable road users alone. The paper will give a description of the injury pattern and injury mechanisms of accidents. The injury frequencies and severities are pointed out considering different types of VRU and protective measures of helmet and clothes of the human body. The impact points are demonstrated on the car, following to conclusion of protective measures on the vehicle. Existing standards of protection devices as well as interdisciplinary research, including accident and injury statistics, are described. With this paper, a summarization of the existing possibilities on protective measures for pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcyclists is given and discussed by comparison of all three groups of vulnerable road users. Also the relevance of special impact situations and accident causes mainly responsible for severe injuries are pointed out, given the new orientation of research for the avoidance and reduction of accident patterns. 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Solving Assembly Sequence Planning using Angle Modulated Simulated Kalman Filter

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mustapa, Ainizar; Yusof, Zulkifli Md.; Adam, Asrul; Muhammad, Badaruddin; Ibrahim, Zuwairie

    2018-03-01

    This paper presents an implementation of Simulated Kalman Filter (SKF) algorithm for optimizing an Assembly Sequence Planning (ASP) problem. The SKF search strategy contains three simple steps; predict-measure-estimate. The main objective of the ASP is to determine the sequence of component installation to shorten assembly time or save assembly costs. Initially, permutation sequence is generated to represent each agent. Each agent is then subjected to a precedence matrix constraint to produce feasible assembly sequence. Next, the Angle Modulated SKF (AMSKF) is proposed for solving ASP problem. The main idea of the angle modulated approach in solving combinatorial optimization problem is to use a function, g(x), to create a continuous signal. The performance of the proposed AMSKF is compared against previous works in solving ASP by applying BGSA, BPSO, and MSPSO. Using a case study of ASP, the results show that AMSKF outperformed all the algorithms in obtaining the best solution.

  2. Sequence-dependent nucleosome sliding in rotation-coupled and uncoupled modes revealed by molecular simulations

    PubMed Central

    Tan, Cheng; Takada, Shoji

    2017-01-01

    While nucleosome positioning on eukaryotic genome play important roles for genetic regulation, molecular mechanisms of nucleosome positioning and sliding along DNA are not well understood. Here we investigated thermally-activated spontaneous nucleosome sliding mechanisms developing and applying a coarse-grained molecular simulation method that incorporates both long-range electrostatic and short-range hydrogen-bond interactions between histone octamer and DNA. The simulations revealed two distinct sliding modes depending on the nucleosomal DNA sequence. A uniform DNA sequence showed frequent sliding with one base pair step in a rotation-coupled manner, akin to screw-like motions. On the contrary, a strong positioning sequence, the so-called 601 sequence, exhibits rare, abrupt transitions of five and ten base pair steps without rotation. Moreover, we evaluated the importance of hydrogen bond interactions on the sliding mode, finding that strong and weak bonds favor respectively the rotation-coupled and -uncoupled sliding movements. PMID:29194442

  3. Using nearly full-genome HIV sequence data improves phylogeny reconstruction in a simulated epidemic.

    PubMed

    Yebra, Gonzalo; Hodcroft, Emma B; Ragonnet-Cronin, Manon L; Pillay, Deenan; Brown, Andrew J Leigh

    2016-12-23

    HIV molecular epidemiology studies analyse viral pol gene sequences due to their availability, but whole genome sequencing allows to use other genes. We aimed to determine what gene(s) provide(s) the best approximation to the real phylogeny by analysing a simulated epidemic (created as part of the PANGEA_HIV project) with a known transmission tree. We sub-sampled a simulated dataset of 4662 sequences into different combinations of genes (gag-pol-env, gag-pol, gag, pol, env and partial pol) and sampling depths (100%, 60%, 20% and 5%), generating 100 replicates for each case. We built maximum-likelihood trees for each combination using RAxML (GTR + Γ), and compared their topologies to the corresponding true tree's using CompareTree. The accuracy of the trees was significantly proportional to the length of the sequences used, with the gag-pol-env datasets showing the best performance and gag and partial pol sequences showing the worst. The lowest sampling depths (20% and 5%) greatly reduced the accuracy of tree reconstruction and showed high variability among replicates, especially when using the shortest gene datasets. In conclusion, using longer sequences derived from nearly whole genomes will improve the reliability of phylogenetic reconstruction. With low sample coverage, results can be highly variable, particularly when based on short sequences.

  4. Numerical reconstruction and injury biomechanism in a car-pedestrian crash accident.

    PubMed

    Zou, Dong-Hua; Li, Zheng-Dong; Shao, Yu; Feng, Hao; Chen, Jian-Guo; Liu, Ning-Guo; Huang, Ping; Chen, Yi-Jiu

    2012-12-01

    To reconstruct a car-pedestrian crash accident using numerical simulation technology and explore the injury biomechanism as forensic evidence for injury identification. An integration of multi-body dynamic, finite element (FE), and classical method was applied to a car-pedestrian crash accident. The location of the collision and the details of the traffic accident were determined by vehicle trace verification and autopsy. The accident reconstruction was performed by coupling the three-dimensional car behavior from PC-CRASH with a MADYMO dummy model. The collision FE models of head and leg, developed from CT scans of human remains, were loaded with calculated dummy collision parameters. The data of the impact biomechanical responses were extracted in terms of von Mises stress, relative displacement, strain and stress fringes. The accident reconstruction results were identical with the examined ones and the biomechanism of head and leg injuries, illustrated through the FE methods, were consistent with the classical injury theories. The numerical simulation technology is proved to be effective in identifying traffic accidents and exploring of injury biomechanism.

  5. Using nearly full-genome HIV sequence data improves phylogeny reconstruction in a simulated epidemic

    PubMed Central

    Yebra, Gonzalo; Hodcroft, Emma B.; Ragonnet-Cronin, Manon L.; Pillay, Deenan; Brown, Andrew J. Leigh; Fraser, Christophe; Kellam, Paul; de Oliveira, Tulio; Dennis, Ann; Hoppe, Anne; Kityo, Cissy; Frampton, Dan; Ssemwanga, Deogratius; Tanser, Frank; Keshani, Jagoda; Lingappa, Jairam; Herbeck, Joshua; Wawer, Maria; Essex, Max; Cohen, Myron S.; Paton, Nicholas; Ratmann, Oliver; Kaleebu, Pontiano; Hayes, Richard; Fidler, Sarah; Quinn, Thomas; Novitsky, Vladimir; Haywards, Andrew; Nastouli, Eleni; Morris, Steven; Clark, Duncan; Kozlakidis, Zisis

    2016-01-01

    HIV molecular epidemiology studies analyse viral pol gene sequences due to their availability, but whole genome sequencing allows to use other genes. We aimed to determine what gene(s) provide(s) the best approximation to the real phylogeny by analysing a simulated epidemic (created as part of the PANGEA_HIV project) with a known transmission tree. We sub-sampled a simulated dataset of 4662 sequences into different combinations of genes (gag-pol-env, gag-pol, gag, pol, env and partial pol) and sampling depths (100%, 60%, 20% and 5%), generating 100 replicates for each case. We built maximum-likelihood trees for each combination using RAxML (GTR + Γ), and compared their topologies to the corresponding true tree’s using CompareTree. The accuracy of the trees was significantly proportional to the length of the sequences used, with the gag-pol-env datasets showing the best performance and gag and partial pol sequences showing the worst. The lowest sampling depths (20% and 5%) greatly reduced the accuracy of tree reconstruction and showed high variability among replicates, especially when using the shortest gene datasets. In conclusion, using longer sequences derived from nearly whole genomes will improve the reliability of phylogenetic reconstruction. With low sample coverage, results can be highly variable, particularly when based on short sequences. PMID:28008945

  6. Application of forensic image analysis in accident investigations.

    PubMed

    Verolme, Ellen; Mieremet, Arjan

    2017-09-01

    Forensic investigations are primarily meant to obtain objective answers that can be used for criminal prosecution. Accident analyses are usually performed to learn from incidents and to prevent similar events from occurring in the future. Although the primary goal may be different, the steps in which information is gathered, interpreted and weighed are similar in both types of investigations, implying that forensic techniques can be of use in accident investigations as well. The use in accident investigations usually means that more information can be obtained from the available information than when used in criminal investigations, since the latter require a higher evidence level. In this paper, we demonstrate the applicability of forensic techniques for accident investigations by presenting a number of cases from one specific field of expertise: image analysis. With the rapid spread of digital devices and new media, a wealth of image material and other digital information has become available for accident investigators. We show that much information can be distilled from footage by using forensic image analysis techniques. These applications show that image analysis provides information that is crucial for obtaining the sequence of events and the two- and three-dimensional geometry of an accident. Since accident investigation focuses primarily on learning from accidents and prevention of future accidents, and less on the blame that is crucial for criminal investigations, the field of application of these forensic tools may be broader than would be the case in purely legal sense. This is an important notion for future accident investigations. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. A Qualitative Study on Organizational Factors Affecting Occupational Accidents

    PubMed Central

    ESKANDARI, Davood; JAFARI, Mohammad Javad; MEHRABI, Yadollah; KIAN, Mostafa Pouya; CHARKHAND, Hossein; MIRGHOTBI, Mostafa

    2017-01-01

    Background: Technical, human, operational and organizational factors have been influencing the sequence of occupational accidents. Among them, organizational factors play a major role in causing occupational accidents. The aim of this research was to understand the Iranian safety experts’ experiences and perception of organizational factors. Methods: This qualitative study was conducted in 2015 by using the content analysis technique. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 17 safety experts working in Iranian universities and industries and analyzed with a conventional qualitative content analysis method using the MAXQDA software. Results: Eleven organizational factors’ sub-themes were identified: management commitment, management participation, employee involvement, communication, blame culture, education and training, job satisfaction, interpersonal relationship, supervision, continuous improvement, and reward system. The participants considered these factors as effective on occupational accidents. Conclusion: The mentioned 11 organizational factors are probably involved in occupational accidents in Iran. Naturally, improving organizational factors can increase the safety performance and reduce occupational accidents. PMID:28435824

  8. A Qualitative Study on Organizational Factors Affecting Occupational Accidents.

    PubMed

    Eskandari, Davood; Jafari, Mohammad Javad; Mehrabi, Yadollah; Kian, Mostafa Pouya; Charkhand, Hossein; Mirghotbi, Mostafa

    2017-03-01

    Technical, human, operational and organizational factors have been influencing the sequence of occupational accidents. Among them, organizational factors play a major role in causing occupational accidents. The aim of this research was to understand the Iranian safety experts' experiences and perception of organizational factors. This qualitative study was conducted in 2015 by using the content analysis technique. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 17 safety experts working in Iranian universities and industries and analyzed with a conventional qualitative content analysis method using the MAXQDA software. Eleven organizational factors' sub-themes were identified: management commitment, management participation, employee involvement, communication, blame culture, education and training, job satisfaction, interpersonal relationship, supervision, continuous improvement, and reward system. The participants considered these factors as effective on occupational accidents. The mentioned 11 organizational factors are probably involved in occupational accidents in Iran. Naturally, improving organizational factors can increase the safety performance and reduce occupational accidents.

  9. Reactivity Initiated Accident Simulation to Inform Transient Testing of Candidate Advanced Cladding

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Brown, Nicholas R; Wysocki, Aaron J; Terrani, Kurt A

    2016-01-01

    Abstract. Advanced cladding materials with potentially enhanced accident tolerance will yield different light water reactor performance and safety characteristics than the present zirconium-based cladding alloys. These differences are due to different cladding material properties and responses to the transient, and to some extent, reactor physics, thermal, and hydraulic characteristics. Some of the differences in reactors physics characteristics will be driven by the fundamental properties (e.g., absorption in iron for an iron-based cladding) and others will be driven by design modifications necessitated by the candidate cladding materials (e.g., a larger fuel pellet to compensate for parasitic absorption). Potential changes in thermalmore » hydraulic limits after transition from the current zirconium-based cladding to the advanced materials will also affect the transient response of the integral fuel. This paper leverages three-dimensional reactor core simulation capabilities to inform on appropriate experimental test conditions for candidate advanced cladding materials in a control rod ejection event. These test conditions are using three-dimensional nodal kinetics simulations of a reactivity initiated accident (RIA) in a representative state-of-the-art pressurized water reactor with both nuclear-grade iron-chromium-aluminum (FeCrAl) and silicon carbide based (SiC-SiC) cladding materials. The effort yields boundary conditions for experimental mechanical tests, specifically peak cladding strain during the power pulse following the rod ejection. The impact of candidate cladding materials on the reactor kinetics behavior of RIA progression versus reference zirconium cladding is predominantly due to differences in: (1) fuel mass/volume/specific power density, (2) spectral effects due to parasitic neutron absorption, (3) control rod worth due to hardened (or softened) spectrum, and (4) initial conditions due to power peaking and neutron transport cross sections in

  10. Discussion on accuracy degree evaluation of accident velocity reconstruction model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zou, Tiefang; Dai, Yingbiao; Cai, Ming; Liu, Jike

    In order to investigate the applicability of accident velocity reconstruction model in different cases, a method used to evaluate accuracy degree of accident velocity reconstruction model is given. Based on pre-crash velocity in theory and calculation, an accuracy degree evaluation formula is obtained. With a numerical simulation case, Accuracy degrees and applicability of two accident velocity reconstruction models are analyzed; results show that this method is feasible in practice.

  11. BlochSolver: A GPU-optimized fast 3D MRI simulator for experimentally compatible pulse sequences

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kose, Ryoichi; Kose, Katsumi

    2017-08-01

    A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) simulator, which reproduces MRI experiments using computers, has been developed using two graphic-processor-unit (GPU) boards (GTX 1080). The MRI simulator was developed to run according to pulse sequences used in experiments. Experiments and simulations were performed to demonstrate the usefulness of the MRI simulator for three types of pulse sequences, namely, three-dimensional (3D) gradient-echo, 3D radio-frequency spoiled gradient-echo, and gradient-echo multislice with practical matrix sizes. The results demonstrated that the calculation speed using two GPU boards was typically about 7 TFLOPS and about 14 times faster than the calculation speed using CPUs (two 18-core Xeons). We also found that MR images acquired by experiment could be reproduced using an appropriate number of subvoxels, and that 3D isotropic and two-dimensional multislice imaging experiments for practical matrix sizes could be simulated using the MRI simulator. Therefore, we concluded that such powerful MRI simulators are expected to become an indispensable tool for MRI research and development.

  12. Using a Sequence of Earcons to Monitor Multiple Simulated Patients.

    PubMed

    Hickling, Anna; Brecknell, Birgit; Loeb, Robert G; Sanderson, Penelope

    2017-03-01

    The aim of this study was to determine whether a sequence of earcons can effectively convey the status of multiple processes, such as the status of multiple patients in a clinical setting. Clinicians often monitor multiple patients. An auditory display that intermittently conveys the status of multiple patients may help. Nonclinician participants listened to sequences of 500-ms earcons that each represented the heart rate (HR) and oxygen saturation (SpO 2 ) levels of a different simulated patient. In each sequence, one, two, or three patients had an abnormal level of HR and/or SpO 2 . In Experiment 1, participants reported which of nine patients in a sequence were abnormal. In Experiment 2, participants identified the vital signs of one, two, or three abnormal patients in sequences of one, five, or nine patients, where the interstimulus interval (ISI) between earcons was 150 ms. Experiment 3 used the five-sequence condition of Experiment 2, but the ISI was either 150 ms or 800 ms. Participants reported which patient(s) were abnormal with median 95% accuracy. Identification accuracy for vital signs decreased as the number of abnormal patients increased from one to three, p < .001, but accuracy was unaffected by number of patients in a sequence. Overall, identification accuracy was significantly higher with an ISI of 800 ms (89%) compared with an ISI of 150 ms (83%), p < .001. A multiple-patient display can be created by cycling through earcons that represent individual patients. The principles underlying the multiple-patient display can be extended to other vital signs, designs, and domains.

  13. A finite element model of a six-year-old child for simulating pedestrian accidents.

    PubMed

    Meng, Yunzhu; Pak, Wansoo; Guleyupoglu, Berkan; Koya, Bharath; Gayzik, F Scott; Untaroiu, Costin D

    2017-01-01

    Child pedestrian protection deserves more attention in vehicle safety design since they are the most vulnerable road users who face the highest mortality rate. Pediatric Finite Element (FE) models could be used to simulate and understand the pedestrian injury mechanisms during crashes in order to mitigate them. Thus, the objective of the study was to develop a computationally efficient (simplified) six-year-old (6YO-PS) pedestrian FE model and validate it based on the latest published pediatric data. The 6YO-PS FE model was developed by morphing the existing GHBMC adult pedestrian model. Retrospective scan data were used to locally adjust the geometry as needed for accuracy. Component test simulations focused only the lower extremities and pelvis, which are the first body regions impacted during pedestrian accidents. Three-point bending test simulations were performed on the femur and tibia with adult material properties and then updated using child material properties. Pelvis impact and knee bending tests were also simulated. Finally, a series of pediatric Car-to-Pedestrian Collision (CPC) were simulated with pre-impact velocities ranging from 20km/h up to 60km/h. The bone models assigned pediatric material properties showed lower stiffness and a good match in terms of fracture force to the test data (less than 6% error). The pelvis impact force predicted by the child model showed a similar trend with test data. The whole pedestrian model was stable during CPC simulations and predicted common pedestrian injuries. Overall, the 6YO-PS FE model developed in this study showed good biofidelity at component level (lower extremity and pelvis) and stability in CPC simulations. While more validations would improve it, the current model could be used to investigate the lower limb injury mechanisms and in the prediction of the impact parameters as specified in regulatory testing protocols. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Investigations on optimization of accident management measures following a station blackout accident in a VVER-1000 pressurized water reactor

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Tusheva, P.; Schaefer, F.; Kliem, S.

    2012-07-01

    The reactor safety issues are of primary importance for preserving the health of the population and ensuring no release of radioactivity and fission products into the environment. A part of the nuclear research focuses on improvement of the safety of existing nuclear power plants. Studies, research and efforts are a continuing process at improving the safety and reliability of existing and newly developed nuclear power plants at prevention of a core melt accident. Station blackout (loss of AC power supply) is one of the dominant accidents taken into consideration at performing accident analysis. In case of multiple failures of safetymore » systems it leads to a severe accident. To prevent an accident to turn into a severe one or to mitigate the consequences, accident management measures must be performed. The present paper outlines possibilities for application and optimization of accident management measures following a station blackout accident. Assessed is the behaviour of the nuclear power plant during a station blackout accident without accident management measures and with application of primary/secondary side oriented accident management measures. Discussed are the possibilities for operators ' intervention and the influence of the performed accident management measures on the course of the accident. Special attention has been paid to the effectiveness of the passive feeding and physical phenomena having an influence on the system behaviour. The performed simulations show that the effectiveness of the secondary side feeding procedure can be limited due to an early evaporation or flashing effects in the feed water system. The analyzed cases show that the effectiveness of the accident management measures strongly depends on the initiation criteria applied for depressurization of the reactor coolant system. (authors)« less

  15. Modelling Accident Tolerant Fuel Concepts

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hales, Jason Dean; Gamble, Kyle Allan Lawrence

    2016-05-01

    The catastrophic events that occurred at the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear power plant in 2011 have led to widespread interest in research of alternative fuels and claddings that are proposed to be accident tolerant. The United States Department of Energy (DOE) through its Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation (NEAMS) program has funded an Accident Tolerant Fuel (ATF) High Impact Problem (HIP). The ATF HIP is a three-year project to perform research on two accident tolerant concepts. The final outcome of the ATF HIP will be an in-depth report to the DOE Advanced Fuels Campaign (AFC) giving a recommendation on whether eithermore » of the two concepts should be included in their lead test assembly scheduled for placement into a commercial reactor in 2022. The two ATF concepts under investigation in the HIP are uranium silicide fuel and iron-chromium-aluminum (FeCrAl) alloy cladding. Utilizing the expertise of three national laboratory participants (Idaho National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Argonne National Laboratory), a comprehensive multiscale approach to modeling is being used that includes atomistic modeling, molecular dynamics, rate theory, phase-field, and fuel performance simulations. Model development and fuel performance analysis are critical since a full suite of experimental studies will not be complete before AFC must prioritize concepts for focused development. In this paper, we present simulations of the two proposed accident tolerance fuel systems: U3Si2 fuel with Zircaloy-4 cladding, and UO2 fuel with FeCrAl cladding. Sensitivity analyses are completed using Sandia National Laboratories’ Dakota software to determine which input parameters (e.g., fuel specific heat) have the greatest influence on the output metrics of interest (e.g., fuel centerline temperature). We also outline the multiscale modelling approach being employed. Considerable additional work is required prior to preparing the recommendation report for the

  16. Interface requirements to couple thermal hydraulics codes to severe accident codes: ICARE/CATHARE

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Camous, F.; Jacq, F.; Chatelard, P.

    1997-07-01

    In order to describe with the same code the whole sequence of severe LWR accidents, up to the vessel failure, the Institute of Protection and Nuclear Safety has performed a coupling of the severe accident code ICARE2 to the thermalhydraulics code CATHARE2. The resulting code, ICARE/CATHARE, is designed to be as pertinent as possible in all the phases of the accident. This paper is mainly devoted to the description of the ICARE2-CATHARE2 coupling.

  17. Investigating accident causation through information network modelling.

    PubMed

    Griffin, T G C; Young, M S; Stanton, N A

    2010-02-01

    Management of risk in complex domains such as aviation relies heavily on post-event investigations, requiring complex approaches to fully understand the integration of multi-causal, multi-agent and multi-linear accident sequences. The Event Analysis of Systemic Teamwork methodology (EAST; Stanton et al. 2008) offers such an approach based on network models. In this paper, we apply EAST to a well-known aviation accident case study, highlighting communication between agents as a central theme and investigating the potential for finding agents who were key to the accident. Ultimately, this work aims to develop a new model based on distributed situation awareness (DSA) to demonstrate that the risk inherent in a complex system is dependent on the information flowing within it. By identifying key agents and information elements, we can propose proactive design strategies to optimize the flow of information and help work towards avoiding aviation accidents. Statement of Relevance: This paper introduces a novel application of an holistic methodology for understanding aviation accidents. Furthermore, it introduces an ongoing project developing a nonlinear and prospective method that centralises distributed situation awareness and communication as themes. The relevance of findings are discussed in the context of current ergonomic and aviation issues of design, training and human-system interaction.

  18. Analysis of helium purification system capability during water ingress accident in RDE

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sriyono; Kusmastuti, Rahayu; Bakhri, Syaiful; Sunaryo, Geni Rina

    2018-02-01

    The water ingress accident caused by steam generator tube rupture (SGTR) in RDE (Experimental Power Reactor) must be anticipated. During the accident, steam from secondary system diffused and mixed with helium gas in the primary coolant. To avoid graphite corrosion in the core, steam will be removed by Helium purification system (HPS). There are two trains in HPS, first train for normal operation and the second for the regeneration and accident. The second train is responsible to clean the coolant during accident condition. The second train is equipped with additional component, i.e. water cooler, post accident blower, and water separator to remove this mixture gas. During water ingress, the water release from rupture tube is mixed with helium gas. The water cooler acts as a steam condenser, where the steam will be separated by water separator from the helium gas. This paper analyses capability of HPS during water ingress accident. The goal of the research is to determine the time consumed by HPS to remove the total amount of water ingress. The method used is modelling and simulation of the HPS by using ChemCAD software. The BDBA and DBA scenarios will be simulated. In BDBA scenario, up to 110 kg of water is assumed to infiltrate to primary coolant while DBA is up to 35 kg. By using ChemCAD simulation, the second train will purify steam ingress maximum in 0.5 hours. The HPS of RDE has a capability to anticipate the water ingress accident.

  19. A cascading failure model for analyzing railway accident causation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Jin-Tao; Li, Ke-Ping

    2018-01-01

    In this paper, a new cascading failure model is proposed for quantitatively analyzing the railway accident causation. In the model, the loads of nodes are redistributed according to the strength of the causal relationships between the nodes. By analyzing the actual situation of the existing prevention measures, a critical threshold of the load parameter in the model is obtained. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed cascading model, simulation experiments of a train collision accident are performed. The results show that the cascading failure model can describe the cascading process of the railway accident more accurately than the previous models, and can quantitatively analyze the sensitivities and the influence of the causes. In conclusion, this model can assist us to reveal the latent rules of accident causation to reduce the occurrence of railway accidents.

  20. Behaviour of oceanic 137Cs following the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident for four years simulated numerically by a regional ocean model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tsumune, D.; Tsubono, T.; Aoyama, M.; Misumi, K.; Tateda, Y.

    2015-12-01

    A series of accidents at the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant (1F NPP) following the earthquake and tsunami of 11 March 2011 resulted in the release of radioactive materials to the ocean by two major pathways, direct release from the accident site and atmospheric deposition.We reconstructed spatiotemporal variability of 137Cs activity in the regional ocean for four years by numerical model, such as a regional scale and the North Pacific scale oceanic dispersion models, an atmospheric transport model, a sediment transport model, a dynamic biological compartment model for marine biota and river runoff model. Direct release rate of 137Cs were estimated for four years after the accident by comparing simulated results and observed activities very close to the site. The estimated total amounts of directly release was 3.6±0.7 PBq. Directly release rate of 137Cs decreased exponentially with time by the end of December 2012 and then, was almost constant. Decrease rate were quite small after 2013. The daily release rate of 137Cs was estimated to be the order of magnitude of 1010 Bq/day by the end of March 2015. The activity of directly released 137Cs was detectable only in the coastal zone after December 2012. Simulated 137Cs activities attributable to direct release were in good agreement with observed activities, a result that implies the estimated direct release rate was reasonable. There is no observed data of 137Cs activity in the ocean from 11 to 21 March 2011. Observed data of marine biota should reflect the history of 137Cs activity in this early period. We reconstructed the history of 137Cs activity in this early period by considering atmospheric deposition, river input, rain water runoff from the 1F NPP site. The comparisons between simulated 137Cs activity of marine biota by a dynamic biological compartment and observed data also suggest that simulated 137Cs activity attributable to atmospheric deposition was underestimated in this early period. The

  1. Behaviour of oceanic 137Cs following the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident for four years simulated numerically by a regional ocean model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Torn, M. S.; Koven, C. D.; Riley, W. J.; Zhu, B.; Hicks Pries, C.; Phillips, C. L.

    2014-12-01

    A series of accidents at the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant (1F NPP) following the earthquake and tsunami of 11 March 2011 resulted in the release of radioactive materials to the ocean by two major pathways, direct release from the accident site and atmospheric deposition.We reconstructed spatiotemporal variability of 137Cs activity in the regional ocean for four years by numerical model, such as a regional scale and the North Pacific scale oceanic dispersion models, an atmospheric transport model, a sediment transport model, a dynamic biological compartment model for marine biota and river runoff model. Direct release rate of 137Cs were estimated for four years after the accident by comparing simulated results and observed activities very close to the site. The estimated total amounts of directly release was 3.6±0.7 PBq. Directly release rate of 137Cs decreased exponentially with time by the end of December 2012 and then, was almost constant. Decrease rate were quite small after 2013. The daily release rate of 137Cs was estimated to be the order of magnitude of 1010 Bq/day by the end of March 2015. The activity of directly released 137Cs was detectable only in the coastal zone after December 2012. Simulated 137Cs activities attributable to direct release were in good agreement with observed activities, a result that implies the estimated direct release rate was reasonable. There is no observed data of 137Cs activity in the ocean from 11 to 21 March 2011. Observed data of marine biota should reflect the history of 137Cs activity in this early period. We reconstructed the history of 137Cs activity in this early period by considering atmospheric deposition, river input, rain water runoff from the 1F NPP site. The comparisons between simulated 137Cs activity of marine biota by a dynamic biological compartment and observed data also suggest that simulated 137Cs activity attributable to atmospheric deposition was underestimated in this early period. The

  2. The effectiveness of using pictures in teaching young children about burn injury accidents.

    PubMed

    Liu, Hsueh-Fen; Lin, Fang-Suey; Chang, Chien-Ju

    2015-11-01

    This study utilized the "story grammar" approach (Stein and Glenn, 1979) to analyze the within-corpus differences in recounting of sixty 6- and 7-year-old children, specifically whether illustrations (5-factor accident sequence) were or were not resorted to as a means to assist their narration of a home accident in which a child received a burn injury from hot soup. Our investigation revealed that the message presentation strategy "combining oral and pictures" better helped young children to memorize the story content (sequence of events leading to the burn injury) than "oral only." Specifically, the content of "the dangerous objects that caused the injury", "the unsafe actions that people involved took", and "how the people involved felt about the severity of the accident" differed significantly between the two groups. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

  3. BNL severe-accident sequence experiments and analysis program. [PWR; BWR

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Greene, G.A.; Ginsberg, T.; Tutu, N.K.

    1983-01-01

    In the analysis of degraded core accidents, the two major sources of pressure loading on light water reactor containments are: steam generation from core debris-water thermal interactions; and molten core-concrete interactions. Experiments are in progress at BNL in support of analytical model development related to aspects of the above containment loading mechanisms. The work supports development and evaluation of the CORCON (Muir, 1981) and MARCH (Wooton, 1980) computer codes. Progress in the two programs is described.

  4. Assembling in Sequence: A Saleable Work Skill. Occupation Simulation Packet. Grades 3rd-4th.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hueston, Jean

    This teacher's guide for grades 3 and 4 contains simulated work experiences for students using the isolated skill concept - assembling in sequence. Teacher instructions include objectives, evaluation, and sequence of activities. The guide contains pre-tests and post-tests with instructions and answer keys. Three pre-skill activities are suggested,…

  5. Preliminary analysis of loss-of-coolant accident in Fukushima nuclear accident

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Su'ud, Zaki; Anshari, Rio

    2012-06-01

    Loss-of-Coolant Accident (LOCA) in Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) especially on Fukushima Nuclear Accident will be discussed in this paper. The Tohoku earthquake triggered the shutdown of nuclear power reactors at Fukushima Nuclear Power station. Though shutdown process has been completely performed, cooling process, at much smaller level than in normal operation, is needed to remove decay heat from the reactor core until the reactor reach cold-shutdown condition. If LOCA happen at this condition, it will cause the increase of reactor fuel and other core temperatures and can lead to reactor core meltdown and exposure of radioactive material to the environment such as in the Fukushima Dai Ichi nuclear accident case. In this study numerical simulation has been performed to calculate pressure composition, water level and temperature distribution on reactor during this accident. There are two coolant regulating system that operational on reactor unit 1 at this accident, Isolation Condensers (IC) system and Safety Relief Valves (SRV) system. Average mass flow of steam to the IC system in this event is 10 kg/s and could keep reactor core from uncovered about 3,2 hours and fully uncovered in 4,7 hours later. There are two coolant regulating system at operational on reactor unit 2, Reactor Core Isolation Condenser (RCIC) System and Safety Relief Valves (SRV). Average mass flow of coolant that correspond this event is 20 kg/s and could keep reactor core from uncovered about 73 hours and fully uncovered in 75 hours later. There are three coolant regulating system at operational on reactor unit 3, Reactor Core Isolation Condenser (RCIC) system, High Pressure Coolant Injection (HPCI) system and Safety Relief Valves (SRV). Average mass flow of water that correspond this event is 15 kg/s and could keep reactor core from uncovered about 37 hours and fully uncovered in 40 hours later.

  6. Particle Size Distribution of Serratia marcescens Aerosols Created During Common Laboratory Procedures and Simulated Laboratory Accidents

    PubMed Central

    Kenny, Michael T.; Sabel, Fred L.

    1968-01-01

    Andersen air samplers were used to determine the particle size distribution of Serratia marcescens aerosols created during several common laboratory procedures and simulated laboratory accidents. Over 1,600 viable particles per cubic foot of air sampled were aerosolized during blending operations. More than 98% of these particles were less than 5 μ in size. In contrast, 80% of the viable particles aerosolized by handling lyophilized cultures were larger than 5 μ. Harvesting infected eggs, sonic treatment, centrifugation, mixing cultures, and dropping infectious material produced aerosols composed primarily of particles in the 1.0- to 7.5-μ size range. Images Fig. 1 PMID:4877498

  7. Inter-level Scaffolding and Sequences of Representational Activities in Teaching a Chemical System with Graphical Simulations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Na; Black, John B.

    2016-10-01

    Chemistry knowledge can be represented at macro-, micro- and symbolic levels, and learning a chemistry topic requires students to engage in multiple representational activities. This study focused on scaffolding for inter-level connection-making in learning chemistry knowledge with graphical simulations. We also tested whether different sequences of representational activities produced different student learning outcomes in learning a chemistry topic. A sample of 129 seventh graders participated in this study. In a simulation-based environment, participants completed three representational activities to learn several ideal gas law concepts. We conducted a 2 × 3 factorial design experiment. We compared two scaffolding conditions: (1) the inter- level scaffolding condition in which participants received inter-level questions and experienced the dynamic link function in the simulation-based environment and (2) the intra- level scaffolding condition in which participants received intra-level questions and did not experience the dynamic link function. We also compared three different sequences of representational activities: macro-symbolic-micro, micro-symbolic-macro and symbolic-micro-macro. For the scaffolding variable, we found that the inter- level scaffolding condition produced significantly better performance in both knowledge comprehension and application, compared to the intra- level scaffolding condition. For the sequence variable, we found that the macro-symbolic-micro sequence produced significantly better knowledge comprehension performance than the other two sequences; however, it did not benefit knowledge application performance. There was a trend that the treatment group who experienced inter- level scaffolding and the micro-symbolic-macro sequence achieved the best knowledge application performance.

  8. Population genetics and molecular evolution of DNA sequences in transposable elements. I. A simulation framework.

    PubMed

    Kijima, T E; Innan, Hideki

    2013-11-01

    A population genetic simulation framework is developed to understand the behavior and molecular evolution of DNA sequences of transposable elements. Our model incorporates random transposition and excision of transposable element (TE) copies, two modes of selection against TEs, and degeneration of transpositional activity by point mutations. We first investigated the relationships between the behavior of the copy number of TEs and these parameters. Our results show that when selection is weak, the genome can maintain a relatively large number of TEs, but most of them are less active. In contrast, with strong selection, the genome can maintain only a limited number of TEs but the proportion of active copies is large. In such a case, there could be substantial fluctuations of the copy number over generations. We also explored how DNA sequences of TEs evolve through the simulations. In general, active copies form clusters around the original sequence, while less active copies have long branches specific to themselves, exhibiting a star-shaped phylogeny. It is demonstrated that the phylogeny of TE sequences could be informative to understand the dynamics of TE evolution.

  9. A new approach to road accident rescue.

    PubMed

    Morales, Alejandro; González-Aguilera, Diego; López, Alfonso I; Gutiérrez, Miguel A

    2016-01-01

    This article develops and validates a new methodology and tool for rescue assistance in traffic accidents, with the aim of improving its efficiency and safety in the evacuation of people, reducing the number of victims in road accidents. Different tests supported by professionals and experts have been designed under different circumstances and with different categories of damaged vehicles coming from real accidents and simulated trapped victims in order to calibrate and refine the proposed methodology and tool. To validate this new approach, a tool called App_Rescue has been developed. This tool is based on the use of a computer system that allows an efficient access to the technical information of the vehicle and sanitary information of the common passengers. The time spent during rescue using the standard protocol and the proposed method was compared. This rescue assistance system allows us to make vital information accessible in posttrauma care services, improving the effectiveness of interventions by the emergency services, reducing the rescue time and therefore minimizing the consequences involved and the number of victims. This could often mean saving lives. In the different simulated rescue operations, the rescue time has been reduced an average of 14%.

  10. Station blackout transient at the Browns Ferry Unit 1 Plant: a severe accident sequence analysis (SASA) program study

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Schultz, R.R.

    1982-01-01

    Operating plant transients are of great interest for many reasons, not the least of which is the potential for a mild transient to degenerate to a severe transient yielding core damage. Using the Browns Ferry (BF) Unit-1 plant as a basis of study, the station blackout sequence was investigated by the Severe Accident Sequence Analysis (SASA) Program in support of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Unresolved Safety Issue A-44: Station Blackout. A station blackout transient occurs when the plant's AC power from a comemrcial power grid is lost and cannot be restored by the diesel generators. Under normal operating conditions, fmore » a loss of offsite power (LOSP) occurs (i.e., a complete severance of the BF plants from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) power grid), the eight diesel generators at the three BF units would quickly start and power the emergency AC buses. Of the eight diesel generators, only six are needed to safely shut down all three units. Examination of BF-specific data show that LOSP frequency is low at Unit 1. The station blackout frequency is even lower (5.7 x 10/sup -4/ events per year) and hinges on whether the diesel generators start. The frequency of diesel generator failure is dictated in large measure by the emergency equipment cooling water (EECW) system that cools the diesel generators.« less

  11. A Finite Element Model of a Midsize Male for Simulating Pedestrian Accidents.

    PubMed

    Untaroiu, Costin D; Pak, Wansoo; Meng, Yunzhu; Schap, Jeremy; Koya, Bharath; Gayzik, Scott

    2018-01-01

    Pedestrians represent one of the most vulnerable road users and comprise nearly 22% the road crash-related fatalities in the world. Therefore, protection of pedestrians in car-to-pedestrian collisions (CPC) has recently generated increased attention with regulations involving three subsystem tests. The development of a finite element (FE) pedestrian model could provide a complementary component that characterizes the whole-body response of vehicle-pedestrian interactions and assesses the pedestrian injuries. The main goal of this study was to develop and to validate a simplified full body FE model corresponding to a 50th male pedestrian in standing posture (M50-PS). The FE model mesh and defined material properties are based on a 50th percentile male occupant model. The lower limb-pelvis and lumbar spine regions of the human model were validated against the postmortem human surrogate (PMHS) test data recorded in four-point lateral knee bending tests, pelvic\\abdomen\\shoulder\\thoracic impact tests, and lumbar spine bending tests. Then, a pedestrian-to-vehicle impact simulation was performed using the whole pedestrian model, and the results were compared to corresponding PMHS tests. Overall, the simulation results showed that lower leg response is mostly within the boundaries of PMHS corridors. In addition, the model shows the capability to predict the most common lower extremity injuries observed in pedestrian accidents. Generally, the validated pedestrian model may be used by safety researchers in the design of front ends of new vehicles in order to increase pedestrian protection.

  12. The Self-Powered Detector Simulation `MATiSSe' Toolbox applied to SPNDs for severe accident monitoring in PWRs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Barbot, Loïc; Villard, Jean-François; Fourrez, Stéphane; Pichon, Laurent; Makil, Hamid

    2018-01-01

    In the framework of the French National Research Agency program on nuclear safety and radioprotection, the `DIstributed Sensing for COrium Monitoring and Safety' project aims at developing innovative instrumentation for corium monitoring in case of severe accident in a Pressurized Water nuclear Reactor. Among others, a new under-vessel instrumentation based on Self-Powered Neutron Detectors is developed using a numerical simulation toolbox, named `MATiSSe'. The CEA Instrumentation Sensors and Dosimetry Lab developed MATiSSe since 2010 for Self-Powered Neutron Detectors material selection and geometry design, as well as for their respective partial neutron and gamma sensitivity calculations. MATiSSe is based on a comprehensive model of neutron and gamma interactions which take place in Selfpowered neutron detector components using the MCNP6 Monte Carlo code. As member of the project consortium, the THERMOCOAX SAS Company is currently manufacturing some instrumented pole prototypes to be tested in 2017. The full severe accident monitoring equipment, including the standalone low current acquisition system, will be tested during a joined CEA-THERMOCOAX experimental campaign in some realistic irradiation conditions, in the Slovenian TRIGA Mark II research reactor.

  13. Skills of novices early trained or traditionaly trained versus experienced drivers confronted to simulated urban accidents' scenarios.

    PubMed

    Berthelon, Catherine; Damm, Loïc

    2012-01-01

    In order to prevent the over-representation of young drivers in car crashes, France instated an early driver training from the age of 16, but the positive effects of this opportunity have not yet been proven. Three groups of male drivers (12 subjects each) were confronted with some prototypical accident scenarios introduced in a simulated urban circuit. The first and second groups were composed of young drivers having less than one month of driving licence; twelve have had a traditional learning course, and twelve had followed, in addition to the initial course, an early driver training under the supervision of an adult. The third group was composed of experienced drivers. Strategies of the three groups were analyzed through their response time, speed and maneuvers. No difference appeared across groups regarding obstacle detection. But traditionally-trained drivers' position control was more conservative than the two others groups, which were more likely to involve efficient evasive action. The exposure gained during early training could thus increase the development of visuo-motor coordination and involve better skills in case of difficult situations. Others accidents' scenarios could be used to confront young drivers with difficult situations not commonly encountered in natural driving.

  14. Radioactive release during nuclear accidents in Chernobyl and Fukushima

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nur Ain Sulaiman, Siti; Mohamed, Faizal; Rahim, Ahmad Nabil Ab

    2018-01-01

    Nuclear accidents that occurred in Chernobyl and Fukushima have initiated many research interests to understand the cause and mechanism of radioactive release within reactor compound and to the environment. Common types of radionuclide release are the fission products from the irradiated fuel rod itself. In case of nuclear accident, the focus of monitoring will be mostly on the release of noble gases, I-131 and Cs-137. As these are the only accidents have been rated within International Nuclear Events Scale (INES) Level 7, the radioactive release to the environment was one of the critical insights to be monitored. It was estimated that the release of radioactive material to the atmosphere due to Fukushima accident was approximately 10% of the Chernobyl accident. By referring to the previous reports using computational code systems to model the release rate, the release activity of I-131 and Cs-137 in Chernobyl was significantly higher compare to Fukushima. The simulation code also showed that Chernobyl had higher release rate of both radionuclides on the day of accident. Other factors affecting the radioactive release for Fukushima and Chernobyl accidents such as the current reactor technology and safety measures are also compared for discussion.

  15. Brownian dynamics simulations of sequence-dependent duplex denaturation in dynamically superhelical DNA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mielke, Steven P.; Grønbech-Jensen, Niels; Krishnan, V. V.; Fink, William H.; Benham, Craig J.

    2005-09-01

    The topological state of DNA in vivo is dynamically regulated by a number of processes that involve interactions with bound proteins. In one such process, the tracking of RNA polymerase along the double helix during transcription, restriction of rotational motion of the polymerase and associated structures, generates waves of overtwist downstream and undertwist upstream from the site of transcription. The resulting superhelical stress is often sufficient to drive double-stranded DNA into a denatured state at locations such as promoters and origins of replication, where sequence-specific duplex opening is a prerequisite for biological function. In this way, transcription and other events that actively supercoil the DNA provide a mechanism for dynamically coupling genetic activity with regulatory and other cellular processes. Although computer modeling has provided insight into the equilibrium dynamics of DNA supercoiling, to date no model has appeared for simulating sequence-dependent DNA strand separation under the nonequilibrium conditions imposed by the dynamic introduction of torsional stress. Here, we introduce such a model and present results from an initial set of computer simulations in which the sequences of dynamically superhelical, 147 base pair DNA circles were systematically altered in order to probe the accuracy with which the model can predict location, extent, and time of stress-induced duplex denaturation. The results agree both with well-tested statistical mechanical calculations and with available experimental information. Additionally, we find that sites susceptible to denaturation show a propensity for localizing to supercoil apices, suggesting that base sequence determines locations of strand separation not only through the energetics of interstrand interactions, but also by influencing the geometry of supercoiling.

  16. Brownian dynamics simulations of sequence-dependent duplex denaturation in dynamically superhelical DNA.

    PubMed

    Mielke, Steven P; Grønbech-Jensen, Niels; Krishnan, V V; Fink, William H; Benham, Craig J

    2005-09-22

    The topological state of DNA in vivo is dynamically regulated by a number of processes that involve interactions with bound proteins. In one such process, the tracking of RNA polymerase along the double helix during transcription, restriction of rotational motion of the polymerase and associated structures, generates waves of overtwist downstream and undertwist upstream from the site of transcription. The resulting superhelical stress is often sufficient to drive double-stranded DNA into a denatured state at locations such as promoters and origins of replication, where sequence-specific duplex opening is a prerequisite for biological function. In this way, transcription and other events that actively supercoil the DNA provide a mechanism for dynamically coupling genetic activity with regulatory and other cellular processes. Although computer modeling has provided insight into the equilibrium dynamics of DNA supercoiling, to date no model has appeared for simulating sequence-dependent DNA strand separation under the nonequilibrium conditions imposed by the dynamic introduction of torsional stress. Here, we introduce such a model and present results from an initial set of computer simulations in which the sequences of dynamically superhelical, 147 base pair DNA circles were systematically altered in order to probe the accuracy with which the model can predict location, extent, and time of stress-induced duplex denaturation. The results agree both with well-tested statistical mechanical calculations and with available experimental information. Additionally, we find that sites susceptible to denaturation show a propensity for localizing to supercoil apices, suggesting that base sequence determines locations of strand separation not only through the energetics of interstrand interactions, but also by influencing the geometry of supercoiling.

