Proof of concept demonstration of novel technologies for lunar spacesuit dust mitigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manyapu, Kavya K.; De Leon, Pablo; Peltz, Leora; Gaier, James R.; Waters, Deborah

2017-08-01

A recent report by NASA identified dust/particulate mitigation techniques as a highly relevant study for future long-term planetary exploration missions (NASA, 2015). The deleterious effects of lunar dust on spacesuits discovered during the Apollo missions has compelled NASA to identify dust mitigation as a critical path for potential future lunar, asteroid and Mars missions. The complexity of spacesuit design has however constrained integrating existing dust cleaning technologies, formerly demonstrated on rigid surfaces, into the spacesuit system. Accordingly, this research is investigating novel methods to integrate dust mitigation technologies for use on spacesuits. We examine utilizing a novel combination of active and passive technologies integrated into the spacesuit outerlayer to alleviate dust contamination. Leveraging two specific technologies, the Electrodynamics Dust Shield (EDS) active technology and Work Function Matching Coating (WFM) passive technology, developed by NASA for rigid surfaces, we apply new high performance materials such as the Carbon Nanotube (CNT) flexible fibers to develop a spacesuit-integrated dust cleaning system. Through experiments conducted using JSC-1A lunar dust simulant on coupons made of spacesuit outerlayer material, feasibility of integrating the proposed dust cleaning system and its performance were assessed. Results from these preliminary experiments show that the integrated dust cleaning system is capable of removing 80-95% of dust from the spacesuit material demonstrating proof of concept. This paper describes the techniques and results from the experiments. Future challenges of implementing the proposed approach into fight suits are identified.

Technique for ultrasonic cleaning with volatile solvents eliminates need for hoods or condensers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pipersky, E.

1969-01-01

Technique ultrasonically cleans small quantities of small mechanical parts in organic solvents without the need for vapor removal equipment. Parts are placed in a thin plastic bag with the solvent and then suspended in a cleaning tank containing the water-detergent solution.

Life cycle contributions of copper from vessel painting and maintenance activities

PubMed Central

Earley, Patrick J.; Swope, Brandon L.; Barbeau, Katherine; Bundy, Randelle; McDonald, Janessa A.; Rivera-Duarte, Ignacio

2013-01-01

Copper-based epoxy and ablative antifouling painted panels were exposed in natural seawater to evaluate environmental loading parameters. In situ loading factors including initial exposure, passive leaching, and surface refreshment were measured utilizing two protocols developed by the US Navy: the dome method and the in-water hull cleaning sampling method. Cleaning techniques investigated included a soft-pile carpet and a medium duty 3M™ pad for fouling removal. Results show that the passive leach rates of copper peaked three days after both initial deployment and cleaning events (CEs), followed by a rapid decrease over about 15 days and a slow approach to asymptotic levels on approximately day 30. Additionally, copper was more bioavailable during a CE in comparison to the passive leaching that immediately followed. A paint life cycle model quantifying annual copper loading estimates for each paint and cleaning method based on a three-year cycle of painting, episodic cleaning, and passive leaching is presented. PMID:24199998

Cleaning of printed circuit assemblies with surface-mounted components

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arzigian, J. S.

The need for ever-increasing miniaturization of airborne instrumentation through the use of surface mounted components closely placed on printed circuit boards highlights problems with traditional board cleaning methods. The reliability of assemblies which have been cleaned with vapor degreasing and spray cleaning can be seriously compromised by residual contaminants leading to solder joint failure, board corrosion, and even electrical failure of the mounted parts. In addition, recent government actions to eliminate fully halogenated chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) and chlorinated hydrocarbons from the industrial environment require the development of new cleaning materials and techniques. This paper discusses alternative cleaning materials and techniques and results that can be expected with them. Particular emphasis is placed on problems related to surface-mounted parts. These new techniques may lead to improved circuit reliability and, at the same time, be less expensive and less environmentally hazardous than the traditional systems.

Flame retardant exposure assessment: findings from a behavioral intervention study.

PubMed

Gibson, Elizabeth A; Stapleton, Heather M; Calero, Lehyla; Holmes, Darrell; Burke, Kimberly; Martinez, Rodney; Cortes, Boris; Nematollahi, Amy; Evans, David; Herbstman, Julie B

2018-06-28

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) have been largely replaced by organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs) and alternative brominated flame retardants (Alt-BFRs) to meet flammability requirements. Humans are ubiquitously exposed to some variety of flame retardants through contact with consumer products directly or through household dust. To evaluate the effectiveness of house cleaning and hand washing practices to reduce exposure to flame retardants, we measured concentrations in dermal hand wipes and urinary metabolites before and after assignment to two consecutive interventions. We selected 32 mother and child dyads from an existing cohort. This analysis focuses on mothers. Participants provided baseline measurements (urine, hand wipes, and questionnaires) and were then assigned for 1 week to either a house cleaning (including instruction on proper technique and cleaning supplies) or hand washing (including instruction on proper technique and soaps) intervention arm. For the second week, participants were assigned to the second intervention in addition to their initial assignment, thus all subjects both washed their hands and cleaned according to the intervention guidelines during week 2. We collected measurements at the end of weeks 1 and 2. We found reductions in urinary analytes after week 1 of house cleaning (BCIPHIPP and ip-DPHP), week 1 of hand washing (BCIPP, BCIPHIPP, and tbutyl-DPHP), and week 2 of combined interventions (BCIPHIPP and tbutyl-DPHP), compare to baseline. We found no significant decline in hand wipes in the entire sample but did find reductions after week 1 of house cleaning (BDE 209), week 1 of hand washing (TCEP), and week 2 of combined interventions (TDCIPP and BDE 209) in women with exposure above the median at baseline (verified through simulations). Exposure to individual flame retardants was reduced by about half, in some cases, by 1 week of increased hand washing, house cleaning to reduce dust, or combined activities.

Tuning the adhesion between polyimide substrate and MWCNTs/epoxy nanocomposite by surface treatment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bouhamed, Ayda; Kia, Alireza Mohammadian; Naifar, Slim; Dzhagan, Volodymyr; Müller, Christian; Zahn, Dietrich R. T.; Choura, Slim; Kanoun, Olfa

2017-11-01

MWCNTs/epoxy nanocomposite thin films are coated on the polyimide (PI) flexible substrate, to be used as a strain sensor. Previous studies showed that the adhesion between polyimide and other materials are very poor. In this work, two approaches, oxygen plasma cleaning and simple solvent cleaning are performed for activation of the polyimide surface. In order to understand the impact of both cleaning techniques, the physicochemical properties of PI are measured and characterized using contact angle measurements (CAMs), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). In addition, the adhesion properties of PI/[MWCNTs/epoxy] systems by varying surface treatment time are investigated and evaluated using force-distance measurements by AFM. The results illustrate that the activated surface exhibits higher surface energy for oxygen plasma cleaning in comparison with the solvent cleaning method. The improvement can be related to the increase of oxygen concentration, which is accompanied by the enhancement of the polar component to 53.79 mN/m due to the formation of functional groups on the surface and the change of the substrate surface roughness from 1.72 nm to 15.5 nm. As a result, improved adhesion was observed from force-distance measurement between PI/[MWCNTs/epoxy] systems due to oxygen plasma effects.

Diversity of anaerobic microbes in spacecraft assembly clean rooms.