  17. Evaluating a Novel Instructional Sequence for Conceptual Change in Physics Using Interactive Simulations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fan, Xinxin; Geelan, David; Gillies, Robyn

    2018-01-01

    This study investigated the effectiveness of a novel inquiry-based instructional sequence using interactive simulations for supporting students' development of conceptual understanding, inquiry process skills and confidence in learning. The study, conducted in Beijing, involved two teachers and 117 students in four classes. The teachers…

  18. The engineering investigation of aircraft accidents

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Anderson, S. B.

    1982-01-01

    The organization and plan for an investigation, procedures used at the scene of the accident, engineering aspects covered in the main investigation, use of special analytical techniques and simulation tools, and use of flight recorder data are discussed. Examples of investigations are used to illustrate the processes used.

  19. Preliminary analysis of loss-of-coolant accident in Fukushima nuclear accident

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Su'ud, Zaki; Anshari, Rio

    Loss-of-Coolant Accident (LOCA) in Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) especially on Fukushima Nuclear Accident will be discussed in this paper. The Tohoku earthquake triggered the shutdown of nuclear power reactors at Fukushima Nuclear Power station. Though shutdown process has been completely performed, cooling process, at much smaller level than in normal operation, is needed to remove decay heat from the reactor core until the reactor reach cold-shutdown condition. If LOCA happen at this condition, it will cause the increase of reactor fuel and other core temperatures and can lead to reactor core meltdown and exposure of radioactive material to the environmentmore » such as in the Fukushima Dai Ichi nuclear accident case. In this study numerical simulation has been performed to calculate pressure composition, water level and temperature distribution on reactor during this accident. There are two coolant regulating system that operational on reactor unit 1 at this accident, Isolation Condensers (IC) system and Safety Relief Valves (SRV) system. Average mass flow of steam to the IC system in this event is 10 kg/s and could keep reactor core from uncovered about 3,2 hours and fully uncovered in 4,7 hours later. There are two coolant regulating system at operational on reactor unit 2, Reactor Core Isolation Condenser (RCIC) System and Safety Relief Valves (SRV). Average mass flow of coolant that correspond this event is 20 kg/s and could keep reactor core from uncovered about 73 hours and fully uncovered in 75 hours later. There are three coolant regulating system at operational on reactor unit 3, Reactor Core Isolation Condenser (RCIC) system, High Pressure Coolant Injection (HPCI) system and Safety Relief Valves (SRV). Average mass flow of water that correspond this event is 15 kg/s and could keep reactor core from uncovered about 37 hours and fully uncovered in 40 hours later.« less

  20. Using Immersive Virtual Reality to Reduce Work Accidents in Developing Countries.

    PubMed

    Nedel, Luciana; de Souza, Vinicius Costa; Menin, Aline; Sebben, Lucia; Oliveira, Jackson; Faria, Frederico; Maciel, Anderson

    2016-01-01

    Thousands of people die or are injured in work accidents every year. Although the lack of safety equipment is one of the causes, especially in developing countries, behavioral issues caused by psychosocial factors are also to blame. This article introduces the use of immersive VR simulators to preventively reduce accidents in the workplace by detecting behavioral patterns that may lead to an increased predisposition to risk exposure. The system simulates day-to-day situations, analyzes user reactions, and classifies the behaviors according to four psychosocial groups. The results of a user study support the effectiveness of this approach.

  1. Key Parameters for Operator Diagnosis of BWR Plant Condition during a Severe Accident

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Clayton, Dwight A.; Poore, III, Willis P.

    2015-01-01

    The objective of this research is to examine the key information needed from nuclear power plant instrumentation to guide severe accident management and mitigation for boiling water reactor (BWR) designs (specifically, a BWR/4-Mark I), estimate environmental conditions that the instrumentation will experience during a severe accident, and identify potential gaps in existing instrumentation that may require further research and development. This report notes the key parameters that instrumentation needs to measure to help operators respond to severe accidents. A follow-up report will assess severe accident environmental conditions as estimated by severe accident simulation model analysis for a specific US BWR/4-Markmore » I plant for those instrumentation systems considered most important for accident management purposes.« less

  2. Analysis of the FeCrAl Accident Tolerant Fuel Concept Benefits during BWR Station Blackout Accidents

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Robb, Kevin R

    2015-01-01

    Iron-chromium-aluminum (FeCrAl) alloys are being considered for fuel concepts with enhanced accident tolerance. FeCrAl alloys have very slow oxidation kinetics and good strength at high temperatures. FeCrAl could be used for fuel cladding in light water reactors and/or as channel box material in boiling water reactors (BWRs). To estimate the potential safety gains afforded by the FeCrAl concept, the MELCOR code was used to analyze a range of postulated station blackout severe accident scenarios in a BWR/4 reactor employing FeCrAl. The simulations utilize the most recently known thermophysical properties and oxidation kinetics for FeCrAl. Overall, when compared to the traditionalmore » Zircaloy-based cladding and channel box, the FeCrAl concept provides a few extra hours of time for operators to take mitigating actions and/or for evacuations to take place. A coolable core geometry is retained longer, enhancing the ability to stabilize an accident. Finally, due to the slower oxidation kinetics, substantially less hydrogen is generated, and the generation is delayed in time. This decreases the amount of non-condensable gases in containment and the potential for deflagrations to inhibit the accident response.« less

  3. Manned space flight nuclear system safety. Volume 3: Reactor system preliminary nuclear safety analysis. Part 2: Accident Model Document (AMD)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1972-01-01

    The Accident Model Document is one of three documents of the Preliminary Safety Analysis Report (PSAR) - Reactor System as applied to a Space Base Program. Potential terrestrial nuclear hazards involving the zirconium hydride reactor-Brayton power module are identified for all phases of the Space Base program. The accidents/events that give rise to the hazards are defined and abort sequence trees are developed to determine the sequence of events leading to the hazard and the associated probabilities of occurence. Source terms are calculated to determine the magnitude of the hazards. The above data is used in the mission accident analysis to determine the most probable and significant accidents/events in each mission phase. The only significant hazards during the prelaunch and launch ascent phases of the mission are those which arise form criticality accidents. Fission product inventories during this time period were found to be very low due to very limited low power acceptance testing.

  4. Fission product transport analysis in a loss of decay heat removal accident at Browns Ferry

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Wichner, R.P.; Weber, C.F.; Hodge, S.A.

    1984-01-01

    This paper summarizes an analysis of the movement of noble gases, iodine, and cesium fission products within the Mark-I containment BWR reactor system represented by Browns Ferry Unit 1 during a postulated accident sequence initiated by a loss of decay heat removal (DHR) capability following a scram. The event analysis showed that this accident could be brought under control by various means, but the sequence with no operator action ultimately leads to containment (drywell) failure followed by loss of water from the reactor vessel, core degradation due to overheating, and reactor vessel failure with attendant movement of core debris ontomore » the drywell floor.« less

  5. Estimation Of 137Cs Using Atmospheric Dispersion Models After A Nuclear Reactor Accident

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Simsek, V.; Kindap, T.; Unal, A.; Pozzoli, L.; Karaca, M.

    2012-04-01

    Nuclear energy will continue to have an important role in the production of electricity in the world as the need of energy grows up. But the safety of power plants will always be a question mark for people because of the accidents happened in the past. Chernobyl nuclear reactor accident which happened in 26 April 1986 was the biggest nuclear accident ever. Because of explosion and fire large quantities of radioactive material was released to the atmosphere. The release of the radioactive particles because of accident affected not only its region but the entire Northern hemisphere. But much of the radioactive material was spread over west USSR and Europe. There are many studies about distribution of radioactive particles and the deposition of radionuclides all over Europe. But this was not true for Turkey especially for the deposition of radionuclides released after Chernobyl nuclear reactor accident and the radiation doses received by people. The aim of this study is to determine the radiation doses received by people living in Turkish territory after Chernobyl nuclear reactor accident and use this method in case of an emergency. For this purpose The Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model was used to simulate meteorological conditions after the accident. The results of WRF which were for the 12 days after accident were used as input data for the HYSPLIT model. NOAA-ARL's (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Air Resources Laboratory) dispersion model HYSPLIT was used to simulate the 137Cs distrubition. The deposition values of 137Cs in our domain after Chernobyl Nuclear Reactor Accident were between 1.2E-37 Bq/m2 and 3.5E+08 Bq/m2. The results showed that Turkey was affected because of the accident especially the Black Sea Region. And the doses were calculated by using GENII-LIN which is multipurpose health physics code.

  6. Who by accident? The social morphology of car accidents.

    PubMed

    Factor, Roni; Yair, Gad; Mahalel, David

    2010-09-01

    Prior studies in the sociology of accidents have shown that different social groups have different rates of accident involvement. This study extends those studies by implementing Bourdieu's relational perspective of social space to systematically explore the homology between drivers' social characteristics and their involvement in specific types of motor vehicle accident. Using a large database that merges official Israeli road-accident records with socioeconomic data from two censuses, this research maps the social order of road accidents through multiple correspondence analysis. Extending prior studies, the results show that different social groups indeed tend to be involved in motor vehicle accidents of different types and severity. For example, we find that drivers from low socioeconomic backgrounds are overinvolved in severe accidents with fatal outcomes. The new findings reported here shed light on the social regularity of road accidents and expose new facets in the social organization of death. © 2010 Society for Risk Analysis.

  7. Predicted spatio-temporal dynamics of radiocesium deposited onto forests following the Fukushima nuclear accident

    PubMed Central

    Hashimoto, Shoji; Matsuura, Toshiya; Nanko, Kazuki; Linkov, Igor; Shaw, George; Kaneko, Shinji

    2013-01-01

    The majority of the area contaminated by the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant accident is covered by forest. To facilitate effective countermeasure strategies to mitigate forest contamination, we simulated the spatio-temporal dynamics of radiocesium deposited into Japanese forest ecosystems in 2011 using a model that was developed after the Chernobyl accident in 1986. The simulation revealed that the radiocesium inventories in tree and soil surface organic layer components drop rapidly during the first two years after the fallout. Over a period of one to two years, the radiocesium is predicted to move from the tree and surface organic soil to the mineral soil, which eventually becomes the largest radiocesium reservoir within forest ecosystems. Although the uncertainty of our simulations should be considered, the results provide a basis for understanding and anticipating the future dynamics of radiocesium in Japanese forests following the Fukushima accident. PMID:23995073

  8. Scoping Study Investigating PWR Instrumentation during a Severe Accident Scenario

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Rempe, J. L.; Knudson, D. L.; Lutz, R. J.

    The accidents at the Three Mile Island Unit 2 (TMI-2) and Fukushima Daiichi Units 1, 2, and 3 nuclear power plants demonstrate the critical importance of accurate, relevant, and timely information on the status of reactor systems during a severe accident. These events also highlight the critical importance of understanding and focusing on the key elements of system status information in an environment where operators may be overwhelmed with superfluous and sometimes conflicting data. While progress in these areas has been made since TMI-2, the events at Fukushima suggests that there may still be a potential need to ensure thatmore » critical plant information is available to plant operators. Recognizing the significant technical and economic challenges associated with plant modifications, it is important to focus on instrumentation that can address these information critical needs. As part of a program initiated by the Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE), a scoping effort was initiated to assess critical information needs identified for severe accident management and mitigation in commercial Light Water Reactors (LWRs), to quantify the environment instruments monitoring this data would have to survive, and to identify gaps where predicted environments exceed instrumentation qualification envelop (QE) limits. Results from the Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) scoping evaluations are documented in this report. The PWR evaluations were limited in this scoping evaluation to quantifying the environmental conditions for an unmitigated Short-Term Station BlackOut (STSBO) sequence in one unit at the Surry nuclear power station. Results were obtained using the MELCOR models developed for the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)-sponsored State of the Art Consequence Assessment (SOARCA) program project. Results from this scoping evaluation indicate that some instrumentation identified to provide critical information would be exposed to conditions that

  9. Assessment of an explosive LPG release accident: a case study.

    PubMed

    Bubbico, Roberto; Marchini, Mauro

    2008-07-15

    In the present paper, an accident occurred during a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tank filling activity has been taken into consideration. During the transfer of LPG from the source road tank car to the receiving fixed storage vessel, an accidental release of LPG gave rise to different final consequences ranging from a pool fire, to a fireball and to the catastrophic rupture of the tank with successive explosion of its contents. The sequence of events has been investigated by using some of the consequence calculation models most commonly adopted in risk analysis and accident investigation. On one hand, this allows to better understand the link between the various events of the accident. On the other hand, a comparison between the results of the calculations and the damages actually observed after the accident, allows to check the accuracy of the prediction models and to critically assess their validity. In particular, it was shown that the largest uncertainty is associated with the calculation of the energy involved in the physical expansion of the fluid (both liquid and vapor) after the catastrophic rupture of the tank.

  10. The Euratom-Rosatom ERCOSAM-SAMARA projects on containment thermal-hydraulics of current and future LWRs for severe accident management

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Paladino, D.; Guentay, S.; Andreani, M.

    2012-07-01

    During a postulated severe accident with core degradation, hydrogen would form in the reactor pressure vessel mainly due to high temperatures zirconium-steam reaction and flow together with steam into the containment where it will mix with the containment atmosphere (steam-air). The hydrogen transport into the containment is a safety concern because it can lead to explosive mixtures through the associated phenomena of condensation, mixing and stratification. The ERCOSAM and SAMARA projects, co-financed by the European Union and the Russia, include various experiments addressing accident scenarios scaled down from existing plant calculations to different thermal-hydraulics facilities (TOSQAN, MISTRA, PANDA, SPOT). Themore » tests sequences aim to investigate hydrogen concentration build-up and stratification during a postulated accident and the effect of the activation of Severe Accident Management systems (SAMs), e.g. sprays, coolers and Passive Auto-catalytic Recombiners (PARs). Analytical activities, performed by the project participants, are an essential component of the projects, as they aim to improve and validate various computational methods. They accompany the projects in the various phases; plant calculations, scaling to generic containment and to the different facilities, planning pre-test and post-test simulations are performed. Code benchmark activities on the basis of conceptual near full scale HYMIX facility will finally provide a further opportunity to evaluate the applicability of the various methods to the study of scaling issues. (authors)« less

  11. Reactivity Insertion Accident (RIA) Capability Status in the BISON Fuel Performance Code

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Williamson, Richard L.; Folsom, Charles Pearson; Pastore, Giovanni

    2016-05-01

    One of the Challenge Problems being considered within CASL relates to modelling and simulation of Light Water Reactor LWR) fuel under Reactivity Insertion Accident (RIA) conditions. BISON is the fuel performance code used within CASL for LWR fuel under both normal operating and accident conditions, and thus must be capable of addressing the RIA challenge problem. This report outlines required BISON capabilities for RIAs and describes the current status of the code. Information on recent accident capability enhancements, application of BISON to a RIA benchmark exercise, and plans for validation to RIA behavior are included.

  12. The Fukushima radiation accident: consequences for radiation accident medical management.

    PubMed

    Meineke, Viktor; Dörr, Harald

    2012-08-01

    The March 2011 radiation accident in Fukushima, Japan, is a textbook example of a radiation accident of global significance. In view of the global dimensions of the accident, it is important to consider the lessons learned. In this context, emphasis must be placed on consequences for planning appropriate medical management for radiation accidents including, for example, estimates of necessary human and material resources. The specific characteristics of the radiation accident in Fukushima are thematically divided into five groups: the exceptional environmental influences on the Fukushima radiation accident, particular circumstances of the accident, differences in risk perception, changed psychosocial factors in the age of the Internet and globalization, and the ignorance of the effects of ionizing radiation both among the general public and health care professionals. Conclusions like the need for reviewing international communication, interfacing, and interface definitions will be drawn from the Fukushima radiation accident.

  13. Accurate Simulation and Detection of Coevolution Signals in Multiple Sequence Alignments

    PubMed Central

    Ackerman, Sharon H.; Tillier, Elisabeth R.; Gatti, Domenico L.

    2012-01-01

    Background While the conserved positions of a multiple sequence alignment (MSA) are clearly of interest, non-conserved positions can also be important because, for example, destabilizing effects at one position can be compensated by stabilizing effects at another position. Different methods have been developed to recognize the evolutionary relationship between amino acid sites, and to disentangle functional/structural dependencies from historical/phylogenetic ones. Methodology/Principal Findings We have used two complementary approaches to test the efficacy of these methods. In the first approach, we have used a new program, MSAvolve, for the in silico evolution of MSAs, which records a detailed history of all covarying positions, and builds a global coevolution matrix as the accumulated sum of individual matrices for the positions forced to co-vary, the recombinant coevolution, and the stochastic coevolution. We have simulated over 1600 MSAs for 8 protein families, which reflect sequences of different sizes and proteins with widely different functions. The calculated coevolution matrices were compared with the coevolution matrices obtained for the same evolved MSAs with different coevolution detection methods. In a second approach we have evaluated the capacity of the different methods to predict close contacts in the representative X-ray structures of an additional 150 protein families using only experimental MSAs. Conclusions/Significance Methods based on the identification of global correlations between pairs were found to be generally superior to methods based only on local correlations in their capacity to identify coevolving residues using either simulated or experimental MSAs. However, the significant variability in the performance of different methods with different proteins suggests that the simulation of MSAs that replicate the statistical properties of the experimental MSA can be a valuable tool to identify the coevolution detection method that is most

  14. Probabilistic risk assessment for a loss of coolant accident in McMaster Nuclear Reactor and application of reliability physics model for modeling human reliability

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ha, Taesung

    A probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) was conducted for a loss of coolant accident, (LOCA) in the McMaster Nuclear Reactor (MNR). A level 1 PRA was completed including event sequence modeling, system modeling, and quantification. To support the quantification of the accident sequence identified, data analysis using the Bayesian method and human reliability analysis (HRA) using the accident sequence evaluation procedure (ASEP) approach were performed. Since human performance in research reactors is significantly different from that in power reactors, a time-oriented HRA model (reliability physics model) was applied for the human error probability (HEP) estimation of the core relocation. This model is based on two competing random variables: phenomenological time and performance time. The response surface and direct Monte Carlo simulation with Latin Hypercube sampling were applied for estimating the phenomenological time, whereas the performance time was obtained from interviews with operators. An appropriate probability distribution for the phenomenological time was assigned by statistical goodness-of-fit tests. The human error probability (HEP) for the core relocation was estimated from these two competing quantities: phenomenological time and operators' performance time. The sensitivity of each probability distribution in human reliability estimation was investigated. In order to quantify the uncertainty in the predicted HEPs, a Bayesian approach was selected due to its capability of incorporating uncertainties in model itself and the parameters in that model. The HEP from the current time-oriented model was compared with that from the ASEP approach. Both results were used to evaluate the sensitivity of alternative huinan reliability modeling for the manual core relocation in the LOCA risk model. This exercise demonstrated the applicability of a reliability physics model supplemented with a. Bayesian approach for modeling human reliability and its potential

  15. Major Accidents (Gray Swans) Likelihood Modeling Using Accident Precursors and Approximate Reasoning.

    PubMed

    Khakzad, Nima; Khan, Faisal; Amyotte, Paul

    2015-07-01

    Compared to the remarkable progress in risk analysis of normal accidents, the risk analysis of major accidents has not been so well-established, partly due to the complexity of such accidents and partly due to low probabilities involved. The issue of low probabilities normally arises from the scarcity of major accidents' relevant data since such accidents are few and far between. In this work, knowing that major accidents are frequently preceded by accident precursors, a novel precursor-based methodology has been developed for likelihood modeling of major accidents in critical infrastructures based on a unique combination of accident precursor data, information theory, and approximate reasoning. For this purpose, we have introduced an innovative application of information analysis to identify the most informative near accident of a major accident. The observed data of the near accident were then used to establish predictive scenarios to foresee the occurrence of the major accident. We verified the methodology using offshore blowouts in the Gulf of Mexico, and then demonstrated its application to dam breaches in the United Sates. © 2015 Society for Risk Analysis.

  16. Diagnostics of Loss of Coolant Accidents Using SVC and GMDH Models

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, Sung Han; No, Young Gyu; Na, Man Gyun; Ahn, Kwang-Il; Park, Soo-Yong

    2011-02-01

    As a means of effectively managing severe accidents at nuclear power plants, it is important to identify and diagnose accident initiating events within a short time interval after the accidents by observing the major measured signals. The main objective of this study was to diagnose loss of coolant accidents (LOCAs) using artificial intelligence techniques, such as SVC (support vector classification) and GMDH (group method of data handling). In this study, the methodologies of SVC and GMDH models were utilized to discover the break location and estimate the break size of the LOCA, respectively. The 300 accident simulation data (based on MAAP4) were used to develop the SVC and GMDH models, and the 33 test data sets were used to independently confirm whether or not the SVC and GMDH models work well. The measured signals from the reactor coolant system, steam generators, and containment at a nuclear power plant were used as inputs to the models, and the 60 sec time-integrated values of the input signals were used as inputs into the SVC and GMDH models. The simulation results confirmed that the proposed SVC model can identify the break location and the proposed GMDH models can estimate the break size accurately. In addition, even if the measurement errors exist and safety systems actuate, the proposed SVC and GMDH models can discover the break locations without a misclassification and accurately estimate the break size.

  17. CFD Analyses of Air-Ingress Accident for VHTRs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ham, Tae Kyu

    The Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR) is one of six proposed Generation-IV concepts for the next generation of nuclear powered plants. The VHTR is advantageous because it is able to operate at very high temperatures, thus producing highly efficient electrical generation and hydrogen production. A critical safety event of the VHTR is a loss-of-coolant accident. This accident is initiated, in its worst-case scenario, by a double-ended guillotine break of the cross vessel that connects the reactor vessel and the power conversion unit. Following the depressurization process, the air (i.e., the air and helium mixture) in the reactor cavity could enter the reactor core causing an air-ingress event. In the event of air-ingress into the reactor core, the high-temperature in-core graphite structures will chemically react with the air and could lose their structural integrity. We designed a 1/8th scaled-down test facility to develop an experimental database for studying the mechanisms involved in the air-ingress phenomenon. The current research focuses on the analysis of the air-ingress phenomenon using the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tool ANSYS FLUENT for better understanding of the air-ingress phenomenon. The anticipated key steps in the air-ingress scenario for guillotine break of VHTR cross vessel are: 1) depressurization; 2) density-driven stratified flow; 3) local hot plenum natural circulation; 4) diffusion into the reactor core; and 5) global natural circulation. However, the OSU air-ingress test facility covers the time from depressurization to local hot plenum natural circulation. Prior to beginning the CFD simulations for the OSU air-ingress test facility, benchmark studies for the mechanisms which are related to the air-ingress accident, were performed to decide the appropriate physical models for the accident analysis. In addition, preliminary experiments were performed with a simplified 1/30th scaled down acrylic set-up to understand the air

  18. Learning lessons from Natech accidents - the eNATECH accident database

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Krausmann, Elisabeth; Girgin, Serkan

    2016-04-01

    When natural hazards impact industrial facilities that house or process hazardous materials, fires, explosions and toxic releases can occur. This type of accident is commonly referred to as Natech accident. In order to prevent the recurrence of accidents or to better mitigate their consequences, lessons-learned type studies using available accident data are usually carried out. Through post-accident analysis, conclusions can be drawn on the most common damage and failure modes and hazmat release paths, particularly vulnerable storage and process equipment, and the hazardous materials most commonly involved in these types of accidents. These analyses also lend themselves to identifying technical and organisational risk-reduction measures that require improvement or are missing. Industrial accident databases are commonly used for retrieving sets of Natech accident case histories for further analysis. These databases contain accident data from the open literature, government authorities or in-company sources. The quality of reported information is not uniform and exhibits different levels of detail and accuracy. This is due to the difficulty of finding qualified information sources, especially in situations where accident reporting by the industry or by authorities is not compulsory, e.g. when spill quantities are below the reporting threshold. Data collection has then to rely on voluntary record keeping often by non-experts. The level of detail is particularly non-uniform for Natech accident data depending on whether the consequences of the Natech event were major or minor, and whether comprehensive information was available for reporting. In addition to the reporting bias towards high-consequence events, industrial accident databases frequently lack information on the severity of the triggering natural hazard, as well as on failure modes that led to the hazmat release. This makes it difficult to reconstruct the dynamics of the accident and renders the development of

  19. Preliminary calculations related to the accident at Three Mile Island

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kirchner, W.L.; Stevenson, M.G.

    This report discusses preliminary studies of the Three Mile Island Unit 2 (TMI-2) accident based on available methods and data. The work reported includes: (1) a TRAC base case calculation out to 3 hours into the accident sequence; (2) TRAC parametric calculations, these are the same as the base case except for a single hypothetical change in the system conditions, such as assuming the high pressure injection (HPI) system operated as designed rather than as in the accident; (3) fuel rod cladding failure, cladding oxidation due to zirconium metal-steam reactions, hydrogen release due to cladding oxidation, cladding ballooning, cladding embrittlement,more » and subsequent cladding breakup estimates based on TRAC calculated cladding temperatures and system pressures. Some conclusions of this work are: the TRAC base case accident calculation agrees very well with known system conditions to nearly 3 hours into the accident; the parametric calculations indicate that, loss-of-core cooling was most influenced by the throttling of High-Pressure Injection (HPI) flows, given the accident initiating events and the pressurizer electromagnetic-operated valve (EMOV) failing to close as designed; failure of nearly all the rods and gaseous fission product gas release from the failed rods is predicted to have occurred at about 2 hours and 30 minutes; cladding oxidation (zirconium-steam reaction) up to 3 hours resulted in the production of approximately 40 kilograms of hydrogen.« less

  20. Accident investigation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Laynor, William G. Bud

    1987-01-01

    The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has attributed wind shear as a cause or contributing factor in 15 accidents involving transport-categroy airplanes since 1970. Nine of these were nonfatal; but the other six accounted for 440 lives. Five of the fatal accidents and seven of the nonfatal accidents involved encounters with convective downbursts or microbursts. Of other accidents, two which were nonfatal were encounters with a frontal system shear, and one which was fatal was the result of a terrain induced wind shear. These accidents are discussed with reference to helping the aircraft to avoid the wind shear or if impossible to help the pilot to get through the wind shear.

  1. Magnetic flux density measurement with balanced steady state free precession pulse sequence for MREIT: a simulation study.

    PubMed

    Minhas, Atul S; Woo, Eung Je; Lee, Soo Yeol

    2009-01-01

    Magnetic Resonance Electrical Impedance Tomography (MREIT) utilizes the magnetic flux density B(z), generated due to current injection, to find conductivity distribution inside an object. This B(z) can be measured from MR phase images using spin echo pulse sequence. The SNR of B(z) and the sensitivity of phase produced by B(z) in MR phase image are critical in deciding the resolution of MREIT conductivity images. The conventional spin echo based data acquisition has poor phase sensitivity to current injection. Longer scan time is needed to acquire data with higher SNR. We propose a balanced steady state free precession (b-SSFP) based pulse sequence which is highly sensitive to small off-resonance phase changes. A procedure to reconstruct B(z) from MR signal obtained with b-SSFP sequence is described. Phases for b-SSFP signals for two conductivity phantoms of TX 151 and Gelatin are simulated from the mathematical models of b-SSFP signal. It was observed that the phase changes obtained from b-SSFP pulse sequence are highly sensitive to current injection and hence would produce higher magnetic flux density. However, the b-SSFP signal is dependent on magnetic field inhomogeneity and the signal deteriorated highly for small offset from resonance frequency. The simulation results show that the b-SSFP sequence can be utilized for conductivity imaging of a local region where magnetic field inhomogeneity is small. A proper shimming of magnet is recommended before using the b-SSFP sequence.

  2. Biomechanical analysis of occupant kinematics in rollover motor vehicle accidents: dynamic spit test.

    PubMed

    Sances, Anthony; Kumaresan, Srirangam; Clarke, Richard; Herbst, Brian; Meyer, Steve

    2005-01-01

    A better understanding of occupant kinematics in rollover accidents helps to advance biomechanical knowledge and to enhance the safety features of motor vehicles. While many rollover accident simulation studies have adopted the static approach to delineate the occupant kinematics in rollover accidents, very few studies have attempted the dynamic approach. The present work was designed to study the biomechanics of restrained occupants during rollover accidents using the steady-state dynamic spit test and to address the importance of keeping the lap belt fastened. Experimental tests were conducted using an anthropometric 50% Hybrid III dummy in a vehicle. The vehicle was rotated at 180 degrees/second and the dummy was restrained using a standard three-point restraint system. The lap belt of the dummy was fastened either by using the cinching latch plate or by locking the retractor. Three configurations of shoulder belt harness were simulated: shoulder belt loose on chest with cinch plate, shoulder belt under the left arm and shoulder belt behind the chest. In all tests, the dummy stayed within the confinement of the vehicle indicating that the securely fastened lap belt holds the dummy with dynamic movement of 3 1/2" to 4". The results show that occupant movement in rollover accidents is least affected by various shoulder harness positions with a securely fastened lap belt. The present study forms a first step in delineating the biomechanics of occupants in rollover accidents.

  3. Instrumentation Performance During the TMI-2 Accident

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rempe, Joy L.; Knudson, Darrell L.

    2014-08-01

    The accident at the Three Mile Island Unit 2 (TMI-2) reactor provided a unique opportunity to evaluate sensors exposed to severe accident conditions. The loss of coolant and the hydrogen combustion that occurred during this accident exposed instrumentation to harsh conditions, including direct radiation, radioactive contamination, and high humidity with elevated temperatures and pressures. As part of a program initiated by the Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE), a review was completed to gain insights from prior TMI-2 sensor survivability and data qualification efforts. This new effort focused upon a set of sensors that provided critical data to TMI-2 operators for assessing the condition of the plant and the effects of mitigating actions taken by these operators. In addition, the effort considered sensors providing data required for subsequent accident simulations. Over 100 references related to instrumentation performance and post-accident evaluations of TMI-2 sensors and measurements were reviewed. Insights gained from this review are summarized within this paper. As noted within this paper, several techniques were invoked in the TMI-2 post-accident program to evaluate sensor survivability status and data qualification, including comparisons with data from other sensors, analytical calculations, laboratory testing, and comparisons with sensors subjected to similar conditions in large-scale integral tests and with sensors that were similar in design but more easily removed from the TMI-2 plant for evaluations. Conclusions from this review provide important insights related to sensor survivability and enhancement options for improving sensor performance. In addition, this paper provides recommendations related to sensor survivability and the data evaluation process that could be implemented in upcoming Fukushima Daiichi recovery efforts.

  4. A smart phone-based pocket fall accident detection, positioning, and rescue system.

    PubMed

    Kau, Lih-Jen; Chen, Chih-Sheng

    2015-01-01

    We propose in this paper a novel algorithm as well as architecture for the fall accident detection and corresponding wide area rescue system based on a smart phone and the third generation (3G) networks. To realize the fall detection algorithm, the angles acquired by the electronic compass (ecompass) and the waveform sequence of the triaxial accelerometer on the smart phone are used as the system inputs. The acquired signals are then used to generate an ordered feature sequence and then examined in a sequential manner by the proposed cascade classifier for recognition purpose. Once the corresponding feature is verified by the classifier at current state, it can proceed to next state; otherwise, the system will reset to the initial state and wait for the appearance of another feature sequence. Once a fall accident event is detected, the user's position can be acquired by the global positioning system (GPS) or the assisted GPS, and sent to the rescue center via the 3G communication network so that the user can get medical help immediately. With the proposed cascaded classification architecture, the computational burden and power consumption issue on the smart phone system can be alleviated. Moreover, as we will see in the experiment that a distinguished fall accident detection accuracy up to 92% on the sensitivity and 99.75% on the specificity can be obtained when a set of 450 test actions in nine different kinds of activities are estimated by using the proposed cascaded classifier, which justifies the superiority of the proposed algorithm.

  5. Professional experience and traffic accidents/near-miss accidents among truck drivers.

    PubMed

    Girotto, Edmarlon; Andrade, Selma Maffei de; González, Alberto Durán; Mesas, Arthur Eumann

    2016-10-01

    To investigate the relationship between the time working as a truck driver and the report of involvement in traffic accidents or near-miss accidents. A cross-sectional study was performed with truck drivers transporting products from the Brazilian grain harvest to the Port of Paranaguá, Paraná, Brazil. The drivers were interviewed regarding sociodemographic characteristics, working conditions, behavior in traffic and involvement in accidents or near-miss accidents in the previous 12 months. Subsequently, the participants answered a self-applied questionnaire on substance use. The time of professional experience as drivers was categorized in tertiles. Statistical analyses were performed through the construction of models adjusted by multinomial regression to assess the relationship between the length of experience as a truck driver and the involvement in accidents or near-miss accidents. This study included 665 male drivers with an average age of 42.2 (±11.1) years. Among them, 7.2% and 41.7% of the drivers reported involvement in accidents and near-miss accidents, respectively. In fully adjusted analysis, the 3rd tertile of professional experience (>22years) was shown to be inversely associated with involvement in accidents (odds ratio [OR] 0.29; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.16-0.52) and near-miss accidents (OR 0.17; 95% CI 0.05-0.53). The 2nd tertile of professional experience (11-22 years) was inversely associated with involvement in accidents (OR 0.63; 95% CI 0.40-0.98). An evident relationship was observed between longer professional experience and a reduction in reporting involvement in accidents and near-miss accidents, regardless of age, substance use, working conditions and behavior in traffic. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. A variational technique for smoothing flight-test and accident data

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bach, R. E., Jr.

    1980-01-01

    The problem of determining aircraft motions along a trajectory is solved using a variational algorithm that generates unmeasured states and forcing functions, and estimates instrument bias and scale-factor errors. The problem is formulated as a nonlinear fixed-interval smoothing problem, and is solved as a sequence of linear two-point boundary value problems, using a sweep method. The algorithm has been implemented for use in flight-test and accident analysis. Aircraft motions are assumed to be governed by a six-degree-of-freedom kinematic model; forcing functions consist of body accelerations and winds, and the measurement model includes aerodynamic and radar data. Examples of the determination of aircraft motions from typical flight-test and accident data are presented.

  7. Traffic accident simulation : final report.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1992-06-01

    The purpose of this research was to determine if HVOSM (Highway Vehicle Object Simulation Model) could be used to model a vehicle with a modern front (or rear) suspension system such as a McPherson strut and have the results of the dynamic model be v...

  8. The Viareggio LPG railway accident: event reconstruction and modeling.

    PubMed

    Brambilla, Sara; Manca, Davide

    2010-10-15

    This manuscript describes in detail the LPG accident occurred in Viareggio on June 2009 and its modeling. The accident investigation highlighted the uncertainty and complexity of assessing and modeling what happened in the congested environment close to the Viareggio railway station. Nonetheless, the analysis allowed comprehending the sequence of events, the way they influenced each other, and the different possible paths/evolutions. The paper describes suitable models for the quantitative assessment of the consequences of the most probable accidental dynamics and its outcomes. The main finding is that after about 80 s from the beginning of the release the dense-gas cloud reached the surrounding houses that were destroyed successively by internal explosions. This fact has two main implications. First, it shows that the adopted modeling framework can give a correct picture of what happened in Viareggio. Second, it confirms the need to develop effective mitigation measures because, in case of this kind of accidents, there is no time to apply any protective emergency plans/actions. 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. A defense in depth approach for nuclear power plant accident management

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Chih-Yao Hsieh; Hwai-Pwu Chou

    2015-07-01

    An initiating event may lead to a severe accident if the plant safety functions have been challenged or operators do not follow the appropriate accident management procedures. Beyond design basis accidents are those corresponding to events of very low occurrence probability but such an accident may lead to significant consequences. The defense in depth approach is important to assure nuclear safety even in a severe accident. Plant Damage States (PDS) can be defined by the combination of the possible values for each of the PDS parameters which are showed on the nuclear power plant simulator. PDS is used to identifymore » what the initiating event is, and can also give the information of safety system's status whether they are bypassed, inoperable or not. Initiating event and safety system's status are used in the construction of Containment Event Tree (CET) to determine containment failure modes by using probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) technique. Different initiating events will correspond to different CETs. With these CETs, the core melt frequency of an initiating event can be found. The use of Plant Damage States (PDS) is a symptom-oriented approach. On the other hand, the use of Containment Event Tree (CET) is an event-oriented approach. In this study, the Taiwan's fourth nuclear power plants, the Lungmen nuclear power station (LNPS), which is an advanced boiling water reactor (ABWR) with fully digitized instrumentation and control (I and C) system is chosen as the target plant. The LNPS full scope engineering simulator is used to generate the testing data for method development. The following common initiating events are considered in this study: loss of coolant accidents (LOCA), total loss of feedwater (TLOFW), loss of offsite power (LOOP), station blackout (SBO). Studies have indicated that the combination of the symptom-oriented approach and the event-oriented approach can be helpful to find mitigation strategies and is useful for the accident

  10. Natural Circulation Level Optimization and the Effect during ULOF Accident in the SPINNOR Reactors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abdullah, Ade Gafar; Su'ud, Zaki; Kurniadi, Rizal; Kurniasih, Neny; Yulianti, Yanti

    2010-12-01

    Natural circulation level optimization and the effect during loss of flow accident in the 250 MWt MOX fuelled small Pb-Bi Cooled non-refueling nuclear reactors (SPINNOR) have been performed. The simulation was performed using FI-ITB safety code which has been developed in ITB. The simulation begins with steady state calculation of neutron flux, power distribution and temperature distribution across the core, hot pool and cool pool, and also steam generator. When the accident is started due to the loss of pumping power the power distribution and the temperature distribution of core, hot pool and cool pool, and steam generator change. Then the feedback reactivity calculation is conducted, followed by kinetic calculation. The process is repeated until the optimum power distribution is achieved. The results show that the SPINNOR reactor has inherent safety capability against this accident.

  11. Structural response of 1/20-scale models of the Clinch River Breeder Reactor to a simulated hypothetical core-disruptive accident

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Romander, C M; Cagliostro, D J

    Five experiments were performed to help evaluate the structural integrity of the reactor vessel and head design and to verify code predictions. In the first experiment (SM 1), a detailed model of the head was loaded statically to determine its stiffness. In the remaining four experiments (SM 2 to SM 5), models of the vessel and head were loaded dynamically under a simulated 661 MW-s hypothetical core disruptive accident (HCDA). Models SM 2 to SM 4, each of increasing complexity, systematically showed the effects of upper internals structures, a thermal liner, core support platform, and torospherical bottom on vessel response.more » Model SM 5, identical to SM 4 but more heavily instrumented, demonstrated experimental reproducibility and provided more comprehensive data. The models consisted of a Ni 200 vessel and core barrel, a head with shielding and simulated component masses, and an upper internals structure (UIS).« less

  12. Development of water environment information management and water pollution accident response system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, J.; Ruan, H.

    2009-12-01

    In recent years, many water pollution accidents occurred with the rapid economical development. In this study, water environment information management and water pollution accident response system are developed based on geographic information system (GIS) techniques. The system integrated spatial database, attribute database, hydraulic model, and water quality model under a user-friendly interface in a GIS environment. System ran in both Client/Server (C/S) and Browser/Server (B/S) platform which focused on model and inquiry respectively. System provided spatial and attribute data inquiry, water quality evaluation, statics, water pollution accident response case management (opening reservoir etc) and 2D and 3D visualization function, and gave assistant information to make decision on water pollution accident response. Polluted plume in Huaihe River were selected to simulate the transport of pollutes.

  13. A neutron dosemeter for nuclear criticality accidents.

    PubMed

    d'Errico, F; Curzio, G; Ciolini, R; Del Gratta, A; Nath, R

    2004-01-01

    A neutron dosemeter which offers instant read-out has been developed for nuclear criticality accidents. The system is based on gels containing emulsions of superheated dichlorodifluoromethane droplets, which vaporise into bubbles upon neutron irradiation. The expansion of these bubbles displaces an equivalent volume of gel into a graduated pipette, providing an immediate measure of the dose. Instant read-out is achieved using an array of transmissive optical sensors which consist of coupled LED emitters and phototransistor receivers. When the gel displaced in the pipette crosses the sensing region of the photomicrosensors, it generates a signal collected on a computer through a dedicated acquisition board. The performance of the device was tested during the 2002 International Accident Dosimetry Intercomparison in Valduc, France. The dosemeter was able to follow the initial dose gradient of a simulated accident, providing accurate values of neutron kerma; however, the emulsion was rapidly depleted of all its drops. A model of the depletion effects was developed and it indicates that an adequate dynamic range of the dose response can be achieved by using emulsions of smaller droplets.

  14. Development of MPS Method for Analyzing Melt Spreading Behavior and MCCI in Severe Accidents

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yamaji, Akifumi; Li, Xin

    2016-08-01

    Spreading of molten core (corium) on reactor containment vessel floor and molten corium-concrete interaction (MCCI) are important phenomena in the late phase of a severe accident for assessment of the containment integrity and managing the severe accident. The severe accident research at Waseda University has been advancing to show that simulations with moving particle semi-implicit (MPS) method (one of the particle methods) can greatly improve the analytical capability and mechanical understanding of the melt behavior in severe accidents. MPS models have been developed and verified regarding calculations of radiation and thermal field, solid-liquid phase transition, buoyancy, and temperature dependency of viscosity to simulate phenomena, such as spreading of corium, ablation of concrete by the corium, crust formation and cooling of the corium by top flooding. Validations have been conducted against experiments such as FARO L26S, ECOKATS-V1, Theofanous, and SPREAD for spreading, SURC-2, SURC-4, SWISS-1, and SWISS-2 for MCCI. These validations cover melt spreading behaviors and MCCI by mixture of molten oxides (including prototypic UO2-ZrO2), metals, and water. Generally, the analytical results show good agreement with the experiment with respect to the leading edge of spreading melt and ablation front history of concrete. The MPS results indicate that crust formation may play important roles in melt spreading and MCCI. There is a need to develop a code for two dimensional MCCI experiment simulation with MPS method as future study, which will be able to simulate anisotropic ablation of concrete.

  15. Dynamics Modeling and Simulation of Large Transport Airplanes in Upset Conditions

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Foster, John V.; Cunningham, Kevin; Fremaux, Charles M.; Shah, Gautam H.; Stewart, Eric C.; Rivers, Robert A.; Wilborn, James E.; Gato, William

    2005-01-01

    As part of NASA's Aviation Safety and Security Program, research has been in progress to develop aerodynamic modeling methods for simulations that accurately predict the flight dynamics characteristics of large transport airplanes in upset conditions. The motivation for this research stems from the recognition that simulation is a vital tool for addressing loss-of-control accidents, including applications to pilot training, accident reconstruction, and advanced control system analysis. The ultimate goal of this effort is to contribute to the reduction of the fatal accident rate due to loss-of-control. Research activities have involved accident analyses, wind tunnel testing, and piloted simulation. Results have shown that significant improvements in simulation fidelity for upset conditions, compared to current training simulations, can be achieved using state-of-the-art wind tunnel testing and aerodynamic modeling methods. This paper provides a summary of research completed to date and includes discussion on key technical results, lessons learned, and future research needs.

  16. Development of a tool for calculating early internal doses in the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident based on atmospheric dispersion simulation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kurihara, Osamu; Kim, Eunjoo; Kunishima, Naoaki; Tani, Kotaro; Ishikawa, Tetsuo; Furuyama, Kazuo; Hashimoto, Shozo; Akashi, Makoto

    2017-09-01

    A tool was developed to facilitate the calculation of the early internal doses to residents involved in the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster based on atmospheric transport and dispersion model (ATDM) simulations performed using Worldwide version of System for Prediction of Environmental Emergency Information 2nd version (WSPEEDI-II) together with personal behavior data containing the history of the whereabouts of individul's after the accident. The tool generates hourly-averaged air concentration data for the simulation grids nearest to an individual's whereabouts using WSPEEDI-II datasets for the subsequent calculation of internal doses due to inhalation. This paper presents an overview of the developed tool and provides tentative comparisons between direct measurement-based and ATDM-based results regarding the internal doses received by 421 persons from whom personal behavior data available.

  17. APT Blanket System Loss-of-Coolant Accident (LOCA) Based on Initial Conceptual Design - Case 2: with Beam Shutdown Only

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hamm, L.L.

    1998-10-07

    This report is one of a series of reports that document normal operation and accident simulations for the Accelerator Production of Tritium (APT) blanket heat removal system. These simulations were performed for the Preliminary Safety Analysis Report. This report documents the results of simulations of a Loss-of-Flow Accident (LOFA) where power is lost to all of the pumps that circulate water in the blanket region, the accelerator beam is shut off and neither the residual heat removal nor cavity flood systems operate.