PubMed

Probst, Alexander; Vaishampayan, Parag; Osman, Shariff; Moissl-Eichinger, Christine; Andersen, Gary L; Venkateswaran, Kasthuri

2010-05-01

Although the cultivable and noncultivable microbial diversity of spacecraft assembly clean rooms has been previously documented using conventional and state-of-the-art molecular techniques, the occurrence of obligate anaerobes within these clean rooms is still uncertain. Therefore, anaerobic bacterial communities of three clean-room facilities were analyzed during assembly of the Mars Science Laboratory rover. Anaerobic bacteria were cultured on several media, and DNA was extracted from suitable anaerobic enrichments and examined with conventional 16S rRNA gene clone library, as well as high-density phylogenetic 16S rRNA gene microarray (PhyloChip) technologies. The culture-dependent analyses predominantly showed the presence of clostridial and propionibacterial strains. The 16S rRNA gene sequences retrieved from clone libraries revealed distinct microbial populations associated with each clean-room facility, clustered exclusively within gram-positive organisms. PhyloChip analysis detected a greater microbial diversity, spanning many phyla of bacteria, and provided a deeper insight into the microbial community structure of the clean-room facilities. This study presents an integrated approach for assessing the anaerobic microbial population within clean-room facilities, using both molecular and cultivation-based analyses. The results reveal that highly diverse anaerobic bacterial populations persist in the clean rooms even after the imposition of rigorous maintenance programs and will pose a challenge to planetary protection implementation activities.

Cleaning Process Development for Metallic Additively Manufactured Parts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tramel, Terri L.; Welker, Roger; Lowery, Niki; Mitchell, Mark

2014-01-01

Additive Manufacturing of metallic components for aerospace applications offers many advantages over traditional manufacturing techniques. As a new technology, many aspects of its widespread utilization remain open to investigation. Among these are the cleaning processes that can be used for post finishing of parts and measurements to verify effectiveness of the cleaning processes. Many cleaning and drying processes and measurement methods that have been used for parts manufactured using conventional techniques are candidates that may be considered for cleaning and verification of additively manufactured parts. Among these are vapor degreasing, ultrasonic immersion and spray cleaning, followed by hot air drying, vacuum baking and solvent displacement drying. Differences in porosity, density, and surface finish of additively manufactured versus conventionally manufactured parts may introduce new considerations in the selection of cleaning and drying processes or the method used to verify their effectiveness. This presentation will review the relative strengths and weaknesses of different candidate cleaning and drying processes as they may apply to additively manufactured metal parts for aerospace applications. An ultrasonic cleaning technique for exploring the cleanability of parts will be presented along with an example using additively manufactured Inconel 718 test specimens to illustrate its use. The data analysis shows that this ultrasonic cleaning approach results in a well-behaved ultrasonic cleaning/extraction behavior. That is, it does not show signs of accelerated cavitation erosion of the base material, which was later confirmed by neutron imaging. In addition, the analysis indicated that complete cleaning would be achieved by ultrasonic immersion cleaning at approximately 5 minutes, which was verified by subsequent cleaning of additional parts.

Plasma Cleaning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hintze, Paul E.

2016-01-01

NASA's Kennedy Space Center has developed two solvent-free precision cleaning techniques: plasma cleaning and supercritical carbon dioxide (SCCO2), that has equal performance, cost parity, and no environmental liability, as compared to existing solvent cleaning methods.

Improving urban environment through public commitment toward the implementation of clean and healthy living behaviors.

PubMed

Hartini, Nurul; Ariana, Atika Dian; Dewi, Triana Kesuma; Kurniawan, Afif

2017-01-01

Some parts of northern Surabaya are slum areas with dense populations, and the majority of the inhabitants are from low-income families. The condition of these areas is seemingly different from the fact that Surabaya city has won awards for its cleanliness, healthy environment preservation, and maintenance. This study aimed at turning the researched site into a clean and healthy environment. The research was conducted using a quasi-experiment technique with a non-randomized design and pretest-posttest procedures. The research subjects were 121 inhabitants who actively participated in the public commitment and psychoeducation program initiated by the researchers to learn and practice clean and healthy living behaviors. The statistical data showed that there was a substantial increase in the aspects of public commitment ( t -value = 4.008, p = 0.001) and psychoeducation ( t -value = 4.038, p = 0.001) to begin and maintain a clean and healthy living behaviors. A public commitment in the form of a collective declaration to keep learning and practicing a clean and healthy living behaviors were achieved. This commitment followed by psychoeducation aimed at introducing and exercising such behaviors was found to have effectively increased the research subjects' awareness to actively participate in preserving environmental hygiene. Developing communal behaviors toward clean and healthy living in inhabitants residing in an unhealthy slum area was a difficult task. Therefore, public commitment and psychoeducation must be aligned with the formulation of continuous habits demonstrating a clean and healthy living behaviors. These habits include the cessation of littering while putting trash in its place, optimizing the usage of public toilets, planting and maintaining vegetation around the area, joining and contributing to the "garbage bank" program, and participating in the Green and Clean Surabaya competition.

A study of trends and techniques for space base electronics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trotter, J. D.; Wade, T. E.; Gassaway, J. D.

1978-01-01

Furnaces and photolithography related equipment were applied to experiments on double layer metal. The double layer metal activity emphasized wet chemistry techniques. By incorporating the following techniques: (1) ultrasonic etching of the vias; (2) premetal clean using a modified buffered hydrogen fluoride; (3) phosphorus doped vapor; and (4) extended sintering, yields of 98 percent were obtained using the standard test pattern. The two dimensional modeling problems have stemmed from, alternately, instability and too much computation time to achieve convergence.

Diversity of Anaerobic Microbes in Spacecraft Assembly Clean Rooms ▿ †

PubMed Central

Probst, Alexander; Vaishampayan, Parag; Osman, Shariff; Moissl-Eichinger, Christine; Andersen, Gary L.; Venkateswaran, Kasthuri

2010-01-01

Although the cultivable and noncultivable microbial diversity of spacecraft assembly clean rooms has been previously documented using conventional and state-of-the-art molecular techniques, the occurrence of obligate anaerobes within these clean rooms is still uncertain. Therefore, anaerobic bacterial communities of three clean-room facilities were analyzed during assembly of the Mars Science Laboratory rover. Anaerobic bacteria were cultured on several media, and DNA was extracted from suitable anaerobic enrichments and examined with conventional 16S rRNA gene clone library, as well as high-density phylogenetic 16S rRNA gene microarray (PhyloChip) technologies. The culture-dependent analyses predominantly showed the presence of clostridial and propionibacterial strains. The 16S rRNA gene sequences retrieved from clone libraries revealed distinct microbial populations associated with each clean-room facility, clustered exclusively within gram-positive organisms. PhyloChip analysis detected a greater microbial diversity, spanning many phyla of bacteria, and provided a deeper insight into the microbial community structure of the clean-room facilities. This study presents an integrated approach for assessing the anaerobic microbial population within clean-room facilities, using both molecular and cultivation-based analyses. The results reveal that highly diverse anaerobic bacterial populations persist in the clean rooms even after the imposition of rigorous maintenance programs and will pose a challenge to planetary protection implementation activities. PMID:20228115

[Evaluation of Medical Instruments Cleaning Effect of Fluorescence Detection Technique].

PubMed

Sheng, Nan; Shen, Yue; Li, Zhen; Li, Huijuan; Zhou, Chaoqun

2016-01-01

To compare the cleaning effect of automatic cleaning machine and manual cleaning on coupling type surgical instruments. A total of 32 cleaned medical instruments were randomly sampled from medical institutions in Putuo District medical institutions disinfection supply center. Hygiena System SUREII ATP was used to monitor the ATP value, and the cleaning effect was evaluated. The surface ATP values of the medical instrument of manual cleaning were higher than that of the automatic cleaning machine. Coupling type surgical instruments has better cleaning effect of automatic cleaning machine before disinfection, the application is recommended.

Fishing. Unit 1, Colorado Division of Wildlife.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hetzel, George K.; Smith, Dwight R.

This booklet on fishing is part of a series developed to encourage youth to pursue outdoor projects. Fish anatomy, equipment, casting techniques, knot and leader tying, hooks, fishing areas, cleaning and cooking fish, types of bait, lures, and regulations are discussed and illustrated. Suggested activities and field trips are listed. (MR)

Cleaning and Cleanliness Verification Techniques for Mars Returned Sample Handling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mickelson, E. T.; Lindstrom, D. J.; Allton, J. H.; Hittle, J. D.

2002-01-01

Precision cleaning and cleanliness verification techniques are examined as a subset of a comprehensive contamination control strategy for a Mars sample return mission. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Laser cleaning of steel for paint removal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, G. X.; Kwee, T. J.; Tan, K. P.; Choo, Y. S.; Hong, M. H.

2010-11-01

Paint removal is an important part of steel processing for marine and offshore engineering. For centuries, a blasting techniques have been widely used for this surface preparation purpose. But conventional blasting always has intrinsic problems, such as noise, explosion risk, contaminant particles, vibration, and dust. In addition, processing wastes often cause environmental problems. In recent years, laser cleaning has attracted much research effort for its significant advantages, such as precise treatment, and high selectivity and flexibility in comparison with conventional cleaning techniques. In the present study, we use this environmentally friendly technique to overcome the problems of conventional blasting. Processed samples are examined with optical microscopes and other surface characterization tools. Experimental results show that laser cleaning can be a good alternative candidate to conventional blasting.

Automated Reflectance Measurement System Designed and Fabricated to Determine the Limits of Atomic Oxygen Treatment of Art Through Contrast Optimization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sechkar, Edward A.; Stueber, Thomas J.; Rutledge, Sharon K.

2000-01-01

Atomic oxygen generated in ground-based research facilities has been used to not only test erosion of candidate spacecraft materials but as a noncontact technique for removing organic deposits from the surfaces of artwork. NASA has patented the use of atomic oxygen to remove carbon-based soot contamination from fire-damaged artwork. The process of cleaning soot-damaged paintings with atomic oxygen requires exposures for variable lengths of time, dependent on the condition of a painting. Care must be exercised while cleaning to prevent the removal of pigment. The cleaning process must be stopped as soon as visual inspection or surface reflectance measurements indicate that cleaning is complete. Both techniques rely on optical comparisons of known bright locations against known dark locations on the artwork being cleaned. Difficulties arise with these techniques when either a known bright or dark location cannot be determined readily. Furthermore, dark locations will lighten with excessive exposure to atomic oxygen. Therefore, an automated test instrument to quantitatively characterize cleaning progression was designed and developed at the NASA Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field to determine when atomic oxygen cleaning is complete.

Glow discharge cleaning of vacuum switch tubes

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

Hayashi, T.; Toya, H.

1991-10-01

This paper reports that glow discharge cleaning has ben advancing as a means of degassing vacuum chambers constructed for a large accelerator or for nuclear fusion research. To clean the whole surface of parts inside a vacuum switch tube (VST), a new technique is tried which generates glow discharge between the inner electrodes and copper grid surrounding it. Photographic observation reveals that the glow discharge spreads out and cleans the whole surface inside the VST. A breakdown test between the inner electrodes shows the effect of the cleaning with this technique. Higher breakdown voltage between the inner electrodes is attainedmore » by performing this glow discharge cleaning in argon rather than hydrogen gas. The difference of the cleaning effect seems to be attributed to that of the energy transfer from ion species to the absorbed molecules and microprotrusions on the surfaces.« less

The Effect of Selected Cleaning Techniques on Berkshire Lee Marble: A Scientific Study at Philadelphia City Hall

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mossotti, Victor G.; Eldeeb, A. Raouf; Fries, Terry L.; Coombs, Mary Jane; Naude, Virginia N.; Soderberg, Lisa; Wheeler, George S.

2002-01-01

This report describes a scientific investigation of the effects of eight different cleaning techniques on the Berkshire Lee marble component of the facade of the East Center Pavilion at Philadelphia City Hall; the study was commissioned by the city of Philadelphia. The eight cleaning techniques evaluated in this study were power wash (proprietary gel detergent followed by water rinse under pressure), misting (treatment with potable, nebulized water for 24-36 hours), gommage (proprietary Thomann-Hanry low-pressure, air-driven, small-particle, dry abrasion), combination (gommage followed by misting), Armax (sodium bicarbonate delivered under pressure in a water wash), JOS (dolomite powder delivered in a low-pressure, rotary-vortex water wash), laser (thermal ablation), and dry ice (powdered-dry-ice abrasion delivered under pressure). In our study approximately 160 cores were removed from the building for laboratory analysis. We developed a computer program to analyze scanning-electron-micrograph images for the microscale surface roughness and other morphologic parameters of the stone surface, including the near-surface fracture density of the stone. An analysis of more than 1,100 samples cut from the cores provided a statistical basis for crafting the essential elements of a reduced-form, mixed-kinetics conceptual model that represents the deterioration of calcareous stone in terms of self-organized soiling and erosion patterns. This model, in turn, provided a basis for identifying the variables that are affected by the cleaning techniques and for evaluating the extent to which such variables influence the stability of the stone. The model recognizes three classes of variables that may influence the soiling load on the stone, including such exogenous environmental variables as airborne moisture, pollutant concentrations, and local aerodynamics, and such endogenous stone variables as surface chemistry and microstructure (fracturing, roughness, and so on). This study showed that morphologic variables on the mesoscale to macroscale are not generally affected by the choice of a cleaning technique. The long-term soiling pattern on the building is independent of the cleaning technique applied. This study also showed that soluble salts do not play a significant role in the deterioration of Berkshire Lee marble. Although salts were evident in cracks and fissures of the heavily soiled stone, such salts did not penetrate the surface to a depth of more than a few hundred micrometers. The criteria used to differentiate the cleaning techniques were ultimately based on the ability of each technique to remove soiling without altering the texture of the stone surface. This study identified both the gommage and JOS techniques as appropriate for cleaning ashlar surfaces and the combination technique as appropriate for cleaning highly carved surfaces at the entablatures, cornices, and column capitals.

Prospective study of wound infections in Mohs micrographic surgery using clean surgical technique in the absence of prophylactic antibiotics.

PubMed

Rogers, Heather D; Desciak, Edward B; Marcus, Rebecca P; Wang, Shuang; MacKay-Wiggan, Julian; Eliezri, Yehuda D

2010-11-01

Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) has a low rate of surgical site infection (SSI) without the use of prophylactic antibiotics. In the studies to date, there has been variation in the steps taken by each surgeon to prevent SSIs but in all cases sterile technique was used during wound reconstruction. We sought to evaluate the rate of SSIs among patients undergoing MMS with the use of clean surgical technique for all steps of MMS including wound reconstruction in the absence of prophylactic antibiotics. We prospectively evaluated 1000 patients undergoing MMS using clean surgical technique for SSIs. Clean surgical technique includes the use of clean surgical gloves and towels and a single pack of sterile instruments for all steps including wound reconstruction. There were 11 SSIs among 1000 patients with 1204 tumors, with an overall rate of infection of 0.91% (95% confidence interval 0.38%-1.45%). Three of the 11 infections were complications of hematomas. Four of the 11 infections occurred in flap closures, which had the highest rate of SSIs of 2.67% (4/150). The study was a prospective, single-institution uncontrolled study. To our knowledge, this is the first study to examine the rate of SSIs with the use of clean surgical technique, in the absence of antibiotic prophylaxis, for all steps of MMS including wound reconstruction. Our rate of SSIs of 0.91% is exceedingly low, underscoring the overall safety of MMS and its performance in the outpatient setting without the use of antibiotic prophylaxis or sterile technique. Copyright © 2010 American Academy of Dermatology, Inc. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Simultaneous imaging/reflectivity measurements to assess diagnostic mirror cleaning.