  18. Assessment of the risk due to release of carbon fiber in civil aircraft accidents, phase 2

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Pocinki, L.; Cornell, M. E.; Kaplan, L.

    1980-01-01

    The risk associated with the potential use of carbon fiber composite material in commercial jet aircraft is investigated. A simulation model developed to generate risk profiles for several airports is described. The risk profiles show the probability that the cost due to accidents in any year exceeds a given amount. The computer model simulates aircraft accidents with fire, release of fibers, their downwind transport and infiltration of buildings, equipment failures, and resulting ecomomic impact. The individual airport results were combined to yield the national risk profile.

  19. [Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident and Tokaimura criticality accident].

    PubMed

    Takada, Jun

    2012-03-01

    It is clear from inspection of historical incidents that the scale of disasters in a nuclear power plant accident is quite low level overwhelmingly compared with a nuclear explosion in nuclear war. Two cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were destroyed by nuclear blast with about 20 kt TNT equivalent and then approximately 100,000 people have died respectively. On the other hand, the number of acute death is 30 in the Chernobyl nuclear reactor accident. In this chapter, we review health hazards and doses in two historical nuclear incidents of Chernobyl and Tokaimura criticality accident and then understand the feature of the radiation accident in peaceful utilization of nuclear power.

  20. To Err is Human Case Reports of Two Military Aircraft Accidents

    PubMed Central

    Dikshit, Mohan B

    2010-01-01

    It has been postulated that pilot error or in-flight incapacitation may be the main contributory factors to 70–80% of aircraft accidents. Two fatal aircraft accidents are presented in which either of the above possibilities may have played a role. The first case report describes an erroneous decision by a fighter pilot to use a seat position adjustment of the ejection seat leading to fatal injuries when he had to eject from his aircraft. Injuries to the body of the pilot, and observations on the state of his flying clothing and the ejection seat were used to postulate the mechanism of fatal injury and establish the cause of the accident. The second case report describes the sequence of events which culminated in the incapacitation of a fighter pilot while executing a routine manouevre. This resulted in a fatal air crash. Possible contributions of environmental factors which may have resulted in failure of his physiological mechanisms are discussed. PMID:21509093

  1. Molecular Simulations of Sequence-Specific Association of Transmembrane Proteins in Lipid Bilayers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Doxastakis, Manolis; Prakash, Anupam; Janosi, Lorant

    2011-03-01

    Association of membrane proteins is central in material and information flow across the cellular membranes. Amino-acid sequence and the membrane environment are two critical factors controlling association, however, quantitative knowledge on such contributions is limited. In this work, we study the dimerization of helices in lipid bilayers using extensive parallel Monte Carlo simulations with recently developed algorithms. The dimerization of Glycophorin A is examined employing a coarse-grain model that retains a level of amino-acid specificity, in three different phospholipid bilayers. Association is driven by a balance of protein-protein and lipid-induced interactions with the latter playing a major role at short separations. Following a different approach, the effect of amino-acid sequence is studied using the four transmembrane domains of the epidermal growth factor receptor family in identical lipid environments. Detailed characterization of dimer formation and estimates of the free energy of association reveal that these helices present significant affinity to self-associate with certain dimers forming non-specific interfaces.

  2. Study on Brain Injury Biomechanics Based on the Real Pedestrian Traffic Accidents

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Feng, Chengjian; Yin, Zhiyong

    This paper aimed to research the dynamic response and injury mechanisms of head based on real pedestrian traffic accidents with video. The kinematics of head contact with the vehicle was reconstructed by using multi-body dynamics models. These calculated parameters such as head impact velocity and impact location and head orientation were applied to the THUMS-4 FE head model as initial conditions. The intracranial pressure and stress of brain were calculated from simulations of head contact with the vehicle. These results were consistent with that of others. It was proved that real traffic accidents combined with simulation analysis can be used to study head injury biomechanics. Increasing in the number of cases, a tolerance limit of brain injury will be put forward.

  3. Markov switching multinomial logit model: An application to accident-injury severities.

    PubMed

    Malyshkina, Nataliya V; Mannering, Fred L

    2009-07-01

    In this study, two-state Markov switching multinomial logit models are proposed for statistical modeling of accident-injury severities. These models assume Markov switching over time between two unobserved states of roadway safety as a means of accounting for potential unobserved heterogeneity. The states are distinct in the sense that in different states accident-severity outcomes are generated by separate multinomial logit processes. To demonstrate the applicability of the approach, two-state Markov switching multinomial logit models are estimated for severity outcomes of accidents occurring on Indiana roads over a four-year time period. Bayesian inference methods and Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) simulations are used for model estimation. The estimated Markov switching models result in a superior statistical fit relative to the standard (single-state) multinomial logit models for a number of roadway classes and accident types. It is found that the more frequent state of roadway safety is correlated with better weather conditions and that the less frequent state is correlated with adverse weather conditions.

  4. Underreporting of maritime accidents to vessel accident databases.

    PubMed

    Hassel, Martin; Asbjørnslett, Bjørn Egil; Hole, Lars Petter

    2011-11-01

    Underreporting of maritime accidents is a problem not only for authorities trying to improve maritime safety through legislation, but also to risk management companies and other entities using maritime casualty statistics in risk and accident analysis. This study collected and compared casualty data from 01.01.2005 to 31.12.2009, from IHS Fairplay and the maritime authorities from a set of nations. The data was compared to find common records, and estimation of the true number of occurred accidents was performed using conditional probability given positive dependency between data sources, several variations of the capture-recapture method, calculation of best case scenario assuming perfect reporting, and scaling up a subset of casualty information from a marine insurance statistics database. The estimated upper limit reporting performance for the selected flag states ranged from 14% to 74%, while the corresponding estimated coverage of IHS Fairplay ranges from 4% to 62%. On average the study results document that the number of unreported accidents makes up roughly 50% of all occurred accidents. Even in a best case scenario, only a few flag states come close to perfect reporting (94%). The considerable scope of underreporting uncovered in the study, indicates that users of statistical vessel accident data should assume a certain degree of underreporting, and adjust their analyses accordingly. Whether to use correction factors, a safety margin, or rely on expert judgment, should be decided on a case by case basis. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. World commercial aircraft accidents

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kimura, C.Y.

    1993-01-01

    This report is a compilation of all accidents world-wide involving aircraft in commercial service which resulted in the loss of the airframe or one or more fatality, or both. This information has been gathered in order to present a complete inventory of commercial aircraft accidents. Events involving military action, sabotage, terrorist bombings, hijackings, suicides, and industrial ground accidents are included within this list. Included are: accidents involving world commercial jet aircraft, world commercial turboprop aircraft, world commercial pistonprop aircraft with four or more engines and world commercial pistonprop aircraft with two or three engines from 1946 to 1992. Each accidentmore » is presented with information in the following categories: date of the accident, airline and its flight numbers, type of flight, type of aircraft, aircraft registration number, construction number/manufacturers serial number, aircraft damage, accident flight phase, accident location, number of fatalities, number of occupants, cause, remarks, or description (brief) of the accident, and finally references used. The sixth chapter presents a summary of the world commercial aircraft accidents by major aircraft class (e.g. jet, turboprop, and pistonprop) and by flight phase. The seventh chapter presents several special studies including a list of world commercial aircraft accidents for all aircraft types with 100 or more fatalities in order of decreasing number of fatalities, a list of collision accidents involving commercial aircrafts, and a list of world commercial aircraft accidents for all aircraft types involving military action, sabotage, terrorist bombings, and hijackings.« less

  6. Molecular simulations of polycation-DNA binding exploring the effect of peptide chemistry and sequence in nuclear localization sequence based polycations.

    PubMed

    Elder, Robert M; Jayaraman, Arthi

    2013-10-10

    Gene therapy relies on the delivery of DNA into cells, and polycations are one class of vectors enabling efficient DNA delivery. Nuclear localization sequences (NLS), cationic oligopeptides that target molecules for nuclear entry, can be incorporated into polycations to improve their gene delivery efficiency. We use simulations to study the effect of peptide chemistry and sequence on the DNA-binding behavior of NLS-grafted polycations by systematically mutating the residues in the grafts, which are based on the SV40 NLS (peptide sequence PKKKRKV). Replacing arginine (R) with lysine (K) reduces binding strength by eliminating arginine-DNA interactions, but placing R in a less hindered location (e.g., farther from the grafting point to the polycation backbone) has surprisingly little effect on polycation-DNA binding strength. Changing the positions of the hydrophobic proline (P) and valine (V) residues relative to the polycation backbone changes hydrophobic aggregation within the polycation and, consequently, changes the conformational entropy loss that occurs upon polycation-DNA binding. Since conformational entropy loss affects the free energy of binding, the positions of P and V in the grafts affect DNA binding affinity. The insight from this work guides synthesis of polycations with tailored DNA binding affinity and, in turn, efficient DNA delivery.

  7. Investigation of Zircaloy-2 oxidation model for SFP accident analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nemoto, Yoshiyuki; Kaji, Yoshiyuki; Ogawa, Chihiro; Kondo, Keietsu; Nakashima, Kazuo; Kanazawa, Toru; Tojo, Masayuki

    2017-05-01

    The authors previously conducted thermogravimetric analyses on Zircaloy-2 in air. By using the thermogravimetric data, an oxidation model was constructed in this study so that it can be applied for the modeling of cladding degradation in spent fuel pool (SFP) severe accident condition. For its validation, oxidation tests of long cladding tube were conducted, and computational fluid dynamics analyses using the constructed oxidation model were proceeded to simulate the experiments. In the oxidation tests, high temperature thermal gradient along the cladding axis was applied and air flow rates in testing chamber were controlled to simulate hypothetical SFP accidents. The analytical outputs successfully reproduced the growth of oxide film and porous oxide layer on the claddings in oxidation tests, and validity of the oxidation model was proved. Influence of air flow rate for the oxidation behavior was thought negligible in the conditions investigated in this study.

  8. Conditional Probabilities of Large Earthquake Sequences in California from the Physics-based Rupture Simulator RSQSim

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gilchrist, J. J.; Jordan, T. H.; Shaw, B. E.; Milner, K. R.; Richards-Dinger, K. B.; Dieterich, J. H.

    2017-12-01

    Within the SCEC Collaboratory for Interseismic Simulation and Modeling (CISM), we are developing physics-based forecasting models for earthquake ruptures in California. We employ the 3D boundary element code RSQSim (Rate-State Earthquake Simulator of Dieterich & Richards-Dinger, 2010) to generate synthetic catalogs with tens of millions of events that span up to a million years each. This code models rupture nucleation by rate- and state-dependent friction and Coulomb stress transfer in complex, fully interacting fault systems. The Uniform California Earthquake Rupture Forecast Version 3 (UCERF3) fault and deformation models are used to specify the fault geometry and long-term slip rates. We have employed the Blue Waters supercomputer to generate long catalogs of simulated California seismicity from which we calculate the forecasting statistics for large events. We have performed probabilistic seismic hazard analysis with RSQSim catalogs that were calibrated with system-wide parameters and found a remarkably good agreement with UCERF3 (Milner et al., this meeting). We build on this analysis, comparing the conditional probabilities of sequences of large events from RSQSim and UCERF3. In making these comparisons, we consider the epistemic uncertainties associated with the RSQSim parameters (e.g., rate- and state-frictional parameters), as well as the effects of model-tuning (e.g., adjusting the RSQSim parameters to match UCERF3 recurrence rates). The comparisons illustrate how physics-based rupture simulators might assist forecasters in understanding the short-term hazards of large aftershocks and multi-event sequences associated with complex, multi-fault ruptures.

  9. Psychophysiological and other factors affecting human performance in accident prevention and investigation. [Comparison of aviation with other industries

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Klinestiver, L.R.

    Psychophysiological factors are not uncommon terms in the aviation incident/accident investigation sequence where human error is involved. It is highly suspect that the same psychophysiological factors may also exist in the industrial arena where operator personnel function; but, there is little evidence in literature indicating how management and subordinates cope with these factors to prevent or reduce accidents. It is apparent that human factors psychophysological training is quite evident in the aviation industry. However, while the industrial arena appears to analyze psychophysiological factors in accident investigations, there is little evidence that established training programs exist for supervisors and operator personnel.

  10. Optimization of parameter values for complex pulse sequences by simulated annealing: application to 3D MP-RAGE imaging of the brain.

    PubMed

    Epstein, F H; Mugler, J P; Brookeman, J R

    1994-02-01

    A number of pulse sequence techniques, including magnetization-prepared gradient echo (MP-GRE), segmented GRE, and hybrid RARE, employ a relatively large number of variable pulse sequence parameters and acquire the image data during a transient signal evolution. These sequences have recently been proposed and/or used for clinical applications in the brain, spine, liver, and coronary arteries. Thus, the need for a method of deriving optimal pulse sequence parameter values for this class of sequences now exists. Due to the complexity of these sequences, conventional optimization approaches, such as applying differential calculus to signal difference equations, are inadequate. We have developed a general framework for adapting the simulated annealing algorithm to pulse sequence parameter value optimization, and applied this framework to the specific case of optimizing the white matter-gray matter signal difference for a T1-weighted variable flip angle 3D MP-RAGE sequence. Using our algorithm, the values of 35 sequence parameters, including the magnetization-preparation RF pulse flip angle and delay time, 32 flip angles in the variable flip angle gradient-echo acquisition sequence, and the magnetization recovery time, were derived. Optimized 3D MP-RAGE achieved up to a 130% increase in white matter-gray matter signal difference compared with optimized 3D RF-spoiled FLASH with the same total acquisition time. The simulated annealing approach was effective at deriving optimal parameter values for a specific 3D MP-RAGE imaging objective, and may be useful for other imaging objectives and sequences in this general class.

  11. Draft Genome Sequences of Six Mycobacterium immunogenum, Strains Obtained from a Chloraminated Drinking Water Distribution System Simulator

    EPA Science Inventory

    We report the draft genome sequences of six Mycobacterium immunogenum isolated from a chloraminated drinking water distribution system simulator subjected to changes in operational parameters. M. immunogenum, a rapidly growing mycobacteria previously reported as the cause of hyp...

  12. An Application of CICCT Accident Categories to Aviation Accidents in 1988-2004

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Evans, Joni K.

    2007-01-01

    Interventions or technologies developed to improve aviation safety often focus on specific causes or accident categories. Evaluation of the potential effectiveness of those interventions is dependent upon mapping the historical aviation accidents into those same accident categories. To that end, the United States civil aviation accidents occurring between 1988 and 2004 (n=26,117) were assigned accident categories based upon the taxonomy developed by the CAST/ICAO Common Taxonomy Team (CICTT). Results are presented separately for four main categories of flight rules: Part 121 (large commercial air carriers), Scheduled Part 135 (commuter airlines), Non-Scheduled Part 135 (on-demand air taxi) and Part 91 (general aviation). Injuries and aircraft damage are summarized by year and by accident category.

  13. Consequences of severe nuclear accidents in Europe

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Seibert, Petra; Arnold, Delia; Mraz, Gabriele; Arnold, Nikolaus; Gufler, Klaus; Kromp-Kolb, Helga; Kromp, Wolfgang; Sutter, Philipp

    2013-04-01

    A first part of the presentation is devoted to the consequences of the severe accident in the 1986 Chernobyl NPP. It lead to a substantial radioactive contaminated of large parts of Europe and thus raised the awareness for off-site nuclear accident consequences. Spatial patterns of the (transient) contamination of the air and (persistent) contamination of the ground were studied by both measurements and model simulations. For a variety of reasons, ground contamination measurements have variability at a range of spatial scales. Results will be reviewed and discussed. Model simulations, including inverse modelling, have shown that the standard source term as defined in the ATMES study (1990) needs to be updated. Sensitive measurements of airborne activities still reveal the presence of low levels of airborne radiocaesium over the northern hemisphere which stems from resuspension. Over time scales of months and years, the distribution of radionuclides in the Earth system is constantly changing, for example relocated within plants, between plants and soil, in the soil, and into water bodies. Motivated by the permanent risk of transboundary impacts from potential major nuclear accidents, the multidisciplinary project flexRISK (see http://flexRISK.boku.ac.at) has been carried out from 2009 to 2012 in Austria to quantify such risks and hazards. An overview of methods and results of flexRISK is given as a second part of the presentation. For each of the 228 NPPs, severe accidents were identified together with relevant inventories, release fractions, and release frequencies. Then, Europe-wide dispersion and dose calculations were performed for 2788 cases, using the Lagrangian particle model FLEXPART. Maps of single-case results as well as various aggregated risk parameters were produced. It was found that substantial consequences (intervention measures) are possible for distances up to 500-1000 km, and occur more frequently for a distance range up to 100-300 km, which is in

  14. Noble gas, iodine, and cesium transport in a postulated loss of decay heat removal accident at Browns Ferry

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Wichner, R.P.; Hodge, S.A.; Weber, C.F.

    1984-08-01

    This report presents an analysis of the movement of noble gas, iodine, and cesium fission products within the Mark-I containment BWR reactor system represented by Browns Ferry Unit 1 during a postulated accident sequence initiated by a loss of decay heat removal capability following a scram. The event analysis showed that this accident could be brought under control by various means, but the sequence with no operator action ultimately leads to containment (drywell) failure followed by loss of water from the reactor vessel, core degradation due to overheating, and reactor vessel failure with attendant movement of core debris onto themore » drywell floor. The analysis of fission product transport presented in this report is based on the no-operator-action sequence and provides an estimate of fission product inventories, as a function of time, within 14 control volumes outside the core, with the atmosphere considered as the final control volume in the transport sequence. As in the case of accident sequences previously studied, we find small barrier for noble gas ejection to air, these gases being effectively purged from the drywell and reactor building by steam and concrete degradation gases. However, significant decay of krypton isotopes occurs during the long delay times involved in this sequence. In contrast, large degrees of holdup for iodine and cesium are projected due to the chemical reactivity of these elements. Only about 2 x 10/sup -4/% of the initial iodine and cesium activity are predicted to be released to the atmosphere. Principal barriers for release are deposition on reactor vessel and containment walls. A significant amount of iodine is captured in the water pool formed in the reactor building basement after actuation of the fire protection system.« less

  15. Implementation into earthquake sequence simulations of a rate- and state-dependent friction law incorporating pressure solution creep

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Noda, H.

    2016-05-01

    Pressure solution creep (PSC) is an important elementary process in rock friction at high temperatures where solubilities of rock-forming minerals are significantly large. It significantly changes the frictional resistance and enhances time-dependent strengthening. A recent microphysical model for PSC-involved friction of clay-quartz mixtures, which can explain a transition between dilatant and non-dilatant deformation (d-nd transition), was modified here and implemented in dynamic earthquake sequence simulations. The original model resulted in essentially a kind of rate- and state-dependent friction (RSF) law, but assumed a constant friction coefficient for clay resulting in zero instantaneous rate dependency in the dilatant regime. In this study, an instantaneous rate dependency for the clay friction coefficient was introduced, consistent with experiments, resulting in a friction law suitable for earthquake sequence simulations. In addition, a term for time-dependent strengthening due to PSC was added which makes the friction law logarithmically rate-weakening in the dilatant regime. The width of the zone in which clasts overlap or, equivalently, the interface porosity involved in PSC plays a role as the state variable. Such a concrete physical meaning of the state variable is a great advantage in future modelling studies incorporating other physical processes such as hydraulic effects. Earthquake sequence simulations with different pore pressure distributions demonstrated that excess pore pressure at depth causes deeper rupture propagation with smaller slip per event and a shorter recurrence interval. The simulated ruptures were arrested a few kilometres below the point of pre-seismic peak stress at the d-nd transition and did not propagate spontaneously into the region of pre-seismic non-dilatant deformation. PSC weakens the fault against slow deformation and thus such a region cannot produce a dynamic stress drop. Dynamic rupture propagation further down to

  16. EMERALD REV.1. PWR Accident Activity Release

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Brunot, W.K.; Fray, R.R.; Gillespie, S.G.

    1975-10-01

    The EMERALD program is designed for the calculation of radiation releases and exposures resulting from abnormal operation of a large pressurized water reactor (PWR). The approach used in EMERALD is similar to an analog simulation of a real system. Each component or volume in the plant which contains a radioactive material is represented by a subroutine which keeps track of the production, transfer, decay and absorption of radioactivity in that volume. During the course of the analysis of an accident, activity is transferred from subroutine to subroutine in the program as it would be transferred from place to place inmore » the plant. For example, in the calculation of the doses resulting from a loss-of-coolant accident the program first calculates the activity built up in the fuel before the accident, then releases some of this activity to the containment volume. Some of this activity is then released to the atmosphere. The rates of transfer, leakage, production, cleanup, decay, and release are read in as input to the program. Subroutines are also included which calculate the on-site and off-site radiation exposures at various distances for individual isotopes and sums of isotopes. The program contains a library of physical data for the twenty-five isotopes of most interest in licensing calculations, and other isotopes can be added or substituted. Because of the flexible nature of the simulation approach, the EMERALD program can be used for most calculations involving the production and release of radioactive materials during abnormal operation of a PWR. These include design, operational, and licensing studies.« less

  17. Risk analysis of emergent water pollution accidents based on a Bayesian Network.

    PubMed

    Tang, Caihong; Yi, Yujun; Yang, Zhifeng; Sun, Jie

    2016-01-01

    To guarantee the security of water quality in water transfer channels, especially in open channels, analysis of potential emergent pollution sources in the water transfer process is critical. It is also indispensable for forewarnings and protection from emergent pollution accidents. Bridges above open channels with large amounts of truck traffic are the main locations where emergent accidents could occur. A Bayesian Network model, which consists of six root nodes and three middle layer nodes, was developed in this paper, and was employed to identify the possibility of potential pollution risk. Dianbei Bridge is reviewed as a typical bridge on an open channel of the Middle Route of the South to North Water Transfer Project where emergent traffic accidents could occur. Risk of water pollutions caused by leakage of pollutants into water is focused in this study. The risk for potential traffic accidents at the Dianbei Bridge implies a risk for water pollution in the canal. Based on survey data, statistical analysis, and domain specialist knowledge, a Bayesian Network model was established. The human factor of emergent accidents has been considered in this model. Additionally, this model has been employed to describe the probability of accidents and the risk level. The sensitive reasons for pollution accidents have been deduced. The case has also been simulated that sensitive factors are in a state of most likely to lead to accidents. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Simulations Using Random-Generated DNA and RNA Sequences

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bryce, C. F. A.

    1977-01-01

    Using a very simple computer program written in BASIC, a very large number of random-generated DNA or RNA sequences are obtained. Students use these sequences to predict complementary sequences and translational products, evaluate base compositions, determine frequencies of particular triplet codons, and suggest possible secondary structures.…

  19. The Virtual Quake earthquake simulator: a simulation-based forecast of the El Mayor-Cucapah region and evidence of predictability in simulated earthquake sequences

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yoder, Mark R.; Schultz, Kasey W.; Heien, Eric M.; Rundle, John B.; Turcotte, Donald L.; Parker, Jay W.; Donnellan, Andrea

    2015-12-01

    In this manuscript, we introduce a framework for developing earthquake forecasts using Virtual Quake (VQ), the generalized successor to the perhaps better known Virtual California (VC) earthquake simulator. We discuss the basic merits and mechanics of the simulator, and we present several statistics of interest for earthquake forecasting. We also show that, though the system as a whole (in aggregate) behaves quite randomly, (simulated) earthquake sequences limited to specific fault sections exhibit measurable predictability in the form of increasing seismicity precursory to large m > 7 earthquakes. In order to quantify this, we develop an alert-based forecasting metric, and show that it exhibits significant information gain compared to random forecasts. We also discuss the long-standing question of activation versus quiescent type earthquake triggering. We show that VQ exhibits both behaviours separately for independent fault sections; some fault sections exhibit activation type triggering, while others are better characterized by quiescent type triggering. We discuss these aspects of VQ specifically with respect to faults in the Salton Basin and near the El Mayor-Cucapah region in southern California, USA and northern Baja California Norte, Mexico.

  20. Assessing accident phobia in mild traumatic brain injury: The Accident Fear Questionnaire.

    PubMed

    Sutherland, Jessica; Middleton, Jason; Ornstein, Tisha J; Lawson, Kerry; Vickers, Kristin

    2016-08-01

    Despite a documented prevalence of accident phobia in almost 40% of motor vehicle accident (MVA) survivors, the onset of accident phobia after traumatic brain injury (TBI) remains poorly understood. There is currently a body of knowledge about posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in patients with TBI, but less is known about accident phobia following TBI, particularly in cases of mild TBI (mTBI). Accident phobia can impede safe return to driving or motor vehicle travel, inhibiting return to daily functioning. In addition, pain complaints have been found to correlate positively with postinjury anxiety disorders. The present study sought to determine the reliability and validity of the Accident Fear Questionnaire (AFQ), a measure used to assess accident phobia, in 72 patients with mTBI using secondary data analysis and the subsequent development of accident phobia postinjury. Furthermore, we sought to examine the impact of pain, anxiety, and depression complaints on the AFQ. Results reveal convergent validity and reliability in mTBI populations. Additionally, pain, anxiety, and depression measures were significantly correlated with scores on the AFQ. Psychometrically, the phobia avoidance subscale of the AFQ is a reliable measure for use with mTBI populations, although some limitations were found. In particular, the accident profile (AP) subscale was not found to be reliable or valid and could be eliminated from the AFQ. Collectively, the present study contributes to the small body of published literature evaluating accident phobia in patients with mTBI and the impact of pain on the development of postinjury anxiety disorders. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

  1. Interim MELCOR Simulation of the Fukushima Daiichi Unit 2 Accident Reactor Core Isolation Cooling Operation

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ross, Kyle W.; Gauntt, Randall O.; Cardoni, Jeffrey N.

    2013-11-01

    Data, a brief description of key boundary conditions, and results of Sandia National Laboratories’ ongoing MELCOR analysis of the Fukushima Unit 2 accident are given for the reactor core isolation cooling (RCIC) system. Important assumptions and related boundary conditions in the current analysis additional to or different than what was assumed/imposed in the work of SAND2012-6173 are identified. This work is for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Nuclear Energy University Programs fiscal year 2014 Reactor Safety Technologies Research and Development Program RC-7: RCIC Performance under Severe Accident Conditions.

  2. Preventing accidents

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2005-08-01

    As the most effective strategy for improving safety is to prevent accidents from occurring at all, the Volpe Center applies a broad range of research techniques and capabilities to determine causes and consequences of accidents and to identify, asses...

  3. Visualization of Traffic Accidents

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wang, Jie; Shen, Yuzhong; Khattak, Asad

    2010-01-01

    Traffic accidents have tremendous impact on society. Annually approximately 6.4 million vehicle accidents are reported by police in the US and nearly half of them result in catastrophic injuries. Visualizations of traffic accidents using geographic information systems (GIS) greatly facilitate handling and analysis of traffic accidents in many aspects. Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI), Inc. is the world leader in GIS research and development. ArcGIS, a software package developed by ESRI, has the capabilities to display events associated with a road network, such as accident locations, and pavement quality. But when event locations related to a road network are processed, the existing algorithm used by ArcGIS does not utilize all the information related to the routes of the road network and produces erroneous visualization results of event locations. This software bug causes serious problems for applications in which accurate location information is critical for emergency responses, such as traffic accidents. This paper aims to address this problem and proposes an improved method that utilizes all relevant information of traffic accidents, namely, route number, direction, and mile post, and extracts correct event locations for accurate traffic accident visualization and analysis. The proposed method generates a new shape file for traffic accidents and displays them on top of the existing road network in ArcGIS. Visualization of traffic accidents along Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel is included to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

  4. Occupational accidents aboard merchant ships

    PubMed Central

    Hansen, H; Nielsen, D; Frydenberg, M

    2002-01-01

    Objectives: To investigate the frequency, circumstances, and causes of occupational accidents aboard merchant ships in international trade, and to identify risk factors for the occurrence of occupational accidents as well as dangerous working situations where possible preventive measures may be initiated. Methods: The study is a historical follow up on occupational accidents among crew aboard Danish merchant ships in the period 1993–7. Data were extracted from the Danish Maritime Authority and insurance data. Exact data on time at risk were available. Results: A total of 1993 accidents were identified during a total of 31 140 years at sea. Among these, 209 accidents resulted in permanent disability of 5% or more, and 27 were fatal. The mean risk of having an occupational accident was 6.4/100 years at sea and the risk of an accident causing a permanent disability of 5% or more was 0.67/100 years aboard. Relative risks for notified accidents and accidents causing permanent disability of 5% or more were calculated in a multivariate analysis including ship type, occupation, age, time on board, change of ship since last employment period, and nationality. Foreigners had a considerably lower recorded rate of accidents than Danish citizens. Age was a major risk factor for accidents causing permanent disability. Change of ship and the first period aboard a particular ship were identified as risk factors. Walking from one place to another aboard the ship caused serious accidents. The most serious accidents happened on deck. Conclusions: It was possible to clearly identify work situations and specific risk factors for accidents aboard merchant ships. Most accidents happened while performing daily routine duties. Preventive measures should focus on workplace instructions for all important functions aboard and also on the prevention of accidents caused by walking around aboard the ship. PMID:11850550

  5. Structural response of 1/20-scale models of the Clinch River Breeder Reactor to a simulated hypothetical core disruptive accident. Technical report 4

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Romander, C. M.; Cagliostro, D. J.

    Five experiments were performed to help evaluate the structural integrity of the reactor vessel and head design and to verify code predictions. In the first experiment (SM 1), a detailed model of the head was loaded statically to determine its stiffness. In the remaining four experiments (SM 2 to SM 5), models of the vessel and head were loaded dynamically under a simulated 661 MW-sec hypothetical core disruptive accident (HCDA). Models SM 2 to SM 4, each of increasing complexity, systematically showed the effects of upper internals structures, a thermal liner, core support platform, and torospherical bottom on vessel response.more » Model SM 5, identical to SM 4 but more heavily instrumented, demonstrated experimental reproducibility and provided more comprehensive data. The models consisted of a Ni 200 vessel and core barrel, a head with shielding and simulated component masses, an upper internals structure (UIS), and, in the more complex models SM 4 and SM 5, a Ni 200 thermal liner and core support structure. Water simulated the liquid sodium coolant and a low-density explosive simulated the HCDA loads.« less

  6. [Sports accidents: 1963-1973 statistics].

    PubMed

    Fasler, S

    1976-01-01

    Every year, the Swiss Accident Insurance Administration is paying a considerable amount of money for sports accidents. From 1963 to 1973 the number of these accidents has increased more markedly than other types of accidents. Different tendencies can be observed in the different types of sports: skiing accidents have, after a long period of retrogression until 1973, shown a noticeable augmentation again. Football accidents and accidents in other types of sports have on the other hand increased year by year. Mountaineering and aquatic sports often result in fatal accidents. The numerous preventive measures in skiing accidents have obviously been successful. Not only the fractures have decreased, but also the average number of days where sickness benefit was paid. Next to the traffic accidents, the skiing accidents are the most expensive ones. The nature of the healing cost in sports accidents has changed during the period from 1967 to 1972, depending on the different types of sports. In particular, hospital costs have changed considerably. The number of medical consultations per accident has decreased. Payment of sickness benefit has followed the development of the salaries on the one hand and the modifications of the number of lost days on the other. Finally, the costs of the annuities show more or less the same tendency as the ones for sickness benefit. A very gross estimation on the economical losses through sports accidents in Switzerland makes us believe that the direct and indirect costs actually amount to more than one thousand millions of Swiss Francs per year.

  7. Farm accidents in children.

    PubMed Central

    Cameron, D.; Bishop, C.; Sibert, J. R.

    1992-01-01

    OBJECTIVE--To examine the problem of accidental injury to children on farms. DESIGN--Prospective county based study of children presenting to accident and emergency departments over 12 months with injuries sustained in a farm setting and nationwide review of fatal childhood farm accidents over the four years April 1986 to March 1990. SETTING--Accident and emergency departments in Aberystwyth, Carmarthen, Haverfordwest, and Llanelli and fatal accidents in England, Scotland, and Wales notified to the Health and Safety Executive register. SUBJECTS--Children aged under 16. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE--Death or injury after farm related accidents. RESULTS--65 accidents were recorded, including 18 fractures. Nine accidents necessitated admission to hospital for a mean of two (range one to four) days. 13 incidents were related to tractors and other machinery; 24 were due to falls. None of these incidents were reported under the statutory notification scheme. 33 deaths were notified, eight related to tractors and allied machinery and 10 related to falling objects. CONCLUSIONS--Although safety is improving, the farm remains a dangerous environment for children. Enforcement of existing safety legislation with significant penalties and targeting of safety education will help reduce accident rates further. PMID:1638192

  8. Parametric and experimentally informed BWR Severe Accident Analysis Utilizing FeCrAl - M3FT-17OR020205041

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ott, Larry J.; Howell, Michael; Robb, Kevin R.

    rate constant (3 times and 10 times that of the rate constant for APMT) had a negligible impact on the early stages of the accident and minor impacts on the accident progression after the first relocation of the fuel. At temperatures below 1,500°C, increasing the rate constant for APMT by a factor of 10 still resulted in only minor FeCrAl oxidation. In general, the gains afforded by the FeCrAl enhanced ATF concept with respect to accident sequence timing and combustible gas generation are consistent with previous efforts. Compared with the traditional Zircaloy-based cladding and channel box system, the FeCrAl concept could provide a few extra hours of time for operators to take mitigating actions and/or for evacuations to take place. A coolable core geometry is retained longer, enhancing the ability to stabilize an accident. For example, a station blackout was simulated in which cooling water injection was lost 36 hours after shutdown. The timing to first fuel relocation was delayed by approximately 5 h for the FeCrAl ATF concept compared with that of the traditional Zircaloy-based cladding and channel box system.« less

  9. French policy for managing the post-accident phase of a nuclear accident.

    PubMed

    Gallay, F; Godet, J L; Niel, J C

    2015-06-01

    In 2005, at the request of the French Government, the Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) established a Steering Committee for the Management of the Post-Accident Phase of a Nuclear Accident or a Radiological Emergency, with the objective of establishing a policy framework. Under the supervision of ASN, this Committee, involving several tens of experts from different backgrounds (e.g. relevant ministerial offices, expert agencies, local information commissions around nuclear installations, non-governmental organisations, elected officials, licensees, and international experts), developed a number of recommendations over a 7-year period. First published in November 2012, these recommendations cover the immediate post-emergency situation, and the transition and longer-term periods of the post-accident phase in the case of medium-scale nuclear accidents causing short-term radioactive release (less than 24 h) that might occur at French nuclear facilities. They also apply to actions to be undertaken in the event of accidents during the transportation of radioactive materials. These recommendations are an important first step in preparation for the management of a post-accident situation in France in the case of a nuclear accident. © The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers 2014.

  10. Reactor Safety Gap Evaluation of Accident Tolerant Components and Severe Accident Analysis

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Farmer, Mitchell T.; Bunt, R.; Corradini, M.

    The overall objective of this study was to conduct a technology gap evaluation on accident tolerant components and severe accident analysis methodologies with the goal of identifying any data and/or knowledge gaps that may exist, given the current state of light water reactor (LWR) severe accident research, and additionally augmented by insights obtained from the Fukushima accident. The ultimate benefit of this activity is that the results can be used to refine the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Reactor Safety Technology (RST) research and development (R&D) program plan to address key knowledge gaps in severe accident phenomena and analyses that affectmore » reactor safety and that are not currently being addressed by the industry or the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).« less

  11. Persistence of airline accidents.

    PubMed

    Barros, Carlos Pestana; Faria, Joao Ricardo; Gil-Alana, Luis Alberiko

    2010-10-01

    This paper expands on air travel accident research by examining the relationship between air travel accidents and airline traffic or volume in the period from 1927-2006. The theoretical model is based on a representative airline company that aims to maximise its profits, and it utilises a fractional integration approach in order to determine whether there is a persistent pattern over time with respect to air accidents and air traffic. Furthermore, the paper analyses how airline accidents are related to traffic using a fractional cointegration approach. It finds that airline accidents are persistent and that a (non-stationary) fractional cointegration relationship exists between total airline accidents and airline passengers, airline miles and airline revenues, with shocks that affect the long-run equilibrium disappearing in the very long term. Moreover, this relation is negative, which might be due to the fact that air travel is becoming safer and there is greater competition in the airline industry. Policy implications are derived for countering accident events, based on competition and regulation. © 2010 The Author(s). Journal compilation © Overseas Development Institute, 2010.

  12. Bamgineer: Introduction of simulated allele-specific copy number variants into exome and targeted sequence data sets.

    PubMed

    Samadian, Soroush; Bruce, Jeff P; Pugh, Trevor J

    2018-03-01

    Somatic copy number variations (CNVs) play a crucial role in development of many human cancers. The broad availability of next-generation sequencing data has enabled the development of algorithms to computationally infer CNV profiles from a variety of data types including exome and targeted sequence data; currently the most prevalent types of cancer genomics data. However, systemic evaluation and comparison of these tools remains challenging due to a lack of ground truth reference sets. To address this need, we have developed Bamgineer, a tool written in Python to introduce user-defined haplotype-phased allele-specific copy number events into an existing Binary Alignment Mapping (BAM) file, with a focus on targeted and exome sequencing experiments. As input, this tool requires a read alignment file (BAM format), lists of non-overlapping genome coordinates for introduction of gains and losses (bed file), and an optional file defining known haplotypes (vcf format). To improve runtime performance, Bamgineer introduces the desired CNVs in parallel using queuing and parallel processing on a local machine or on a high-performance computing cluster. As proof-of-principle, we applied Bamgineer to a single high-coverage (mean: 220X) exome sequence file from a blood sample to simulate copy number profiles of 3 exemplar tumors from each of 10 tumor types at 5 tumor cellularity levels (20-100%, 150 BAM files in total). To demonstrate feasibility beyond exome data, we introduced read alignments to a targeted 5-gene cell-free DNA sequencing library to simulate EGFR amplifications at frequencies consistent with circulating tumor DNA (10, 1, 0.1 and 0.01%) while retaining the multimodal insert size distribution of the original data. We expect Bamgineer to be of use for development and systematic benchmarking of CNV calling algorithms by users using locally-generated data for a variety of applications. The source code is freely available at http://github.com/pughlab/bamgineer.

  13. The use of molecular dynamics simulations to evaluate the DNA sequence-selectivity of G-A cross-linking PBD-duocarmycin dimers.

    PubMed

    Jackson, Paul J M; Rahman, Khondaker M; Thurston, David E

    2017-01-01

    The pyrrolobenzodiazepine (PBD) and duocarmycin families are DNA-interactive agents that covalently bond to guanine (G) and adenine (A) bases, respectively, and that have been joined together to create synthetic dimers capable of cross-linking G-G, A-A, and G-A bases. Three G-A alkylating dimers have been reported in publications to date, with defined DNA-binding sites proposed for two of them. In this study we have used molecular dynamics simulations to elucidate preferred DNA-binding sites for the three published molecular types. For the PBD-CPI dimer UTA-6026 (1), our simulations correctly predicted its favoured binding site (i.e., 5'-C(G)AATTA-3') as identified by DNA cleavage studies. However, for the PBD-CI molecule ('Compound 11', 3), we were unable to reconcile the results of our simulations with the reported preferred cross-linking sequence (5'-ATTTTCC(G)-3'). We found that the molecule is too short to span the five base pairs between the A and G bases as claimed, but should target instead a sequence such as 5'-ATTTC(G)-3' with two less base pairs between the reacting G and A residues. Our simulation results for this hybrid dimer are also in accord with the very low interstrand cross-linking and in vitro cytotoxicity activities reported for it. Although a preferred cross-linking sequence was not reported for the third hybrid dimer ('27eS', 2), our simulations predict that it should span two base pairs between covalently reacting G and A bases (e.g., 5'-GTAT(A)-3'). Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  14. A comprehensive review of rollover accidents involving vehicles equipped with Electronic Stability Control (ESC) systems.

    PubMed

    Padmanaban, Jeya; Shields, Leland E; Scheibe, Robert R; Eyges, Vitaly E

    2008-10-01

    This study investigated 478 police accident reports from 9 states to examine and characterize rollover crashes involving ESC-equipped vehicles. The focus was on the sequence of critical events leading to loss of control and rollover, and the interactions between the accident, driver, and environment. Results show that, while ESC is effective in reducing loss of control leading to certain rollover crashes, its effectiveness is diminished in others, particularly when the vehicle departs the roadway or when environmental factors such as slick road conditions or driver factors such as speeding, distraction, fatigue, impairment, or overcorrection are present.

  15. A Comprehensive Review of Rollover Accidents Involving Vehicles Equipped with Electronic Stability Control (ESC) Systems

    PubMed Central

    Padmanaban, Jeya; Shields, Leland E.; Scheibe, Robert R.; Eyges, Vitaly E.

    2008-01-01

    This study investigated 478 police accident reports from 9 states to examine and characterize rollover crashes involving ESC-equipped vehicles. The focus was on the sequence of critical events leading to loss of control and rollover, and the interactions between the accident, driver, and environment. Results show that, while ESC is effective in reducing loss of control leading to certain rollover crashes, its effectiveness is diminished in others, particularly when the vehicle departs the roadway or when environmental factors such as slick road conditions or driver factors such as speeding, distraction, fatigue, impairment, or overcorrection are present. PMID:19026219

  16. A synthetic method for atmospheric diffusion simulation and environmental impact assessment of accidental pollution in the chemical industry in a WEBGIS context.

    PubMed

    Ni, Haochen; Rui, Yikang; Wang, Jiechen; Cheng, Liang

    2014-09-05

    The chemical industry poses a potential security risk to factory personnel and neighboring residents. In order to mitigate prospective damage, a synthetic method must be developed for an emergency response. With the development of environmental numeric simulation models, model integration methods, and modern information technology, many Decision Support Systems (DSSs) have been established. However, existing systems still have limitations, in terms of synthetic simulation and network interoperation. In order to resolve these limitations, the matured simulation model for chemical accidents was integrated into the WEB Geographic Information System (WEBGIS) platform. The complete workflow of the emergency response, including raw data (meteorology information, and accident information) management, numeric simulation of different kinds of accidents, environmental impact assessments, and representation of the simulation results were achieved. This allowed comprehensive and real-time simulation of acute accidents in the chemical industry. The main contribution of this paper is that an organizational mechanism of the model set, based on the accident type and pollutant substance; a scheduling mechanism for the parallel processing of multi-accident-type, multi-accident-substance, and multi-simulation-model; and finally a presentation method for scalar and vector data on the web browser on the integration of a WEB Geographic Information System (WEBGIS) platform. The outcomes demonstrated that this method could provide effective support for deciding emergency responses of acute chemical accidents.

  17. A Synthetic Method for Atmospheric Diffusion Simulation and Environmental Impact Assessment of Accidental Pollution in the Chemical Industry in a WEBGIS Context

    PubMed Central

    Ni, Haochen; Rui, Yikang; Wang, Jiechen; Cheng, Liang

    2014-01-01

    The chemical industry poses a potential security risk to factory personnel and neighboring residents. In order to mitigate prospective damage, a synthetic method must be developed for an emergency response. With the development of environmental numeric simulation models, model integration methods, and modern information technology, many Decision Support Systems (DSSs) have been established. However, existing systems still have limitations, in terms of synthetic simulation and network interoperation. In order to resolve these limitations, the matured simulation model for chemical accidents was integrated into the WEB Geographic Information System (WEBGIS) platform. The complete workflow of the emergency response, including raw data (meteorology information, and accident information) management, numeric simulation of different kinds of accidents, environmental impact assessments, and representation of the simulation results were achieved. This allowed comprehensive and real-time simulation of acute accidents in the chemical industry. The main contribution of this paper is that an organizational mechanism of the model set, based on the accident type and pollutant substance; a scheduling mechanism for the parallel processing of multi-accident-type, multi-accident-substance, and multi-simulation-model; and finally a presentation method for scalar and vector data on the web browser on the integration of a WEB Geographic Information System (WEBGIS) platform. The outcomes demonstrated that this method could provide effective support for deciding emergency responses of acute chemical accidents. PMID:25198686

  18. WHEN MODEL MEETS REALITY – A REVIEW OF SPAR LEVEL 2 MODEL AGAINST FUKUSHIMA ACCIDENT

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Zhegang Ma

    The Standardized Plant Analysis Risk (SPAR) models are a set of probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) models used by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to evaluate the risk of operations at U.S. nuclear power plants and provide inputs to risk informed regulatory process. A small number of SPAR Level 2 models have been developed mostly for feasibility study purpose. They extend the Level 1 models to include containment systems, group plant damage states, and model containment phenomenology and accident progression in containment event trees. A severe earthquake and tsunami hit the eastern coast of Japan in March 2011 and caused significantmore » damages on the reactors in Fukushima Daiichi site. Station blackout (SBO), core damage, containment damage, hydrogen explosion, and intensive radioactivity release, which have been previous analyzed and assumed as postulated accident progression in PRA models, now occurred with various degrees in the multi-units Fukushima Daiichi site. This paper reviews and compares a typical BWR SPAR Level 2 model with the “real” accident progressions and sequences occurred in Fukushima Daiichi Units 1, 2, and 3. It shows that the SPAR Level 2 model is a robust PRA model that could very reasonably describe the accident progression for a real and complicated nuclear accident in the world. On the other hand, the comparison shows that the SPAR model could be enhanced by incorporating some accident characteristics for better representation of severe accident progression.« less

  19. Molecular Dynamics Simulations of the 136 Unique Tetranucleotide Sequences of DNA Oligonucleotides. I. Research Design and Results on d(CpG) Steps

    PubMed Central

    Beveridge, David L.; Barreiro, Gabriela; Byun, K. Suzie; Case, David A.; Cheatham, Thomas E.; Dixit, Surjit B.; Giudice, Emmanuel; Lankas, Filip; Lavery, Richard; Maddocks, John H.; Osman, Roman; Seibert, Eleanore; Sklenar, Heinz; Stoll, Gautier; Thayer, Kelly M.; Varnai, Péter; Young, Matthew A.