PubMed

Skinner, C H; Gentile, C A; Doerner, R

2012-10-01

Practical methods to clean ITER's diagnostic mirrors and restore reflectivity will be critical to ITER's plasma operations. We describe a technique to assess the efficacy of mirror cleaning techniques and detect any damage to the mirror surface. The method combines microscopic imaging and reflectivity measurements in the red, green, and blue spectral regions and at selected wavelengths. The method has been applied to laser cleaning of single crystal molybdenum mirrors coated with either carbon or beryllium films 150-420 nm thick. It is suitable for hazardous materials such as beryllium as the mirrors remain sealed in a vacuum chamber.

Kinematic and kinetic improvements associated with action observation facilitated learning of the power clean in Australian footballers.

PubMed

Sakadjian, Alex; Panchuk, Derek; Pearce, Alan J

2014-06-01

This study investigated the effectiveness of action observation (AO) on facilitating learning of the power clean technique (kinematics) compared with traditional strength coaching methods and whether improvements in performance (kinetics) were associated with an improvement in lifting technique. Fifteen subjects (age, 20.9 ± 2.3 years) with no experience in performing the power clean exercise attended 12 training and testing sessions over a 4-week period. Subjects were assigned to 2 matched groups, based on preintervention power clean performance and performed 3 sets of 5 repetitions of the power clean exercise at each training session. Subjects in the traditional coaching group (TC; n = 7) received the standard coaching feedback (verbal cues and physical practice), whereas subjects in the AO group (n = 8) received similar verbal coaching cues and physical practice but also observed a video of a skilled model before performing each set. Kinematic data were collected from video recordings of subjects who were fitted with joint center markings during testing, whereas kinetic data were collected from a weightlifting analyzer attached to the barbell. Subjects were tested before intervention, at the end of weeks 2 and 3, and at after intervention at the end of week 4. Faster improvements (3%) were observed in power clean technique with AO-facilitated learning in the first week and performance improvements (mean peak power of the subject's 15 repetitions) over time were significant (p < 0.001). In addition, performance improvement was significantly associated (R = 0.215) with technique improvements. In conclusion, AO combined with verbal coaching and physical practice of the power clean exercise resulted in significantly faster technique improvements and improvement in performance compared with traditional coaching methods.

Comparative study of pulsed laser cleaning applied to weathered marble surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ortiz, P.; Antúnez, V.; Ortiz, R.; Martín, J. M.; Gómez, M. A.; Hortal, A. R.; Martínez-Haya, B.

2013-10-01

The removal of unwanted matter from surface stones is a demanding task in the conservation of cultural heritage. This paper investigates the effectiveness of near-infrared (IR) and ultraviolet (UV) laser pulses for the cleaning of surface deposits, iron oxide stains and different types of graffiti (black, red and green sprays and markers, and black cutting-edge ink) on dolomitic white marble. The performance of the laser techniques is compared to common cleaning methods on the same samples, namely pressurized water and chemical treatments. The degree of cleaning achieved with each technique is assessed by means of colorimetric measurements and X-ray microfluorescence. Eventual morphological changes induced on the marble substrate are monitored with optical and electronic microscopy. It is found that UV pulsed laser ablation at 266 nm manages to clean all the stains except the cutting-edge ink, although some degree of surface erosion is produced. The IR laser pulses at 1064 nm can remove surface deposits and black spray acceptably, but a yellowing is observed on the stone surface after treatment. An economic evaluation shows that pulsed laser cleaning techniques are advantageous for the rapid cleaning of small or inaccessible surface areas, although their extensive application becomes expensive due to the long operating times required.

Plasma cleaning and analysis of archeological artefacts from Sipán

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saettone, E. A. O.; da Matta, J. A. S.; Alva, W.; Chubaci, J. F. O.; Fantini, M. C. A.; Galvão, R. M. O.; Kiyohara, P.; Tabacniks, M. H.

2003-04-01

A novel procedure using plasma sputtering in an electron-cyclotron-resonance device has been applied to clean archeological MOCHE artefacts, unearthed at the Royal Tombs of Sipán. After successful cleaning, the pieces were analysed by a variety of complementary techniques, namely proton-induced x-ray emission, Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, and inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy. With these techniques, it has been possible to not only determine the profiles of the gold and silver surface layers, but also to detect elements that may be relevant to explain the gilding techniques skillfully developed by the metal smiths of the MOCHE culture.

Remediation of Coal Tar by STAR: Self-Sustaining Propagation Across Clean Gaps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gerhard, J.; Brown, J.; Torero, J. L.; Grant, G.

2016-12-01

Self-sustaining Treatment for Active Remediation (STAR) is an emerging remediation technique which utilizes a subsurface smouldering reaction to destroy non-aqueous phase liquids (NAPL) in situ. The reaction is self-sustaining in that, once ignited, the destructive smouldering front will propagate outwards using only the energy embedded in the contaminant. However, it is known that coal tar can occur as both a continuous pool as well as in distinct seams separated by clean intervals. This study evaluated the hypothesis that the smouldering reaction can cross or `jump' clean gaps by transferring enough heat through the gap to re-ignite the reaction in the contaminated region beyond. Column and 2D box experiments were performed at two scales to determine the maximum clean gap which could be jumped vertically and horizontally. Once the maximum gap had been determined, sensitivity to various in situ and engineering control parameters were explored including: coal tar layer thickness, soil permeability, moisture content, NAPL saturation, and air injection flowrate. High resolution thermocouples informed the progress of the reaction, continuous gas emissions analysis revealed when the reaction was active and dormant, and detailed excavation mapped the extent of remediation and whether gaps were successfully jumped. The work demonstrated that substantial clean gaps, approaching the limit of the laboratory scale, can be jumped by the smouldering reaction using convective heat transfer. Also observed in some cases was the mobilization of pre-heated coal tar into the clean gaps and the reaction's ability to propagate through and destroy coal tar both adjacent to and within the gaps. This work is providing new insights into the robust nature of the technology for in situ applications, and indicating how extreme the heterogeneity has to be before the reaction is interrupted and a new ignition location would be required.

Risk in cleaning: chemical and physical exposure.

PubMed

Wolkoff, P; Schneider, T; Kildesø, J; Degerth, R; Jaroszewski, M; Schunk, H

1998-04-23

Cleaning is a large enterprise involving a large fraction of the workforce worldwide. A broad spectrum of cleaning agents has been developed to facilitate dust and dirt removal, for disinfection and surface maintenance. The cleaning agents are used in large quantities throughout the world. Although a complex pattern of exposure to cleaning agents and resulting health problems, such as allergies and asthma, are reported among cleaners, only a few surveys of this type of product have been performed. This paper gives a broad introduction to cleaning agents and the impact of cleaning on cleaners, occupants of indoor environments, and the quality of cleaning. Cleaning agents are usually grouped into different product categories according to their technical functions and the purpose of their use (e.g. disinfectants and surface care products). The paper also indicates the adverse health and comfort effects associated with the use of these agents in connection with the cleaning process. The paper identifies disinfectants as the most hazardous group of cleaning agents. Cleaning agents contain evaporative and non-evaporative substances. The major toxicologically significant constituents of the former are volatile organic compounds (VOCs), defined as substances with boiling points in the range of 0 degree C to about 400 degrees C. Although laboratory emission testing has shown many VOCs with quite different time-concentration profiles, few field studies have been carried out measuring the exposure of cleaners. However, both field studies and emission testing indicate that the use of cleaning agents results in a temporal increase in the overall VOC level. This increase may occur during the cleaning process and thus it can enhance the probability of increased short-term exposure of the cleaners. However, the increased levels can also be present after the cleaning and result in an overall increased VOC level that can possibly affect the indoor air quality (IAQ) perceived by occupants. The variety and duration of the emissions depend inter alia on the use of fragrances and high boiling VOCs. Some building materials appear to increase their VOC emission through wet cleaning and thus may affect the IAQ. Particles and dirt contain a great variety of both volatile and non-volatile substances, including allergens. While the volatile fraction can consist of more than 200 different VOCs including formaldehyde, the non-volatile fraction can contain considerable amounts (> 0.5%) of fatty acid salts and tensides (e.g. linear alkyl benzene sulphonates). The level of these substances can be high immediately after the cleaning process, but few studies have been conducted concerning this problem. The substances partly originate from the use of cleaning agents. Both types are suspected to be airway irritants. Cleaning activities generate dust, mostly by resuspension, but other occupant activities may also resuspend dust over longer periods of time. Personal sampling of VOCs and airborne dust gives higher results than stationary sampling. International bodies have proposed air sampling strategies. A variety of field sampling techniques for VOC and surface particle sampling is listed.

Can Beach Cleans Do More Than Clean-Up Litter? Comparing Beach Cleans to Other Coastal Activities

PubMed Central

Wyles, Kayleigh J.; Pahl, Sabine; Holland, Matthew; Thompson, Richard C.

2016-01-01

Coastal visits not only provide psychological benefits but can also contribute to the accumulation of rubbish. Volunteer beach cleans help address this issue, but may only have limited, local impact. Consequently, it is important to study any broader benefits associated with beach cleans. This article examines the well-being and educational value of beach cleans, as well as their impacts on individuals’ behavioral intentions. We conducted an experimental study that allocated students (n = 90) to a beach cleaning, rock pooling, or walking activity. All three coastal activities were associated with positive mood and pro-environmental intentions. Beach cleaning and rock pooling were associated with higher marine awareness. The unique impacts of beach cleaning were that they were rated as most meaningful but linked to lower restorativeness ratings of the environment compared with the other activities. This research highlights the interplay between environment and activities, raising questions for future research on the complexities of person-environment interactions. PMID:28546642

Cleaning Physical Education Areas.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Griffin, William R.

1999-01-01

Discusses techniques to help create clean and inviting school locker rooms. Daily, weekly or monthly, biannual, and annual cleaning strategies for locker room showers are highlighted as are the specialized maintenance needs for aerobic and dance areas, running tracks, and weight training areas. (GR)

Cleaning Our World through Reverse Graffiti

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Randazzo, Gabe; LaJevic, Lisa

2013-01-01

Over the last decade artists have begun to experiment with "reverse pollution" techniques, such as reverse graffiti, which focuses on cleaning environmental surfaces. Having recently been introduced to the works of Moose, the artist known for inventing the reverse graffiti technique, the authors decided to design a curriculum to increase…

Advanced Curation Protocols for Mars Returned Sample Handling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bell, M.; Mickelson, E.; Lindstrom, D.; Allton, J.

Introduction: Johnson Space Center has over 30 years experience handling precious samples which include Lunar rocks and Antarctic meteorites. However, we recognize that future curation of samples from such missions as Genesis, Stardust, and Mars S mple Return, will require a high degree of biosafety combined witha extremely low levels of inorganic, organic, and biological contamination. To satisfy these requirements, research in the JSC Advanced Curation Lab is currently focused toward two major areas: preliminary examination techniques and cleaning and verification techniques . Preliminary Examination Techniques : In order to minimize the number of paths for contamination we are exploring the synergy between human &robotic sample handling in a controlled environment to help determine the limits of clean curation. Within the Advanced Curation Laboratory is a prototype, next-generation glovebox, which contains a robotic micromanipulator. The remotely operated manipulator has six degrees-of- freedom and can be programmed to perform repetitive sample handling tasks. Protocols are being tested and developed to perform curation tasks such as rock splitting, weighing, imaging, and storing. Techniques for sample transfer enabling more detailed remote examination without compromising the integrity of sample science are also being developed . The glovebox is equipped with a rapid transfer port through which samples can be passed without exposure. The transfer is accomplished by using a unique seal and engagement system which allows passage between containers while maintaining a first seal to the outside environment and a second seal to prevent the outside of the container cover and port door from becoming contaminated by the material being transferred. Cleaning and Verification Techniques: As part of the contamination control effort, innovative cleaning techniques are being identified and evaluated in conjunction with sensitive cleanliness verification methods. Towards this end, cleaning techniques such as ultrasonication in ultra -pure water (UPW), oxygen (O2) plasma, and carbon dioxide (CO2) "snow" are being used to clean a variety of different contaminants on a variety of different surfaces. Additionally, once cleaned, techniques to directly verify the s rface cleanliness are being developed. Theseu include X ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) quantification, and screening with- contact angle measure ments , which can be correlated with XPS standards. Methods developed in the Advanced Curation Laboratory will determine the extent to which inorganic and biological contamination can be controlled and minimized.

Does the Use of Clean or Sterile Dressing Technique Affect the Incidence of Wound Infection?

PubMed

Kent, Dea J; Scardillo, Jody N; Dale, Barbara; Pike, Caitlin

The purpose of this article is to examine the evidence and provide recommendations for the use of clean or sterile dressing technique with dressing application to prevent wound infection. In all persons with acute or chronic wounds, does the use of clean or sterile dressing technique affect incidence of wound infection? A search of the literature was performed by a trained university librarian, which resulted in 473 articles that examined any age group that dealt with application of a wound dressing using either sterile or nonsterile technique. A systematic approach was used to review titles, abstracts, and text, yielding 4 studies that met inclusion criteria. Strength of the evidence was rated using rating methodology from Essential Evidence Plus: Levels of Evidence and Oxford Center for Evidence-Based Medicine, adapted by Gray and colleagues. Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Practice Nursing Research Appraisal Tool was used to rate the quality of the evidence. All 4 studies reported no significant difference in the rate of wound infection when using either clean or sterile technique with dressing application. The strength of the evidence for the identified studies was identified as level 2 (1 level A, 3 level B). The study sizes were variable, and the wounds included do not represent the continuum of wounds clinically encountered across the board. Evidence indicates that the use of clean technique for acute wound care is a clinically effective intervention that does not affect the incidence of infection. There is no recommendation that can be made regarding type of dressing technique for a chronic wound due to the lack of evidence in the literature.

Evaluation of various activated carbons for air cleaning - Towards design of immune and sustainable buildings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haghighat, Fariborz; Lee, Chang-Seo; Pant, Bhuvan; Bolourani, Golnoush; Lakdawala, Ness; Bastani, Arash

There are increased demands for security, sustainability and indoor air quality in today's building design, construction, operation and maintenance. Installation of air cleaning systems can improve the indoor air quality by reducing the air pollution levels, and enhance the building security against sudden release of chemical and/or biological agents. At the same time, air cleaning techniques may reduce the building energy consumption by reducing the outdoor air supply rate, hence lowering the needs for conditioning of outdoor air. While the air filtration of particulate matter is well standardized, the standards against which the performance of air cleaning for gaseous contaminants is measured or classified are still under development. This study examined the performance of various granular activated carbons (GACs) for the removal of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from mechanically ventilated buildings. Eight different GACs (three virgin and five impregnated) were tested against toluene using a dynamic test system. The virgin GACs showed better performance than impregnated ones, the percentage and the type of impregnation affected the removal efficiencies. Tests were also conducted with selected GACs against toluene, cyclohexane and ethyl acetate at relative humidity (RH) values of 30%, 50% and 70%. The effect of humidity was dependant on the VOC used. Both for toluene and cyclohexane, the removal efficiency decreased as RH increased. However, higher humidity showed a positive impact on the removal of ethyl acetate.