    2004-01-01

    We describe herein a computationally intensive project aimed at carrying out molecular dynamics (MD) simulations including water and counterions on B-DNA oligomers containing all 136 unique tetranucleotide base sequences. This initiative was undertaken by an international collaborative effort involving nine research groups, the “Ascona B-DNA Consortium” (ABC). Calculations were carried out on the 136 cases imbedded in 39 DNA oligomers with repeating tetranucleotide sequences, capped on both ends by GC pairs and each having a total length of 15 nucleotide pairs. All MD simulations were carried out using a well-defined protocol, the AMBER suite of programs, and the parm94 force field. Phase I of the ABC project involves a total of ∼0.6 μs of simulation for systems containing ∼24,000 atoms. The resulting trajectories involve 600,000 coordinate sets and represent ∼400 gigabytes of data. In this article, the research design, details of the simulation protocol, informatics issues, and the organization of the results into a web-accessible database are described. Preliminary results from 15-ns MD trajectories are presented for the d(CpG) step in its 10 unique sequence contexts, and issues of stability and convergence, the extent of quasiergodic problems, and the possibility of long-lived conformational substates are discussed. PMID:15326025

  20. Analysis of unmitigated large break loss of coolant accidents using MELCOR code

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pescarini, M.; Mascari, F.; Mostacci, D.; De Rosa, F.; Lombardo, C.; Giannetti, F.

    2017-11-01

    In the framework of severe accident research activity developed by ENEA, a MELCOR nodalization of a generic Pressurized Water Reactor of 900 MWe has been developed. The aim of this paper is to present the analysis of MELCOR code calculations concerning two independent unmitigated large break loss of coolant accident transients, occurring in the cited type of reactor. In particular, the analysis and comparison between the transients initiated by an unmitigated double-ended cold leg rupture and an unmitigated double-ended hot leg rupture in the loop 1 of the primary cooling system is presented herein. This activity has been performed focusing specifically on the in-vessel phenomenology that characterizes this kind of accidents. The analysis of the thermal-hydraulic transient phenomena and the core degradation phenomena is therefore here presented. The analysis of the calculated data shows the capability of the code to reproduce the phenomena typical of these transients and permits their phenomenological study. A first sequence of main events is here presented and shows that the cold leg break transient results faster than the hot leg break transient because of the position of the break. Further analyses are in progress to quantitatively assess the results of the code nodalization for accident management strategy definition and fission product source term evaluation.

  1. Accident analysis of heavy water cooled thorium breeder reactor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yulianti, Yanti; Su'ud, Zaki; Takaki, Naoyuki

    2015-04-01

    Thorium has lately attracted considerable attention because it is accumulating as a by-product of large scale rare earth mining. The objective of research is to analyze transient behavior of a heavy water cooled thorium breeder that is designed by Tokai University and Tokyo Institute of Technology. That is oxide fueled, PWR type reactor with heavy water as primary coolant. An example of the optimized core has relatively small moderator to fuel volume ratio (MFR) of 0.6 and the characteristics of the core are burn-up of 67 GWd/t, breeding ratio of 1.08, burn-up reactivity loss during cycles of < 0.2% dk/k, and negative coolant reactivity coefficient. One of the nuclear reactor accidents types examined here is Unprotected Transient over Power (UTOP) due to withdrawing of the control rod that result in the positive reactivity insertion so that the reactor power will increase rapidly. Another accident type is Unprotected Loss of Flow (ULOF) that caused by failure of coolant pumps. To analyze the reactor accidents, neutron distribution calculation in the nuclear reactor is the most important factor. The best expression for the neutron distribution is the Boltzmann transport equation. However, solving this equation is very difficult so that the space-time diffusion equation is commonly used. Usually, space-time diffusion equation is solved by employing a point kinetics approach. However, this approach is less accurate for a spatially heterogeneous nuclear reactor and the nuclear reactor with quite large reactivity input. Direct method is therefore used to solve space-time diffusion equation which consider spatial factor in detail during nuclear reactor accident simulation. Set of equations that obtained from full implicit finite-difference method is solved by using iterative methods. The indication of UTOP accident is decreasing macroscopic absorption cross-section that results large external reactivity, and ULOF accident is indicated by decreasing coolant flow. The

  2. 49 CFR 837.3 - Published reports, material contained in the public accident investigation dockets, and accident...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... public accident investigation dockets, and accident database data. 837.3 Section 837.3 Transportation... investigation dockets, and accident database data. (a) Demands for material contained in the NTSB's official public docket files of its accident investigations, or its computerized accident database(s) shall be...

  3. 49 CFR 837.3 - Published reports, material contained in the public accident investigation dockets, and accident...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... public accident investigation dockets, and accident database data. 837.3 Section 837.3 Transportation... investigation dockets, and accident database data. (a) Demands for material contained in the NTSB's official public docket files of its accident investigations, or its computerized accident database(s) shall be...

  4. 49 CFR 837.3 - Published reports, material contained in the public accident investigation dockets, and accident...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... public accident investigation dockets, and accident database data. 837.3 Section 837.3 Transportation... investigation dockets, and accident database data. (a) Demands for material contained in the NTSB's official public docket files of its accident investigations, or its computerized accident database(s) shall be...

  5. 49 CFR 837.3 - Published reports, material contained in the public accident investigation dockets, and accident...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... public accident investigation dockets, and accident database data. 837.3 Section 837.3 Transportation... investigation dockets, and accident database data. (a) Demands for material contained in the NTSB's official public docket files of its accident investigations, or its computerized accident database(s) shall be...

  6. 49 CFR 837.3 - Published reports, material contained in the public accident investigation dockets, and accident...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... public accident investigation dockets, and accident database data. 837.3 Section 837.3 Transportation... investigation dockets, and accident database data. (a) Demands for material contained in the NTSB's official public docket files of its accident investigations, or its computerized accident database(s) shall be...

  7. Advanced simulation technology used to reduce accident rates through a better understanding of human behaviors and human perception

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Manser, Michael P.; Hancock, Peter A.

    1996-06-01

    Human beings and technology have attained a mutually dependent and symbiotic relationship. It is easy to recognize how each depends on the other for survival. It is also easy to see how technology advances due to human activities. However, the role technology plays in advancing humankind is seldom examined. This presentation examines two research areas where the role of advanced visual simulation systems play an integral and essential role in understanding human perception and behavior. The ultimate goal of this research is the betterment of humankind through reduced accident and death rates in transportation environments. The first research area examined involved the estimation of time-to-contact. A high-fidelity wrap-around simulator (RAS) was used to examine people's ability to estimate time-to- contact. The ability of people to estimate the amount of time before an oncoming vehicle will collide with them is a necessary skill for avoiding collisions. A vehicle approached participants at one of three velocities, and while en route to the participant, the vehicle disappeared. The participants' task was to respond when they felt the accuracy of time-to-contact estimates and the practical applications of the result. The second area of research investigates the effects of various visual stimuli on underground transportation tunnel walls for the perception of vehicle speed. A RAS is paramount in creating visual patterns in peripheral vision. Flat-screen or front-screen simulators do not have this ability. Results are discussed in terms of speed perception and the application of these results to real world environments.

  8. Urban pedestrian accident countermeasures experimental evaluation. Volume 2, Accident studies

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1975-02-01

    A pedestrian accident data collection system was established in six major cities. The system involved using the regular police accident report form and a specifically designed supplementary data form. The information on the forms was combined, and th...

  9. Accidents on hospital wards.

    PubMed Central

    Levene, S; Bonfield, G

    1991-01-01

    Eight hospitals reported 781 non-iatrogenic accidents occurring to patients and visitors under 16 years of age during an 18 month period up to October 1989. Accidents more often involved boys and children aged 3 to 5 years old. Falls from a height, slips, and striking accidents were common by day and falls by night. A total of 41% of accidents to inpatients occurred when parents were present. Only three accidents were serious. Altogether 27% involved beds and cots, and only one consequent injury was more than minor. Data collected routinely in case of medicolegal action can be presented in a form that may facilitate preventative work. Potentially remediable causes for concern include falls from beds and cots and the use of makeshift equipment. PMID:1929510

  10. GALACTIC ANGULAR MOMENTUM IN THE ILLUSTRIS SIMULATION: FEEDBACK AND THE HUBBLE SEQUENCE

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Genel, Shy; Fall, S. Michael; Snyder, Gregory F.

    We study the stellar angular momentum of thousands of galaxies in the Illustris cosmological simulation, which captures gravitational and gas dynamics within galaxies, as well as feedback from stars and black holes. We find that the angular momentum of the simulated galaxies matches observations well, and in particular two distinct relations are found for late-type versus early-type galaxies. The relation for late-type galaxies corresponds to the value expected from full conservation of the specific angular momentum generated by cosmological tidal torques. The relation for early-type galaxies corresponds to retention of only ∼30% of that, but we find that those early-typemore » galaxies with low angular momentum at z = 0 nevertheless reside at high redshift on the late-type relation. Some of them abruptly lose angular momentum during major mergers. To gain further insight, we explore the scaling relations in simulations where the galaxy formation physics is modified with respect to the fiducial model. We find that galactic winds with high mass-loading factors are essential for obtaining the high angular momentum relation typical for late-type galaxies, while active galactic nucleus feedback largely operates in the opposite direction. Hence, feedback controls the stellar angular momentum of galaxies, and appears to be instrumental for establishing the Hubble sequence.« less

  11. Analysis and Implementation of Accident Tolerant Nuclear Fuels

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Prewitt, Benjamin Joseph

    To improve the reliability and robustness of LWR, accident tolerant nuclear fuels and cladding materials are being developed to possibly replace the current UO2/zirconium system. This research highlights UN and U3Si 2, two of the most favorable accident tolerant fuels being developed. To evaluate the commercial feasiblilty of these fuels, two areas of research were conducted. Chemical fabrication routes for both fuels were investigated in detail, considering UO2 and UF6 as potential starting materials. Potential pathways for industrial scale fabrication using these methods were discussed. Neutronic performance of 70%UN-30%U3Si2 composite was evaluated in MNCP using PWR assembly and core models. The results showed comparable performance to an identical UO2 fueled simulation with the same configuration. The parameters simulated for composite and oxide fuel include the following: fuel to moderator ratio curves; energy dependent flux spectra; temperature coefficients for fuel and moderator; delayed neutron fractions; power peaking factors; axial and radial flux profiles in 2D and 3D; burnup; critical boron concentration; and shutdown margin. Overall, the neutronic parameters suggest that the transition from UO2 to composite in existing nuclear systems will not require significant changes in operating procedures or modifications to standards and regulations.

  12. Rear-end accident victims. Importance of understanding the accident.

    PubMed Central

    Sehmer, J. M.

    1993-01-01

    Family physicians regularly treat victims of rear-end vehicle accidents. This article describes how taking a detailed history of the accident and understanding the significance of the physical events is helpful in understanding and anticipating patients' morbidity and clinical course. Eight questions to ask patients are suggested to help physicians understand the severity of injury. PMID:8495140

  13. Prevention of bicycle accidents.

    PubMed

    Simpson, A H; Mineiro, J

    1992-01-01

    To elucidate the way of reducing the number of bicycle accidents. A prospective study of all casualties from bicycle accidents attending an accident unit for a 29-month period was performed (1831 patients). A more detailed questionnaire on the causes of accidents was used for the last 12 months of the study (818 patients). In the 0-7 and 8-12 years age groups, 87.5 per cent and 66.2 per cent, respectively, were due to cyclist error. The 8-12-year-old cyclists were twice as likely to have caused the accident if they had not had formal training (risk ratio = 2.0). Over the age of 18 years, 41.4 per cent were due to another road user. A motor vehicle was involved in 633 of the 1831 accidents. Children under the age of 8 years should not be allowed on public roads. Older children should only be allowed on the roads after formal training. This should become part of the school curriculum. A campaign to increase the awareness of motorists would be expected to reduce the number of cycle accidents. It would be beneficial to dedicate more roads and tracks to cycle use. Cyclists should be encouraged to wear more protective gear.

  14. Accident data availability

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2000-06-01

    This project investigates alternate forms of dissemination for the accident information. Costs, capabilities, and compatibility are reviewed for integration of the accident database with a GIS format to allow a graphical and spatial interface. the is...

  15. Comparison of next generation sequencing technologies for transcriptome characterization

    PubMed Central

    2009-01-01

    Background We have developed a simulation approach to help determine the optimal mixture of sequencing methods for most complete and cost effective transcriptome sequencing. We compared simulation results for traditional capillary sequencing with "Next Generation" (NG) ultra high-throughput technologies. The simulation model was parameterized using mappings of 130,000 cDNA sequence reads to the Arabidopsis genome (NCBI Accession SRA008180.19). We also generated 454-GS20 sequences and de novo assemblies for the basal eudicot California poppy (Eschscholzia californica) and the magnoliid avocado (Persea americana) using a variety of methods for cDNA synthesis. Results The Arabidopsis reads tagged more than 15,000 genes, including new splice variants and extended UTR regions. Of the total 134,791 reads (13.8 MB), 119,518 (88.7%) mapped exactly to known exons, while 1,117 (0.8%) mapped to introns, 11,524 (8.6%) spanned annotated intron/exon boundaries, and 3,066 (2.3%) extended beyond the end of annotated UTRs. Sequence-based inference of relative gene expression levels correlated significantly with microarray data. As expected, NG sequencing of normalized libraries tagged more genes than non-normalized libraries, although non-normalized libraries yielded more full-length cDNA sequences. The Arabidopsis data were used to simulate additional rounds of NG and traditional EST sequencing, and various combinations of each. Our simulations suggest a combination of FLX and Solexa sequencing for optimal transcriptome coverage at modest cost. We have also developed ESTcalc http://fgp.huck.psu.edu/NG_Sims/ngsim.pl, an online webtool, which allows users to explore the results of this study by specifying individualized costs and sequencing characteristics. Conclusion NG sequencing technologies are a highly flexible set of platforms that can be scaled to suit different project goals. In terms of sequence coverage alone, the NG sequencing is a dramatic advance over capillary

  16. Upon the reconstruction of accidents triggered by tire explosion. Analytical model and case study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gaiginschi, L.; Agape, I.; Talif, S.

    2017-10-01

    Accident Reconstruction is important in the general context of increasing road traffic safety. In the casuistry of traffic accidents, those caused by tire explosions are critical under the severity of consequences, because they are usually happening at high speeds. Consequently, the knowledge of the running speed of the vehicle involved at the time of the tire explosion is essential to elucidate the circumstances of the accident. The paper presents an analytical model for the kinematics of a vehicle which, after the explosion of one of its tires, begins to skid, overturns and rolls. The model consists of two concurent approaches built as applications of the momentum conservation and energy conservation principles, and allows determination of the initial speed of the vehicle involved, by running backwards the sequences of the road event. The authors also aimed to both validate the two distinct analytical approaches by calibrating the calculation algorithms on a case study

  17. Applying STAMP in Accident Analysis

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Leveson, Nancy; Daouk, Mirna; Dulac, Nicolas; Marais, Karen

    2003-01-01

    Accident models play a critical role in accident investigation and analysis. Most traditional models are based on an underlying chain of events. These models, however, have serious limitations when used for complex, socio-technical systems. Previously, Leveson proposed a new accident model (STAMP) based on system theory. In STAMP, the basic concept is not an event but a constraint. This paper shows how STAMP can be applied to accident analysis using three different views or models of the accident process and proposes a notation for describing this process.

  18. Chemistry, the Central Science? The History of the High School Science Sequence

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sheppard, Keith; Robbins, Dennis M.

    2005-01-01

    Chemistry became the ''central science'' not by design but by accident in the US high schools. The three important factors, which had their influence on the high school science, are sequenced and their impact on the development of US science education, are mentioned.

  19. Self-mutilations in private-accident-insurance cases.

    PubMed

    Dotzauer, G; Iffland, R

    1976-04-21

    Self-inflicted injuries can be classified in groups. One group deals with the simulation of illness, another with the occurrence itself and the application of chemical, thermic or mechanical methods. One sector concerns self-mutilation, which, from a psychiatrist's point of view, is interesting. At this time we are more concerned with the problems of proving it. In wartime and even during military service in peace-time soldiers inflict mutilating injuries on themselves. They are motivated by the notion that they will gain benefit from their action. Economic gain plays a role in the case of people who have taken out private accident insurance: self mutilation to simulate the result of an accident. Our investigation into self-mutilation started with an analysis under the following aspects of 123 cases: age, sex, occupation, place of residence, place and time of deed, method employed (weapon used), localisation, single or multiple wound, direction of injury, position of fingers, nature of edges of wound. Whether or not an injury was suffered voluntarily or involuntarily can only be determined with the help of auxiliary facts. It must be clarified whether or not the information given by the injured person ties in with facts concerning the place where the injury was sustained, its position and its direction. The medico-legal expert should not interpret medical findings without relating them to the facts of the case. Indeed, he should start by examining the claimant's account of the accident. To some extent it almost requires the work of a general staff to compare the findings of a careful medical investigation with the injuries themselves. If the injury was inflicted by a certain tool information must be available regarding, for example, the "accident with the saw" together with an assessment of the wounds sustained (utilization of clinical material). Sometimes tests on corpses need to be carried out because these can provide information on mechanical and physical

  20. [Accidents with the "paraglider"].

    PubMed

    Lang, T H; Dengg, C; Gabl, M

    1988-09-01

    With a collective of 46 patients we show the details and kinds of accidents caused by paragliding. The base for the casuistry of the accidents was a questionnaire which was answered by most of the injured persons. These were questions about the theoretical and practical training, the course of the flight during the different phases, and the subjective point of view of the course of the accident. The patterns of the injuries showed a high incidence of injuries of the spinal column and high risks for the ankles. At the end, we give some advice how to prevent these accidents.

  1. Final safety analysis report for the Galileo Mission: Volume 2, Book 2: Accident model document: Appendices

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    1988-12-15

    This section of the Accident Model Document (AMD) presents the appendices which describe the various analyses that have been conducted for use in the Galileo Final Safety Analysis Report II, Volume II. Included in these appendices are the approaches, techniques, conditions and assumptions used in the development of the analytical models plus the detailed results of the analyses. Also included in these appendices are summaries of the accidents and their associated probabilities and environment models taken from the Shuttle Data Book (NSTS-08116), plus summaries of the several segments of the recent GPHS safety test program. The information presented in thesemore » appendices is used in Section 3.0 of the AMD to develop the Failure/Abort Sequence Trees (FASTs) and to determine the fuel releases (source terms) resulting from the potential Space Shuttle/IUS accidents throughout the missions.« less

  2. [Accidents in travellers - the hidden epidemic].

    PubMed

    Walz, Alexander; Hatz, Christoph

    2013-06-01

    The risk of malaria and other communicable diseases is well addressed in pre-travel advice. Accidents are usually less discussed. Thus, we aimed at assessing accident figures for the Swiss population, based on data of the register from 2004 to 2008 of the largest Swiss accident insurance organization (SUVA). More than 139'000 accidents over 5 years showed that 65 % of the accidents overseas are injuries, and 24 % are caused by poisoning or harm by cold, heat or air pressure. Most accidents happened during leisure activities or sports. More than one third of the non-lethal and more than 50 % of the fatal accidents happened in Asia. More than three-quarters of non-lethal accidents take place in people between 25 and 54 years. One out of 74 insured persons has an accident abroad per year. Despite of many analysis short-comings of the data set with regard to overseas travel, the figures document the underestimated burden of disease caused by accidents abroad and should affect the given pre-health advice.

  3. Corruption of genomic databases with anomalous sequence.

    PubMed

    Lamperti, E D; Kittelberger, J M; Smith, T F; Villa-Komaroff, L

    1992-06-11

    We describe evidence that DNA sequences from vectors used for cloning and sequencing have been incorporated accidentally into eukaryotic entries in the GenBank database. These incorporations were not restricted to one type of vector or to a single mechanism. Many minor instances may have been the result of simple editing errors, but some entries contained large blocks of vector sequence that had been incorporated by contamination or other accidents during cloning. Some cases involved unusual rearrangements and areas of vector distant from the normal insertion sites. Matches to vector were found in 0.23% of 20,000 sequences analyzed in GenBank Release 63. Although the possibility of anomalous sequence incorporation has been recognized since the inception of GenBank and should be easy to avoid, recent evidence suggests that this problem is increasing more quickly than the database itself. The presence of anomalous sequence may have serious consequences for the interpretation and use of database entries, and will have an impact on issues of database management. The incorporated vector fragments described here may also be useful for a crude estimate of the fidelity of sequence information in the database. In alignments with well-defined ends, the matching sequences showed 96.8% identity to vector; when poorer matches with arbitrary limits were included, the aggregate identity to vector sequence was 94.8%.

  4. Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant accident: Atmospheric and oceanic impacts over the five years.

    PubMed

    Hirose, Katsumi

    2016-06-01

    The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant (FDNPP) accident resulted in huge environmental and socioeconomic impacts to Japan. To document the actual environmental and socioeconomic effects of the FDNPP accident, we describe here atmospheric and marine contamination due to radionuclides released from the FDNPP accident using papers published during past five years, in which temporal and spatial variations of FDNPP-derived radionuclides in air, deposition and seawater and their mapping are recorded by local, regional and global monitoring activities. High radioactivity-contaminated area in land were formed by the dispersion of the radioactive cloud and precipitation, depending on land topography and local meteorological conditions, whereas extremely high concentrations of (131)I and radiocesium in seawater occurred due to direct release of radioactivity-contaminated stagnant water in addition to atmospheric deposition. For both of atmosphere and ocean, numerical model simulations, including local, regional and global-scale modeling, were extensively employed to evaluate source terms of the FDNPP-derived radionuclides from the monitoring data. These models also provided predictions of the dispersion and high deposition areas of the FDNPP-derived radionuclides. However, there are significant differences between the observed and simulated values. Then, the monitoring data would give a good opportunity to improve numerical modeling. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Aircraft accidents : method of analysis

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1931-01-01

    The revised report includes the chart for the analysis of aircraft accidents, combining consideration of the immediate causes, underlying causes, and results of accidents, as prepared by the special committee, with a number of the definitions clarified. A brief statement of the organization and work of the special committee and of the Committee on Aircraft Accidents; and statistical tables giving a comparison of the types of accidents and causes of accidents in the military services on the one hand and in civil aviation on the other, together with explanations of some of the important differences noted in these tables.

  6. Connecticut traffic accident facts, 2006

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2008-04-01

    This report documents facts on reported 2006 traffic accidents included in the : Department database. Sections of the report contain statistics on major categories of traffic : accidents. These categories include all reported accidents, reported alco...

  7. A study on industrial accident rate forecasting and program development of estimated zero accident time in Korea.

    PubMed

    Kim, Tae-gu; Kang, Young-sig; Lee, Hyung-won

    2011-01-01

    To begin a zero accident campaign for industry, the first thing is to estimate the industrial accident rate and the zero accident time systematically. This paper considers the social and technical change of the business environment after beginning the zero accident campaign through quantitative time series analysis methods. These methods include sum of squared errors (SSE), regression analysis method (RAM), exponential smoothing method (ESM), double exponential smoothing method (DESM), auto-regressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model, and the proposed analytic function method (AFM). The program is developed to estimate the accident rate, zero accident time and achievement probability of an efficient industrial environment. In this paper, MFC (Microsoft Foundation Class) software of Visual Studio 2008 was used to develop a zero accident program. The results of this paper will provide major information for industrial accident prevention and be an important part of stimulating the zero accident campaign within all industrial environments.

  8. a Study of the Reconstruction of Accidents and Crime Scenes Through Computational Experiments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Park, S. J.; Chae, S. W.; Kim, S. H.; Yang, K. M.; Chung, H. S.

    Recently, with an increase in the number of studies of the safety of both pedestrians and passengers, computer software, such as MADYMO, Pam-crash, and LS-dyna, has been providing human models for computer simulation. Although such programs have been applied to make machines beneficial for humans, studies that analyze the reconstruction of accidents or crime scenes are rare. Therefore, through computational experiments, the present study presents reconstructions of two questionable accidents. In the first case, a car fell off the road and the driver was separated from it. The accident investigator was very confused because some circumstantial evidence suggested the possibility that the driver was murdered. In the second case, a woman died in her house and the police suspected foul play with her boyfriend as a suspect. These two cases were reconstructed using the human model in MADYMO software. The first case was eventually confirmed as a traffic accident in which the driver bounced out of the car when the car fell off, and the second case was proved to be suicide rather than homicide.

  9. Truck accident and fatality rates calculated from California highway accident statistics for 1980 and 1981

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Smith, R.N.; Wilmot, E.L.

    California state highway accident rates for three types of truck vehicles (pickup, truck without trailer, and truck with trailer) were analyzed for 1980 and 1981 and for various road types in each of eleven state highway districts. Accident rates have not been available previously that are specific to truck vehicles, particularly truck with trailer. Reported data are presented that lead to several significant observations about truck accident rates: pickup truck accident rates are about twice the composite rates for all vehicle types; the fatality rates for trucks with trailer are nearly twice that for all vehicle types; fatality rates formore » trucks (without trailer) are comparable to the composite rates; and total accident and fatal-plus-injury rates for trucks with trailer are close to the composite rates in urban areas but higher in rural areas. The values for average total accident rates reported in 1981 are: 2.2 accidents per million vehicle miles (mvm) for pickups, 1.5 accidents per mvm for trucks, and 1.4 accidents per mvm for trucks with trailer. The values for average fatality rates reported in 1981 are: 3.8 fatalities per 100 mvm for pickups, 2.8 fatalities per 100 mvm for trucks, and 4.3 fatalities per 100 mvm for trucks with trailer. The reported rates for 1980 are approximately the same.« less

  10. 1995 Kentucky traffic accident facts

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1995-01-01

    KENTUCKYS TRAFFIC ACCIDENT FACTS report for 1995 is based on accident reports submitted to the Accident Unit housed : in the Kentucky State Police Information Services Branch, Records Section. As required by Kentucky Revised statutes 189.635, : ...

  11. 1996 Kentucky traffic accident facts

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1996-01-01

    KENTUCKYS TRAFFIC ACCIDENT FACTS report for 1996 is based on accident reports submitted to the Accident Unit housed : in the Kentucky State Police Information Services Branch, Records Section. As required by Kentucky Revised statutes 189.635, : ...

  12. 1998 Kentucky traffic accident facts

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-01-01

    KENTUCKYS TRAFFIC ACCIDENT FACTS report for 1998 is based on accident reports submitted to the Accident Unit housed : in the Kentucky State Police Information Services Branch, Records Section. As required by Kentucky Revised statutes 189.635, : ...

  13. 1997 Kentucky traffic accident facts

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1997-01-01

    KENTUCKYS TRAFFIC ACCIDENT FACTS report for 1997 is based on accident reports submitted to the Accident Unit housed : in the Kentucky State Police Information Services Branch, Records Section. As required by Kentucky Revised statutes 189.635, : ...

  14. Accident analysis of heavy water cooled thorium breeder reactor

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Yulianti, Yanti; Su’ud, Zaki; Takaki, Naoyuki

    2015-04-16

    Thorium has lately attracted considerable attention because it is accumulating as a by-product of large scale rare earth mining. The objective of research is to analyze transient behavior of a heavy water cooled thorium breeder that is designed by Tokai University and Tokyo Institute of Technology. That is oxide fueled, PWR type reactor with heavy water as primary coolant. An example of the optimized core has relatively small moderator to fuel volume ratio (MFR) of 0.6 and the characteristics of the core are burn-up of 67 GWd/t, breeding ratio of 1.08, burn-up reactivity loss during cycles of < 0.2% dk/k,more » and negative coolant reactivity coefficient. One of the nuclear reactor accidents types examined here is Unprotected Transient over Power (UTOP) due to withdrawing of the control rod that result in the positive reactivity insertion so that the reactor power will increase rapidly. Another accident type is Unprotected Loss of Flow (ULOF) that caused by failure of coolant pumps. To analyze the reactor accidents, neutron distribution calculation in the nuclear reactor is the most important factor. The best expression for the neutron distribution is the Boltzmann transport equation. However, solving this equation is very difficult so that the space-time diffusion equation is commonly used. Usually, space-time diffusion equation is solved by employing a point kinetics approach. However, this approach is less accurate for a spatially heterogeneous nuclear reactor and the nuclear reactor with quite large reactivity input. Direct method is therefore used to solve space-time diffusion equation which consider spatial factor in detail during nuclear reactor accident simulation. Set of equations that obtained from full implicit finite-difference method is solved by using iterative methods. The indication of UTOP accident is decreasing macroscopic absorption cross-section that results large external reactivity, and ULOF accident is indicated by decreasing coolant flow

  15. A comparison of the hazard perception ability of accident-involved and accident-free motorcycle riders.

    PubMed

    Cheng, Andy S K; Ng, Terry C K; Lee, Hoe C

    2011-07-01

    Hazard perception is the ability to read the road and is closely related to involvement in traffic accidents. It consists of both cognitive and behavioral components. Within the cognitive component, visual attention is an important function of driving whereas driving behavior, which represents the behavioral component, can affect the hazard perception of the driver. Motorcycle riders are the most vulnerable types of road user. The primary purpose of this study was to deepen our understanding of the correlation of different subtypes of visual attention and driving violation behaviors and their effect on hazard perception between accident-free and accident-involved motorcycle riders. Sixty-three accident-free and 46 accident-involved motorcycle riders undertook four neuropsychological tests of attention (Digit Vigilance Test, Color Trails Test-1, Color Trails Test-2, and Symbol Digit Modalities Test), filled out the Chinese Motorcycle Rider Driving Violation (CMRDV) Questionnaire, and viewed a road-user-based hazard situation with an eye-tracking system to record the response latencies to potentially dangerous traffic situations. The results showed that both the divided and selective attention of accident-involved motorcycle riders were significantly inferior to those of accident-free motorcycle riders, and that accident-involved riders exhibited significantly higher driving violation behaviors and took longer to identify hazardous situations compared to their accident-free counterparts. However, the results of the regression analysis showed that aggressive driving violation CMRDV score significantly predicted hazard perception and accident involvement of motorcycle riders. Given that all participants were mature and experienced motorcycle riders, the most plausible explanation for the differences between them is their driving style (influenced by an undesirable driving attitude), rather than skill deficits per se. The present study points to the importance of

  16. Accuracy of Virginia accident data.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1981-09-01

    The sources, magnitude, and characteristics of the inaccuracies in Virginia's police-reported accident data were examined. Five techniques were used to (1) determine how accident data are documented, (2) examine the contents of the accident report us...

  17. Behavior analysis of container ship in maritime accident in order to redefine the operating criteria

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ancuţa, C.; Stanca, C.; Andrei, C.; Acomi, N.

    2017-08-01

    In order to enhance the efficiency of maritime transport, container ships operators proceeded to increase the sizes of ships. The latest generation of ships in operation has 19,000 TEU capacity and the perspective is 21,000 TEU within the next years. The increasing of the sizes of container ships involves risks of maritime accidents occurrences. Nowadays, the general rules on operational security, tend to be adjusted as a result of the evaluation for each vessel. To create the premises for making an informed decision, the captain have to be aware of ships behavior in such situations. Not less important is to assure permanent review of the procedures for operation of ship, including the specific procedures in special areas, confined waters or separation schemes. This paper aims at analysing the behavior of the vessel and the respond of the structure of a container ship in maritime accident, in order to redefine the operating criteria. The method selected by authors for carrying out the research is computer simulations. Computer program provides the responses of the container ship model in various situations. Therefore, the simulations allow acquisition of a large category of data, in the scope of improving the prevention of accidents or mitigation of effects as much as possible. Simulations and assessments of certain situations that the ship might experience will be carried out to redefine the operating criteria. The envisaged scenarios are: introducing of maneuver speed for specific areas with high risk of collision or grounding, introducing of flooding scenarios of some compartments in loading programs, conducting of complex simulations in various situations for each vessel type. The main results of this work are documented proposals for operating criteria, intended to improve the safety in case of marine accidents, collisions and groundings. Introducing of such measures requires complex cost benefit analysis, that should not neglect the extreme economic impact

  18. Core cooling under accident conditions at the high-flux beam reactor

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Tichler, P.; Cheng, L.; Fauske, H.

    The High-Flux Beam Reactor (HFBR) at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) is cooled and moderated by heavy water and contains {sup 235}U in the form of narrow-channel, parallel-plate-type fuel elements. During normal operation, the flow direction is downward through the core. This flow direction is maintained at a reduced flow rate during routine shutdown and on loss of commercial power by means of redundant pumps and power supplies. However, in certain accident scenarios, e.g. loss-of-coolant accidents (LOCAs), all forced-flow cooling is lost. Although there was experimental evidence during the reactor design period (1958-1963) that the heat removal capacity in the fullymore » developed natural circulation cooling mode was relatively high, it was not possible to make a confident prediction of the heat removal capacity during the transition from downflow to natural circulation. Accordingly, a test program was initiated using an electrically heated section to simulate the fuel channel and a cooling loop to simulate the balance of the primary cooling system.« less

  19. Occupational accidents among mototaxi drivers.

    PubMed

    Amorim, Camila Rego; de Araújo, Edna Maria; de Araújo, Tânia Maria; de Oliveira, Nelson Fernandes

    2012-03-01

    The use of motorcycles as a means of work has contributed to the increase in traffic accidents, in particular, mototaxi accidents. The aim of this study was to estimate and characterize the incidence of occupational accidents among the mototaxis registered in Feira de Santana, BA. This is a cross-sectional study with descriptive and census data. Of the 300 professionals registered at the Municipal Transportation Service, 267 professionals were interviewed through a structured questionnaire. Then, a descriptive analysis was conducted and the incidence of accidents was estimated based on the variables studied. Relative risks were calculated and statistical significance was determined using the chi-square test and Fisher's exact test, considering p < 0.05. Logistic regression was used in order to perform simultaneous adjustment of variables. Occupational accidents were observed in 10.5% of mototaxis. There were mainly minor injuries (48.7%), 27% of them requiring leaves of absence from work. There was an association between the days of work per week, fatigue in lower limbs and musculoskeletal complaints, and accidents. Knowledge of the working conditions and accidents involved in this activity can be of great importance for the adoption of traffic education policies, and to help prevent accidents by improving the working conditions and lives of these professionals.

  20. Construction industry accidents in Spain.

    PubMed

    Camino López, Miguel A; Ritzel, Dale O; Fontaneda, Ignacio; González Alcantara, Oscar J

    2008-01-01

    This paper analyzed industrial accidents that take place on construction sites and their severity. Eighteen variables were studied. We analyzed the influence of each of these with respect to the severity and fatality of the accident. This descriptive analysis was grounded in 1,630,452 accidents, representing the total number of accidents suffered by workers in the construction sector in Spain over the period 1990-2000. It was shown that age, type of contract, time of accident, length of service in the company, company size, day of the week, and the remainder of the variables under analysis influenced the seriousness of the accident. IMPACT ON INJURY PREVENTION: The results obtained show that different training was needed, depending on the severity of accidents, for different age, length of service in the company, organization of work, and time when workers work. The research provides an insight to the likely causes of construction injuries in Spain. As a result of the analysis, industries and governmental agencies in Spain can start to provide appropriate strategies and training to the construction workers.

  1. 49 CFR 835.11 - Obtaining Board accident reports, factual accident reports, and supporting information.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 7 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Obtaining Board accident reports, factual accident reports, and supporting information. 835.11 Section 835.11 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued) NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD TESTIMONY OF BOARD EMPLOYEES § 835.11 Obtaining Board accident reports, factual...

  2. 49 CFR 835.11 - Obtaining Board accident reports, factual accident reports, and supporting information.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 7 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Obtaining Board accident reports, factual accident reports, and supporting information. 835.11 Section 835.11 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued) NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD TESTIMONY OF BOARD EMPLOYEES § 835.11 Obtaining Board accident reports, factual...

  3. 49 CFR 835.11 - Obtaining Board accident reports, factual accident reports, and supporting information.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 7 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Obtaining Board accident reports, factual accident reports, and supporting information. 835.11 Section 835.11 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued) NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD TESTIMONY OF BOARD EMPLOYEES § 835.11 Obtaining Board accident reports, factual...

  4. 49 CFR 835.11 - Obtaining Board accident reports, factual accident reports, and supporting information.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 7 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Obtaining Board accident reports, factual accident reports, and supporting information. 835.11 Section 835.11 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued) NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD TESTIMONY OF BOARD EMPLOYEES § 835.11 Obtaining Board accident reports, factual...

  5. 28 CFR 301.106 - Repetitious accidents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Repetitious accidents. 301.106 Section 301.106 Judicial Administration FEDERAL PRISON INDUSTRIES, INC., DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE INMATE ACCIDENT COMPENSATION General § 301.106 Repetitious accidents. If an inmate worker is involved in successive accidents...

  6. 28 CFR 301.106 - Repetitious accidents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Repetitious accidents. 301.106 Section 301.106 Judicial Administration FEDERAL PRISON INDUSTRIES, INC., DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE INMATE ACCIDENT COMPENSATION General § 301.106 Repetitious accidents. If an inmate worker is involved in successive accidents...

  7. 49 CFR 195.50 - Reporting accidents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 3 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Reporting accidents. 195.50 Section 195.50 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued) PIPELINE AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SAFETY... PIPELINE Annual, Accident, and Safety-Related Condition Reporting § 195.50 Reporting accidents. An accident...

  8. 49 CFR 195.50 - Reporting accidents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Reporting accidents. 195.50 Section 195.50 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued) PIPELINE AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SAFETY... PIPELINE Annual, Accident, and Safety-Related Condition Reporting § 195.50 Reporting accidents. An accident...

  9. Simulator fidelity requirements : the case of platform motion

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-05-01

    Today, the use of airplane simulators in pilot training and evaluation is universal. Simulators not only enable savings in training cost, but they have also practically eliminated training accidents for major airlines. They allow the training of emer...

  10. An open simulation approach to identify chances and limitations for vulnerable road user (VRU) active safety.

    PubMed

    Seiniger, Patrick; Bartels, Oliver; Pastor, Claus; Wisch, Marcus

    2013-01-01

    It is commonly agreed that active safety will have a significant impact on reducing accident figures for pedestrians and probably also bicyclists. However, chances and limitations for active safety systems have only been derived based on accident data and the current state of the art, based on proprietary simulation models. The objective of this article is to investigate these chances and limitations by developing an open simulation model. This article introduces a simulation model, incorporating accident kinematics, driving dynamics, driver reaction times, pedestrian dynamics, performance parameters of different autonomous emergency braking (AEB) generations, as well as legal and logical limitations. The level of detail for available pedestrian accident data is limited. Relevant variables, especially timing of the pedestrian appearance and the pedestrian's moving speed, are estimated using assumptions. The model in this article uses the fact that a pedestrian and a vehicle in an accident must have been in the same spot at the same time and defines the impact position as a relevant accident parameter, which is usually available from accident data. The calculations done within the model identify the possible timing available for braking by an AEB system as well as the possible speed reduction for different accident scenarios as well as for different system configurations. The simulation model identifies the lateral impact position of the pedestrian as a significant parameter for system performance, and the system layout is designed to brake when the accident becomes unavoidable by the vehicle driver. Scenarios with a pedestrian running from behind an obstruction are the most demanding scenarios and will very likely never be avoidable for all vehicle speeds due to physical limits. Scenarios with an unobstructed person walking will very likely be treatable for a wide speed range for next generation AEB systems.

  11. Workplace accidents in materials transfer in Finland.

    PubMed

    Perttula, Pia; Salminen, Simo

    2012-01-01

    The aim of this study was to show the proportion of workplace accidents related to materials transfer and to decide whether they were more serious than other kinds of workplace accidents. The research material for this study were statistics and data, available in Finland, regarding workplace accidents and fatal accidents. Twenty-five percent of studied fatal accidents were related to materials transfer; 26.9-27.7% of all workplace accidents in Finland in 2003-2007 were workplace accidents related to materials transfer. Over half (54.7%) of workplace accidents related to materials transfer caused disabilities lasting over 3 days. Most accidents related to materials transfer occurred to men aged 20-49 years. The most common types of injuries were dislocations, sprains and strains.

  12. 32 CFR 644.532 - Reporting accidents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 32 National Defense 4 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Reporting accidents. 644.532 Section 644.532... and Improvements § 644.532 Reporting accidents. Immediately upon receipt of information of an accident... that an accident has occurred, the former using command should be requested to send qualified explosive...

  13. 49 CFR 845.40 - Accident report.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 7 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Accident report. 845.40 Section 845.40... RULES OF PRACTICE IN TRANSPORTATION; ACCIDENT/INCIDENT HEARINGS AND REPORTS Board Reports § 845.40 Accident report. (a) The Board will issue a detailed narrative accident report in connection with the...

  14. Contributing factors in construction accidents.

    PubMed

    Haslam, R A; Hide, S A; Gibb, A G F; Gyi, D E; Pavitt, T; Atkinson, S; Duff, A R

    2005-07-01

    This overview paper draws together findings from previous focus group research and studies of 100 individual construction accidents. Pursuing issues raised by the focus groups, the accident studies collected qualitative information on the circumstances of each incident and the causal influences involved. Site based data collection entailed interviews with accident-involved personnel and their supervisor or manager, inspection of the accident location, and review of appropriate documentation. Relevant issues from the site investigations were then followed up with off-site stakeholders, including designers, manufacturers and suppliers. Levels of involvement of key factors in the accidents were: problems arising from workers or the work team (70% of accidents), workplace issues (49%), shortcomings with equipment (including PPE) (56%), problems with suitability and condition of materials (27%), and deficiencies with risk management (84%). Employing an ergonomics systems approach, a model is proposed, indicating the manner in which originating managerial, design and cultural factors shape the circumstances found in the work place, giving rise to the acts and conditions which, in turn, lead to accidents. It is argued that attention to the originating influences will be necessary for sustained improvement in construction safety to be achieved.

  15. 49 CFR 195.54 - Accident reports.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Accident reports. 195.54 Section 195.54... PIPELINE Annual, Accident, and Safety-Related Condition Reporting § 195.54 Accident reports. (a) Each operator that experiences an accident that is required to be reported under § 195.50 shall as soon as...

  16. 49 CFR 801.32 - Accident reports.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 7 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Accident reports. 801.32 Section 801.32... PUBLIC AVAILABILITY OF INFORMATION Accident Investigation Records § 801.32 Accident reports. (a) The NTSB....S. civil transportation accidents, in accordance with 49 U.S.C. 1131(e). (b) These reports may be...

  17. The Quantitative Study of Communicative Success: Politeness and Accidents in Aviation Discourse.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Linde, Charlotte

    1988-01-01

    Uses transcripts of eight aviation accidents and 14 flight simulator sessions to study mitigation. A four-degree scale is developed to quantify the use of mitigation: (1) high mitigation; (2) low mitigation; (3) direct utterance; and (4) aggravation. Mitigation is sensitive to social rank and sometimes less effective than direct utterances in…

  18. 49 CFR 230.22 - Accident reports.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Accident reports. 230.22 Section 230.22... Requirements § 230.22 Accident reports. In the case of an accident due to failure, from any cause, of a steam... persons, the railroad on whose line the accident occurred shall immediately make a telephone report of the...

  19. 49 CFR 230.22 - Accident reports.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Accident reports. 230.22 Section 230.22... Requirements § 230.22 Accident reports. In the case of an accident due to failure, from any cause, of a steam... persons, the railroad on whose line the accident occurred shall immediately make a telephone report of the...

  20. Designing an Experimental "Accident"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Picker, Lester

    1974-01-01

    Describes an experimental "accident" that resulted in much student learning, seeks help in the identification of nematodes, and suggests biology teachers introduce similar accidents into their teaching to stimulate student interest. (PEB)

  1. Workplace accidents and self-organized criticality

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mauro, John C.; Diehl, Brett; Marcellin, Richard F.; Vaughn, Daniel J.

    2018-09-01

    The occurrence of workplace accidents is described within the context of self-organized criticality, a theory from statistical physics that governs a wide range of phenomena across physics, biology, geosciences, economics, and the social sciences. Workplace accident data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reveal a power-law relationship between the number of accidents and their severity as measured by the number of days lost from work. This power-law scaling is indicative of workplace accidents being governed by self-organized criticality, suggesting that nearly all workplace accidents have a common underlying cause, independent of their severity. Such power-law scaling is found for all labor categories documented by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Our results provide scientific support for the Heinrich accident triangle, with the practical implication that suppressing the rate of severe accidents requires changing the attitude toward workplace safety in general. By creating a culture that values safety, empowers individuals, and strives to continuously improve, accident rates can be suppressed across the full range of severities.

  2. Rough set approach for accident chains exploration.

    PubMed

    Wong, Jinn-Tsai; Chung, Yi-Shih

    2007-05-01

    This paper presents a novel non-parametric methodology--rough set theory--for accident occurrence exploration. The rough set theory allows researchers to analyze accidents in multiple dimensions and to model accident occurrence as factor chains. Factor chains are composed of driver characteristics, trip characteristics, driver behavior and environment factors that imply typical accident occurrence. A real-world database (2003 Taiwan single auto-vehicle accidents) is used as an example to demonstrate the proposed approach. The results show that although most accident patterns are unique, some accident patterns are significant and worth noting. Student drivers who are young and less experienced exhibit a relatively high possibility of being involved in off-road accidents on roads with a speed limit between 51 and 79 km/h under normal driving circumstances. Notably, for bump-into-facility accidents, wet surface is a distinctive environmental factor.

  3. Road traffic accident related morbidity as seen in an accident and emergency department.

    PubMed

    Galloway, D J; Patel, A R

    1981-04-01

    This paper describes some of the findings of a prospective study of victims of road traffic accidents arriving at the Western Infirmary's Accident and Emergency Department over a period of 12 months. More than half the accidents occurred during leisure hours thus likely to stretch the resource of the hospital services. More than a third of the total number of patients were young male drivers. Serious injuries were significantly more often sustained among pedestrians who were often older. Victims of motor-cycle accidents less often escaped serious injuries. Blood ethanol studies on a small sample suggested that male pedestrians were often highly intoxicated. A public health education programme is regarded as a primary measure in preventing a large proportion of serious morbidity and mortality especially amongst pedestrians.

  4. 41 CFR 101-39.407 - Accident records.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 2 2011-07-01 2007-07-01 true Accident records. 101-39...-INTERAGENCY FLEET MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS 39.4-Accidents and Claims § 101-39.407 Accident records. If GSA's records of vehicle accidents indicate that a particular activity has had an unusually high accident frequency...

  5. [Accidents on Iceland's most dangerous roads].

    PubMed

    Bjarnason, Thóroddur; Arnarsson, Sveinn

    2012-02-01

    The objective of this paper was to identify the most dangerous segments of the Icelandic road system in terms of the number of accidents pr km and the rate of accidents pr million km travelled. First to identify the segments where the number of accidents is highest and where the risk of the individual traveller is the greatest. Second to evaluate if the association between the number and the rate of accidents is positive or negative. Third to identify the road segments that are the most dangerous in the sense of many accidents and great risk to individual travellers. Main roads outside urban centers were divided into 45 segments that were on average 78 km in length. Infrequently travelled roads and roads within urban centers were omitted. Information on the length of roads, traffic density and number of accidents was used to calculate the number of accidents per km and the rate of accidents per million km travelled. The correlation between the number and rate of accidents was calculated and the most dangerous road segments were identified by the average rank order on both dimensions. Most accidents pr km occurred on the main roads to and from the capital region, but also east towards Hvolsvöllur, north towards Akureyri and in the Mideast region of the country. The rate of accidents pr million km travelled was highest in the northeast region, in northern Snæfellsnes and in the Westfjords. The most dangerous roads on both dimensions were in Mideast, northern Westfjords, in the north between Blönduós and Akureyri and in northern Snæfellsnes. Most accidents pr km occurred on roads with a low accident rate pr million km travelled. It is therefore possible to reduce accidents the most by increasing road safety where it is already the greatest but that would however increase inequalities in road safety. Policy development in transportation is therefore in part a question of priorities in healthcare. Individual equality in safety and health are not always fully

  6. Indirect MRI of 17 o-labeled water using steady-state sequences: Signal simulation and preclinical experiment.

    PubMed

    Kudo, Kohsuke; Harada, Taisuke; Kameda, Hiroyuki; Uwano, Ikuko; Yamashita, Fumio; Higuchi, Satomi; Yoshioka, Kunihiro; Sasaki, Makoto

    2018-05-01

    Few studies have been reported for T 2 -weighted indirect 17 O imaging. To evaluate the feasibility of steady-state sequences for indirect 17 O brain imaging. Signal simulation, phantom measurements, and prospective animal experiments were performed in accordance with the institutional guidelines for animal experiments. Signal simulations of balanced steady-state free precession (bSSFP) were performed for concentrations of 17 O ranging from 0.037-1.600%. Phantom measurements with concentrations of 17 O water ranging from 0.037-1.566% were also conducted. Six healthy beagle dogs were scanned with intravenous administration of 20% 17 O-labeled water (1 mL/kg). Dynamic 3D-bSSFP scans were performed at 3T MRI. 17 O-labeled water was injected 60 seconds after the scan start, and the total scan duration was 5 minutes. Based on the result of signal simulation and phantom measurement, signal changes in the beagle dogs were measured and converted into 17 O concentrations. The 17 O concentrations were averaged for every 15 seconds, and compared to the baseline (30-45 sec) with Dunnett's multiple comparison tests. Signal simulation revealed that the relationships between 17 O concentration and the natural logarithm of relative signals were linear. The intraclass correlation coefficient between relative signals in phantom measurement and signal simulations was 0.974. In the animal experiments, significant increases in 17 O concentration (P < 0.05) were observed 60 seconds after the injection of 17 O. At the end of scanning, mean respective 17 O concentrations of 0.084 ± 0.026%, 0.117 ± 0.038, 0.082 ± 0.037%, and 0.049 ± 0.004% were noted for the cerebral cortex, cerebellar cortex, cerebral white matter, and ventricle. Dynamic steady-state sequences were feasible for indirect 17 O imaging, and absolute quantification was possible. This method can be applied for the measurement of permeability and blood flow in the brain, and for kinetic analysis of

  7. XS: a FASTQ read simulator.

    PubMed

    Pratas, Diogo; Pinho, Armando J; Rodrigues, João M O S

    2014-01-16

    The emerging next-generation sequencing (NGS) is bringing, besides the natural huge amounts of data, an avalanche of new specialized tools (for analysis, compression, alignment, among others) and large public and private network infrastructures. Therefore, a direct necessity of specific simulation tools for testing and benchmarking is rising, such as a flexible and portable FASTQ read simulator, without the need of a reference sequence, yet correctly prepared for producing approximately the same characteristics as real data. We present XS, a skilled FASTQ read simulation tool, flexible, portable (does not need a reference sequence) and tunable in terms of sequence complexity. It has several running modes, depending on the time and memory available, and is aimed at testing computing infrastructures, namely cloud computing of large-scale projects, and testing FASTQ compression algorithms. Moreover, XS offers the possibility of simulating the three main FASTQ components individually (headers, DNA sequences and quality-scores). XS provides an efficient and convenient method for fast simulation of FASTQ files, such as those from Ion Torrent (currently uncovered by other simulators), Roche-454, Illumina and ABI-SOLiD sequencing machines. This tool is publicly available at http://bioinformatics.ua.pt/software/xs/.

  8. 49 CFR 655.44 - Post-accident testing.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... the employer is unable to perform a post-accident test within the required period noted in paragraphs... 49 Transportation 7 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Post-accident testing. 655.44 Section 655.44... of Testing § 655.44 Post-accident testing. (a) Accidents. (1) Fatal accidents. (i) As soon as...

  9. 22 CFR 102.17 - Reports on accident.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Reports on accident. 102.17 Section 102.17... Accidents Abroad Foreign Aircraft Accidents Involving United States Persons Or Property § 102.17 Reports on accident. When an accident occurs to a foreign aircraft in the district of a Foreign Service post and...

  10. 22 CFR 102.17 - Reports on accident.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Reports on accident. 102.17 Section 102.17... Accidents Abroad Foreign Aircraft Accidents Involving United States Persons Or Property § 102.17 Reports on accident. When an accident occurs to a foreign aircraft in the district of a Foreign Service post and...

  11. 1983 international intercomparison of nuclear accident dosimetry systems at Oak Ridge National Laboratory

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Swaja, R.E.; Greene, R.T.; Sims, C.S.

    1985-04-01

    An international intercomparison of nuclear accident dosimetry systems was conducted during September 12-16, 1983, at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) using the Health Physics Research Reactor operated in the pulse mode to simulate criticality accidents. This study marked the twentieth in a series of annual accident dosimetry intercomparisons conducted at ORNL. Participants from ten organizations attended this intercomparison and measured neutron and gamma doses at area monitoring stations and on phantoms for three different shield conditions. Results of this study indicate that foil activation techniques are the most popular and accurate method of determining accident-level neutron doses at area monitoringmore » stations. For personnel monitoring, foil activation, blood sodium activation, and thermoluminescent (TL) methods are all capable of providing accurate dose estimates in a variety of radiation fields. All participants in this study used TLD's to determine gamma doses with very good results on the average. Chemical dosemeters were also shown to be capable of yielding accurate estimates of total neutron plus gamma doses in a variety of radiation fields. While 83% of all neutron measurements satisfied regulatory standards relative to reference values, only 39% of all gamma results satisfied corresponding guidelines for gamma measurements. These results indicate that continued improvement in accident dosimetry evaluation and measurement techniques is needed.« less

  12. The Virtual Quake Earthquake Simulator: Earthquake Probability Statistics for the El Mayor-Cucapah Region and Evidence of Predictability in Simulated Earthquake Sequences

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schultz, K.; Yoder, M. R.; Heien, E. M.; Rundle, J. B.; Turcotte, D. L.; Parker, J. W.; Donnellan, A.

    2015-12-01

    We introduce a framework for developing earthquake forecasts using Virtual Quake (VQ), the generalized successor to the perhaps better known Virtual California (VC) earthquake simulator. We discuss the basic merits and mechanics of the simulator, and we present several statistics of interest for earthquake forecasting. We also show that, though the system as a whole (in aggregate) behaves quite randomly, (simulated) earthquake sequences limited to specific fault sections exhibit measurable predictability in the form of increasing seismicity precursory to large m > 7 earthquakes. In order to quantify this, we develop an alert based forecasting metric similar to those presented in Keilis-Borok (2002); Molchan (1997), and show that it exhibits significant information gain compared to random forecasts. We also discuss the long standing question of activation vs quiescent type earthquake triggering. We show that VQ exhibits both behaviors separately for independent fault sections; some fault sections exhibit activation type triggering, while others are better characterized by quiescent type triggering. We discuss these aspects of VQ specifically with respect to faults in the Salton Basin and near the El Mayor-Cucapah region in southern California USA and northern Baja California Norte, Mexico.

  13. 49 CFR 655.44 - Post-accident testing.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... results may be used only when the employer is unable to perform a post-accident test within the required... 49 Transportation 7 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Post-accident testing. 655.44 Section 655.44... of Testing § 655.44 Post-accident testing. (a) Accidents. (1) Fatal accidents. (i) As soon as...

  14. a Study of the Interferences with the On-Line Radioiodine Measurement Under Nuclear Accident Conditions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tseng, Tung-Tse

    In this research the interferences with the on -line detection of radioiodines, under nuclear accident conditions, were studied. The special tool employed for this research is the developed on-line radioiodine monitor (the Penn State Radioiodine Monitor), which is capable of detecting low levels of radioiodine on-line in air containing orders of magnitude higher levels of radioactive noble gases. Most of the data reported in this thesis were collected during a series of experiments called "Source -Term Experiment Program (STEP)." The experiments were conducted at the Argonne National Laboratory's TREAT reactor located at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL). In these tests, fission products were released from the Light Water Reactor (LWR) test fuels as a result of simulating a reactor accident. The Penn State Monitor was then used to sample the fission products accumulated in a large container which simulated the reactor containment building. The test results proved that the Penn State Monitor was not affected significantly by the passage of large amounts of noble gases through the system. Also, it confirmed the predicted results that the operation of conventional on-line radioiodine detectors would, under nuclear accident conditions, be seriously impaired by the passage of high concentrations of radioactive noble gases through such systems. This work also demonstrated that under conditions of high noble gas concentrations and low radioiodine concentrations, the formation of noble-gas-decayed alkali metals can seriously interfere with the on-line detection of radioiodine, especially during the 24 hours immediately after the accident. The decayed alkali metal particulates were also found to be much more penetrating than the ordinary type of particulates, since a large fraction (15%) of the particulates were found to penetrate through the commonly used High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter (rated >99.97% for 0.3 (mu)m particulate). Also, a

  15. NASA Medical Response to Human Spacecraft Accidents

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Patlach, Robert

    2010-01-01

    Manned space flight is risky business. Accidents have occurred and may occur in the future. NASA's manned space flight programs, with all their successes, have had three fatal accidents, one at the launch pad and two in flight. The Apollo fire and the Challenger and Columbia accidents resulted in a loss of seventeen crewmembers. Russia's manned space flight programs have had three fatal accidents, one ground-based and two in flight. These accidents resulted in the loss of five crewmembers. Additionally, manned spacecraft have encountered numerous close calls with potential for disaster. The NASA Johnson Space Center Flight Safety Office has documented more than 70 spacecraft incidents, many of which could have become serious accidents. At the Johnson Space Center (JSC), medical contingency personnel are assigned to a Mishap Investigation Team. The team deploys to the accident site to gather and preserve evidence for the Accident Investigation Board. The JSC Medical Operations Branch has developed a flight surgeon accident response training class to capture the lessons learned from the Columbia accident. This presentation will address the NASA Mishap Investigation Team's medical objectives, planned response, and potential issues that could arise subsequent to a manned spacecraft accident. Educational Objectives are to understand the medical objectives and issues confronting the Mishap Investigation Team medical personnel subsequent to a human space flight accident.

  16. Driving simulator and neuropsychological [corrected] testing in OSAS before and under CPAP therapy.

    PubMed

    Orth, M; Duchna, H-W; Leidag, M; Widdig, W; Rasche, K; Bauer, T T; Walther, J W; de Zeeuw, J; Malin, J-P; Schultze-Werninghaus, G; Kotterba, S

    2005-11-01

    Patients with obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) have an increased car accident rate. Investigations on accident frequency are based on case history, insurance reports and driving simulator studies. The present study combines neuropsychological testing of different attention aspects engaged in driving a car and driving simulation to evaluate a suitable instrument for assessing therapeutic effects of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). Driving simulator investigation and neuropsychological testing of alertness, vigilance and divided attention were performed in 31 patients with polysomnographically confirmed OSAS (apnoea-hypopnoea index 24.8+/-21.5.h(-1)) before, and 2 and 42 days after initiation of CPAP. Divided attention and alertness improved significantly during CPAP, whereas vigilance remained unchanged. However, accident frequency (OSAS before therapy: 2.7+/-2.0; 2 days after CPAP: 1.5+/-1.4; 42 days after CPAP: 0.9+/-1.3) and frequency of concentration faults (OSAS before therapy: 12.4+/-5.1; 2 days after CPAP: 6.5+/-3.9; 42 days after CPAP: 4.9+/-3.3) decreased in the simulated driving situation after 2 and 42 days of therapy. There was no relation between accident frequency, concentration faults and daytime sleepiness, as measured by the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, and polysomnographic or neuropsychological findings, respectively. In conclusion, the present results suggest that driving simulation is a possible benchmark parameter of driving performance in obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome patients.

  17. Single vehicle accident study

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1977-11-01

    The general objectives of this study were to determine the nature and causes of single vehicle accidents, describe their resulting consequences, and develop recommendations to effect a reduction in the frequency and severity of these accidents. Analy...

  18. Probabilistic Approach to Conditional Probability of Release of Hazardous Materials from Railroad Tank Cars during Accidents

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2009-10-13

    This paper describes a probabilistic approach to estimate the conditional probability of release of hazardous materials from railroad tank cars during train accidents. Monte Carlo methods are used in developing a probabilistic model to simulate head ...

  19. Single pilot IFR accident data analysis

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Harris, D. F.

    1983-01-01

    The aircraft accident data recorded by the National Transportation and Safety Board (NTSR) for 1964-1979 were analyzed to determine what problems exist in the general aviation (GA) single pilot instrument flight rule (SPIFR) environment. A previous study conducted in 1978 for the years 1964-1975 provided a basis for comparison. This effort was generally limited to SPIFR pilot error landing phase accidents but includes some SPIFR takeoff and enroute accident analysis as well as some dual pilot IFR accident analysis for comparison. Analysis was performed for 554 accidents of which 39% (216) occurred during the years 1976-1979.

  20. Modeling and simulation of cars in frontal collision

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Deac, S. C.; Perescu, A.; Simoiu, D.; Nyaguly, E.; Crâştiu, I.; Bereteu, L.

    2018-01-01

    Protection of cars, mainly drivers and passengers in a collision are very important issues worldwide. Statistics given by “World Health Organization” are alarming rate of increase in the number of road accidents, most claiming with serious injury, human and material loss. For these reasons has been a continuous development of protection systems, especially car causing three quarters of all accidents. Mathematical modeling and simulation of a car behavior during a frontal collision leads to new solutions in the development of protective systems. This paper presents several structural models of a vehicle during a frontal collision and its behavior is analyzed by numerical simulation using Simulink.

  1. Market penetration of intersection AEB: Characterizing avoided and residual straight crossing path accidents.

    PubMed

    Sander, Ulrich; Lubbe, Nils

    2018-06-01

    Car occupants account for one third of all junction fatalities in the European Union. Driver warning can reduce intersection accidents by up to 50 percent; adding Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) delivers a reduction of up to 70 percent. However, these findings are based on an assumed 100 percent equipment rate, which may take decades to achieve. Our study investigates the relationship between intersection AEB market penetration rates and avoidance of accidents and injuries in order to guide implementation strategies. Additionally, residual accident characteristics (impact configurations and severity) are analyzed to provide a basis for future in-crash protection requirements. We determined which accidents would have been avoided through the use of an Intersection AEB system with different sensor field-of-views (180° and 120°) by means of re-simulating the pre-crash phase of 792 straight crossing path (SCP) car-to-car accidents recorded in the German In-Depth Accident Study (GIDAS) and the associated Pre-Crash Matrix (PCM). Intersection AEB was activated when neither of the conflict opponents could avoid the crash through reasonable braking or steering reactions. For not-avoided accidents, we used the Kudlich-Slibar rigid body impulse model to calculate the change of velocity during the impact as a measure of impact severity and the principal direction of force. Accident avoidance over market penetration is not linear but exponential, with higher gains at low penetration rates and lower gains at higher rates. A wide field-of-view sensor (180°) substantially increased accident avoidance and injury mitigation rates compared to a 120° field-of-view sensor. For a 180° field-of-view sensor at 100 percent market penetration, about 80 percent of the accidents and 90 percent of the MAIS2 + F injuries could be avoided. For the remaining accidents, AEB intervention rarely affected side of impact. The median change of velocity (delta-V) of the remaining crashes

  2. Parallel sequencing lives, or what makes large sequencing projects successful

    PubMed Central

    Cuartero, Yasmina; Stadhouders, Ralph; Graf, Thomas; Marti-Renom, Marc A; Beato, Miguel

    2017-01-01

    Abstract T47D_rep2 and b1913e6c1_51720e9cf were 2 Hi-C samples. They were born and processed at the same time, yet their fates were very different. The life of b1913e6c1_51720e9cf was simple and fruitful, while that of T47D_rep2 was full of accidents and sorrow. At the heart of these differences lies the fact that b1913e6c1_51720e9cf was born under a lab culture of Documentation, Automation, Traceability, and Autonomy and compliance with the FAIR Principles. Their lives are a lesson for those who wish to embark on the journey of managing high-throughput sequencing data. PMID:29048533

  3. Parallel sequencing lives, or what makes large sequencing projects successful.

    PubMed

    Quilez, Javier; Vidal, Enrique; Dily, François Le; Serra, François; Cuartero, Yasmina; Stadhouders, Ralph; Graf, Thomas; Marti-Renom, Marc A; Beato, Miguel; Filion, Guillaume

    2017-11-01

    T47D_rep2 and b1913e6c1_51720e9cf were 2 Hi-C samples. They were born and processed at the same time, yet their fates were very different. The life of b1913e6c1_51720e9cf was simple and fruitful, while that of T47D_rep2 was full of accidents and sorrow. At the heart of these differences lies the fact that b1913e6c1_51720e9cf was born under a lab culture of Documentation, Automation, Traceability, and Autonomy and compliance with the FAIR Principles. Their lives are a lesson for those who wish to embark on the journey of managing high-throughput sequencing data. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press.

  4. Simulations of the transport and deposition of 137Cs over Europe after the Chernobyl NPP accident: influence of varying emission-altitude and model horizontal and vertical resolution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Evangeliou, N.; Balkanski, Y.; Cozic, A.; Møller, A. P.

    2013-03-01

    The coupled model LMDzORINCA has been used to simulate the transport, wet and dry deposition of the radioactive tracer 137Cs after accidental releases. For that reason, two horizontal resolutions were deployed and used in the model, a regular grid of 2.5°×1.25°, and the same grid stretched over Europe to reach a resolution of 0.45°×0.51°. The vertical dimension is represented with two different resolutions, 19 and 39 levels, respectively, extending up to mesopause. Four different simulations are presented in this work; the first uses the regular grid over 19 vertical levels assuming that the emissions took place at the surface (RG19L(S)), the second also uses the regular grid over 19 vertical levels but realistic source injection heights (RG19L); in the third resolution the grid is regular and the vertical resolution 39 vertical levels (RG39L) and finally, it is extended to the stretched grid with 19 vertical levels (Z19L). The best choice for the model validation was the Chernobyl accident which occurred in Ukraine (ex-USSR) on 26 May 1986. This accident has been widely studied since 1986, and a large database has been created containing measurements of atmospheric activity concentration and total cumulative deposition for 137Cs from most of the European countries. According to the results, the performance of the model to predict the transport and deposition of the radioactive tracer was efficient and accurate presenting low biases in activity concentrations and deposition inventories, despite the large uncertainties on the intensity of the source released. However, the best agreement with observations was obtained using the highest horizontal resolution of the model (Z19L run). The model managed to predict the radioactive contamination in most of the European regions (similar to Atlas), and also the arrival times of the radioactive fallout. As regards to the vertical resolution, the largest biases were obtained for the 39 layers run due to the increase of

  5. [An analysis of industrial accidents in the working field with a particular emphasis on repeated accidents].

    PubMed

    Wakisaka, I; Yanagihashi, T; Tomari, T; Sato, M

    1990-03-01

    The present study is based on an analysis of routinely submitted reports of occupational accidents experienced by the workers of industrial enterprises under the jurisdiction of Kagoshima Labor Standard Office during a 5-year period 1983 to 1987. Officially notified injuries serious enough to keep employees away from their job for work at least 4 days were utilized in this study. Data was classified so as to give an observed frequency distribution for workers having any specified number of accidents. Also, the accident rate which is an indicator of the risk of accident was compared among different occupations, between age groups and between the sexes. Results obtained are as follows; 1) For the combined total of 6,324 accident cases for 8 types of occupation (Construction, Transportation, Mining & Quarrying, Forestry, Food manufacture, Lumber & Woodcraft, Manufacturing industry and Other business), the number of those who had at least one accident was 6,098, of which 5,837 were injured only once, 208 twice, 21 three times and 2 four times. When occupation type was fixed, however, the number of workers having one, two, three and four times of accidents were 5,895, 182, 19 and 2, respectively. This suggests that some workers are likely to have experienced repeated accidents in more than one type of occupation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

  6. Investigating the role of sliding friction in rolling motion: a teaching sequence based on experiments and simulations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    De Ambrosis, Anna; Malgieri, Massimiliano; Mascheretti, Paolo; Onorato, Pasquale

    2015-05-01

    We designed a teaching-learning sequence on rolling motion, rooted in previous research about student conceptions, and proposing an educational reconstruction strongly centred on the role of friction in different cases of rolling. A series of experiments based on video analysis is used to highlight selected key concepts and to motivate students in their exploration of the topic; and interactive simulations, which can be modified on the fly by students to model different physical situations, are used to stimulate autonomous investigation in enquiry activities. The activity sequence was designed for students on introductory physics courses and was tested with a group of student teachers. Comparisons between pre- and post-tests, and between our results and those reported in the literature, indicate that students’ understanding of rolling motion improved markedly and some typical difficulties were overcome.

  7. Sequence- and Temperature-Dependent Properties of Unfolded and Disordered Proteins from Atomistic Simulations.

    PubMed

    Zerze, Gül H; Best, Robert B; Mittal, Jeetain

    2015-11-19

    We use all-atom molecular simulation with explicit solvent to study the properties of selected intrinsically disordered proteins and unfolded states of foldable proteins, which include chain dimensions and shape, secondary structure propensity, solvent accessible surface area, and contact formation. We find that the qualitative scaling behavior of the chains matches expectations from theory under ambient conditions. In particular, unfolded globular proteins tend to be more collapsed under the same conditions than charged disordered sequences of the same length. However, inclusion of explicit solvent in addition naturally captures temperature-dependent solvation effects, which results in an initial collapse of the chains as temperature is increased, in qualitative agreement with experiment. There is a universal origin to the collapse, revealed in the change of hydration of individual residues as a function of temperature: namely, that the initial collapse is driven by unfavorable solvation free energy of individual residues, which in turn has a strong temperature dependence. We also observe that in unfolded globular proteins, increased temperature also initially favors formation of native-like (rather than non-native-like) structure. Our results help to establish how sequence encodes the degree of intrinsic disorder or order as well as its response to changes in environmental conditions.

  8. Voir Dire Simulation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Van Camp, Julie

    1986-01-01

    This article provides background on the voir dire (jury selection) process, explaining its importance to the outcome of a trial. Offers a simulation experience which has students take the role of lawyers interviewing 29 prospective jurors for an alcohol-related traffic accident involving a 20-year-old driver. Profiles for prospective jurors and…

  9. Accident history, risk perception and traffic safe behaviour.

    PubMed

    Ngueutsa, Robert; Kouabenan, Dongo Rémi

    2017-09-01

    This study clarifies the associations between accident history, perception of the riskiness of road travel and traffic safety behaviours by taking into account the number and severity of accidents experienced. A sample of 525 road users in Cameroon answered a questionnaire comprising items on perception of risk, safe behaviour and personal accident history. Participants who reported involvement in more than three accidents or involvement in a severe accident perceived road travel as less risky and also reported behaving less safely compared with those involved in fewer, or less severe accidents. The results have practical implications for the prevention of traffic accidents. Practitioner Summary: The associations between accident history, perceived risk of road travel and safe behaviour were investigated using self-report questionnaire data. Participants involved in more than three accidents, or in severe accidents, perceived road travel as less risky and also reported more unsafe behaviour compared with those involved in fewer, or less severe accidents. Campaigns targeting people with a less serious, less extensive accident history should aim to increase awareness of hazards and the potential severity of their consequences, as well as emphasising how easy it is to take the recommended preventive actions. Campaigns targeting those involved in more frequent accidents, and survivors of serious accidents, should address feelings of invulnerability and helplessness.

  10. Development of modified voxel phantoms for the numerical dosimetric reconstruction of radiological accidents involving external sources: implementation in SESAME tool.

    PubMed

    Courageot, Estelle; Sayah, Rima; Huet, Christelle

    2010-05-07

    Estimating the dose distribution in a victim's body is a relevant indicator in assessing biological damage from exposure in the event of a radiological accident caused by an external source. When the dose distribution is evaluated with a numerical anthropomorphic model, the posture and morphology of the victim have to be reproduced as realistically as possible. Several years ago, IRSN developed a specific software application, called the simulation of external source accident with medical images (SESAME), for the dosimetric reconstruction of radiological accidents by numerical simulation. This tool combines voxel geometry and the MCNP(X) Monte Carlo computer code for radiation-material interaction. This note presents a new functionality in this software that enables the modelling of a victim's posture and morphology based on non-uniform rational B-spline (NURBS) surfaces. The procedure for constructing the modified voxel phantoms is described, along with a numerical validation of this new functionality using a voxel phantom of the RANDO tissue-equivalent physical model.

  11. [Occupational accidents in an oil refinery in Brazil].

    PubMed

    Souza, Carlos Augusto Vaz de; Freitas, Carlos Machado de

    2002-10-01

    Work in oil refineries involves the risk of minor to major accidents. National data show the impact of accidents on this industry. A study was carried out to describe accident profile and evaluate the adequacy of accident reporting system. Data on all accidents reported in an oil refinery in the state of Rio de Janeiro for the year 1997 were organized and analyzed. The study population consisted of 153 injury cases, 83 hired and 69 contracted workers. The variables were: type of accident, operation mode and position of the worker injured. Among hired workers, minor accidents predominated (54.2%) and they occurred during regular operation activities (62.9%). Among contracted workers, there also predominated minor accidents (75.5%) in a higher percentage, but they occurred mainly during maintenance activities (96.8%). The study results showed that there is a predominance of accidents in lower hierarchy workers, and these accidents occur mainly during maintenance activities. There is a need to improve the company's accident reporting system and accident investigation procedures.

  12. Usefulness of high resolution coastal models for operational oil spill forecast: the "Full City" accident

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Broström, G.; Carrasco, A.; Hole, L. R.; Dick, S.; Janssen, F.; Mattsson, J.; Berger, S.

    2011-11-01

    Oil spill modeling is considered to be an important part of a decision support system (DeSS) for oil spill combatment and is useful for remedial action in case of accidents, as well as for designing the environmental monitoring system that is frequently set up after major accidents. Many accidents take place in coastal areas, implying that low resolution basin scale ocean models are of limited use for predicting the trajectories of an oil spill. In this study, we target the oil spill in connection with the "Full City" accident on the Norwegian south coast and compare operational simulations from three different oil spill models for the area. The result of the analysis is that all models do a satisfactory job. The "standard" operational model for the area is shown to have severe flaws, but by applying ocean forcing data of higher resolution (1.5 km resolution), the model system shows results that compare well with observations. The study also shows that an ensemble of results from the three different models is useful when predicting/analyzing oil spill in coastal areas.

  13. 32 CFR 634.28 - Traffic accident investigation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 32 National Defense 4 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Traffic accident investigation. 634.28 Section... accident investigation. Installation law enforcement personnel must make detailed investigations of accidents described in this section: (a) Accidents involving Government vehicles or Government property on...

  14. Pulse sequence programming in a dynamic visual environment: SequenceTree.

    PubMed

    Magland, Jeremy F; Li, Cheng; Langham, Michael C; Wehrli, Felix W

    2016-01-01

    To describe SequenceTree, an open source, integrated software environment for implementing MRI pulse sequences and, ideally, exporting them to actual MRI scanners. The software is a user-friendly alternative to vendor-supplied pulse sequence design and editing tools and is suited for programmers and nonprogrammers alike. The integrated user interface was programmed using the Qt4/C++ toolkit. As parameters and code are modified, the pulse sequence diagram is automatically updated within the user interface. Several aspects of pulse programming are handled automatically, allowing users to focus on higher-level aspects of sequence design. Sequences can be simulated using a built-in Bloch equation solver and then exported for use on a Siemens MRI scanner. Ideally, other types of scanners will be supported in the future. SequenceTree has been used for 8 years in our laboratory and elsewhere and has contributed to more than 50 peer-reviewed publications in areas such as cardiovascular imaging, solid state and nonproton NMR, MR elastography, and high-resolution structural imaging. SequenceTree is an innovative, open source, visual pulse sequence environment for MRI combining simplicity with flexibility and is ideal both for advanced users and users with limited programming experience. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  15. Credible investigation of air accidents.

    PubMed

    Smart, K

    2004-07-26

    Within the United Kingdom the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has been used as a model for the other transport modes accident investigation bodies. Government Ministers considered that the AAIB's approach had established the trust of the public and the aviation industry in its ability to conduct independent and objective investigations. The paper will examine the factors that are involved in establishing this trust. They include: the investigation framework; the actual and perceived independence of the accident investigating body; the aviation industry's safety culture; the qualities of the investigators and the quality of their liaison with bereaved families those directly affected by the accidents they investigate.

  16. Bicycle accidents among teenagers

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2001-10-01

    The report shows that knowledge of traffic rules does not contribute to reduce the accident risk, or injury risk of young cyclists. Running red lights and cycling in the wrong direction in one-way traffic increase accident and injury risk. Using cycl...

  17. Occurrence and countermeasures of urban power grid accident

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wei, Wang; Tao, Zhang

    2018-03-01

    With the advance of technology, the development of network communication and the extensive use of power grids, people can get to know power grid accidents around the world through the network timely. Power grid accidents occur frequently. Large-scale power system blackout and casualty accidents caused by electric shock are also fairly commonplace. All of those accidents have seriously endangered the property and personal safety of the country and people, and the development of society and economy is severely affected by power grid accidents. Through the researches on several typical cases of power grid accidents at home and abroad in recent years and taking these accident cases as the research object, this paper will analyze the three major factors that cause power grid accidents at present. At the same time, combining with various factors and impacts caused by power grid accidents, the paper will put forward corresponding solutions and suggestions to prevent the occurrence of the accident and lower the impact of the accident.

  18. Sleepy driver near-misses may predict accident risks.

    PubMed

    Powell, Nelson B; Schechtman, Kenneth B; Riley, Robert W; Guilleminault, Christian; Chiang, Rayleigh Ping-ying; Weaver, Edward M

    2007-03-01

    To quantify the prevalence of self-reported near-miss sleepy driving accidents and their association with self-reported actual driving accidents. A prospective cross-sectional internet-linked survey on driving behaviors. Dateline NBC News website. Results are given on 35,217 (88% of sample) individuals with a mean age of 37.2 +/- 13 years, 54.8% women, and 87% white. The risk of at least one accident increased monotonically from 23.2% if there were no near-miss sleepy accidents to 44.5% if there were > or = 4 near-miss sleepy accidents (P < 0.0001). After covariate adjustments, subjects who reported at least one near-miss sleepy accident were 1.13 (95% CI, 1.10 to 1.16) times as likely to have reported at least one actual accident as subjects reporting no near-miss sleepy accidents (P < 0.0001). The odds of reporting at least one actual accident in those reporting > or = 4 near-miss sleepy accidents as compared to those reporting no near-miss sleepy accidents was 1.87 (95% CI, 1.64 to 2.14). Furthermore, after adjustments, the summary Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) score had an independent association with having a near-miss or actual accident. An increase of 1 unit of ESS was associated with a covariate adjusted 4.4% increase of having at least one accident (P < 0.0001). A statistically significant dose-response was seen between the numbers of self-reported sleepy near-miss accidents and an actual accident. These findings suggest that sleepy near-misses may be dangerous precursors to an actual accident.

  19. Modeling secondary accidents identified by traffic shock waves.

    PubMed

    Junhua, Wang; Boya, Liu; Lanfang, Zhang; Ragland, David R

    2016-02-01

    The high potential for occurrence and the negative consequences of secondary accidents make them an issue of great concern affecting freeway safety. Using accident records from a three-year period together with California interstate freeway loop data, a dynamic method for more accurate classification based on the traffic shock wave detecting method was used to identify secondary accidents. Spatio-temporal gaps between the primary and secondary accident were proven be fit via a mixture of Weibull and normal distribution. A logistic regression model was developed to investigate major factors contributing to secondary accident occurrence. Traffic shock wave speed and volume at the occurrence of a primary accident were explicitly considered in the model, as a secondary accident is defined as an accident that occurs within the spatio-temporal impact scope of the primary accident. Results show that the shock waves originating in the wake of a primary accident have a more significant impact on the likelihood of a secondary accident occurrence than the effects of traffic volume. Primary accidents with long durations can significantly increase the possibility of secondary accidents. Unsafe speed and weather are other factors contributing to secondary crash occurrence. It is strongly suggested that when police or rescue personnel arrive at the scene of an accident, they should not suddenly block, decrease, or unblock the traffic flow, but instead endeavor to control traffic in a smooth and controlled manner. Also it is important to reduce accident processing time to reduce the risk of secondary accident. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. A quarter of a century of the DBQ: some supplementary notes on its validity with regard to accidents.

    PubMed

    de Winter, Joost C F; Dodou, Dimitra; Stanton, Neville A

    2015-01-01

    This article synthesises the latest information on the relationship between the Driver Behaviour Questionnaire (DBQ) and accidents. We show by means of computer simulation that correlations with accidents are necessarily small because accidents are rare events. An updated meta-analysis on the zero-order correlations between the DBQ and self-reported accidents yielded an overall r of .13 (fixed-effect and random-effects models) for violations (57,480 participants; 67 samples) and .09 (fixed-effect and random-effects models) for errors (66,028 participants; 56 samples). An analysis of a previously published DBQ dataset (975 participants) showed that by aggregating across four measurement occasions, the correlation coefficient with self-reported accidents increased from .14 to .24 for violations and from .11 to .19 for errors. Our meta-analysis also showed that DBQ violations (r = .24; 6353 participants; 20 samples) but not DBQ errors (r = - .08; 1086 participants; 16 samples) correlated with recorded vehicle speed. Practitioner Summary: The DBQ is probably the most widely used self-report questionnaire in driver behaviour research. This study shows that DBQ violations and errors correlate moderately with self-reported traffic accidents.

  1. Metagenome assembly through clustering of next-generation sequencing data using protein sequences.

    PubMed

    Sim, Mikang; Kim, Jaebum

    2015-02-01

    The study of environmental microbial communities, called metagenomics, has gained a lot of attention because of the recent advances in next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies. Microbes play a critical role in changing their environments, and the mode of their effect can be solved by investigating metagenomes. However, the difficulty of metagenomes, such as the combination of multiple microbes and different species abundance, makes metagenome assembly tasks more challenging. In this paper, we developed a new metagenome assembly method by utilizing protein sequences, in addition to the NGS read sequences. Our method (i) builds read clusters by using mapping information against available protein sequences, and (ii) creates contig sequences by finding consensus sequences through probabilistic choices from the read clusters. By using simulated NGS read sequences from real microbial genome sequences, we evaluated our method in comparison with four existing assembly programs. We found that our method could generate relatively long and accurate metagenome assemblies, indicating that the idea of using protein sequences, as a guide for the assembly, is promising. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. 10 CFR 835.1304 - Nuclear accident dosimetry.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 4 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Nuclear accident dosimetry. 835.1304 Section 835.1304... Nuclear accident dosimetry. (a) Installations possessing sufficient quantities of fissile material to... nuclear accident is possible, shall provide nuclear accident dosimetry for those individuals. (b) Nuclear...

  3. 10 CFR 835.1304 - Nuclear accident dosimetry.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 4 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Nuclear accident dosimetry. 835.1304 Section 835.1304... Nuclear accident dosimetry. (a) Installations possessing sufficient quantities of fissile material to... nuclear accident is possible, shall provide nuclear accident dosimetry for those individuals. (b) Nuclear...

  4. 10 CFR 835.1304 - Nuclear accident dosimetry.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 4 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Nuclear accident dosimetry. 835.1304 Section 835.1304... Nuclear accident dosimetry. (a) Installations possessing sufficient quantities of fissile material to... nuclear accident is possible, shall provide nuclear accident dosimetry for those individuals. (b) Nuclear...

  5. 10 CFR 835.1304 - Nuclear accident dosimetry.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 4 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Nuclear accident dosimetry. 835.1304 Section 835.1304... Nuclear accident dosimetry. (a) Installations possessing sufficient quantities of fissile material to... nuclear accident is possible, shall provide nuclear accident dosimetry for those individuals. (b) Nuclear...

  6. 10 CFR 835.1304 - Nuclear accident dosimetry.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Nuclear accident dosimetry. 835.1304 Section 835.1304... Nuclear accident dosimetry. (a) Installations possessing sufficient quantities of fissile material to... nuclear accident is possible, shall provide nuclear accident dosimetry for those individuals. (b) Nuclear...

  7. Safety evaluation model of urban cross-river tunnel based on driving simulation.

    PubMed

    Ma, Yingqi; Lu, Linjun; Lu, Jian John

    2017-09-01

    Currently, Shanghai urban cross-river tunnels have three principal characteristics: increased traffic, a high accident rate and rapidly developing construction. Because of their complex geographic and hydrological characteristics, the alignment conditions in urban cross-river tunnels are more complicated than in highway tunnels, so a safety evaluation of urban cross-river tunnels is necessary to suggest follow-up construction and changes in operational management. A driving risk index (DRI) for urban cross-river tunnels was proposed in this study. An index system was also constructed, combining eight factors derived from the output of a driving simulator regarding three aspects of risk due to following, lateral accidents and driver workload. Analytic hierarchy process methods and expert marking and normalization processing were applied to construct a mathematical model for the DRI. The driving simulator was used to simulate 12 Shanghai urban cross-river tunnels and a relationship was obtained between the DRI for the tunnels and the corresponding accident rate (AR) via a regression analysis. The regression analysis results showed that the relationship between the DRI and the AR mapped to an exponential function with a high degree of fit. In the absence of detailed accident data, a safety evaluation model based on factors derived from a driving simulation can effectively assess the driving risk in urban cross-river tunnels constructed or in design.

  8. Secondary school accident reporting in one education authority.

    PubMed

    Williams, W R; Latif, A H A; Sibert, J

    2002-01-01

    Secondary schools appear to have very different accident rates when they are compared on the basis of accident report returns. The variation may be as a result of real differences in accident rates or different reporting procedures. This study investigates accident reporting from secondary schools and, in particular, the role of the school nurse. Accident form returns covering a 2-year period were collected for statistical analysis from 13 comprehensive schools in one local education authority in Wales. School sites were visited in the following school year to obtain information about accident records held on site and accident reporting procedures. The main factors determining the number of school accident reports submitted to the education authority relate to differences in recording and reporting procedures, such as the employment of a nurse and the policy of the head teacher/safety officer on submitting accident returns. Accident and emergency department referrals from similar schools may show significant differences in specific injuries and their causes. The level of school accident activity cannot be gauged from reports submitted to the education authority. Lack of incentives for collecting good accident data, in conjunction with the degree of complacency in the current system, suggest that future accident rates and reporting activity are unlikely to change.

  9. Utilization of accident databases and fuzzy sets to estimate frequency of HazMat transport accidents.

    PubMed

    Qiao, Yuanhua; Keren, Nir; Mannan, M Sam

    2009-08-15

    Risk assessment and management of transportation of hazardous materials (HazMat) require the estimation of accident frequency. This paper presents a methodology to estimate hazardous materials transportation accident frequency by utilizing publicly available databases and expert knowledge. The estimation process addresses route-dependent and route-independent variables. Negative binomial regression is applied to an analysis of the Department of Public Safety (DPS) accident database to derive basic accident frequency as a function of route-dependent variables, while the effects of route-independent variables are modeled by fuzzy logic. The integrated methodology provides the basis for an overall transportation risk analysis, which can be used later to develop a decision support system.

  10. Factors associated with automobile accidents and survival.

    PubMed

    Kim, Hong Sok; Kim, Hyung Jin; Son, Bongsoo

    2006-09-01

    This paper develops an econometric model for vehicles' inherent mortality rate and estimates the probability of accidents and survival in the United States. Logistic regression model is used to estimate probability of survival, and censored regression model is used to estimate probability of accidents. The estimation results indicated that the probability of accident and survival are influenced by the physical characteristics of the vehicles involved in the accident, and by the characteristics of the driver and the occupants. Using restrain system and riding in heavy vehicle increased the survival rate. Middle-aged drivers are less susceptible to involve in an accident, and surprisingly, female drivers are more likely to have an accident than male drivers. Riding in powerful vehicles (high horsepower) and driving late night increase the probability of accident. Overall, the driving behavior and characteristics of vehicle does matter and affects the probabilities of having a fatal accident for different types of vehicles.