Effect of mechanical cleaning with granular material on the permeability of submerged membranes in the MBR process.

PubMed

Siembida, B; Cornel, P; Krause, S; Zimmermann, B

2010-07-01

The research on fouling reduction and permeability loss in membrane bioreactors (MBRs) was carried out at two MBR pilot plants with synthetic and real wastewater. On the one hand, the effect of mechanical cleaning with an abrasive granular material on the performance of a submerged MBR process was tested. Additionally, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) measurements and integrity tests were conducted to check whether the membrane material was damaged by the granulate.The results indicate that the fouling layer formation was significantly reduced by abrasion using the granular material. This technique allowed a long-term operation of more than 600 days at a flux up to 40 L/(m2 h) without chemical cleaning of the membranes. Moreover, it was demonstrated that the membrane bioreactor (MBR) with granulate could be operated with more than 20% higher flux compared to a conventional MBR operation. SEM images and integrity tests showed that in consequence of abrasive cleaning, the granular material left brush marks on the membrane surface, however, the membrane function was not affected.In a parallel experimental set up, the impact of the operationally defined "truly soluble fraction" <0.04 microm from wastewater and activated sludge on the ultrafiltration membrane fouling characteristics was investigated. It was shown that the permeability loss was caused predominantly by the colloidal fraction >0.04 microm rather than by the dissolved fraction of wastewater and activated sludge.

NHEXAS PHASE I ARIZONA STUDY--STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR CLEANING: WEEKLY ACTIVITY FOLLOW UP--INDIVIDUAL (UA-D-23.0)

EPA Science Inventory

This entry is included for completeness of documentation. The technique described in the SOP was anticipated in study planning documents. It was subsequently not used, and the SOP was not completed. This SOP was replaced by SOP UA-D-22.0.

The purpose of this SOP is to define t...

Influence of Meibomian Gland Expression Methods on Human Lipid Analysis Results.

PubMed

Kunnen, Carolina M E; Brown, Simon H J; Lazon de la Jara, Percy; Holden, Brien A; Blanksby, Stephen J; Mitchell, Todd W; Papas, Eric B

2016-01-01

To compare the lipid composition of human meibum across three different meibum expression techniques. Meibum was collected from five healthy non-contact lens wearers (aged 20-35 years) after cleaning the eyelid margin using three meibum expression methods: cotton buds (CB), meibomian gland evaluator (MGE) and meibomian gland forceps (MGF). Meibum was also collected using cotton buds without cleaning the eyelid margin (CBn). Lipids were analyzed by chip-based, nano-electrospray mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). Comparisons were made using linear mixed models. Tandem MS enabled identification and quantification of over 200 lipid species across ten lipid classes. There were significant differences between collection techniques in the relative quantities of polar lipids obtained (P<.05). The MGE method returned smaller polar lipid quantities than the CB approaches. No significant differences were found between techniques for nonpolar lipids. No significant differences were found between cleaned and non-cleaned eyelids for polar or nonpolar lipids. Meibum expression technique influences the relative amount of phospholipids in the resulting sample. The highest amounts of phospholipids were detected with the CB approaches and the lowest with the MGE technique. Cleaning the eyelid margin prior to expression was not found to affect the lipid composition of the sample. This may be a consequence of the more forceful expression resulting in cell membrane contamination or higher risk of tear lipid contamination as a result of reflex tearing. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

PHASE I PILOT AIR CONVEYANCE SYSTEM DESIGN, CLEANING, AND CHARACTERIZATION

EPA Science Inventory

The report gives results of a project to develop and refine surface and airborne contamination
measurement techniques that can be used to evaluate air conveyance system (ACS) cleaning.
(NOTE: ACS cleaning is advertized to homeowners as a service having a number of benefits...

Digital cleaning and "dirt" layer visualization of an oil painting.

PubMed

Palomero, Cherry May T; Soriano, Maricor N

2011-10-10

We demonstrate a new digital cleaning technique which uses a neural network that is trained to learn the transformation from dirty to clean segments of a painting image. The inputs and outputs of the network are pixels belonging to dirty and clean segments found in Fernando Amorsolo's Malacañang by the River. After digital cleaning we visualize the painting's discoloration by assuming it to be a transmission filter superimposed on the clean painting. Using an RGB color-to-spectrum transformation to obtain the point-per-point spectra of the clean and dirty painting images, we calculate this "dirt" filter and render it for the whole image.

Recommended advanced techniques for waterborne pathogen detection in developing countries.

PubMed

Alhamlan, Fatimah S; Al-Qahtani, Ahmed A; Al-Ahdal, Mohammed N

2015-02-19

The effect of human activities on water resources has expanded dramatically during the past few decades, leading to the spread of waterborne microbial pathogens. The total global health impact of human infectious diseases associated with pathogenic microorganisms from land-based wastewater pollution was estimated to be approximately three million disability-adjusted life years (DALY), with an estimated economic loss of nearly 12 billion US dollars per year. Although clean water is essential for healthy living, it is not equally granted to all humans. Indeed, people who live in developing countries are challenged every day by an inadequate supply of clean water. Polluted water can lead to health crises that in turn spread waterborne pathogens. Taking measures to assess the water quality can prevent these potential risks. Thus, a pressing need has emerged in developing countries for comprehensive and accurate assessments of water quality. This review presents current and emerging advanced techniques for assessing water quality that can be adopted by authorities in developing countries.

Clinical validation of robot simulation of toothbrushing - comparative plaque removal efficacy

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Clinical validation of laboratory toothbrushing tests has important advantages. It was, therefore, the aim to demonstrate correlation of tooth cleaning efficiency of a new robot brushing simulation technique with clinical plaque removal. Methods Clinical programme: 27 subjects received dental cleaning prior to 3-day-plaque-regrowth-interval. Plaque was stained, photographically documented and scored using planimetrical index. Subjects brushed teeth 33–47 with three techniques (horizontal, rotating, vertical), each for 20s buccally and for 20s orally in 3 consecutive intervals. The force was calibrated, the brushing technique was video supported. Two different brushes were randomly assigned to the subject. Robot programme: Clinical brushing programmes were transfered to a 6-axis-robot. Artificial teeth 33–47 were covered with plaque-simulating substrate. All brushing techniques were repeated 7 times, results were scored according to clinical planimetry. All data underwent statistical analysis by t-test, U-test and multivariate analysis. Results The individual clinical cleaning patterns are well reproduced by the robot programmes. Differences in plaque removal are statistically significant for the two brushes, reproduced in clinical and robot data. Multivariate analysis confirms the higher cleaning efficiency for anterior teeth and for the buccal sites. Conclusions The robot tooth brushing simulation programme showed good correlation with clinically standardized tooth brushing. This new robot brushing simulation programme can be used for rapid, reproducible laboratory testing of tooth cleaning. PMID:24996973

Clinical validation of robot simulation of toothbrushing--comparative plaque removal efficacy.

PubMed

Lang, Tomas; Staufer, Sebastian; Jennes, Barbara; Gaengler, Peter

2014-07-04

Clinical validation of laboratory toothbrushing tests has important advantages. It was, therefore, the aim to demonstrate correlation of tooth cleaning efficiency of a new robot brushing simulation technique with clinical plaque removal. Clinical programme: 27 subjects received dental cleaning prior to 3-day-plaque-regrowth-interval. Plaque was stained, photographically documented and scored using planimetrical index. Subjects brushed teeth 33-47 with three techniques (horizontal, rotating, vertical), each for 20s buccally and for 20s orally in 3 consecutive intervals. The force was calibrated, the brushing technique was video supported. Two different brushes were randomly assigned to the subject. Robot programme: Clinical brushing programmes were transfered to a 6-axis-robot. Artificial teeth 33-47 were covered with plaque-simulating substrate. All brushing techniques were repeated 7 times, results were scored according to clinical planimetry. All data underwent statistical analysis by t-test, U-test and multivariate analysis. The individual clinical cleaning patterns are well reproduced by the robot programmes. Differences in plaque removal are statistically significant for the two brushes, reproduced in clinical and robot data. Multivariate analysis confirms the higher cleaning efficiency for anterior teeth and for the buccal sites. The robot tooth brushing simulation programme showed good correlation with clinically standardized tooth brushing.This new robot brushing simulation programme can be used for rapid, reproducible laboratory testing of tooth cleaning.