  11. Road accidents caused by drivers falling asleep.

    PubMed

    Sagberg, F

    1999-11-01

    About 29600 Norwegian accident-involved drivers received a questionnaire about the last accident reported to their insurance company. About 9200 drivers (31%) returned the questionnaire. The questionnaire contained questions about sleep or fatigue as contributing factors to the accident. In addition, the drivers reported whether or not they had fallen asleep some time whilst driving. and what the consequences had been. Sleep or drowsiness was a contributing factor in 3.9% of all accidents, as reported by drivers who were at fault for the accident. This factor was strongly over-represented in night-time accidents (18.6%), in running-off-the-road accidents (8.3%), accidents after driving more than 150 km on one trip (8.1%), and personal injury accidents (7.3%). A logistic regression analysis showed that the following additional factors made significant and independent contributions to increasing the odds of sleep involvement in an accident: dry road, high speed limit, driving one's own car, not driving the car daily, high education, and few years of driving experience. More male than female drivers were involved in sleep-related accidents, but this seems largely to be explained by males driving relatively more than females on roads with high speed limits. A total of 10% of male drivers and 4% of females reported to have fallen asleep while driving during the last 12 months. A total of 4% of these events resulted in an accident. The most frequent consequence of falling asleep--amounting to more than 40% of the reported incidents--was crossing of the right edge-line before awaking, whereas crossing of the centreline was reported by 16%. Drivers' lack of awareness of important precursors of falling asleep--like highway hypnosis, driving without awareness, and similar phenomena--as well as a reluctance to discontinue driving despite feeling tired are pointed out as likely contributors to sleep-related accidents. More knowledge about the drivers' experiences immediately

  12. Industrial accidents triggered by lightning.

    PubMed

    Renni, Elisabetta; Krausmann, Elisabeth; Cozzani, Valerio

    2010-12-15

    Natural disasters can cause major accidents in chemical facilities where they can lead to the release of hazardous materials which in turn can result in fires, explosions or toxic dispersion. Lightning strikes are the most frequent cause of major accidents triggered by natural events. In order to contribute towards the development of a quantitative approach for assessing lightning risk at industrial facilities, lightning-triggered accident case histories were retrieved from the major industrial accident databases and analysed to extract information on types of vulnerable equipment, failure dynamics and damage states, as well as on the final consequences of the event. The most vulnerable category of equipment is storage tanks. Lightning damage is incurred by immediate ignition, electrical and electronic systems failure or structural damage with subsequent release. Toxic releases and tank fires tend to be the most common scenarios associated with lightning strikes. Oil, diesel and gasoline are the substances most frequently released during lightning-triggered Natech accidents. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. [Childhood accidents: relevant epidemiologic data].

    PubMed

    Julé, Laure; Chevallier, Bertrand

    2009-02-20

    Injuries resulting from accidents are a major public heath problem. Accidents account for 700 deaths among French children up to 15 years and near 300 concern home accidents. Accidental injuries represent the first cause of children mortality, hospitalisations and sequelae. The lack of data registration supports the need of epidemiological tools to appreciate the burden of the public heath problem and the basis of a surveillance system to evaluate strategy prevention.

  14. Paragliding accidents in remote areas.

    PubMed

    Fasching, G; Schippinger, G; Pretscher, R

    1997-08-01

    Paragliding is an increasingly popular hobby, as people try to find new and more adventurous activities. However, there is an increased and inherent danger with this sport. For this reason, as well as the inexperience of many operators, injuries occur frequently. This retrospective study centers on the helicopter rescue of 70 individuals in paragliding accidents. All histories were examined, and 43 patients answered a questionnaire. Nineteen (42%) pilots were injured when taking off, 20 (44%) during the flight, and six (13%) when landing. Routine and experience did not affect the prevalence of accident. Analysis of the causes of accident revealed pilot errors in all but three cases. In 34 rescue operations a landing of the helicopter near the site of the accident was possible. Half of the patients had to be rescued by a cable winch or a long rope fixed to the helicopter. Seven (10%) of the pilots suffered multiple trauma, 38 (54%) had injuries of the lower extremities, and 32 (84%) of them sustained fractures. Injuries to the spine were diagnosed in 34 cases with a fracture rate of 85%. One patient had an incomplete paraplegia. Injuries to the head occurred in 17 patients. No paraglider pilot died. The average hospitalization was 22 days, and average time of working inability was 14 weeks. Fourteen (34%) patients suffered from a permanent damage to their nerves or joints. Forty-three percent of the paragliders continued their sport despite the accident; two of them had another accident. An improved training program is necessary to lower the incidence of paragliding accidents. Optimal equipment to reduce injuries in case of accidents is mandatory. The helicopter emergency physician must perform a careful examination, provide stabilization of airways and circulation, give analgesics, splint fractured extremities, and transport the victim on a vacuum mattress to the appropriate hospital.

  15. 48 CFR 852.236-87 - Accident prevention.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Accident prevention. 852... Accident prevention. As prescribed in 836.513, insert the following clause: Accident Prevention (SEP 1993....236-13, Accident Prevention. However, only the Contracting Officer may issue an order to stop all or...

  16. 48 CFR 852.236-87 - Accident prevention.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Accident prevention. 852... Accident prevention. As prescribed in 836.513, insert the following clause: Accident Prevention (SEP 1993....236-13, Accident Prevention. However, only the Contracting Officer may issue an order to stop all or...

  17. Car accidents induced by a bottleneck

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Marzoug, Rachid; Echab, Hicham; Ez-Zahraouy, Hamid

    2017-12-01

    Based on the Nagel-Schreckenberg model (NS) we study the probability of car accidents to occur (Pac) at the entrance of the merging part of two roads (i.e. junction). The simulation results show that the existence of non-cooperative drivers plays a chief role, where it increases the risk of collisions in the intermediate and high densities. Moreover, the impact of speed limit in the bottleneck (Vb) on the probability Pac is also studied. This impact depends strongly on the density, where, the increasing of Vb enhances Pac in the low densities. Meanwhile, it increases the road safety in the high densities. The phase diagram of the system is also constructed.

  18. 48 CFR 836.513 - Accident prevention.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Accident prevention. 836... CATEGORIES OF CONTRACTING CONSTRUCTION AND ARCHITECT-ENGINEER CONTRACTS Contract Clauses 836.513 Accident prevention. The contracting officer must insert the clause at 852.236-87, Accident Prevention, in...

  19. 48 CFR 36.513 - Accident prevention.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Accident prevention. 36... CATEGORIES OF CONTRACTING CONSTRUCTION AND ARCHITECT-ENGINEER CONTRACTS Contract Clauses 36.513 Accident prevention. (a) The contracting officer shall insert the clause at 52.236-13, Accident Prevention, in...

  20. 48 CFR 36.513 - Accident prevention.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Accident prevention. 36... CATEGORIES OF CONTRACTING CONSTRUCTION AND ARCHITECT-ENGINEER CONTRACTS Contract Clauses 36.513 Accident prevention. (a) The contracting officer shall insert the clause at 52.236-13, Accident Prevention, in...

  1. 48 CFR 836.513 - Accident prevention.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Accident prevention. 836... CATEGORIES OF CONTRACTING CONSTRUCTION AND ARCHITECT-ENGINEER CONTRACTS Contract Clauses 836.513 Accident prevention. The contracting officer must insert the clause at 852.236-87, Accident Prevention, in...

  2. Student Accidents in Hawaii's Public Schools.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Taketa, Sachiko

    1984-01-01

    Review of data collected from student accident report forms in Hawaii public schools revealed that the intermediate grade level had the highest number of school accidents. The significant number of accidents and school days lost may warrant the need for better safety education. (Author/DF)

  3. A new approach to modeling aviation accidents

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rao, Arjun Harsha

    General Aviation (GA) is a catchall term for all aircraft operations in the US that are not categorized as commercial operations or military flights. GA aircraft account for almost 97% of the US civil aviation fleet. Unfortunately, GA flights have a much higher fatal accident rate than commercial operations. Recent estimates by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) showed that the GA fatal accident rate has remained relatively unchanged between 2010 and 2015, with 1566 fatal accidents accounting for 2650 fatalities. Several research efforts have been directed towards betters understanding the causes of GA accidents. Many of these efforts use National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) accident reports and data. Unfortunately, while these studies easily identify the top types of accidents (e.g., inflight loss of control (LOC)), they usually cannot identify why these accidents are happening. Most NTSB narrative reports for GA accidents are very short (many are only one paragraph long), and do not contain much information on the causes (likely because the causes were not fully identified). NTSB investigators also code each accident using an event-based coding system, which should facilitate identification of patterns and trends in causation, given the high number of GA accidents each year. However, this system is susceptible to investigator interpretation and error, meaning that two investigators may code the same accident differently, or omit applicable codes. To facilitate a potentially better understanding of GA accident causation, this research develops a state-based approach to check for logical gaps or omissions in NTSB accident records, and potentially fills-in the omissions. The state-based approach offers more flexibility as it moves away from the conventional event-based representation of accidents, which classifies events in accidents into several categories such as causes, contributing factors, findings, occurrences, and phase of flight. The method

  4. Numerical Simulation on Smoke Spread and Temperature Distribution in a Corn Starch Explosion

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lin, CherngShing; Hsu, JuiPei

    2018-01-01

    It is discovered from dust explosion accidents in recent years that deep causes of the accidents lies in insufficient cognition of dust explosion danger, and no understanding on danger and information of the dust explosion. In the study, Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) evaluation tool is used aiming at Taiwan Formosa Fun Coast explosion accidents. The calculator is used for rebuilding the explosion situation. The factors affecting casualties under explosion are studied. The injured personnel participating in the party are evaluated according to smoke diffusion and temperature distribution for numerical simulation results. Some problems noted in the fire disaster after actual explosion are proposed, rational site analysis is given, thereby reducing dust explosion risk grade.

  5. The impact of in-vehicle cell-phone use on accidents or near-accidents among college students.

    PubMed

    Seo, Dong-Chul; Torabi, Mohammad R

    2004-01-01

    With in-vehicle use of cell phones rapidly increasing, the safety of young drivers, who represent 14% of licensed drivers but 26% of drivers involved in fatal crashes, may be disproportionately threatened. The authors used a questionnaire to examine the association between in-vehicle cell-phone use and accidents or near-accidents among 1,291 conveniently recruited college students in 4 states. Of the 1,185 respondents who were drivers, 87% had a cell phone, and 86% of the cell-phone owners reported talking while driving at least occasionally. Of the 762 reported accidents or near-accidents, 21% (n = 159) involved at least 1 of the drivers talking while driving. Chi-square tests and logistic regression analyses showed that the frequency, not the duration, of drivers talking while driving was related to experiencing accidents or near-accidents. Differences between drivers who used cell phones and nonusers in unsafe driving behaviors and attitudes were also examined, and target groups for intervention efforts against talking on a cell phone while driving are suggested.

  6. Investigation of Asymmetric Thrust Detection with Demonstration in a Real-Time Simulation Testbed

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chicatelli, Amy; Rinehart, Aidan W.; Sowers, T. Shane; Simon, Donald L.

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this effort is to develop, demonstrate, and evaluate three asymmetric thrust detection approaches to aid in the reduction of asymmetric thrust-induced aviation accidents. This paper presents the results from that effort and their evaluation in simulation studies, including those from a real-time flight simulation testbed. Asymmetric thrust is recognized as a contributing factor in several Propulsion System Malfunction plus Inappropriate Crew Response (PSM+ICR) aviation accidents. As an improvement over the state-of-the-art, providing annunciation of asymmetric thrust to alert the crew may hold safety benefits. For this, the reliable detection and confirmation of asymmetric thrust conditions is required. For this work, three asymmetric thrust detection methods are presented along with their results obtained through simulation studies. Representative asymmetric thrust conditions are modeled in simulation based on failure scenarios similar to those reported in aviation incident and accident descriptions. These simulated asymmetric thrust scenarios, combined with actual aircraft operational flight data, are then used to conduct a sensitivity study regarding the detection capabilities of the three methods. Additional evaluation results are presented based on pilot-in-the-loop simulation studies conducted in the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) flight simulation testbed. Data obtained from this flight simulation facility are used to further evaluate the effectiveness and accuracy of the asymmetric thrust detection approaches. Generally, the asymmetric thrust conditions are correctly detected and confirmed.

  7. Investigation of Asymmetric Thrust Detection with Demonstration in a Real-Time Simulation Testbed

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chicatelli, Amy K.; Rinehart, Aidan W.; Sowers, T. Shane; Simon, Donald L.

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this effort is to develop, demonstrate, and evaluate three asymmetric thrust detection approaches to aid in the reduction of asymmetric thrust-induced aviation accidents. This paper presents the results from that effort and their evaluation in simulation studies, including those from a real-time flight simulation testbed. Asymmetric thrust is recognized as a contributing factor in several Propulsion System Malfunction plus Inappropriate Crew Response (PSM+ICR) aviation accidents. As an improvement over the state-of-the-art, providing annunciation of asymmetric thrust to alert the crew may hold safety benefits. For this, the reliable detection and confirmation of asymmetric thrust conditions is required. For this work, three asymmetric thrust detection methods are presented along with their results obtained through simulation studies. Representative asymmetric thrust conditions are modeled in simulation based on failure scenarios similar to those reported in aviation incident and accident descriptions. These simulated asymmetric thrust scenarios, combined with actual aircraft operational flight data, are then used to conduct a sensitivity study regarding the detection capabilities of the three methods. Additional evaluation results are presented based on pilot-in-the-loop simulation studies conducted in the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) flight simulation testbed. Data obtained from this flight simulation facility are used to further evaluate the effectiveness and accuracy of the asymmetric thrust detection approaches. Generally, the asymmetric thrust conditions are correctly detected and confirmed.

  8. Draft genome sequence of two Shingopyxis sp. strains H107 and H115 isolated from a chloraminated drinking water distriburion system simulator

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Draft genome sequence of two Shingopyxis sp. strains H107 and H115 isolated from a chloraminated drinking water distriburion system simulatorThis dataset is associated with the following publication:Gomez-Alvarez, V., S. Pfaller , and R. Revetta. Draft Genome of Two Sphingopyxis sp. Strains, Dominant Members of the Bacterial Community Associated with a Drinking Water Distribution System Simulator. Genome Announcements. American Society for Microbiology, Washington, DC, USA, 4(2): e00183-16, (2016).

  9. 33 CFR 401.81 - Reporting an accident.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Reporting an accident. 401.81... an accident. (a) Where a vessel on the Seaway is involved in an accident or a dangerous occurrence, the master of the vessel shall report the accident or occurrence, pursuant to the requirements of the...

  10. 14 CFR 415.41 - Accident investigation plan.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Accident investigation plan. 415.41 Section... Launch Range § 415.41 Accident investigation plan. An applicant must file an accident investigation plan... reporting and responding to launch accidents, launch incidents, or other mishaps, as defined by § 401.5 of...

  11. 33 CFR 401.81 - Reporting an accident.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Reporting an accident. 401.81... an accident. (a) Where a vessel on the Seaway is involved in an accident or a dangerous occurrence, the master of the vessel shall report the accident or occurrence, pursuant to the requirements of the...

  12. 14 CFR 415.41 - Accident investigation plan.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Accident investigation plan. 415.41 Section... Launch Range § 415.41 Accident investigation plan. An applicant must file an accident investigation plan... reporting and responding to launch accidents, launch incidents, or other mishaps, as defined by § 401.5 of...

  13. Anatomy of an Accident.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mobley, Michael

    1984-01-01

    The findings of industrial safety engineers in the areas of accident causation and prevention are wholly applicable to adventure programs. Adventure education instructors can use safety engineering concepts to assess the risk in a particular activity, understand factors that cause accidents, and intervene to minimize injuries and damages if…

  14. 'Experiencing' the Unthinkable: By Simulating Emergencies, We Show Staff Members how to Deal with Them, when and if They Should Occur.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kolb, David C.

    1989-01-01

    Suggests staging simulated accidents for emergency planning and training. Describes planning and staging simulated accidents for outdoor programs. Offers tips on role playing and how to create imitation "wounds." Describes implementation of plan, emphasizing value of proper supervision and evaluation upon completion. (TES)

  15. NOTE: Development of modified voxel phantoms for the numerical dosimetric reconstruction of radiological accidents involving external sources: implementation in SESAME tool

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Courageot, Estelle; Sayah, Rima; Huet, Christelle

    2010-05-01

    Estimating the dose distribution in a victim's body is a relevant indicator in assessing biological damage from exposure in the event of a radiological accident caused by an external source. When the dose distribution is evaluated with a numerical anthropomorphic model, the posture and morphology of the victim have to be reproduced as realistically as possible. Several years ago, IRSN developed a specific software application, called the simulation of external source accident with medical images (SESAME), for the dosimetric reconstruction of radiological accidents by numerical simulation. This tool combines voxel geometry and the MCNP(X) Monte Carlo computer code for radiation-material interaction. This note presents a new functionality in this software that enables the modelling of a victim's posture and morphology based on non-uniform rational B-spline (NURBS) surfaces. The procedure for constructing the modified voxel phantoms is described, along with a numerical validation of this new functionality using a voxel phantom of the RANDO tissue-equivalent physical model.

  16. A few seconds to have an accident, a long time to recover: consequences for road accident victims from the ESPARR cohort 2 years after the accident.

    PubMed

    Tournier, Charlène; Charnay, Pierrette; Tardy, Hélène; Chossegros, Laetitia; Carnis, Laurent; Hours, Martine

    2014-11-01

    The aim of the present study was to describe the consequences of a road accident in adults, taking account of the type of road user, and to determine predictive factors for consequences at 2 years. Prospective follow-up study. The cohort was composed of 1168 victims of road traffic accidents, aged ≥16 years. Two years after the accident, 912 victims completed a self-administered questionnaire. Weighted logistic regression models were implemented to compare casualties still reporting impact related to the accident versus those reporting no residual impact. Five outcomes were analysed: unrecovered health status, impact on occupation or studies, on familial or affective life, on leisure or sport activities and but also the financial difficulties related to the accident. 46.1% of respondents were motorised four-wheel users, 29.6% motorised two-wheel (including quad) users, 13.3% pedestrians (including inline skate and push scooter users) and 11.1% cyclists. 53.3% reported unrecovered health status, 32.0% persisting impact on occupation or studies, 25.2% on familial or affective life, 46.9% on leisure or sport activities and 20.2% still had accident-related financial difficulties. Type of user, adjusted on age and gender, was linked to unrecovered health status and to impact on leisure or sport activities. When global severity (as measured by NISS) was integrated in the previous model, type of user was also associated with impact on occupation or studies. Type of user was further associated with impact on occupation or studies and on leisure or sport activities when global severity and the sociodemographic data obtained at inclusion were taken into account. It was not, however, related to any of the outcomes studied here, when the models focused on the injured body region. Finally, type of road user did not seem, on the various predictive models, to be related to financial difficulties due to the accident or to impact on familial or affective life. Overall, victims

  17. 50 CFR 25.72 - Reporting of accidents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 8 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Reporting of accidents. 25.72 Section 25... Reporting of accidents. Accidents involving damage to property, injury to the public or injury to wildlife..., but in no event later than 24 hours after the accident, by the persons involved, to the refuge manager...

  18. 50 CFR 25.72 - Reporting of accidents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 6 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Reporting of accidents. 25.72 Section 25... Reporting of accidents. Accidents involving damage to property, injury to the public or injury to wildlife..., but in no event later than 24 hours after the accident, by the persons involved, to the refuge manager...

  19. 48 CFR 636.513 - Accident prevention.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Accident prevention. 636... CONTRACTING CONSTRUCTION AND ARCHITECT-ENGINEER CONTRACTS Contract Clauses 636.513 Accident prevention. (a) In... contracting activities shall insert DOSAR 652.236-70, Accident Prevention, in lieu of FAR clause 52.236-13...

  20. 48 CFR 636.513 - Accident prevention.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Accident prevention. 636... CONTRACTING CONSTRUCTION AND ARCHITECT-ENGINEER CONTRACTS Contract Clauses 636.513 Accident prevention. (a) In... contracting activities shall insert DOSAR 652.236-70, Accident Prevention, in lieu of FAR clause 52.236-13...

  1. 49 CFR 801.32 - Accident reports.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 7 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Accident reports. 801.32 Section 801.32 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued) NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD PUBLIC AVAILABILITY OF INFORMATION Accident Investigation Records § 801.32 Accident reports. (a) The NTSB will report the facts, conditions, and...

  2. [Implementation of safety devices: biological accident prevention].

    PubMed

    Catalán Gómez, M Teresa; Sol Vidiella, Josep; Castellà Castellà, Manel; Castells Bo, Carolina; Losada Pla, Nuria; Espuny, Javier Lluís

    2010-04-01

    Accidental exposures to blood and biological material were the most frequent and potentially serious accidents in healthcare workers, reported in the Prevention of Occupational Risks Unit within 2002. Evaluate the biological percutaneous accidents decrease after a progressive introduction of safety devices. Biological accidents produced between 2.002 and 2.006 were analyzed and reported by the injured healthcare workers to the Level 2b Hospital Prevention of Occupational Risk Unit with 238 beds and 750 employees. The key of the study was the safety devices (peripheral i.v. catheter, needleless i.v. access device and capillary blood collection lancet). Within 2002, 54 percutaneous biological accidents were registered and 19 in 2006, that represents a 64.8% decreased. There has been no safety devices accident reported involving these material. Accidents registered during the implantation period occurred because safety devices were not used at that time. Safety devices have proven to be effective in reducing needle stick percutaneous accidents, so that they are a good choice in the primary prevention of biological accidents contact.

  3. Trend of Elevator-Related Accidents in Tehran

    PubMed Central

    Khaji, Ali; Ghodsi, Syyed Mohammad

    2014-01-01

    Background: Elevator-related accidents are uncommon, but can cause significant injury. However, little data exist on these types of accidents. To compile and analyze accident data involving elevators in an effort to eliminate or at least significantly reduce such accidents. Methods: In this retrospective study we investigated 1,819 cases of elevator-related accidents during a four-year period (1999-2003) in Tehran. The data were obtained from the Tehran Safety Services & Fire Fighting Organization (TSFO) that is officially and solely responsible to conduct rescue missions of civilians in Tehran. Results: The number of elevator accidents has increased steadily during the four year study period. During these four years there was a positive upward trend for serious injuries and mortality resulting from elevator accidents. Technical problems were the main cause with 74.5%, followed by power loss and overcapacity riding with 11.5% and 7.9% respectively. Sixty-three individuals sustained serious injury and 15 people died as a result of elevator accidents. The number of accidents was significantly higher in summer (x2=18.32, P=0.032) and a considerable proportion of incidences (54%, 947 cases out of 1819) occurred between 5 and 12 pm. Conclusions: Establishment of an organization to inspect the settings, maintenance, and repair of elevators is necessary. PMID:25207331

  4. Occupational Accidents with Agricultural Machinery in Austria.

    PubMed

    Kogler, Robert; Quendler, Elisabeth; Boxberger, Josef

    2016-01-01

    The number of recognized accidents with fatalities during agricultural and forestry work, despite better technology and coordinated prevention and trainings, is still very high in Austria. The accident scenarios in which people are injured are very different on farms. The common causes of accidents in agriculture and forestry are the loss of control of machine, means of transport or handling equipment, hand-held tool, and object or animal, followed by slipping, stumbling and falling, breakage, bursting, splitting, slipping, fall, and collapse of material agent. In the literature, a number of studies of general (machine- and animal-related accidents) and specific (machine-related accidents) agricultural and forestry accident situations can be found that refer to different databases. From the database Data of the Austrian Workers Compensation Board (AUVA) about occupational accidents with different agricultural machinery over the period 2008-2010 in Austria, main characteristics of the accident, the victim, and the employer as well as variables on causes and circumstances by frequency and contexts of parameters were statistically analyzed by employing the chi-square test and odds ratio. The aim of the study was to determine the information content and quality of the European Statistics on Accidents at Work (ESAW) variables to evaluate safety gaps and risks as well as the accidental man-machine interaction.

  5. Profile of an accident flying squad.

    PubMed

    Little, K

    1972-09-30

    An analysis of 184 accident flying squad calls and of 280 patients injured in road accidents and treated by a flying squad based on an accident department inclusive from 1967 to 1971 has shown that such a service can provide an efficient system without disrupting the routine work of the hospital.

  6. Characteristics of worker accidents on NYSDOT construction projects.

    PubMed

    Mohan, Satish; Zech, Wesley C

    2005-01-01

    This paper aims at providing cost-effective safety measures to protect construction workers in highway work zones, based on real data. Two types of accidents that occur in work zones were: (a) construction work area accidents, and (b) traffic accidents involving construction worker(s). A detailed analysis of work zone accidents involving 36 fatalities and 3,055 severe injuries to construction workers on New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) construction projects from 1990 to 2001 established that five accident types: (a) Struck/Pinned by Large Equipment, (b) Trip or Fall (elevated), (c) Contact w/Electrical or Gas Utility, (d) Struck-by Moving/Falling Load, and (e) Crane/Lift Device Failure accounted for nearly 96% of the fatal accidents, nearly 63% of the hospital-level injury accidents, and nearly 91% of the total costs. These construction work area accidents had a total cost of $133.8 million. Traffic accidents that involve contractors' employees were also examined. Statistical analyses of the traffic accidents established that five traffic accident types: (a) Work Space Intrusion, (b) Worker Struck-by Vehicle Inside Work Space, (c) Flagger Struck-by Vehicle, (d) Worker Struck-by Vehicle Entering/Exiting Work Space, and (e) Construction Equipment Struck-by Vehicle Inside Work Space accounted for nearly 86% of the fatal, nearly 70% of the hospital-level injury and minor injury traffic accidents, and $45.4 million (79.4%) of the total traffic accident costs. The results of this paper provide real statistics on construction worker related accidents reported on construction work zones. Potential preventions based on real statistics have also been suggested. The ranking of accident types, both within the work area as well as in traffic, will guide the heavy highway contractor and owner agencies in identifying the most cost effective safety preventions.

  7. Profile of an Accident Flying Squad

    PubMed Central

    Little, Keith

    1972-01-01

    An analysis of 184 accident flying squad calls and of 280 patients injured in road accidents and treated by a flying squad based on an accident department inclusive from 1967 to 1971 has shown that such a service can provide an efficient system without disrupting the routine work of the hospital. PMID:5076258

  8. 48 CFR 1836.513 - Accident prevention.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 6 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Accident prevention. 1836... 1836.513 Accident prevention. The contracting officer must insert the clause at 1852.223-70, Safety and Health, in lieu of FAR clause 52.236-13, Accident Prevention, and its Alternate I. [67 FR 17016, Apr. 9...

  9. 48 CFR 1836.513 - Accident prevention.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 6 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 true Accident prevention. 1836... 1836.513 Accident prevention. The contracting officer must insert the clause at 1852.223-70, Safety and Health, in lieu of FAR clause 52.236-13, Accident Prevention, and its Alternate I. [67 FR 17016, Apr. 9...

  10. 49 CFR 845.40 - Accident report.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 7 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Accident report. 845.40 Section 845.40 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued) NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD RULES OF PRACTICE IN TRANSPORTATION; ACCIDENT/INCIDENT HEARINGS AND REPORTS Board Reports § 845.40 Accident report. (a) The Board will issue a detailed...

  11. [Medical protection during radiation accidents: some results and lessons of the Chernobyl accident].

    PubMed

    Legeza, V I; Grebeniuk, A N; Zatsepin, V V

    2011-01-01

    Actions of medical radiation protection of liquidators of consequences of on Chernobyl atomic power station accident are analysed. It is shown, that during the early period of the accident medical protection of liquidators was provided by administration of radioprotectors, means of prophylaxis: of radioactive iodine incorporation and agent for preventing psychological and emotional stress. When carrying out decontamination and regenerative works, preparations which action is caused by increase of nonspecific resistance of an organism were applied. The lessons taken from the results of the Chernobyl accident, have allowed one to improve the system of medical protection and to introduce in practice new highly effective radioprotective agents.

  12. APT Blanket System Loss-of-Coolant Accident (LOCA) Based on Initial Conceptual Design - Case 4: External Pressurizer Surge Line Break Near Inlet Header

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hamm, L.L.

    1998-10-07

    This report is one of a series of reports documenting accident scenario simulations for the Accelerator Production of Tritium (APT) blanket heat removal systems. The simulations were performed in support of the Preliminary Safety Analysis Report (PSAR) for the APT.

  13. [Fatal occupational accidents in Lombardy].

    PubMed

    Pianosi, G

    1995-01-01

    All fatal occupational accidents compensated in Lombardy from 1984 to 1989 were analyzed (1259 cases): significant differences between geographical distribution of fatal occupational accidents and workers were observed. Males accounted for about 95% of fatalities; an excess of cases was shown in both young and elderly workers. Death was the consequence of injuries involving most frequently the head, thorax and spinal cord. An excess of fatalities was observed in agriculture and, at a lower level, in manufacturing industries; small enterprises were involved in approximately 25% of fatalities occurring in the manufacturing industries and services. Employers were the victims of fatal accidents in 50% of cases in agriculture and in 70% of cases in craft industries. Construction, agriculture and transport accounted for about 50% of all fatalities. About 50% of fatal occupational accidents were related to vehicle use: the victim was the driver in the majority of cases, sometimes the victim was run over by a vehicle or fell from a vehicle. The results agree with some previous observations (e.g.: sex and age distribution; construction, agriculture and transport as working activities at high accident risk); but some original observations have emerged, in particular about the frequency of employers as victims and the role of vehicles in the genesis of fatal occupational accidents. If further studies confirm these latter observations, important developments could follow in preventive action design and implementation.

  14. Primary school accident reporting in one education authority.

    PubMed

    Latif, A H A; Williams, W R; Sibert, J

    2002-02-01

    Studies have shown a correlation between increased accident rates and levels of deprivation in the community. School accident reporting is one area where an association might be expected. To investigate differences in primary school accident rates in deprived and more affluent wards, in an area managed by one education authority. Statistical analysis of accident form returns for 100 primary schools in one education authority in Wales over a two year period, in conjunction with visits to over one third of school sites. Accident report rates from schools in deprived wards were three times higher than those from schools in more affluent wards. School visits showed that this discrepancy was attributable primarily to differences in reporting procedures. One third of schools did not report accidents and approximately half did not keep records of minor accidents. The association between school accident report rates and deprivation in the community is complex. School accident data from local education authorities may be unreliable for most purposes of collection.

  15. An analysis of aircraft accidents involving fires

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lucha, G. V.; Robertson, M. A.; Schooley, F. A.

    1975-01-01

    All U. S. Air Carrier accidents between 1963 and 1974 were studied to assess the extent of total personnel and aircraft damage which occurred in accidents and in accidents involving fire. Published accident reports and NTSB investigators' factual backup files were the primary sources of data. Although it was frequently not possible to assess the relative extent of fire-caused damage versus impact damage using the available data, the study established upper and lower bounds for deaths and damage due specifically to fire. In 12 years there were 122 accidents which involved airframe fires. Eighty-seven percent of the fires occurred after impact, and fuel leakage from ruptured tanks or severed lines was the most frequently cited cause. A cost analysis was performed for 300 serious accidents, including 92 serious accidents which involved fire. Personal injury costs were outside the scope of the cost analysis, but data on personnel injury judgements as well as settlements received from the CAB are included for reference.

  16. The Concept of Accident Proneness: A Review

    PubMed Central

    Froggatt, Peter; Smiley, James A.

    1964-01-01

    The term accident proneness was coined by psychological research workers in 1926. Since then its concept—that certain individuals are always more likely than others to sustain accidents, even though exposed to equal risk—has been questioned but seldom seriously challenged. This article describes much of the work and theory on which this concept is based, details the difficulties encountered in obtaining valid information and the interpretative errors that can arise from the examination of imperfect data, and explains why accident proneness became so readily accepted as an explanation of the facts. A recent hypothesis of accident causation, namely that a person's accident liability may vary from time to time, is outlined, and the respective abilities of this and of accident proneness to accord with data from the more reliable literature are examined. The authors conclude that the hypothesis of individual variation in liability is more realistic and in better agreement with the data than is accident proneness. PMID:14106130

  17. STS-29 Commander Coats in JSC fixed base (FB) shuttle mission simulator (SMS)

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1986-02-11

    S86-28458 (28 Feb. 1986) --- Astronaut Michael L. Coats participates in a rehearsal for his assigned flight at the commander's station of the Shuttle Mission Simulator (SMS) at the Johnson Space Center (JSC). NOTE: Coats, a veteran of spaceflight, originally trained for STS 61-H, which was cancelled in the wake of the Challenger accident. Following the Janaury 1986 accident he was named to serve on a mock crew (STS-61M) for personnel training and simulation purposes. Photo credit: NASA

  18. Multiple alignment-free sequence comparison

    PubMed Central

    Ren, Jie; Song, Kai; Sun, Fengzhu; Deng, Minghua; Reinert, Gesine

    2013-01-01

    Motivation: Recently, a range of new statistics have become available for the alignment-free comparison of two sequences based on k-tuple word content. Here, we extend these statistics to the simultaneous comparison of more than two sequences. Our suite of statistics contains, first, and , extensions of statistics for pairwise comparison of the joint k-tuple content of all the sequences, and second, , and , averages of sums of pairwise comparison statistics. The two tasks we consider are, first, to identify sequences that are similar to a set of target sequences, and, second, to measure the similarity within a set of sequences. Results: Our investigation uses both simulated data as well as cis-regulatory module data where the task is to identify cis-regulatory modules with similar transcription factor binding sites. We find that although for real data, all of our statistics show a similar performance, on simulated data the Shepp-type statistics are in some instances outperformed by star-type statistics. The multiple alignment-free statistics are more sensitive to contamination in the data than the pairwise average statistics. Availability: Our implementation of the five statistics is available as R package named ‘multiAlignFree’ at be http://www-rcf.usc.edu/∼fsun/Programs/multiAlignFree/multiAlignFreemain.html. Contact: reinert@stats.ox.ac.uk Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. PMID:23990418

  19. 2008 Kansas traffic accident facts

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2009-01-01

    The accident data herein, as of January 1, 2009, reflect the reporting : officers observations and opinions recorded on the KDOT forms: : 850- Motor Vehicle Accident Report : 851- Investigative-Fatality Report : 852- Truck-Bus Supplement

  20. 2006 Kansas traffic accident facts

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2007-01-01

    The accident data herein, as of January 1, 2007, reflect the reporting officers : observations and opinions recorded on the KDOT forms: : 850- Motor Vehicle Accident Report : 851- Investigative-Fatality Report : 852- Truck-Bus Supplement

  1. 2005 Kansas traffic accident facts

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2006-01-01

    The accident data herein, as of January 1, 2006, reflect the reporting officers : observations and opinions recorded on the KDOT forms: : 850- Motor Vehicle Accident Report : 851- Investigative-Fatality Report : 852- Truck-Bus Supplement

  2. 2002 Kansas traffic accident facts

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2003-01-01

    The accident data herein, as of January 1, 2003, reflect the reporting officers : observations and opinions recorded on the KDOT forms: : 850- Motor Vehicle Accident Report : 851- Investigative-Fatality Report : 852- Truck-Bus Supplement

  3. 2000 Kansas traffic accident facts

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2001-01-01

    The accident data herein, as of January 1, 2001, reflect the reporting officers : observations and opinions recorded on the KDOT forms: : 850- Motor Vehicle Accident Report : 851- Investigative-Fatality Report : 852- Truck-Bus Supplement

  4. 2001 Kansas traffic accident facts

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2002-01-01

    The accident data herein, as of January 1, 2002, reflect the reporting officers : observations and opinions recorded on the KDOT forms: : 850- Motor Vehicle Accident Report : 851- Investigative-Fatality Report : 852- Truck-Bus Supplement

  5. Recalibration of indium foil for personnel screening in criticality accidents.

    PubMed

    Takada, C; Tsujimura, N; Mikami, S

    2011-03-01

    At the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Engineering Laboratories of the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), small pieces of indium foil incorporated into personal dosemeters have been used for personnel screening in criticality accidents. Irradiation tests of the badges were performed using the SILENE reactor to verify the calibration of the indium activation that had been made in the 1980s and to recalibrate them for simulated criticalities that would be the most likely to occur in the solution process line. In addition, Monte Carlo calculations of the indium activation using the badge model were also made to complement the spectral dependence. The results lead to a screening level of 15 kcpm being determined that corresponds to a total dose of 0.25 Gy, which is also applicable in posterior-anterior exposure. The recalibration based on the latest study will provide a sounder basis for the screening procedure in the event of a criticality accident.

  6. Firearms accidents in Northern India (1980-2000).

    PubMed

    Singh, B P

    2006-01-01

    This paper investigates firearms accidents from the last two decades (1980-2000), with information received from the three North Indian states, Chandigarh, Delhi and Himachal Pradesh and from the military and paramilitary organisations working in the region. In this study 139 cases were analysed for evaluation of various parameters such as type of accident, type of firearm used, age, sex, occupation and caste of victim, day of the week and the season in which the accident occurred, place of incident and location of wound. Information was extracted from the case histories and First Information Reports (FIR), and also from autopsy and injury reports. The accidents were self-inflicted in nine cases while another person fired the weapon in 130 cases. Most accidents occurred during hunting or from mishandling the firearm. Gun cleaning accidents rarely occurred and few cases were due to technical defects of the firearm. Shotguns and rifles caused most of the accidents. Shotgun accidents occurred mostly in rural areas whereas the cases involving rifles and handguns were from urban areas. Victims were predominantly male with a mean age of 26 and 30 years for males and females respectively. Victims' occupations were principally agricultural followed by service class and housewives. The most aggressive community was the Kshatriya caste. Most of the accidents occurred during the winter season and on days between Sunday and Tuesday. Accident locations were most commonly the forest, the fields or the home. The chest and head were the most common anatomical sites of injury. All accidental cases were the result of only one firing. It is important to mention that, based on these findings, firearm accidents could be reduced significantly if firearm holders were better trained regarding the handling and safety aspects of their guns, particularly farmers to whom firearm licences are granted specifically for the protection of crops.

  7. School Bus Accidents and Driver Age.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McMichael, Judith

    The study examines the rates and types of school bus accidents according to the age of the school bus driver. Accident rates in North Carolina for the school year 1971-72 were analyzed using three sources of data: accident reports, driver and mileage data, and questionnaires administered to a sample of school bus drivers. Data were obtained on…

  8. Pulse Sequence Programming in a Dynamic Visual Environment: SequenceTree

    PubMed Central

    Magland, Jeremy F.; Li, Cheng; Langham, Michael C.; Wehrli, Felix W.

    2015-01-01

    Purpose To describe SequenceTree (ST), an open source. integrated software environment for implementing MRI pulse sequences, and ideally exported them to actual MRI scanners. The software is a user-friendly alternative to vendor-supplied pulse sequence design and editing tools and is suited for non-programmers and programmers alike. Methods The integrated user interface was programmed using the Qt4/C++ toolkit. As parameters and code are modified, the pulse sequence diagram is automatically updated within the user interface. Several aspects of pulse programming are handled automatically allowing users to focus on higher-level aspects of sequence design. Sequences can be simulated using a built-in Bloch equation solver and then exported for use on a Siemens MRI scanner. Ideally other types of scanners will be supported in the future. Results The software has been used for eight years in the authors’ laboratory and elsewhere and has been utilized in more than fifty peer-reviewed publications in areas such as cardiovascular imaging, solid state and non-proton NMR, MR elastography, and high resolution structural imaging. Conclusion ST is an innovative, open source, visual pulse sequence environment for MRI combining simplicity with flexibility and is ideal for both advanced users and those with limited programming experience. PMID:25754837

  9. World commercial aircraft accidents. Second edition, 1946--1992

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kimura, C.Y.

    1993-01-01

    This report is a compilation of all accidents world-wide involving aircraft in commercial service which resulted in the loss of the airframe or one or more fatality, or both. This information has been gathered in order to present a complete inventory of commercial aircraft accidents. Events involving military action, sabotage, terrorist bombings, hijackings, suicides, and industrial ground accidents are included within this list. Included are: accidents involving world commercial jet aircraft, world commercial turboprop aircraft, world commercial pistonprop aircraft with four or more engines and world commercial pistonprop aircraft with two or three engines from 1946 to 1992. Each accidentmore » is presented with information in the following categories: date of the accident, airline and its flight numbers, type of flight, type of aircraft, aircraft registration number, construction number/manufacturers serial number, aircraft damage, accident flight phase, accident location, number of fatalities, number of occupants, cause, remarks, or description (brief) of the accident, and finally references used. The sixth chapter presents a summary of the world commercial aircraft accidents by major aircraft class (e.g. jet, turboprop, and pistonprop) and by flight phase. The seventh chapter presents several special studies including a list of world commercial aircraft accidents for all aircraft types with 100 or more fatalities in order of decreasing number of fatalities, a list of collision accidents involving commercial aircrafts, and a list of world commercial aircraft accidents for all aircraft types involving military action, sabotage, terrorist bombings, and hijackings.« less

  10. [Violence and accidents among older and younger adults: evidence from the Surveillance System for Violence and Accidents (VIVA), Brazil].

    PubMed

    Luz, Tatiana Chama Borges; Malta, Deborah Carvalho; Sá, Naíza Nayla Bandeira de; Silva, Marta Maria Alves da; Lima-Costa, Maria Fernanda

    2011-11-01

    Data from the Brazilian Surveillance System for Violence and Accidents (VIVA) in 2009 were used to examine socio-demographic characteristics, outcomes, and types of accidents and violence treated at 74 sentinel emergency services in 23 Brazilian State capitals and the Federal District. The analysis included 25,201 individuals aged > 20 years (10.1% > 60 years); 89.3% were victims of accidents and 11.9% victims of violence. Hospitalization was the outcome in 11.1% of cases. Compared to the general population, there were more men and non-white individuals among victims of accidents, and especially among victims of violence. As compared to younger adults (20-59 years), accidents and violence against elderly victims showed less association with alcohol, a higher proportion of domestic incidents, more falls and pedestrian accidents, and aggression by family members. Policies for the prevention of accidents and violence should consider the characteristics of these events in the older population.

  11. TMI-2 - A Case Study for PWR Instrumentation Performance during a Severe Accident

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Joy L. Rempe; Darrell L. Knudson

    2013-03-01

    The accident at the Three Mile Island Unit 2 (TMI-2) reactor provided a unique opportunity to evaluate sensors exposed to severe accident conditions. Conditions associated with the release of coolant and the hydrogen burn that occurred during this accident exposed instrumentation to harsh conditions, including direct radiation, radioactive contamination, and high humidity with elevated temperatures and pressures. As part of a program initiated in 2012 by the Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE), a review was completed to gain insights from prior TMI-2 sensor survivability and data qualification efforts. This new effort focussed upon a set of sensorsmore » that provided critical data to TMI-2 operators for assessing the condition of the plant and the effects of mitigating actions taken by these operators. In addition, the effort considered sensors providing data required for subsequent accident simulations. Over 100 references related to instrumentation performance and post-accident evaluations of TMI-2 sensors and measurements were reviewed. Insights gained from this review are summarized within this report. For each sensor, a description is provided with the measured data and conclusions related to the sensor’s survivability, and the basis for conclusions about its survivability. As noted within this document, several techniques were invoked in the TMI-2 post-accident evaluation program to assess sensor status, including comparisons with data from other sensors, analytical calculations, laboratory testing, and comparisons with sensors subjected to similar conditions in large-scale integral tests and with sensors that were similar in design but more easily removed from the TMI-2 plant for evaluations. Conclusions from this review provide important insights related to sensor survivability and enhancement options for improving sensor performance. In addition, this document provides recommendations related to the sensor survivability and data

  12. TMI-2 - A Case Study for PWR Instrumentation Performance during a Severe Accident

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Joy L. Rempe; Darrell L. Knudson

    2014-05-01

    The accident at the Three Mile Island Unit 2 (TMI-2) reactor provided a unique opportunity to evaluate sensors exposed to severe accident conditions. Conditions associated with the release of coolant and the hydrogen burn that occurred during this accident exposed instrumentation to harsh conditions, including direct radiation, radioactive contamination, and high humidity with elevated temperatures and pressures. As part of a program initiated in 2012 by the Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE), a review was completed to gain insights from prior TMI-2 sensor survivability and data qualification efforts. This new effort focussed upon a set of sensorsmore » that provided critical data to TMI-2 operators for assessing the condition of the plant and the effects of mitigating actions taken by these operators. In addition, the effort considered sensors providing data required for subsequent accident simulations. Over 100 references related to instrumentation performance and post-accident evaluations of TMI-2 sensors and measurements were reviewed. Insights gained from this review are summarized within this report. For each sensor, a description is provided with the measured data and conclusions related to the sensor’s survivability, and the basis for conclusions about its survivability. As noted within this document, several techniques were invoked in the TMI-2 post-accident evaluation program to assess sensor status, including comparisons with data from other sensors, analytical calculations, laboratory testing, and comparisons with sensors subjected to similar conditions in large-scale integral tests and with sensors that were similar in design but more easily removed from the TMI-2 plant for evaluations. Conclusions from this review provide important insights related to sensor survivability and enhancement options for improving sensor performance. In addition, this document provides recommendations related to the sensor survivability and data

  13. Neutrality and evolvability of designed protein sequences

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bhattacherjee, Arnab; Biswas, Parbati

    2010-07-01

    The effect of foldability on protein’s evolvability is analyzed by a two-prong approach consisting of a self-consistent mean-field theory and Monte Carlo simulations. Theory and simulation models representing protein sequences with binary patterning of amino acid residues compatible with a particular foldability criteria are used. This generalized foldability criterion is derived using the high temperature cumulant expansion approximating the free energy of folding. The effect of cumulative point mutations on these designed proteins is studied under neutral condition. The robustness, protein’s ability to tolerate random point mutations is determined with a selective pressure of stability (ΔΔG) for the theory designed sequences, which are found to be more robust than that of Monte Carlo and mean-field-biased Monte Carlo generated sequences. The results show that this foldability criterion selects viable protein sequences more effectively compared to the Monte Carlo method, which has a marked effect on how the selective pressure shapes the evolutionary sequence space. These observations may impact de novo sequence design and its applications in protein engineering.