An optimized algorithm for multiscale wideband deconvolution of radio astronomical images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Offringa, A. R.; Smirnov, O.

2017-10-01

We describe a new multiscale deconvolution algorithm that can also be used in a multifrequency mode. The algorithm only affects the minor clean loop. In single-frequency mode, the minor loop of our improved multiscale algorithm is over an order of magnitude faster than the casa multiscale algorithm, and produces results of similar quality. For multifrequency deconvolution, a technique named joined-channel cleaning is used. In this mode, the minor loop of our algorithm is two to three orders of magnitude faster than casa msmfs. We extend the multiscale mode with automated scale-dependent masking, which allows structures to be cleaned below the noise. We describe a new scale-bias function for use in multiscale cleaning. We test a second deconvolution method that is a variant of the moresane deconvolution technique, and uses a convex optimization technique with isotropic undecimated wavelets as dictionary. On simple well-calibrated data, the convex optimization algorithm produces visually more representative models. On complex or imperfect data, the convex optimization algorithm has stability issues.

Laser Ablation Cleaning of Self-Reacting Friction Stir Weld Seam Surfaces: A Preliminary Evaluation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nunes, A. C., Jr.; Russell, C. K.; Brooke, S. A.; Parry, Q.; Lowrey, N. M.

2014-01-01

Anodized aluminum panels were cleaned by three lasers at three separate sites with a view to determining whether more economical laser cleaning might supplant current manual cleaning methods for preparation of surfaces to be welded by the self-reacting friction stir process. Uncleaned panels yielded welds exhibiting residual oxide defect (ROD) and failing at very low stresses along the trace of the weld seam. Manually cleaned panels yielded welds without ROD; these welds failed at nominal stress levels along an angled fracture surface not following the weld seam trace. Laser cleaned panels yielded welds failing at intermediate stress levels. The inadequacy of the laser cleaning processes leaves questions: Was the anodized aluminum test too stringent to represent actual cleaning requirements? Were the wrong laser cleaning techniques/parameters used for the study? Is the laser cleaning mechanism inadequate for effective preweld surface cleaning?

[Femorotomy and cleaning for infected hip prostheses: report of 30 cases].

PubMed

Lortat-Jacob, A; Nourrissat, G; Cadu, C

2001-10-01

We report infected hip prostheses treated by an original technique: frontal femorotomy after trochanterotomy. This extensive technique enables perfect cleaning of the femur and truly effective freshening of the endomedullar canal. We report 30 cases operated since 1991 use of femorotomy has been systematic from 1995. We were able to reimplant 25 of these 30 hips. Our results after infection were rather good with 4 recurrent infections in difficult cases (multi-operated patients and multiresistant germs in half of the cases). Fusion of femorotomy was obtained in all cases. The mechanical outcome was not improved by femorotomy. The main problem was trochanter nonunion with 5 cases, all of them having had a trochanteromy during the first procedure. We use femorotomy as our routine technique for femoral cleaning in case of hip prosthesis infection. In less complicated cases, we do not remove the trochanter from the femoral valve, limiting trochanteric complications, the main problem with this technique.

Laser Techniques in Conservation of Artworks:. Problems and Breakthroughs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salimbeni, Renzo; Siano, Salvatore

2010-04-01

After more than thirty years since the first experiment in Venice, only in the last decade laser techniques have been widely recognised as one of the most important innovation introduced in the conservation of artworks for diagnostics, restoration and monitoring aims. Especially the use of laser ablation for the delicate phase of cleaning has been debated for many years, because of the problems encountered in finding an appropriate setting of the laser parameters. Many experimentations carried out on stone, metals and pigments put in evidence unacceptable side effects such as discoloration and yellowing after the treatment, or scarce cleaning productivity in respect of other techniques. Many research projects organised at European level have contributed to find breakthroughs in laser techniques that could avoid such problems. The choices of specific laser parameters better suited for cleaning of stone, metals and pigments are described. A series of validation case studies is reported.

Cryogenic Cathode Cooling Techniques for Improved SABRE Extraction Ion Diode Li Beam Generation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hanson, D. L.; Johnston, R. R.; Cuneo, M. E.; Menge, P. R.; Fowler, W. E.; Armijo, J.; Nielsen, D. S.; Petmecky, D.

1997-11-01

We are developing techniques for cryogenic cooling of the SABRE extraction ion diode cathode that, combined with source cleaning, should improve the purity and brightness of Li beams for ICF light ion fusion. By liquid helium (LHe) cathode cooling, we have been able to maintain A-K gap base pressures in the range of 5 - 7x10-8 Torr for about 45 minutes. These base pressures extend the monolayer formation time for the worst beam contaminants (H2 and water vapor) to 10 - 100 sec or longer, which should allow the accelerator to be fired without significant Li source recontamination. This technique is compatible with He glow discharge cleaning, laser cleaning, and in situ Li deposition. We are also developing techniques for Ti-gettering of H2 and for cryogenic cooling of cathode electrodes to delay cathode plasma expansion.

Rehabilitation of birds oiled on two mid-Atlantic estuaries

USGS Publications Warehouse

Perry, Matthew C.; Ferrigno, Fred; Settle, Fairfax H.

1978-01-01

An estimated 52,500 birds died as a result of 7 major oil spills on 2 mid-Atlantic estuaries between 1973-78. Ruddy ducks (Oxyura jamaicensis) constituted 98% of 12,500 birds known to have died from 5 spills on the Delaware River. Seventy-six percent of 40,000 dead birds from 2 Chesapeake Bay spills were horned grebes (Podiceps auritus) and oldsquaw (Clangula hyemalis). Oiled waterfowl that were captured alive (6% of the estimated mortality) were cleaned with a variety of cleaning agents and techniques. High mortality occurred during and shortly after cleaning, and was apparently due to hypothermia and to toxicity of solvent cleaning agents. Eighty-two percent of the 3,113 birds that were cleaned died prior to or at time of release. The fate of the remaining 18% is unknown. Petroleum solvents used as cleaning agents were toxic to the birds. Most detergents left a surfactant (wetting agent) on the feathers which resulted in subsequent wetting of released birds. Although rehabilitation techniques have improved in recent years, high bird mortality can be expected following future oil spills.

A Few Easy Steps.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ellis, Tom

2000-01-01

Examines tested techniques that can keep a school's carpeting in good condition. Cleaning with hot water extraction, removing spills and spots, handling emergency cleanups, and cleaning soft surface flooring are addressed. (GR)

The CLEAN Workshop Series: Promoting Effective Pedagogy for Teaching Undergraduate Climate Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kirk, K. B.; Bruckner, M. Z.; Manduca, C. A.; Buhr, S. M.