  14. Accident proneness : a research review.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1993-05-01

    Accident proneness is a concept that refers to an enduring or stable personality characteristic that predisposes an individual toward having accidents (Haddon, Suchman, and Klein, 1964). The concept is controversial and has sustained a lively debate ...

  15. Road accident facts Ireland, 2001

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2002-10-01

    This report covers all road or traffic accidents reported : to the Garda Sochna involving fatalities, personal : injury or material damage which occurred on public : roads in Ireland (exclusive of Northern Ireland) in 2001. : Accidents on private...

  16. Road accident facts Ireland, 2000

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2001-08-01

    This report covers all road or traffic accidents reported : to the Garda Sochna involving fatalities, personal : injury or material damage which occurred on public : roads in Ireland (exclusive of Northern Ireland) in 2000. : Accidents on private...

  17. Internal Dose from Food and Drink Ingestion in the Early Phase after the Accident

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kawai, Masaki; Yoshizawa, Nobuaki; Hirakawa, Sachiko; Murakami, Kana; Takizawa, Mari; Sato, Osamu; Takagi, Shunji; Miyatake, Hirokazu; Takahashi, Tomoyuki; Suzuki, Gen

    2017-09-01

    Activity concentrations in food and drink, represented by water and vegetables, have been monitored continuously since the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident, with a focus on radioactive cesium. On the other hand, iodine-131 was not measured systematically in the early phase after the accident. The activity concentrations of iodine-131 in food and drink are important to estimate internal exposure due to ingestion pathway. When the internal dose from ingestion in the evacuation areas is estimated, water is considered as the main ingestion pathway. In this study, we estimated the values of activity concentrations in water in the early phase after the accident, using a compartment model as an estimation method. The model uses measurement values of activity concentration and deposition rate of iodine-131 onto the ground, which is calculated from an atmospheric dispersion simulation. The model considers how drinking water would be affected by radionuclides deposited into water. We estimated the activity concentrations of water on Kawamata town and Minamisouma city during March of 2011 and the committed effective doses were 0.08 mSv and 0.06 mSv. We calculated the transfer parameters in the model for estimating the activity concentrations in the areas with a small amount of measurement data. In addition, we estimated the committed effective doses from vegetables using atmospheric dispersion simulation and FARMLAND model in case of eating certain vegetables as option information.

  18. Unlocking the Mystery of Columbia's Tragic Accident Through Materials Characterization

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Shah, Sandeep; Jerman, Gregory; Coston, James

    2003-01-01

    The wing and underbelly reconstruction of Space Shuttle Columbia took place at the Shuttle Landing Facility Hangar after the accident which destroyed STS-107. Fragments were placed on a grid according to their original location on the orbiter. Some Reinforced Carbon-Carbon (RCC) panels of the left wing leading edge and other parts from both leading edges were recovered and incorporated into the reconstruction. The recovered parts were tracked on a database according to a number and also tracked on a map of the orbiter. This viewgraph presentation describes the process of failure analysis undertaken by the Materials and Processes (M&P) Problem Resolution Team. The team started with factual observations about the accident, and identified highest level questions for it to answer in order to understand where on the orbiter failure occured, what component(s) failed, and what was the sequence of events. The finding of Columbia's MADS/OEX data recorder shifted the focus of the team's analysis to the left wing leading edge damage. The team placed particular attention on slag deposits on some of the RCC panels. The presentation lists analysis techniques, and lower level questions for the team to answer.

  19. School accidents in Austria.

    PubMed

    Schalamon, Johannes; Eberl, Robert; Ainoedhofer, Herwig; Singer, Georg; Spitzer, Peter; Mayr, Johannes; Schober, Peter H; Hoellwarth, Michael E

    2007-09-01

    The aim of this study was to obtain information about the mechanisms and types of injuries in school in Austria. Children between 0 and 18 years of age presenting with injuries at the trauma outpatient in the Department of Pediatric Surgery in Graz and six participating hospitals in Austria were evaluated over a 2-year prospective survey. A total of 28,983 pediatric trauma cases were registered. Personal data, site of the accident, circumstances and mechanisms of accident and the related diagnosis were evaluated. At the Department of Pediatric Surgery in Graz 21,582 questionnaires were completed, out of which 2,148 children had school accidents (10%). The remaining 7,401 questionnaires from peripheral hospitals included 890 school accidents (12%). The male/female ratio was 3:2. In general, sport injuries were a predominant cause of severe trauma (42% severe injuries), compared with other activities in and outside of the school building (26% severe injuries). Injuries during ball-sports contributed to 44% of severe injuries. The upper extremity was most frequently injured (34%), followed by lower extremity (32%), head and neck area (26%) and injuries to thorax and abdomen (8%). Half of all school related injuries occur in children between 10 and 13 years of age. There are typical gender related mechanisms of accident: Boys get frequently injured during soccer, violence, and collisions in and outside of the school building and during craft work. Girls have the highest risk of injuries at ball sports other than soccer.

  20. Road accident facts Ireland, 1999

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2000-12-01

    This report covers all road or traffic accidents reported to the Garda Siochana involving fatalities, personal injury, or material damage which occurred on public roads in Ireland (exclusive of Northern Ireland) in 1999. Accidents on private property...

  1. Road accident facts Ireland, 1998

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-10-01

    This report covers all road or traffic accidents reported to the Garda Siochana involving fatalities, personal injury or material damage which occurred on public roads in ireland (exclusive of Northern Ireland) in 1998. Accidents on private property,...

  2. 1999 Kentucky traffic accident facts

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-01-01

    KENTUCKYS TRAFFIC COLLISION FACTS report for 1999 is based on accident reports submitted to the Accident Unit housed in the Kentucky State Police Information Services Branch, Records Section. As required by Kentucky Revised statutes 189.635, ev...

  3. 49 CFR 655.44 - Post-accident testing.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... practicable following an accident involving the loss of human life, an employer shall conduct drug and alcohol... accidents. (i) As soon as practicable following an accident not involving the loss of human life in which a...

  4. Primary school accident reporting in one education authority

    PubMed Central

    Latif, A; Williams, W; Sibert, J

    2002-01-01

    Background: Studies have shown a correlation between increased accident rates and levels of deprivation in the community. School accident reporting is one area where an association might be expected. Aims: To investigate differences in primary school accident rates in deprived and more affluent wards, in an area managed by one education authority. Methods: Statistical analysis of accident form returns for 100 primary schools in one education authority in Wales over a two year period, in conjunction with visits to over one third of school sites. Results: Accident report rates from schools in deprived wards were three times higher than those from schools in more affluent wards. School visits showed that this discrepancy was attributable primarily to differences in reporting procedures. One third of schools did not report accidents and approximately half did not keep records of minor accidents. Conclusions: The association between school accident report rates and deprivation in the community is complex. School accident data from local education authorities may be unreliable for most purposes of collection. PMID:11827900

  5. Simulations of the transport and deposition of 137Cs over Europe after the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident: influence of varying emission-altitude and model horizontal and vertical resolution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Evangeliou, N.; Balkanski, Y.; Cozic, A.; Møller, A. P.

    2013-07-01

    The coupled model LMDZORINCA has been used to simulate the transport, wet and dry deposition of the radioactive tracer 137Cs after accidental releases. For that reason, two horizontal resolutions were deployed and used in the model, a regular grid of 2.5° × 1.27°, and the same grid stretched over Europe to reach a resolution of 0.66° × 0.51°. The vertical dimension is represented with two different resolutions, 19 and 39 levels respectively, extending up to the mesopause. Four different simulations are presented in this work; the first uses the regular grid over 19 vertical levels assuming that the emissions took place at the surface (RG19L(S)), the second also uses the regular grid over 19 vertical levels but realistic source injection heights (RG19L); in the third resolution the grid is regular and the vertical resolution 39 levels (RG39L) and finally, it is extended to the stretched grid with 19 vertical levels (Z19L). The model is validated with the Chernobyl accident which occurred in Ukraine (ex-USSR) on 26 May 1986 using the emission inventory from Brandt et al. (2002). This accident has been widely studied since 1986, and a large database has been created containing measurements of atmospheric activity concentration and total cumulative deposition for 137Cs from most of the European countries. According to the results, the performance of the model to predict the transport and deposition of the radioactive tracer was efficient and accurate presenting low biases in activity concentrations and deposition inventories, despite the large uncertainties on the intensity of the source released. The best agreement with observations was obtained using the highest horizontal resolution of the model (Z19L run). The model managed to predict the radioactive contamination in most of the European regions (similar to De Cort et al., 1998), and also the arrival times of the radioactive fallout. As regards to the vertical resolution, the largest biases were obtained for

  6. 49 CFR 801.30 - Records from accident investigations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 7 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Records from accident investigations. 801.30... TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD PUBLIC AVAILABILITY OF INFORMATION Accident Investigation Records § 801.30 Records from accident investigations. Upon completion of an accident investigation, each NTSB investigator (or...

  7. 49 CFR 801.30 - Records from accident investigations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 7 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Records from accident investigations. 801.30... TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD PUBLIC AVAILABILITY OF INFORMATION Accident Investigation Records § 801.30 Records from accident investigations. Upon completion of an accident investigation, each NTSB investigator (or...

  8. Automated accident detection at intersections.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2004-03-01

    This research aims to provide a timely and accurate accident detection method at intersections, which is : very important for the Traffic Management System(TMS). This research uses acoustic signals to detect : accident at intersections. A system is c...

  9. Aircraft accidents : method of analysis

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1929-01-01

    This report on a method of analysis of aircraft accidents has been prepared by a special committee on the nomenclature, subdivision, and classification of aircraft accidents organized by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics in response to a request dated February 18, 1928, from the Air Coordination Committee consisting of the Assistant Secretaries for Aeronautics in the Departments of War, Navy, and Commerce. The work was undertaken in recognition of the difficulty of drawing correct conclusions from efforts to analyze and compare reports of aircraft accidents prepared by different organizations using different classifications and definitions. The air coordination committee's request was made "in order that practices used may henceforth conform to a standard and be universally comparable." the purpose of the special committee therefore was to prepare a basis for the classification and comparison of aircraft accidents, both civil and military. (author)

  10. An novel identification method of the environmental risk sources for surface water pollution accidents in chemical industrial parks.

    PubMed

    Peng, Jianfeng; Song, Yonghui; Yuan, Peng; Xiao, Shuhu; Han, Lu

    2013-07-01

    The chemical industry is a major source of various pollution accidents. Improving the management level of risk sources for pollution accidents has become an urgent demand for most industrialized countries. In pollution accidents, the released chemicals harm the receptors to some extent depending on their sensitivity or susceptibility. Therefore, identifying the potential risk sources from such a large number of chemical enterprises has become pressingly urgent. Based on the simulation of the whole accident process, a novel and expandable identification method for risk sources causing water pollution accidents is presented. The newly developed approach, by analyzing and stimulating the whole process of a pollution accident between sources and receptors, can be applied to identify risk sources, especially on the nationwide scale. Three major types of losses, such as social, economic and ecological losses, were normalized, analyzed and used for overall consequence modeling. A specific case study area, located in a chemical industry park (CIP) along the Yangtze River in Jiangsu Province, China, was selected to test the potential of the identification method. The results showed that there were four risk sources for pollution accidents in this CIP. Aniline leakage in the HS Chemical Plant would lead to the most serious impact on the surrounding water environment. This potential accident would severely damage the ecosystem up to 3.8 km downstream of Yangtze River, and lead to pollution over a distance stretching to 73.7 km downstream. The proposed method is easily extended to the nationwide identification of potential risk sources.

  11. Evaluation of severe accident risks: Quantification of major input parameters: MAACS (MELCOR Accident Consequence Code System) input

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Sprung, J.L.; Jow, H-N; Rollstin, J.A.

    1990-12-01

    Estimation of offsite accident consequences is the customary final step in a probabilistic assessment of the risks of severe nuclear reactor accidents. Recently, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission reassessed the risks of severe accidents at five US power reactors (NUREG-1150). Offsite accident consequences for NUREG-1150 source terms were estimated using the MELCOR Accident Consequence Code System (MACCS). Before these calculations were performed, most MACCS input parameters were reviewed, and for each parameter reviewed, a best-estimate value was recommended. This report presents the results of these reviews. Specifically, recommended values and the basis for their selection are presented for MACCS atmospheric andmore » biospheric transport, emergency response, food pathway, and economic input parameters. Dose conversion factors and health effect parameters are not reviewed in this report. 134 refs., 15 figs., 110 tabs.« less

  12. [Traffic accidents associated with emotional stress after divorce].

    PubMed

    Cui, Li-Juan; Yi, Xu-Fu; Chen, Xiao-Gang

    2009-04-01

    In recent years, the traffic accidents increased gradually, especially those caused by the drivers daily emotional abnormality and in which the drivers were liable. This article reviewed the traffic accidents caused by divorced driver's emotional abnormality, illustrated the features of those accidents from the gender, age, occupation and mileage of drivers. It was considered that the major cause of those accidents was excessive drinking due to drivers' emotional stress. Suggestions about preventing the traffic accidents caused by emotional abnormality were put forward so as to make the corresponding rules and finally decrease the emotional abnormality traffic accidents.

  13. Developing techniques for cause-responsibility analysis of occupational accidents.

    PubMed

    Jabbari, Mousa; Ghorbani, Roghayeh

    2016-11-01

    The aim of this study was to specify the causes of occupational accidents, determine social responsibility and the role of groups involved in work-related accidents. This study develops occupational accidents causes tree, occupational accidents responsibility tree, and occupational accidents component-responsibility analysis worksheet; based on these methods, it develops cause-responsibility analysis (CRA) techniques, and for testing them, analyzes 100 fatal/disabling occupational accidents in the construction setting that were randomly selected from all the work-related accidents in Tehran, Iran, over a 5-year period (2010-2014). The main result of this study involves two techniques for CRA: occupational accidents tree analysis (OATA) and occupational accidents components analysis (OACA), used in parallel for determination of responsible groups and responsibilities rate. From the results, we find that the management group of construction projects has 74.65% responsibility of work-related accidents. The developed techniques are purposeful for occupational accidents investigation/analysis, especially for the determination of detailed list of tasks, responsibilities, and their rates. Therefore, it is useful for preventing work-related accidents by focusing on the responsible group's duties. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Human Factors in Cabin Accident Investigations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chute, Rebecca D.; Rosekind, Mark R. (Technical Monitor)

    1996-01-01

    Human factors has become an integral part of the accident investigation protocol. However, much of the investigative process remains focussed on the flight deck, airframe, and power plant systems. As a consequence, little data has been collected regarding the human factors issues within and involving the cabin during an accident. Therefore, the possibility exists that contributing factors that lie within that domain may be overlooked. The FAA Office of Accident Investigation is sponsoring a two-day workshop on cabin safety accident investigation. This course, within the workshop, will be of two hours duration and will explore relevant areas of human factors research. Specifically, the three areas of discussion are: Information transfer and resource management, fatigue and other physical stressors, and the human/machine interface. Integration of these areas will be accomplished by providing a suggested checklist of specific cabin-related human factors questions for investigators to probe following an accident.

  15. 3-D simulation of nanopore structure for DNA sequencing.

    PubMed

    Park, Jun-Mo; Pak, Y Eugene; Chun, Honggu; Lee, Jong-Ho

    2012-07-01

    In this paper, we propose a method for simulating nanopore structure by using conventional 3-D simulation tool to mimic the I-V behavior of the nanopore structure. In the simulation, we use lightly doped silicon for ionic solution where some parameters like electron affinity and dielectric constant are fitted to consider the ionic solution. By using this method, we can simulate the I-V behavior of nanopore structure depending on the location and the size of the sphere shaped silicon oxide which is considered to be an indicator of a DNA base. In addition, we simulate an Ionic Field Effect Transistor (IFET) which has basically the nanopore structure, and show that the simulated curves follow sufficiently the I-V behavior of the measurement data. Therefore, we think it is reasonable to apply parameter modeling mentioned above to simulate nanopore structure. The key idea is to modify electron affinity of silicon which is used to mimic the KCl solution to avoid band bending and depletion inside the nanopore. We could efficiently utilize conventional 3-D simulation tool to simulate the I-V behavior of nanopore structures.

  16. Aircraft accidents.method of analysis

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1937-01-01

    This report is a revision of NACA-TR-357. It was prepared by the Committee on Aircraft Accidents. The purpose of this report is to provide a basis for the classification and comparison of aircraft accidents, both civil and military.

  17. [Skiing accidents in children (author's transl)].

    PubMed

    Schwarzenbach, M; Röthlisberger, M; Herwig, K; Biener, K

    1981-03-13

    In Arosa, a coherent skiing arena, all skiing accidents were systemically recorded by the two general practitioners for 10 years. The incidence of accidents to children compared with that of adolescents and adults was of particular interest. The incidence of accidents to children has more markedly decreased. The frequency of collisions is increasing. The most common injuries to children are fractures, followed by sprains and contusions. On the other hand sprains are the most common injury to adolescents and adults, followed by fractures and an almost equal number of contusions. The dangers of skiing and the severity of the injuries are discussed. Demands are made for prevention of skiing accidents.

  18. Investigation of shipping accident injury severity and mortality.

    PubMed

    Weng, Jinxian; Yang, Dong

    2015-03-01

    Shipping movements are operated in a complex and high-risk environment. Fatal shipping accidents are the nightmares of seafarers. With ten years' worldwide ship accident data, this study develops a binary logistic regression model and a zero-truncated binomial regression model to predict the probability of fatal shipping accidents and corresponding mortalities. The model results show that both the probability of fatal accidents and mortalities are greater for collision, fire/explosion, contact, grounding, sinking accidents occurred in adverse weather conditions and darkness conditions. Sinking has the largest effects on the increment of fatal accident probability and mortalities. The results also show that the bigger number of mortalities is associated with shipping accidents occurred far away from the coastal area/harbor/port. In addition, cruise ships are found to have more mortalities than non-cruise ships. The results of this study are beneficial for policy-makers in proposing efficient strategies to prevent fatal shipping accidents. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. A Simulation of DNA Sequencing Utilizing 3M Post-It[R] Notes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Christensen, Doug

    2009-01-01

    An inexpensive and equipment free approach to teaching the technical aspects of DNA sequencing. The activity described requires an instructor with a familiarity of DNA sequencing technology but provides a straight forward method of teaching the technical aspects of sequencing in the absence of expensive sequencing equipment. The final sequence…

  20. APT Blanket System Loss-of-Coolant Accident (LOCA) Analysis Based on Initial Conceptual Design - Case 3: External HR Break at Pump Outlet without Pump Trip

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hamm, L.L.

    1998-10-07

    This report is one of a series of reports that document normal operation and accident simulations for the Accelerator Production of Tritium (APT) blanket heat removal (HR) system. These simulations were performed for the Preliminary Safety Analysis Report.

  1. 40 CFR 68.42 - Five-year accident history.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 15 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Five-year accident history. 68.42... (CONTINUED) CHEMICAL ACCIDENT PREVENTION PROVISIONS Hazard Assessment § 68.42 Five-year accident history. (a) The owner or operator shall include in the five-year accident history all accidental releases from...

  2. 32 CFR 634.29 - Traffic accident investigation reports.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 32 National Defense 4 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Traffic accident investigation reports. 634.29... accident investigation reports. (a) Accidents requiring immediate reports. The driver or owner of any vehicle involved in an accident, as described in § 634.28, on the installation, must immediately notify...

  3. 32 CFR 636.13 - Traffic accident investigation reports.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 32 National Defense 4 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Traffic accident investigation reports. 636.13... Stewart, Georgia § 636.13 Traffic accident investigation reports. In addition to the requirements in § 634... record traffic accident investigations on DA Form 3946 (Military Police Traffic Accident Report) and DA...

  4. 40 CFR 68.42 - Five-year accident history.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 16 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Five-year accident history. 68.42... (CONTINUED) CHEMICAL ACCIDENT PREVENTION PROVISIONS Hazard Assessment § 68.42 Five-year accident history. (a) The owner or operator shall include in the five-year accident history all accidental releases from...

  5. 40 CFR 68.42 - Five-year accident history.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 15 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Five-year accident history. 68.42... (CONTINUED) CHEMICAL ACCIDENT PREVENTION PROVISIONS Hazard Assessment § 68.42 Five-year accident history. (a) The owner or operator shall include in the five-year accident history all accidental releases from...

  6. 40 CFR 68.42 - Five-year accident history.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 16 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Five-year accident history. 68.42... (CONTINUED) CHEMICAL ACCIDENT PREVENTION PROVISIONS Hazard Assessment § 68.42 Five-year accident history. (a) The owner or operator shall include in the five-year accident history all accidental releases from...

  7. 40 CFR 68.42 - Five-year accident history.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 16 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Five-year accident history. 68.42... (CONTINUED) CHEMICAL ACCIDENT PREVENTION PROVISIONS Hazard Assessment § 68.42 Five-year accident history. (a) The owner or operator shall include in the five-year accident history all accidental releases from...

  8. Comparison of status variables among accident and non-accident airmen from the active airman population.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1970-12-01

    The distributions of age, weight, height, body weight/body surface area and ponderal index for the accident versus non-accident segments of the active airman population were compared for years 1966-1967. : The differences in the distributions of thes...

  9. [Drugs and occupational accident].

    PubMed

    Bratzke, H; Albers, C

    1996-02-01

    In a case of a fatal occupational accident (construction worker, fall from roof, urine test positive for cocaine and THC, e.g. cannabis) the question arised to what extent those drug-related occupational accidents occur. In the literature only few cases, mainly dealing with cannabis influence, have been reported, however, a higher number is suspected. Cocaine and other stimulating drugs (amphetamine) are more often used to increase physical fitness. By direct or indirect interference with vigilance these compounds may provoke accidents. Due to the lack of a legal basis proving of the influence of drugs at the working place is still very limited, although highly sensitive chemical-toxicological assay procedures are available to detect even the chronic abuse (in hair). In the general conditions of accident insurances a compensation is excluded when alcohol is involved, but drugs are not mentioned. It is indeed difficult to establish a concentration limit for drugs like that existing for alcohol (1.1%). In each case the assay of the drug involved and exact knowledge of its specific effects is in an essential prerequisite to prove the causal relationship.

  10. Amyloid-like self-assembly of peptide sequences from the adenovirus fiber shaft: insights from molecular dynamics simulations.

    PubMed

    Tamamis, Phanourios; Kasotakis, Emmanouil; Mitraki, Anna; Archontis, Georgios

    2009-11-26

    The self-assembly of peptides and proteins into nanostructures is related to the fundamental problems of protein folding and misfolding and has potential applications in medicine, materials science and nanotechnology. Natural peptides, corresponding to sequence repeats from self-assembling proteins, may constitute elementary building blocks of such nanostructures. In this work, we study by implicit-solvent replica-exchange simulations the self-assembly of two amyloidogenic sequences derived from the naturally occurring fiber shaft of the adenovirus, the octapeptide NSGAITIG (asparagine-serine-glycine-alanine-isoleucine-threonine-isoleucine-glycine) and its hexapeptide counterpart, GAITIG. In accordance with their amyloidogenic capacity, both peptides form readily intermolecular beta-sheets, stabilized by extensive main- and side-chain contacts involving the C-terminal moieties (segments 3-8 and 2-6, respectively). The structural and energetic properties of these sheets are analyzed extensively. The N-terminal residues Asn1 and Ser2 of the octapeptide remain disordered in the sheets, suggesting that these residues are exposed at the exterior of the fibrils and accessible. On the basis of insight provided by the simulations, cysteine residues were recently substituted at positions 1 and 2 of NSGAITIG; the newly designed peptides maintain their amyloidogenic properties and can bind to silver, gold and platinum nanoparticles [Kasotakis et al. Biopolymers 2009, 92, 164-172]. Computational investigation can identify suitable positions for rational modification of peptide building blocks, aiming at the fabrication of novel biomaterials.

  11. Analysis of construction accidents in Spain, 2003-2008.

    PubMed

    López Arquillos, Antonio; Rubio Romero, Juan Carlos; Gibb, Alistair

    2012-12-01

    The research objective for this paper is to obtain a new extended and updated insight to the likely causes of construction accidents in Spain, in order to identify suitable mitigating actions. The paper analyzes all construction sector accidents in Spain between 2003 and 2008. Ten variables were chosen and the influence of each variable is evaluated with respect to the severity of the accident. The descriptive analysis is based on a total of 1,163,178 accidents. Results showed that the severity of accidents was related to variables including age, CNAE (National Classification of Economic Activities) code, size of company, length of service, location of accident, day of the week, days of absence, deviation, injury, and climatic zones. According to data analyzed, a large company is not always necessarily safer than a small company in the aspect of fatal accidents, experienced workers do not have the best accident fatality rates, and accidents occurring away from the usual workplace had more severe consequences. Results obtained in this paper can be used by companies in their occupational safety strategies, and in their safety training programs. Copyright © 2012 National Safety Council and Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. The relationships between organizational and individual variables to on-the-job driver accidents and accident-free kilometres.

    PubMed

    Caird, J K; Kline, T J

    2004-12-01

    Highway fatalities are the leading cause of fatal work injuries in the US, accounting for approximately 1 in 4 of the 5900 job-related deaths during 2001. The present study focused on the contribution of organizational factors and driver behaviours to on-the-job driving accidents in a large Western Canadian corporation. A structural equation modelling (SEM) approach was used which allows researchers to test a complex set of relationships within a global theoretical framework. A number of scales were used to assess organizational support, driver errors, and driver behaviours. The sample of professional drivers that participated allowed the recording of on-the-job accidents and accident-free kilometres from their personnel files. The pattern of relationships in the fitted model, after controlling for exposure and social desirability, provides insight into the role of organizational support, planning, environment adaptations, fatigue, speed, errors and moving citations to on-the-job accidents and accident-free kilometres. For example, organizational support affected the capacity to plan. Time to plan work-related driving was found to predict accidents, fatigue and adaptations to the environment. Other interesting model paths, SEM limitations, future research and recommendations are elaborated.

  13. Tri-level accident research study

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1975-03-01

    The Tri-Level Accident Study for the period January 1, 1974 to December 31, 1974 was conducted in the eight-county Western New York area known as the Niagara Frontier. The program was conducted by the Accident Research Branch of the Transportation Sa...

  14. Risk of accidents in drivers with epilepsy.

    PubMed Central

    Taylor, J; Chadwick, D; Johnson, T

    1996-01-01

    OBJECTIVE--To estimate the risks of road traffic accidents over a period of three years in drivers with a history of single seizures or epilepsy, and to compare them with a cohort of drivers followed up by the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL). DESIGN--A retrospective survey of driving and accident experience by self-completion questionnaire. SUBJECTS--16,958 drivers with a previous history of epilepsy responding to the survey and 8888 non-epileptic drivers responding to a TRL survey. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--The risk of any accident, any accident producing an injury, and any accident producing a serious injury, over a three year period. RESULTS--After adjustment for differences in age, sex, driving experience, and mileage between the two populations there was no evidence of any overall increase in risk of accidents in the population of drivers with a history of epilepsy. However, there was evidence of an increased risk of more severe accidents in the population with epilepsy. The risk was increased by about 40% for serious injuries and there was evidence of a twofold risk of increase in non-driver fatalities. These increases seem largely explicable by the occurrence of seizures in this population during the three years of driving that the survey covered. CONCLUSIONS--The acceptability of driving for people with a history of epilepsy should be determined by an acceptable risk of accidents resulting in injury or serious injury rather than overall accident rates. As people with epilepsy can now drive after a 12 month seizure free period rather than the required two year period when this survey was undertaken, it is important to ascertain whether there is any increased risk of injury associated accidents with this policy. PMID:8648327

  15. Causative factors and countermeasures for rural and suburban pedestrian accidents : accident data collection and analysis

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1977-03-01

    The objectives of the study were to collect and analyze data on rural pedestrian accidents and to identify potential countermeasures. Data on a stratified random sample of over 1,500 rural and suburban accidents from six states was collected during i...

  16. 28 CFR 345.62 - Inmate accident compensation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Inmate accident compensation. 345.62... PRISON INDUSTRIES (FPI) INMATE WORK PROGRAMS Inmate Pay and Benefits § 345.62 Inmate accident... assignments) as specified by the Inmate Accident Compensation Program (28 CFR part 301). ...

  17. 28 CFR 345.62 - Inmate accident compensation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Inmate accident compensation. 345.62... PRISON INDUSTRIES (FPI) INMATE WORK PROGRAMS Inmate Pay and Benefits § 345.62 Inmate accident... assignments) as specified by the Inmate Accident Compensation Program (28 CFR part 301). ...

  18. 48 CFR 52.236-13 - Accident Prevention.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 2 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Accident Prevention. 52.236-13 Section 52.236-13 Federal Acquisition Regulations System FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION....236-13 Accident Prevention. As prescribed in 36.513, insert the following clause: Accident Prevention...

  19. Single pilot IFR accident data analysis

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Harris, D. F.; Morrisete, J. A.

    1982-01-01

    The aircraft accident data recorded and maintained by the National Transportation Safety Board for 1964 to 1979 were analyzed to determine what problems exist in the general aviation single pilot instrument flight rules environment. A previous study conducted in 1978 for the years 1964 to 1975 provided a basis for comparison. The purpose was to determine what changes, if any, have occurred in trends and cause-effect relationships reported in the earlier study. The increasing numbers have been tied to measures of activity to produce accident rates which in turn were analyzed in terms of change. Where anomalies or unusually high accident rates were encountered, further analysis was conducted to isolate pertinent patterns of cause factors and/or experience levels of involved pilots. The bulk of the effort addresses accidents in the landing phase of operations. A detailed analysis was performed on controlled/uncontrolled collisions and their unique attributes delineated. Estimates of day vs. night general aviation activity and accident rates were obtained.

  20. 46 CFR 78.33-5 - Accidents to machinery.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 3 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Accidents to machinery. 78.33-5 Section 78.33-5 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) PASSENGER VESSELS OPERATIONS Reports of Accidents, Repairs, and Unsafe Equipment § 78.33-5 Accidents to machinery. (a) In the event of an accident...

  1. 41 CFR 101-39.401 - Reporting of accidents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 2 2011-07-01 2007-07-01 true Reporting of accidents...-INTERAGENCY FLEET MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS 39.4-Accidents and Claims § 101-39.401 Reporting of accidents. (a) The..., by telephone, or by facsimile machine of any accident in which the vehicle may be involved: (1) The...

  2. 46 CFR 78.33-5 - Accidents to machinery.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Accidents to machinery. 78.33-5 Section 78.33-5 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) PASSENGER VESSELS OPERATIONS Reports of Accidents, Repairs, and Unsafe Equipment § 78.33-5 Accidents to machinery. (a) In the event of an accident...

  3. Numerical Simulation of Stress evolution and earthquake sequence of the Tibetan Plateau

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dong, Peiyu; Hu, Caibo; Shi, Yaolin

    2015-04-01

    The India-Eurasia's collision produces N-S compression and results in large thrust fault in the southern edge of the Tibetan Plateau. Differential eastern flow of the lower crust of the plateau leads to large strike-slip faults and normal faults within the plateau. From 1904 to 2014, more than 30 earthquakes of Mw > 6.5 occurred sequentially in this distinctive tectonic environment. How did the stresses evolve during the last 110 years, how did the earthquakes interact with each other? Can this knowledge help us to forecast the future seismic hazards? In this essay, we tried to simulate the evolution of the stress field and the earthquake sequence in the Tibetan plateau within the last 110 years with a 2-D finite element model. Given an initial state of stress, the boundary condition was constrained by the present-day GPS observation, which was assumed as a constant rate during the 110 years. We calculated stress evolution year by year, and earthquake would occur if stress exceed the crustal strength. Stress changes due to each large earthquake in the sequence was calculated and contributed to the stress evolution. A key issue is the choice of initial stress state of the modeling, which is actually unknown. Usually, in the study of earthquake triggering, people assume the initial stress is zero, and only calculate the stress changes by large earthquakes - the Coulomb failure stress changes (Δ CFS). To some extent, this simplified method is a powerful tool because it can reveal which fault or which part of a fault becomes more risky or safer relatively. Nonetheless, it has not utilized all information available to us. The earthquake sequence reveals, though far from complete, some information about the stress state in the region. If the entire region is close to a self-organized critical or subcritical state, earthquake stress drop provides an estimate of lower limit of initial state. For locations no earthquakes occurred during the period, initial stress has to be

  4. Road accidents and business cycles in Spain.

    PubMed

    Rodríguez-López, Jesús; Marrero, Gustavo A; González, Rosa Marina; Leal-Linares, Teresa

    2016-11-01

    This paper explores the causes behind the downturn in road accidents in Spain across the last decade. Possible causes are grouped into three categories: Institutional factors (a Penalty Point System, PPS, dating from 2006), technological factors (active safety and passive safety of vehicles), and macroeconomic factors (the Great recession starting in 2008, and an increase in fuel prices during the spring of 2008). The PPS has been blessed by incumbent authorities as responsible for the decline of road fatalities in Spain. Using cointegration techniques, the GDP growth rate, the fuel price, the PPS, and technological items embedded in motor vehicles appear to be statistically significantly related with accidents. Importantly, PPS is found to be significant in reducing fatal accidents. However, PPS is not significant for non-fatal accidents. In view of these results, we conclude that road accidents in Spain are very sensitive to the business cycle, and that the PPS influenced the severity (fatality) rather than the quantity of accidents in Spain. Importantly, technological items help explain a sizable fraction in accidents downturn, their effects dating back from the end of the nineties. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. German aircraft accident statistics, 1930

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Weitzmann, Ludwig

    1932-01-01

    The investigation of all serious accidents, involving technical defects in the airplane or engine, is undertaken by the D.V.L. in conjunction with the imperial traffic minister and other interested parties. All accidents not clearly explained in the reports are subsequently cleared up.

  6. Waste management facility accident analysis (WASTE ACC) system: software for analysis of waste management alternatives

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kohout, E.F.; Folga, S.; Mueller, C.

    1996-03-01

    This paper describes the Waste Management Facility Accident Analysis (WASTE{underscore}ACC) software, which was developed at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) to support the US Department of Energy`s (DOE`s) Waste Management (WM) Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS). WASTE{underscore}ACC is a decision support and database system that is compatible with Microsoft{reg_sign} Windows{trademark}. It assesses potential atmospheric releases from accidents at waste management facilities. The software provides the user with an easy-to-use tool to determine the risk-dominant accident sequences for the many possible combinations of process technologies, waste and facility types, and alternative cases described in the WM PEIS. In addition, its structure willmore » allow additional alternative cases and assumptions to be tested as part of the future DOE programmatic decision-making process. The WASTE{underscore}ACC system demonstrates one approach to performing a generic, systemwide evaluation of accident risks at waste management facilities. The advantages of WASTE{underscore}ACC are threefold. First, the software gets waste volume and radiological profile data that were used to perform other WM PEIS-related analyses directly from the WASTE{underscore}MGMT system. Second, the system allows for a consistent analysis across all sites and waste streams, which enables decision makers to understand more fully the trade-offs among various policy options and scenarios. Third, the system is easy to operate; even complex scenario runs are completed within minutes.« less

  7. Bilateral cerebrovascular accidents in incontinentia pigmenti.

    PubMed

    Fiorillo, Loretta; Sinclair, D Barry; O'Byrne, Mary L; Krol, Alfons L

    2003-07-01

    Incontinentia Pigmenti is an X-linked dominant neurocutaneous disorder with central nervous system manifestations in 30% of cases, including seizures and mental retardation. Ischemic or hemorrhagic cerebrovascular accidents have been reported rarely in incontinentia pigmenti. Chart review and literature search was performed following identification of the index case. We describe a patient with incontinentia pigmenti who developed bilateral cerebrovascular accidents in the neonatal period, with resultant severe neurologic sequelae. This is the second reported case of bilateral cerebrovascular accidents in a patient with incontinentia pigmenti. This finding may be secondary to cerebrovascular anomalies, similar to those observed in the retina. Recognition of cerebrovascular accidents as a complication of incontinentia pigmenti will hopefully lead to earlier recognition and treatment.

  8. 10 CFR 76.85 - Assessment of accidents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 2 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Assessment of accidents. 76.85 Section 76.85 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) CERTIFICATION OF GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANTS Safety § 76.85 Assessment of accidents. The Corporation shall perform an analysis of potential accidents and consequences to...

  9. 10 CFR 76.85 - Assessment of accidents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 2 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Assessment of accidents. 76.85 Section 76.85 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) CERTIFICATION OF GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANTS Safety § 76.85 Assessment of accidents. The Corporation shall perform an analysis of potential accidents and consequences to...

  10. 10 CFR 76.85 - Assessment of accidents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 2 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Assessment of accidents. 76.85 Section 76.85 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) CERTIFICATION OF GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANTS Safety § 76.85 Assessment of accidents. The Corporation shall perform an analysis of potential accidents and consequences to...

  11. 10 CFR 76.85 - Assessment of accidents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Assessment of accidents. 76.85 Section 76.85 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) CERTIFICATION OF GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANTS Safety § 76.85 Assessment of accidents. The Corporation shall perform an analysis of potential accidents and consequences to...

  12. 10 CFR 76.85 - Assessment of accidents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Assessment of accidents. 76.85 Section 76.85 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) CERTIFICATION OF GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANTS Safety § 76.85 Assessment of accidents. The Corporation shall perform an analysis of potential accidents and consequences to...

  13. 32 CFR 636.12 - Traffic accident investigation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 32 National Defense 4 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Traffic accident investigation. 636.12 Section... Stewart, Georgia § 636.12 Traffic accident investigation. In addition to the requirements in § 634.28 of... reportable motor vehicle accidents involving government owned or privately owned vehicles. ...

  14. 49 CFR 382.209 - Use following an accident.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Use following an accident. 382.209 Section 382.209... ALCOHOL USE AND TESTING Prohibitions § 382.209 Use following an accident. No driver required to take a post-accident alcohol test under § 382.303 shall use alcohol for eight hours following the accident, or...

  15. 49 CFR 382.209 - Use following an accident.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 5 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Use following an accident. 382.209 Section 382.209... ALCOHOL USE AND TESTING Prohibitions § 382.209 Use following an accident. No driver required to take a post-accident alcohol test under § 382.303 shall use alcohol for eight hours following the accident, or...

  16. Effects of Fear-Arousing Components of Driver Education on Students' Safety Attitudes and Simulator Performance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Griffeth, Rodger W.; Rogers, Ronald W.

    1976-01-01

    Examining the effects of the noxiousness of an automobile accident, probability of being in an accident, and efficacy of safe driving practices on driver education students, the results disclosed that all three independent variables affected attitudes toward safety, and performance on the simulator. (Author/BW)

  17. World commercial aircraft accidents: 1st edition, 1946--1991

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kimura, C.Y.

    1992-02-01

    This report is a compilation of all accidents world-wide involving aircraft in commercial service which resulted in the loss of the airframe or one or more fatality, or both. This information has been gathered in order to present a complete inventory of commercial aircraft accidents. Events involving military action, sabotage, terrorist bombings, hijackings, suicides, and industrial ground accidents are included within this list. This report is organized into six chapters. The first chapter is the introduction. The second chapter contains the compilation of accidents involving world commercial jet aircraft from 1952 to 1991. The third chapter presents a compilation ofmore » accidents involving world commercial turboprop aircraft from 1952 to 1991. The fourth chapter presents a compilation of accidents involving world commercial pistonprop aircraft with four or more engines from 1946 to 1991. Each accident compilation or database in chapters two, three and four is presented in chronological order. Each accident is presented with information the following categories: date of accident, airline or operator and its flight number (if known), type of flight, type of aircraft and model, aircraft registration number, construction number/manufacturers serial number, aircraft damage resulting from accident, accident flight phase, accident location, number of fatalities, number of occupants, references used to compile the information, and finally cause, remarks, or description (brief) of the accident. The fifth chapter presents a list of all commercial aircraft accidents for all aircraft types with 100 or more fatalities in order of decreasing number of fatalities. Chapter six presents the commercial aircraft accidents for all aircraft types by flight phase. Future editions of this report will have additional follow-on chapters which will present other studies still in preparation at the time this edition was being prepared.« less

  18. Analytics of Radioactive Materials Released in the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Accident

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Egarievwe, Stephen U.; Nuclear Engineering Department, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN; Coble, Jamie B.

    The 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident in Japan resulted in the release of radioactive materials into the atmosphere, the nearby sea, and the surrounding land. Following the accident, several meteorological models were used to predict the transport of the radioactive materials to other continents such as North America and Europe. Also of high importance is the dispersion of radioactive materials locally and within Japan. Based on the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Convention on Early Notification of a nuclear accident, several radiological data sets were collected on the accident by the Japanese authorities. Among the radioactive materials monitored, are I-131more » and Cs-137 which form the major contributions to the contamination of drinking water. The radiation dose in the atmosphere was also measured. It is impractical to measure contamination and radiation dose in every place of interest. Therefore, modeling helps to predict contamination and radiation dose. Some modeling studies that have been reported in the literature include the simulation of transport and deposition of I-131 and Cs-137 from the accident, Cs-137 deposition and contamination of Japanese soils, and preliminary estimates of I-131 and Cs-137 discharged from the plant into the atmosphere. In this paper, we present statistical analytics of I-131 and Cs-137 with the goal of predicting gamma dose from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident. The data sets used in our study were collected from the IAEA Fukushima Monitoring Database. As part of this study, we investigated several regression models to find the best algorithm for modeling the gamma dose. The modeling techniques used in our study include linear regression, principal component regression (PCR), partial least square (PLS) regression, and ridge regression. Our preliminary results on the first set of data showed that the linear regression model with one variable was the best with a root mean square error of 0.0133

  19. Insomnia and accidents: cross-sectional study (EQUINOX) on sleep-related home, work and car accidents in 5293 subjects with insomnia from 10 countries.

    PubMed

    Léger, Damien; Bayon, Virginie; Ohayon, Maurice M; Philip, Pierre; Ement, Philippe; Metlaine, Arnaud; Chennaoui, Mounir; Faraut, Brice

    2014-04-01

    The link between sleepiness and the risk of motor vehicle accidents is well known, but little is understood regarding the risk of home, work and car accidents of subjects with insomnia. An international cross-sectional survey was conducted across 10 countries in a population of subjects with sleep disturbances. Primary care physicians administered a questionnaire that included assessment of sociodemographic characteristics, sleep disturbance and accidents (motor vehicle, work and home) related to sleep problems to each subject. Insomnia was defined using the International Classification of Sleep Disorders (ICSD-10) criteria. A total of 5293 subjects were included in the study, of whom 20.9% reported having had at least one home accident within the past 12 months, 10.1% at least one work accident, 9% reported having fallen asleep while driving at least once and 4.1% reported having had at least one car accident related to their sleepiness. All types of accident were reported more commonly by subjects living in urban compared to other residential areas. Car accidents were reported more commonly by employed subjects, whereas home injuries were reported more frequently by the unemployed. Car accidents were reported more frequently by males than by females, whereas home accidents were reported more commonly by females. Patients with insomnia have high rates of home accidents, car accidents and work accidents related to sleep disturbances independently of any adverse effects of hypnotic treatments. Reduced total sleep time may be one factor explaining the high risk of accidents in individuals who complain of insomnia. © 2013 European Sleep Research Society.

  20. Dynamical System Modeling to Simulate Donor T Cell Response to Whole Exome Sequencing-Derived Recipient Peptides Demonstrates Different Alloreactivity Potential in HLA-Matched and -Mismatched Donor-Recipient Pairs.

    PubMed

    Abdul Razzaq, Badar; Scalora, Allison; Koparde, Vishal N; Meier, Jeremy; Mahmood, Musa; Salman, Salman; Jameson-Lee, Max; Serrano, Myrna G; Sheth, Nihar; Voelkner, Mark; Kobulnicky, David J; Roberts, Catherine H; Ferreira-Gonzalez, Andrea; Manjili, Masoud H; Buck, Gregory A; Neale, Michael C; Toor, Amir A

    2016-05-01

    Immune reconstitution kinetics and subsequent clinical outcomes in HLA-matched recipients of allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT) are variable and difficult to predict. Considering SCT as a dynamical system may allow sequence differences across the exomes of the transplant donors and recipients to be used to simulate an alloreactive T cell response, which may allow better clinical outcome prediction. To accomplish this, whole exome sequencing was performed on 34 HLA-matched SCT donor-recipient pairs (DRPs) and the nucleotide sequence differences translated to peptides. The binding affinity of the peptides to the relevant HLA in each DRP was determined. The resulting array of peptide-HLA binding affinity values in each patient was considered as an operator modifying a hypothetical T cell repertoire vector, in which each T cell clone proliferates in accordance with the logistic equation of growth. Using an iterating system of matrices, each simulated T cell clone's growth was calculated with the steady-state population being proportional to the magnitude of the binding affinity of the driving HLA-peptide complex. Incorporating competition between T cell clones responding to different HLA-peptide complexes reproduces a number of features of clinically observed T cell clonal repertoire in the simulated repertoire, including sigmoidal growth kinetics of individual T cell clones and overall repertoire, Power Law clonal frequency distribution, increase in repertoire complexity over time with increasing clonal diversity, and alteration of clonal dominance when a different antigen array is encountered, such as in SCT. The simulated, alloreactive T cell repertoire was markedly different in HLA-matched DRPs. The patterns were differentiated by rate of growth and steady-state magnitude of the simulated T cell repertoire and demonstrate a possible correlation with survival. In conclusion, exome wide sequence differences in DRPs may allow simulation of donor alloreactive T

  1. Reconstruction of 137Cs activity in the ocean following the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tsumune, Daisuke; Aoyama, Michio; Tsubono, Takaki; Tateda, Yutaka; Misumi, Kazuhiro; Hayami, Hiroshi; Toyoda, Yasuhiro; Maeda, Yoshiaki; Yoshida, Yoshikatsu; Uematsu, Mitsuo

    2014-05-01

    A series of accidents at the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant following the earthquake and tsunami of 11 March 2011 resulted in the release of radioactive materials to the ocean by two major pathways, direct release from the accident site and atmospheric deposition. We reconstructed spatiotemporal variability of 137Cs activity in the ocean by the comparison model simulations and observed data. We employed a regional scale and the North Pacific scale oceanic dispersion models, an atmospheric transport model, a sediment transport model, a dynamic biological compartment model for marine biota and river runoff model to investigate the oceanic contamination. Direct releases of 137Cs were estimated for more than 2 years after the accident by comparing simulated results and observed activities very close to the site. The estimated total amounts of directly released 137Cs was 3.6±0.7 PBq. Directly release rate of 137Cs decreased exponentially with time by the end of December 2012 and then, was almost constant. The daily release rate of 137Cs was estimated to be 3.0 x 1010 Bq day-1 by the end of September 2013. The activity of directly released 137Cs was detectable only in the coastal zone after December 2012. Simulated 137Cs activities attributable to direct release were in good agreement with observed activities, a result that implies the estimated direct release rate was reasonable, while simulated 137Cs activities attributable to atmospheric deposition were low compared to measured activities. The rate of atmospheric deposition onto the ocean was underestimated because of a lack of measurements of dose rate and air activity of 137Cs over the ocean when atmospheric deposition rates were being estimated. Observed 137Cs activities attributable to atmospheric deposition in the ocean helped to improve the accuracy of simulated atmospheric deposition rates. Although there is no observed data of 137Cs activity in the ocean from 11 to 21 March 2011, observed data of

  2. 46 CFR 196.30-5 - Accidents to machinery.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 7 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Accidents to machinery. 196.30-5 Section 196.30-5... Reports of Accidents, Repairs, and Unsafe Equipment § 196.30-5 Accidents to machinery. (a) In the event of an accident to a boiler, unfired pressure vessel, or machinery tending to render the further use of...

  3. 46 CFR 97.30-5 - Accidents to machinery.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Accidents to machinery. 97.30-5 Section 97.30-5 Shipping... Reports of Accidents, Repairs, and Unsafe Equipment § 97.30-5 Accidents to machinery. (a) In the event of an accident to a boiler, unfired pressure vessel, or machinery tending to render the further use of...

  4. 46 CFR 196.30-5 - Accidents to machinery.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 7 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Accidents to machinery. 196.30-5 Section 196.30-5... Reports of Accidents, Repairs, and Unsafe Equipment § 196.30-5 Accidents to machinery. (a) In the event of an accident to a boiler, unfired pressure vessel, or machinery tending to render the further use of...

  5. 46 CFR 97.30-5 - Accidents to machinery.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Accidents to machinery. 97.30-5 Section 97.30-5 Shipping... Reports of Accidents, Repairs, and Unsafe Equipment § 97.30-5 Accidents to machinery. (a) In the event of an accident to a boiler, unfired pressure vessel, or machinery tending to render the further use of...

  6. 41 CFR 101-39.407 - Accident records.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ...-INTERAGENCY FLEET MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS 39.4-Accidents and Claims § 101-39.407 Accident records. If GSA's records... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Accident records. 101-39.407 Section 101-39.407 Public Contracts and Property Management Federal Property Management...

  7. 10 CFR 50.67 - Accident source term.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... occupancy of the control room under accident conditions without personnel receiving radiation exposures in... 10 Energy 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Accident source term. 50.67 Section 50.67 Energy NUCLEAR... Conditions of Licenses and Construction Permits § 50.67 Accident source term. (a) Applicability. The...

  8. 10 CFR 50.67 - Accident source term.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... occupancy of the control room under accident conditions without personnel receiving radiation exposures in... 10 Energy 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Accident source term. 50.67 Section 50.67 Energy NUCLEAR... Conditions of Licenses and Construction Permits § 50.67 Accident source term. (a) Applicability. The...

  9. 10 CFR 50.67 - Accident source term.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... occupancy of the control room under accident conditions without personnel receiving radiation exposures in... 10 Energy 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Accident source term. 50.67 Section 50.67 Energy NUCLEAR... Conditions of Licenses and Construction Permits § 50.67 Accident source term. (a) Applicability. The...

  10. 10 CFR 50.67 - Accident source term.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... occupancy of the control room under accident conditions without personnel receiving radiation exposures in... 10 Energy 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Accident source term. 50.67 Section 50.67 Energy NUCLEAR... Conditions of Licenses and Construction Permits § 50.67 Accident source term. (a) Applicability. The...

  11. 10 CFR 50.67 - Accident source term.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... occupancy of the control room under accident conditions without personnel receiving radiation exposures in... 10 Energy 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Accident source term. 50.67 Section 50.67 Energy NUCLEAR... Conditions of Licenses and Construction Permits § 50.67 Accident source term. (a) Applicability. The...

  12. Determinants of injuries in passenger vessel accidents.

    PubMed

    Yip, Tsz Leung; Jin, Di; Talley, Wayne K

    2015-09-01

    This paper investigates determinants of crew and passenger injuries in passenger vessel accidents. Crew and passenger injury equations are estimated for ferry, ocean cruise, and river cruise vessel accidents, utilizing detailed data of individual vessel accidents that were investigated by the U.S. Coast Guard during the time period 2001-2008. The estimation results provide empirical evidence (for the first time in the literature) that crew injuries are determinants of passenger injuries in passenger vessel accidents. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Detailed source term estimation of the atmospheric release for the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station accident by coupling simulations of atmospheric dispersion model with improved deposition scheme and oceanic dispersion model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Katata, G.; Chino, M.; Kobayashi, T.; Terada, H.; Ota, M.; Nagai, H.; Kajino, M.; Draxler, R.; Hort, M. C.; Malo, A.; Torii, T.; Sanada, Y.

    2014-06-01

    Temporal variations in the amount of radionuclides released into the atmosphere during the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Station (FNPS1) accident and their atmospheric and marine dispersion are essential to evaluate the environmental impacts and resultant radiological doses to the public. In this paper, we estimate a detailed time trend of atmospheric releases during the accident by combining environmental monitoring data with atmospheric model simulations from WSPEEDI-II (Worldwide version of System for Prediction of Environmental Emergency Dose Information), and simulations from the oceanic dispersion model SEA-GEARN-FDM, both developed by the authors. A sophisticated deposition scheme, which deals with dry and fogwater depositions, cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) activation and subsequent wet scavenging due to mixed-phase cloud microphysics (in-cloud scavenging) for radioactive iodine gas (I2 and CH3I) and other particles (CsI, Cs, and Te), was incorporated into WSPEEDI-II to improve the surface deposition calculations. The fallout to the ocean surface calculated by WSPEEDI-II was used as input data for the SEA-GEARN-FDM calculations. Reverse and inverse source-term estimation methods based on coupling the simulations from both models was adopted using air dose rates and concentrations, and sea surface concentrations. The results revealed that the major releases of radionuclides due to FNPS1 accident occurred in the following periods during March 2011: the afternoon of 12 March due to the wet venting and hydrogen explosion at Unit 1, the morning of 13 March after the venting event at Unit 3, midnight of 14 March when the SRV (Safely Relief Valve) at Unit 2 was opened three times, the morning and night of 15 March, and the morning of 16 March. According to the simulation results, the highest radioactive contamination areas around FNPS1 were created from 15 to 16 March by complicated interactions among rainfall, plume movements, and the temporal variation of

  14. Accidents in the greenhouse-construction industry of SE Spain.

    PubMed

    Pérez-Alonso, José; Carreño-Ortega, Angel; Vázquez-Cabrera, Fernando J; Callejón-Ferre, Angel Jesús

    2012-01-01

    This work analyses the labour accidents in the greenhouse-construction industry of SE Spain for the period 1999-2007 through a sample of 180 accident reports. The accidents were characterised by studying 5 variables in order to know the day of the week in which the accident occurred, the hour of the day of the accident, type of accident, the region of Spain in which the accident happened, and the resulting injury. The data characterising the accidents were submitted to a descriptive multiple-correspondence analysis. The incidence of accidents in the greenhouse-construction industry presented a high mean value of 15133.7 per 100,000 workers per year. The days with the greatest incidence of accidents were Thursday and Monday, while the period of greatest number of accidents occurred in the first 4h of the workday. No significant correspondence was found between the day of the week, the hour of the day, or any of the other 3 variables studied. The types of accidents with most frequency were: cuts, punctures, contact with hard or rough material, overexertion, and falls from one level to another. The most affected parts of the anatomy were the eyes, thorax, back, sides, lower legs, and feet. The most common types of injury were bone fractures, twists and sprains, distended muscles, contusions, and being crushed. The study calls attention to the high number of accidents at work, which needs to be corrected by fulfilment of safety regulations at work, on the part of the company. Finally, recommendations are made to correct this situation of high number of accidents at work. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

  15. Auto Accidents: Reducing Frequency, Increasing Recovery.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Comeaux, Linda Atkins

    1988-01-01

    Careful hiring, monitoring, training, discipline, and safety policies will reduce school automobile and bus accidents. Guidelines are offered for accident reporting, claim handling, and dealing with insurance adjusters. (MLF)

  16. Fatal accidents and injuries among merchant seafarers worldwide.

    PubMed

    Roberts, S E; Nielsen, D; Kotłowski, A; Jaremin, B

    2014-06-01

    The British merchant fleet has expanded in recent years but it is not known whether this expansion has led to proportionate changes in mortality. To investigate mortality from accidents and injuries in British merchant shipping, to determine whether this has increased in recent years, to compare fatal accident rates across British industries and to review fatal accident rates in merchant shipping worldwide over the last 70 years. Examinations of marine accident investigation files, death registers and death inquiry files, national mortality statistics, worldwide surveys and review methodology. The main outcome measure was the fatal accident rate per 100 000 worker-years. Of 66 deaths in British shipping from 2003 to 2012, 49 were caused by accidents, which largely affected deck ratings. The fatal accident rate in British shipping increased by 4.7% per annum from 2003, although this was not significant (95% confidence interval: -5.1 to 15.6%). During 2003-12, the fatal accident rate in shipping (14.5 per 100 000) was 21 times that in the general British workforce, 4.7 times that in the construction industry and 13 times that in manufacturing. Of 20 merchant fleets worldwide with population-based fatal accident rates, most have shown large reductions over time. The expansion of the British merchant fleet in recent years does not appear to have had a major impact on fatal accidents. Further preventive measures should target fatalities during mooring and towing operations. Internationally, most shipping fleets have over time experienced large decreases in fatal accident rates. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Occupational Medicine. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  17. RELAP5 Application to Accident Analysis of the NIST Research Reactor

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Baek, J.; Cuadra Gascon, A.; Cheng, L.Y.

    Detailed safety analyses have been performed for the 20 MW D{sub 2}O moderated research reactor (NBSR) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The time-dependent analysis of the primary system is determined with a RELAP5 transient analysis model that includes the reactor vessel, the pump, heat exchanger, fuel element geometry, and flow channels for both the six inner and twenty-four outer fuel elements. A post-processing of the simulation results has been conducted to evaluate minimum critical heat flux ratio (CHFR) using the Sudo-Kaminaga correlation. Evaluations are performed for the following accidents: (1) the control rod withdrawal startup accidentmore » and (2) the maximum reactivity insertion accident. In both cases the RELAP5 results indicate that there is adequate margin to CHF and no damage to the fuel will occur because of sufficient coolant flow through the fuel channels and the negative scram reactivity insertion.« less

  18. 10 CFR 71.73 - Hypothetical accident conditions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Hypothetical accident conditions. 71.73 Section 71.73... Package, Special Form, and LSA-III Tests 2 § 71.73 Hypothetical accident conditions. (a) Test procedures. Evaluation for hypothetical accident conditions is to be based on sequential application of the tests...

  19. 36 CFR 9.46 - Accidents and fires.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Accidents and fires. 9.46... MINERALS MANAGEMENT Non-Federal Oil and Gas Rights § 9.46 Accidents and fires. The operator shall take technologically feasible precautions to prevent accidents and fires, shall notify the Superintendent within 24...

  20. Development of Database for Accident Analysis in Indian Mines

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tripathy, Debi Prasad; Guru Raghavendra Reddy, K.

    2016-10-01

    Mining is a hazardous industry and high accident rates associated with underground mining is a cause of deep concern. Technological developments notwithstanding, rate of fatal accidents and reportable incidents have not shown corresponding levels of decline. This paper argues that adoption of appropriate safety standards by both mine management and the government may result in appreciable reduction in accident frequency. This can be achieved by using the technology in improving the working conditions, sensitising workers and managers about causes and prevention of accidents. Inputs required for a detailed analysis of an accident include information on location, time, type, cost of accident, victim, nature of injury, personal and environmental factors etc. Such information can be generated from data available in the standard coded accident report form. This paper presents a web based application for accident analysis in Indian mines during 2001-2013. An accident database (SafeStat) prototype based on Intranet of the TCP/IP agreement, as developed by the authors, is also discussed.

  1. Serum homocysteine levels in cerebrovascular accidents.

    PubMed

    Zongte, Zolianthanga; Shaini, L; Debbarma, Asis; Singh, Th Bhimo; Devi, S Bilasini; Singh, W Gyaneshwar

    2008-04-01

    Hyperhomocysteinemia has been considered an independent risk factor in the development of stroke. The present study was undertaken to evaluate serum homocysteine levels in patients with cerebrovascular accidents among the Manipuri population and to compare with the normal cases. Ninety-three cerebrovascular accident cases admitted in the hospital were enrolled for the study and twenty-seven age and sex matched individuals free from cerebrovascular diseases were taken as control group. Serum homocysteine levels were estimated by ELISA method using Axis homocysteine EIA kit manufactured by Ranbaxy Diagnostic Ltd. India. The finding suggests that hyperhomocysteinemia is associated with cerebrovascular accident with male preponderance, which increases with advancing age. However, whether hyperhomocysteinemia is the cause or the result of cerebrovascular accidents needs further investigations.

  2. Consequences of the radiation accident at the Mayak production association in 1957 (the 'Kyshtym Accident').

    PubMed

    Akleyev, A V; Krestinina, L Yu; Degteva, M O; Tolstykh, E I

    2017-09-01

    This paper presents an overview of the nuclear accident that occurred at the Mayak Production Association (PA) in the Russian Federation on 29 September 1957, often referred to as 'Kyshtym Accident', when 20 MCi (740 PBq) of radionuclides were released by a chemical explosion in a radioactive waste storage tank. 2 MCi (74 PBq) spread beyond the Mayak PA site to form the East Urals Radioactive Trace (EURT). The paper describes the accident and gives brief characteristics of the efficacy of the implemented protective measures that made it possible to considerably reduce doses to the exposed population. The paper also provides retrospective dosimetry estimates for the members of the EURT Cohort (EURTC) which comprises approximately 21 400 people. During the first two years after the accident a decrease in the group average leukocyte (mainly due to neutrophils and lymphocytes) and thrombocyte count was observed in the population. At later dates an increased excess relative risk of solid cancer incidence and mortality was found in the EURTC.

  3. What are the factors that contribute to road accidents? An assessment of law enforcement views, ordinary drivers' opinions, and road accident records.

    PubMed

    Rolison, Jonathan J; Regev, Shirley; Moutari, Salissou; Feeney, Aidan

    2018-06-01

    What are the main contributing factors to road accidents? Factors such as inexperience, lack of skill, and risk-taking behaviors have been associated with the collisions of young drivers. In contrast, visual, cognitive, and mobility impairment have been associated with the collisions of older drivers. We investigated the main causes of road accidents by drawing on multiple sources: expert views of police officers, lay views of the driving public, and official road accident records. In Studies 1 and 2, police officers and the public were asked about the typical causes of road traffic collisions using hypothetical accident scenarios. In Study 3, we investigated whether the views of police officers and the public about accident causation influence their recall accuracy for factors reported to contribute to hypothetical road accidents. The results show that both expert views of police officers and lay views of the driving public closely approximated the typical factors associated with the collisions of young and older drivers, as determined from official accident records. The results also reveal potential underreporting of factors in existing accident records, identifying possible inadequacies in law enforcement practices for investigating driver distraction, drug and alcohol impairment, and uncorrected or defective eyesight. Our investigation also highlights a need for accident report forms to be continuously reviewed and updated to ensure that contributing factor lists reflect the full range of factors that contribute to road accidents. Finally, the views held by police officers and the public on accident causation influenced their memory recall of factors involved in hypothetical scenarios. These findings indicate that delay in completing accident report forms should be minimised, possibly by use of mobile reporting devices at the accident scene. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  4. 49 CFR 382.303 - Post-accident testing.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... ALCOHOL USE AND TESTING Tests Required § 382.303 Post-accident testing. (a) As soon as practicable... vehicle. (c) The following table notes when a post-accident test is required to be conducted by paragraphs... 49 Transportation 5 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Post-accident testing. 382.303 Section 382.303...

  5. 49 CFR 382.303 - Post-accident testing.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... ALCOHOL USE AND TESTING Tests Required § 382.303 Post-accident testing. (a) As soon as practicable... vehicle. (c) The following table notes when a post-accident test is required to be conducted by paragraphs... 49 Transportation 5 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Post-accident testing. 382.303 Section 382.303...

  6. 49 CFR 382.303 - Post-accident testing.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... ALCOHOL USE AND TESTING Tests Required § 382.303 Post-accident testing. (a) As soon as practicable... vehicle. (c) The following table notes when a post-accident test is required to be conducted by paragraphs... 49 Transportation 5 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Post-accident testing. 382.303 Section 382.303...

  7. Columbia Accident Investigation Board Report. Volume 1

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gehman, Harold W., Jr.; Barry, John L.; Deal, Duane W.; Hallock, James N.; Hess, Kenneth W.; Hubbard, G. Scott; Logsdon, John M.; Osheroff, Douglas D.; Ride, Sally K.; Tetrault, Roger E.

    2003-01-01

    The Columbia Accident Investigation Board's independent investigation into the tragic February 1, 2003, loss of the Space Shuttle Columbia and its seven-member crew lasted nearly seven months and involved 13 Board members, approximately 120 Board investigators, and thousands of NASA and support personnel. Because the events that initiated the accident were not apparent for some time, the investigation's depth and breadth were unprecedented in NASA history. Further, the Board determined early in the investigation that it intended to put this accident into context. We considered it unlikely that the accident was a random event; rather, it was likely related in some degree to NASA's budgets, history, and program culture, as well as to the politics, compromises, and changing priorities of the democratic process. We are convinced that the management practices overseeing the Space Shuttle Program were as much a cause of the accident as the foam that struck the left wing. The Board was also influenced by discussions with members of Congress, who suggested that this nation needed a broad examination of NASA's Human Space Flight Program, rather than just an investigation into what physical fault caused Columbia to break up during re-entry. Findings and recommendations are in the relevant chapters and all recommendations are compiled in Chapter 11. Volume I is organized into four parts: The Accident; Why the Accident Occurred; A Look Ahead; and various appendices. To put this accident in context, Parts One and Two begin with histories, after which the accident is described and then analyzed, leading to findings and recommendations. Part Three contains the Board's views on what is needed to improve the safety of our voyage into space. Part Four is reference material. In addition to this first volume, there will be subsequent volumes that contain technical reports generated by the Columbia Accident Investigation Board and NASA, as well as volumes containing reference

  8. Analysis of traffic accidents in Romania, 2009.

    PubMed

    Călinoiu, Geovana; Minca, Dana Galieta; Furtunescu, Florentina Ligia

    2012-01-01

    This paper aimed to underline the main consequences of traffic accidents in Romania 2009 and their associated causes or circumstances. We identified some problematic geographic areas, some critical months or moments of the day and also the most frequent causes; all these should become targets for the future planning. The current analysis provides some priority criteria for public health interventions. So, the future national road safety strategy should be in line with the EU objectives, but also with the national priorities. Romania is far away from the average EU target for 2010 of halving the death by traffic accidents registered in 2001. To describe the circumstances and the consequences related to traffic accidents registered in Romania, for the year 2009. An ecological study was conducted. The traffic accidents circumstances were analyzed in terms of magnitude, geographic space, time and cause. The consequences were analyzed as affected people and damaged cars. A total of 28,627 traffic accidents were registered in Romania during the year 2009. 2,796 people were killed and 27,968 were hospitalized and 42,443 cars were damaged. 3 of 4 accidents were caused by violations on behalf of the car drivers. Most common violations in car drivers were excess of speed and priority violations (52.4%). Among the pedestrians, 7 of 10 accidents were caused by illegal crossing. A higher number of accidents occurred during the summer months and during the evening hours (from 5.00 pm till 8.00 pm). The traffic accidents represent a real public health problem in Romania and a serious burden for the health system. The gap between Romania and the other EU member states needs to be diminished in the next decade. In this purpose, the future national road safety strategy should be in line with the EU objectives, but also with the national priorities. Research is needed to understand the causes and the socio-economical impact of traffic accidents and to define appropriate national

  9. An experimental phylogeny to benchmark ancestral sequence reconstruction

    PubMed Central

    Randall, Ryan N.; Radford, Caelan E.; Roof, Kelsey A.; Natarajan, Divya K.; Gaucher, Eric A.

    2016-01-01

    Ancestral sequence reconstruction (ASR) is a still-burgeoning method that has revealed many key mechanisms of molecular evolution. One criticism of the approach is an inability to validate its algorithms within a biological context as opposed to a computer simulation. Here we build an experimental phylogeny using the gene of a single red fluorescent protein to address this criticism. The evolved phylogeny consists of 19 operational taxonomic units (leaves) and 17 ancestral bifurcations (nodes) that display a wide variety of fluorescent phenotypes. The 19 leaves then serve as ‘modern' sequences that we subject to ASR analyses using various algorithms and to benchmark against the known ancestral genotypes and ancestral phenotypes. We confirm computer simulations that show all algorithms infer ancient sequences with high accuracy, yet we also reveal wide variation in the phenotypes encoded by incorrectly inferred sequences. Specifically, Bayesian methods incorporating rate variation significantly outperform the maximum parsimony criterion in phenotypic accuracy. Subsampling of extant sequences had minor effect on the inference of ancestral sequences. PMID:27628687

  10. EMERALD REVISION 1; PWR accident activity release. [IBM360,370; FORTRAN IV

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Fowler, T.B.; Tobias, M.L.; Fox, J.N.

    The EMERALD program is designed for the calculation of radiation releases and exposures resulting from abnormal operation of a large pressurized water reactor (PWR). The approach used in EMERALD is similar to an analog simulation of a real system. Each component or volume in the plant which contains a radioactive material is represented by a subroutine which keeps track of the production, transfer, decay and absorption of radioactivity in that volume. During the course of the analysis of an accident, activity is transferred from subroutine to subroutine in the program as it would be transferred from place to place inmore » the plant. For example, in the calculation of the doses resulting from a loss-of-coolant accident the program first calculates the activity built up in the fuel before the accident, then releases some of this activity to the containment volume. Some of this activity is then released to the atmosphere. The rates of transfer, leakage, production, cleanup, decay, and release are read in as input to the program. Subroutines are also included which calculate the on-site and off-site radiation exposures at various distances for individual isotopes and sums of isotopes. The program contains a library of physical data for the twenty-five isotopes of most interest in licensing calculations, and other isotopes can be added or substituted. Because of the flexible nature of the simulation approach, the EMERALD program can be used for most calculations involving the production and release of radioactive materials during abnormal operation of a PWR. These include design, operational, and licensing studies.IBM360,370; FORTRAN IV; OS/360,370 (IBM360,370); 520K bytes of memory are required..« less

  11. General aviation accidents, 1983-1994 : identification of factors related to controlled-flight-into-terrain (CFIT) accidents

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1997-07-01

    The purpose of this report is to describe the characteristics of general aviation (GA) accidents and to identify factors : related to the occurrence of controlled-flight-into-terrain (CFIT) accidents in GA. : This study used the National Transportati...

  12. The work of the Child Accident Prevention Trust.

    PubMed Central

    Jackson, R H; Cooper, S; Hayes, H R

    1988-01-01

    In 1983 an article was published in this Journal describing the work of the Child Accident Prevention Trust. Since that time many developments have taken place in the field of child accident prevention. There has been an increased recognition of the role of accidents and injuries in child health and the importance of accident prevention at an international, national, and local level. This has, in part, been a result of work undertaken by the Child Accident Prevention Trust. Much remains to be done, however, and doctors and other health workers involved with children must recognise the part that they can play in reducing this epidemic. Mortality and morbidity from accidents is the largest single problem in the health of children after the first year of life. The aim of this article is to stimulate interest in the problem of accidents in childhood especially among community paediatricians and clinical medical officers. Hospital doctors and general practitioners also have a particular part to play in drawing the attention of appropriate authorities to factors which have led to accidents that may have been preventable (see Annotation in this issue). PMID:3355217

  13. Methodological guidelines for developing accident modification functions.

    PubMed

    Elvik, Rune

    2015-07-01

    This paper proposes methodological guidelines for developing accident modification functions. An accident modification function is a mathematical function describing systematic variation in the effects of road safety measures. The paper describes ten guidelines. An example is given of how to use the guidelines. The importance of exploratory analysis and an iterative approach in developing accident modification functions is stressed. The example shows that strict compliance with all the guidelines may be difficult, but represents a level of stringency that should be strived for. Currently the main limitations in developing accident modification functions are the small number of good evaluation studies and the often huge variation in estimates of effect. It is therefore still not possible to develop accident modification functions for very many road safety measures. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. The three essentials for accident prevention.

    PubMed

    Eastman, Crystal

    2014-11-01

    This article was written by Crystal Eastman when she was Secretary of the New York Commission on Employers' Liability and Causes of Industrial Accidents, Unemployment, and Lack of Farm Labor. It was published in July of 1911, in Volume 38, Number 1 of the Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, pages 98-107. The issue title was "Risks in Modern Industry." Eastman calls for the prevention of workplace accidents through three essentials: injury surveillance/reporting (with annual public reporting of the data); government enforcement of accident prevention laws, via departments with well-paid and well-trained officials and inspectors, fines that are high enough to be a deterrence to employers, and the power to have police shut down a factory if preventive measures are not installed; and a workers' compensation system-"a system of liability by which an employer can reduce his accident costs, not by hiring a more unscrupulous attorney and a more hard-hearted claim agent, but only by reducing his accidents."

  15. Laboratory accidents--a matter of attitude.

    PubMed

    Karim, N; Choe, C K

    2000-12-01

    This is a prospective study on accidents occurring in the Pathology laboratories of Hospital Ipoh over the 3-year period from January 1996 to October 1999. 15 mishaps were recorded. The location of the accidents were the histology (40%), microbiology (33%), haematology (20%) and cytology (7%) laboratories. No mishaps were reported from the clinical chemistry, blood bank and outpatient laboratories. Cuts by sharp objects were the most common injuries sustained (47%) followed by splashes and squirts by fluid such as blood or chemicals (27%). There was 1 case each of contact with biohazardous fluid, burn, allergy and accidental drinking of disinfectant. 67% of the accidents involved medical laboratory technicians, 20% involved attendants and the rest were medical officers and the junior laboratory technicians. Although the accidents reported appeared trivial, it is vital to document them and bring them to the attention of all concerned in the laboratory, in order to prevent major accidents and also because of medico-legal implications. The role of the Laboratory Safety Committee cannot be overemphasised. Modification of staff attitude is considered an important remedial goal.

  16. [Frequently accidents and injury at school].

    PubMed

    Gautier Vargas, María; Martínez González, Vanesa

    2011-01-01

    During the time we have been in a private company that provide schools with medical care, we were surprised by the frequent and constant phone calls received to ask for our services. This fact made us take the decision to carry out a survey to find out the accidents and the most frequent injuries. According to the retrospective study we realized throughout two different academic courses in several schools in Cantabria, the 3.23% of the students have any accidents or injuries. We found out children between 11 and 15 have the highest accident rate, being 10.8 % higher when boys (rather than girls) are involved. The most common injuries are contusions 42.85%, followed by sprains 23.45%, being blows the reason in 42% of the cases, and surprisingly acts of aggression in 1%. It was also unexpected to learn that gyms, where children are taught in physical education, have the highest percent on accident rate. All these inquiries lead us to think that age, play and sports are determinant factors in the accidents happened in the school area.

  17. Stressful life events and occupational accidents.

    PubMed

    Cordeiro, Ricardo; Dias, Adriano

    2005-10-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the association between stressful life events and occupational accidents. This was a population-based case-control study, carried out in the city of Botucatu, in southeast Brazil. The cases consisted of 108 workers who had recently experienced occupational accidents. Each case was matched with three controls. The cases and controls answered a questionnaire about recent exposure to stressful life events. Reporting of "environmental problems", "being a victim of assault", "not having enough food at home" and "nonoccupational fatigue" were found to be risk factors for work-related accidents with estimated incidence rate ratios of 1.4 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.1-1.7], 1.3 (95% CI 1.1-1.7), 1.3 (95% CI 1.1-1.6), and 1.4 (95% CI 1.2-1.7) respectively. The findings of the study suggested that nonwork variables contribute to occupational accidents, thus broadening the understanding of these phenomena, which can support new approaches to the prevention of occupational accidents.

  18. [Development of medical emergency response system for accidents due to chemicals in Chongqing municipality].

    PubMed

    Ning, Xu; Dong, Zhao-jun; Mu, Ling; Zhai, Jian-cai

    2006-12-01

    To plan and develop a Chongqing chemical accident rescue command system. Based on the modes of leakage and diffusion of various poisonous gases and chemicals, different modes of injuries produced, and their appropriate rescue and treatments, also taking the following factors such as the condition of storage of chemicals, meteorological and geographic conditions, medical institutions and equipment, and their rescuing capacity into consideration, a plan was drafted to establish the rescue system. Real-time simulation technology, data analysis, evaluation technology and database technology were employed in the planning. Using Visual Studio 6.0 as the software development platform, this project aimed to design the software of an emergency command system for chemical accidents in Chongqing which could be operated with the Windows 2000/XP operating system. This system provided a dynamic scope of the endangered area, casualty number estimates, and recommendation of measures and a rescue plan for various chemical accidents. Furthermore, the system helped retrieve comprehensive information regarding the physical and chemical characteristics of more than 4 200 dangerous poisonous chemicals and their appropriate treatment modalities. This system is easy to operate with a friendly interface, functions rapidly and can provide real-time analysis with comparatively precise results. This system could satisfy the requirements of executing the command and the rescue of a chemical accident with good prospects of application.

  19. Qualification of data obtained during a severe accident. Illustrative examples from TMI-2 evaluations

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Rempe, Joy L.; Knudson, Darrell L.

    2015-02-01

    The accidents at the Three Mile Island Unit 2 (TMI-2) Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) and the Daiichi Units 1, 2, and 3 Boiling Water Reactors (BWRs) provide unique opportunities to evaluate instrumentation exposed to severe accident conditions. Conditions associated with the release of coolant and the hydrogen burn that occurred during the TMI-2 accident exposed instrumentation to harsh conditions, including direct radiation, radioactive contamination, and high humidity with elevated temperatures and pressures. Post-TMI-2 instrumentation evaluation programs focused on data required by TMI-2 operators to assess the condition of the reactor and containment and the effect of mitigating actions taken bymore » these operators. Prior efforts also focused on sensors providing data required for subsequent forensic evaluations and accident simulations. This paper provides additional details related to the formal process used to develop a qualified TMI-2 data base and presents data qualification details for three parameters: reactor coolant system (RCS) pressure; containment building temperature; and containment pressure. These selected examples illustrate the types of activities completed in the TMI-2 data qualification process and the importance of such a qualification effort. These details are described to facilitate implementation of a similar process using data and examinations at the Daiichi Units 1, 2, and 3 reactors so that BWR-specific benefits can be obtained.« less

  20. 29 CFR 1960.29 - Accident investigation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... accident shall be left untouched until inspectors have an opportunity to examine it. (c) Any information or evidence uncovered during accident investigations which would be of benefit in developing a new OSHA...

  1. 29 CFR 1960.29 - Accident investigation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... accident shall be left untouched until inspectors have an opportunity to examine it. (c) Any information or evidence uncovered during accident investigations which would be of benefit in developing a new OSHA...

  2. Adverse fetal outcome in road accidents: Injury mechanism study and injury criteria development in a pregnant woman finite element model.

    PubMed

    Auriault, F; Thollon, L; Pérès, J; Behr, M

    2016-12-01

    This study documents the development of adverse fetal outcome predictors dedicated to the analysis of road accidents involving pregnant women. To do so, a pre-existing whole body finite element model representative of a 50th percentile 26 weeks pregnant woman was used. A total of 8 accident scenarios were simulated with the model positioned on a sled. Each of these scenarios was associated to a risk of adverse fetal outcome based on results from real car crash investigations involving pregnant women from the literature. The use of airbags and accidents involving unbelted occupants were not considered in this study. Several adverse fetal outcome potential predictors were then evaluated with regard to their correlation to this risk of fetal injuries. Three predictors appeared strongly correlated to the risk of adverse fetal outcome: (1) the intra uterine pressure at the placenta fetal side area (r=0.92), (2) the fetal head acceleration (HIC) (r=0.99) and (3) area of utero-placental interface over a strain threshold (r=0.90). Finally, sensitivity analysis against slight variations of the simulation parameters was performed and assess robustness of these criteria. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Bayes classifiers for imbalanced traffic accidents datasets.

    PubMed

    Mujalli, Randa Oqab; López, Griselda; Garach, Laura

    2016-03-01

    Traffic accidents data sets are usually imbalanced, where the number of instances classified under the killed or severe injuries class (minority) is much lower than those classified under the slight injuries class (majority). This, however, supposes a challenging problem for classification algorithms and may cause obtaining a model that well cover the slight injuries instances whereas the killed or severe injuries instances are misclassified frequently. Based on traffic accidents data collected on urban and suburban roads in Jordan for three years (2009-2011); three different data balancing techniques were used: under-sampling which removes some instances of the majority class, oversampling which creates new instances of the minority class and a mix technique that combines both. In addition, different Bayes classifiers were compared for the different imbalanced and balanced data sets: Averaged One-Dependence Estimators, Weightily Average One-Dependence Estimators, and Bayesian networks in order to identify factors that affect the severity of an accident. The results indicated that using the balanced data sets, especially those created using oversampling techniques, with Bayesian networks improved classifying a traffic accident according to its severity and reduced the misclassification of killed and severe injuries instances. On the other hand, the following variables were found to contribute to the occurrence of a killed causality or a severe injury in a traffic accident: number of vehicles involved, accident pattern, number of directions, accident type, lighting, surface condition, and speed limit. This work, to the knowledge of the authors, is the first that aims at analyzing historical data records for traffic accidents occurring in Jordan and the first to apply balancing techniques to analyze injury severity of traffic accidents. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. 43 CFR 15.13 - Report of accidents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 43 Public Lands: Interior 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Report of accidents. 15.13 Section 15.13 Public Lands: Interior Office of the Secretary of the Interior KEY LARGO CORAL REEF PRESERVE § 15.13 Report of accidents. Accidents involving injury to life or property shall be reported as soon as possible...

  5. 43 CFR 15.13 - Report of accidents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 43 Public Lands: Interior 1 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Report of accidents. 15.13 Section 15.13 Public Lands: Interior Office of the Secretary of the Interior KEY LARGO CORAL REEF PRESERVE § 15.13 Report of accidents. Accidents involving injury to life or property shall be reported as soon as possible...

  6. 43 CFR 15.13 - Report of accidents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 43 Public Lands: Interior 1 2012-10-01 2011-10-01 true Report of accidents. 15.13 Section 15.13 Public Lands: Interior Office of the Secretary of the Interior KEY LARGO CORAL REEF PRESERVE § 15.13 Report of accidents. Accidents involving injury to life or property shall be reported as soon as possible...

  7. 43 CFR 15.13 - Report of accidents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 43 Public Lands: Interior 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Report of accidents. 15.13 Section 15.13 Public Lands: Interior Office of the Secretary of the Interior KEY LARGO CORAL REEF PRESERVE § 15.13 Report of accidents. Accidents involving injury to life or property shall be reported as soon as possible...

  8. 43 CFR 15.13 - Report of accidents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 43 Public Lands: Interior 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Report of accidents. 15.13 Section 15.13 Public Lands: Interior Office of the Secretary of the Interior KEY LARGO CORAL REEF PRESERVE § 15.13 Report of accidents. Accidents involving injury to life or property shall be reported as soon as possible...

  9. 46 CFR 126.110 - Inspection after accident.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Inspection after accident. 126.110 Section 126.110... CERTIFICATION General § 126.110 Inspection after accident. (a) The owner or operator of an OSV shall make the vessel available for inspection by a marine inspector— (1) Each time an accident occurs, or a defect is...

  10. 10-year evaluation of train accidents.

    PubMed

    Akkaş, Meltem; Ay, Didem; Metin Aksu, Nalan; Günalp, Müge

    2011-09-01

    Although less frequent than automobile accidents, train accidents have a major impact on victims' lives. Records of patients older than 16 years of age admitted to the Adult Emergency Department of Hacettepe University Medical Center due to train accidents were retrospectively evaluated. 44 patients (30 males, 14 females) with a mean age of 31.8±11.4 years were included in the study. The majority of the accidents occurred during commuting hours. 37 patients were discharged, 22 of them from the emergency department. The mortality rate was 7/44 (16%). Overall mean Revised Trauma Score (RTS) was 10.5 (3 in deaths and 11.9 in survivors). In 5 patients, the cause of death was pelvic trauma leading to major vascular injury and lower limb amputation. In 1 patient, thorax and abdomen trauma and in 1 patient head injury were the causes of mortality. Primary risk factors for mortality were alcohol intoxication (100%), cardiopulmonary resuscitation on admittance (100%), recurrent suicide attempt (75%), presence of psychiatric illness (60%), and low RTS. In this study, most train accidents causing minor injuries were due to falling from the train prior to acceleration. Nevertheless, train accidents led to a mortality rate of 16% and morbidity rate of 37%. These findings draw attention to the importance of developing preventive strategies.

  11. 49 CFR 655.34 - Use following an accident.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... covered employee required to take a post-accident alcohol test under § 655.44 for eight hours following the accident or until he or she undergoes a post-accident alcohol test, whichever occurs first. ...

  12. 49 CFR 655.34 - Use following an accident.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... covered employee required to take a post-accident alcohol test under § 655.44 for eight hours following the accident or until he or she undergoes a post-accident alcohol test, whichever occurs first. ...

  13. 49 CFR 655.34 - Use following an accident.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... covered employee required to take a post-accident alcohol test under § 655.44 for eight hours following the accident or until he or she undergoes a post-accident alcohol test, whichever occurs first. ...

  14. 49 CFR 655.34 - Use following an accident.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... covered employee required to take a post-accident alcohol test under § 655.44 for eight hours following the accident or until he or she undergoes a post-accident alcohol test, whichever occurs first. ...

  15. 49 CFR 655.34 - Use following an accident.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... covered employee required to take a post-accident alcohol test under § 655.44 for eight hours following the accident or until he or she undergoes a post-accident alcohol test, whichever occurs first. ...

  16. Causative factors and countermeasures for rural and suburban pedestrian accidents : accident data collection and analysis--appendices

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1977-06-01

    The objectives of the study were to collect and analyze data on rural pedestrian accidents and to identify potential countermeasures. Data on a stratified random sample of over 1,500 rural and suburban accidents from six states was collected during i...

  17. 2009 Tennessee boating accident statistical report

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2009-01-01

    The 2009 Boating Accident Statistical Report is compiled by the : Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA), Boating Division. The data : used in this report is retrieved from reportable boating accident reports : submitted by TWRA officers wh...

  18. Five Common Bus Accidents--And How to Prevent Them.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fuller, Ronald

    1989-01-01

    Analyses of school bus accidents point to five accident-producing categories: (1) rear-end collisions; (2) sideswipes; (3) backing; (4) right turns; and (5) loading/unloading students. Reviews an accident of each type and focuses on the corrective action needed to reduce these accidents. (MLF)

  19. Computer & manual accident typing for bicyclist accidents : administrator's guide

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1983-01-01

    This guide provides guidelines and procedures for classifying and analyzing bicyclist-motor vehicle accidents. The approach described herein is part of a systematic effort by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to assist states...

  20. Traffic Accidents Involving Cyclists Identifying Causal Factors Using Questionnaire Survey, Traffic Accident Data, and Real-World Observation.

    PubMed

    Oikawa, Shoko; Hirose, Toshiya; Aomura, Shigeru; Matsui, Yasuhiro

    2016-11-01

    The purpose of this study is to clarify the mechanism of traffic accidents involving cyclists. The focus is on the characteristics of cyclist accidents and scenarios, because the number of traffic accidents involving cyclists in Tokyo is the highest in Japan. First, dangerous situations in traffic incidents were investigated by collecting data from 304 cyclists in one city in Tokyo using a questionnaire survey. The survey indicated that cyclists used their bicycles generally while commuting to work or school in the morning. Second, the study investigated the characteristics of 250 accident situations involving cyclists that happened in the city using real-world bicycle accident data. The results revealed that the traffic accidents occurred at intersections of local streets, where cyclists collided most often with vehicles during commute time in the morning. Third, cyclists' behavior was observed at a local street intersection in the morning in the city using video pictures. In one hour during the morning commute period, 250 bicycles passed through the intersection. The results indicated that one of the reasons for traffic accidents involving cyclists might be the combined effect of low visibility, caused by the presence of box-like building structures close to the intersections, and the cyclists' behavior in terms of their velocity and no confirming safety. It was observed that, on average, bicycle velocity was 3.1 m/s at the initial line of an intersection. The findings from this study could be useful in developing new technologies to improve cyclist safety, such as alert devices for cyclists and vehicle drivers, wireless communication systems between cyclists and vehicle drivers, or advanced vehicles with bicycle detection and collision mitigation systems.