2012-12-01

To prepare students to understand a changing climate, it is imperative that we equip educators with the best possible tools and methods for reaching their audience. As part of the Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network (CLEAN) professional development efforts, two workshops for undergraduate faculty were held in 2012. These workshops used a variety of activities to help faculty learn about recent climate research, take part in demonstrations of successful activities for teaching climate topics, and collaborate to create new teaching materials. The workshops also facilitated professional networking among participants. Both workshops were held online, eliminating the need for travel, encouraging participants without travel funds to attend, and allowing international collaborations and presentations. To create an authentic experience, the workshop used several technologies such as the Blackboard Collaborate web conferencing platform, SERC's web-based collaboration tools and online discussion threads, and conference calls. The workshop Communicating Climate Science in the Classroom, held in April 2012, explored practices for communicating climate science and policy in the classroom and provided strategies to improve student understanding of this complex and sensitive topic. Workshop presentations featured public opinion research on Americans' perceptions of climate change, tactics for identifying and resolving student misconceptions, and methods to address various "backfire effects" that can result from attempts to correct misinformation. Demonstrations of teaching approaches included a role-playing simulation of emissions negotiations, Princeton's climate stabilization wedges game, and an activity that allows students to use scientific principles to tackle misinformation. The workshop Teaching Climate Complexity was held in May 2012. Teaching the complexities of climate science requires an understanding of many facets of the Earth system and a robust pedagogic approach that fosters systems thinking. Workshop participants heard presentations from top climate scientists about topics such as the role of carbon dioxide in regulating Earth's climate, the silicate-weathering thermostat hypothesis, effects of water vapor in the climate system, and albedo effects from the loss of Artic sea ice. Demonstrations of classroom techniques allowed participants to use a jigsaw approach to understand poleward heat transport, plot atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations, and use a mass balance model to explore the role of carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere. A hallmark of the CLEAN workshops is that participants are actively engaged in team projects to create new teaching materials. In the Communicating Climate workshop, John Cook led a demonstration of techniques featured in his Debunking Handbook and workshop participants created examples of how to respond to common climate myths in the classroom. In the Climate Complexities workshop, participants used existing elements within the CLEAN reviewed collection to create a comprehensive sequence of activities that can be used to teach elements of Earth's climate system. Activities from the workshop are archived on the CLEAN website, including screen cast recordings of all the presentations and materials created at each workshop. For more information, visit the workshop website at the URL below.

Oral Hygiene Practices and Teeth Cleaning Techniques Among Medical Students

PubMed Central

Fatima, Syeda H; Ghazanfar, Haider; Haq, Sana; Khan, Najeeb A; Mehmood, Moeez; Ghazanfar, Ali

2017-01-01

Objectives Oral health is essential for general health and quality of life. It is a state of being free from mouth and facial pain, oral and throat cancer, oral infections and sores, periodontal disease, tooth decay, tooth loss, and other diseases and disorders that limit an individual’s capacity to bite, chew, smile, and speak; it affects psychosocial well-being too. The objective of our study was to assess teeth cleaning techniques and oral hygiene practices among medical students. Methods The data of the study were collected in two stages. The first stage involved the administration of a self-constructed questionnaire among medical students. In the second step, the students were asked to demonstrate their teeth cleaning techniques on a model. A standard teeth cleaning checklist was used to evaluate the students. The students were then given the checklist and a video on teeth cleaning techniques was shown to them. The data obtained was analyzed on IBM's statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) version 21.  Results Out of a total of 444 students, 256 (57.7 percent) were males while 188 (42.3 percent) were females. About 254 (57.2 percent) participants were preclinical medical students while 190 (42.8 percent) were clinical year medical students. A majority of medical students used medium consistency toothbrushes (177; 39.9 percent) and soft consistency toothbrushes (137; 30.9 percent). Most medical students (248; 55.9 percent) brushed two times a day while 163 (36.7 percent) brushed only one time. About 212 (47.7 percent) of the medical students used mouthwash along with a toothbrush while only 36 (8.1 percent) used floss along with a toothbrush. About 157 participants (35.4 percent) changed their toothbrush once in two months while 132 (26.7 percent) changed their toothbrush once in three months. The mean duration that participants brushed their teeth was 134.99 ± 69.01 seconds. Conclusion Medical students were found to have a faulty teeth cleaning technique. There is a dire need to spread awareness about correct teeth cleaning techniques because poor oral hygiene can have a detrimental effect on the overall health and quality of life of an individual. PMID:28944126

Atomic Oxygen Treatment Technique for Removal of Smoke Damage from Paintings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rutledge, S. K.; Banks, B. A.

1997-01-01

Soot deposits that can accumulate on surfaces of a painting during a fire can be difficult to clean from some types of paintings without damaging the underlying paint layers. A non-contact technique has been developed which can remove the soot by allowing a gas containing atomic oxygen to flow over the surface and chemically react with the soot to form carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. The reaction is limited to the surface, so the underlying paint is not touched. The process can be controlled so that the cleaning can be stopped once the paint surface is reached. This paper describes the smoke exposure and cleaning of untreated canvas, acrylic gesso, and sections of an oil painting using this technique. The samples were characterized by optical microscopy and reflectance spectroscopy.

Applying a Wearable Voice-Activated Computer to Instructional Applications in Clean Room Environments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Graves, Corey A.; Lupisella, Mark L.

2004-01-01

The use of wearable computing technology in restrictive environments related to space applications offers promise in a number of domains. The clean room environment is one such domain in which hands-free, heads-up, wearable computing is particularly attractive for education and training because of the nature of clean room work We have developed and tested a Wearable Voice-Activated Computing (WEVAC) system based on clean room applications. Results of this initial proof-of-concept work indicate that there is a strong potential for WEVAC to enhance clean room activities.

Ultrasound-assisted leaching-dispersive solid-phase extraction followed by liquid-liquid microextraction for the determination of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in sediment samples by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Fontana, Ariel R; Lana, Nerina B; Martinez, Luis D; Altamirano, Jorgelina C

2010-06-30

Ultrasound-assisted leaching-dispersive solid-phase extraction followed by dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (USAL-DSPE-DLLME) technique has been developed as a new analytical approach for extracting, cleaning up and preconcentrating polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) from sediment samples prior gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) analysis. In the first place, PBDEs were leached from sediment samples by using acetone. This extract was cleaned-up by DSPE using activated silica gel as sorbent material. After clean-up, PBDEs were preconcentrated by using DLLME technique. Thus, 1 mL acetone extract (disperser solvent) and 60 microL carbon tetrachloride (extraction solvent) were added to 5 mL ultrapure water and a DLLME technique was applied. Several variables that govern the proposed technique were studied and optimized. Under optimum conditions, the method detection limits (MDLs) of PBDEs calculated as three times the signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) were within the range 0.02-0.06 ng g(-1). The relative standard deviations (RSDs) for five replicates were <9.8%. The calibration graphs were linear within the concentration range of 0.07-1000 ng g(-1) for BDE-47, 0.09-1000 ng g(-1) for BDE-100, 0.10-1000 ng g(-1) for BDE-99 and 0.19-1000 ng g(-1) for BDE-153 and the coefficients of estimation were > or =0.9991. Validation of the methodology was carried out by standard addition method at two concentration levels (0.25 and 1 ng g(-1)) and by comparing with a reference Soxhlet technique. Recovery values were > or =80%, which showed a satisfactory robustness of the analytical methodology for determination of low PBDEs concentration in sediment samples. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Comparison of different methods for extraction from Tetraclinis articulata: yield, chemical composition and antioxidant activity.

PubMed

Herzi, Nejia; Bouajila, Jalloul; Camy, Séverine; Romdhane, Mehrez; Condoret, Jean-Stéphane

2013-12-15

In the present study, three techniques of extraction: hydrodistillation (HD), solvent extraction (conventional 'Soxhlet' technique) and an innovative technique, i.e., the supercritical fluid extraction (SFE), were applied to ground Tetraclinis articulata leaves and compared for extraction duration, extraction yield, and chemical composition of the extracts as well as their antioxidant activities. The extracts were analyzed by GC-FID and GC-MS. The antioxidant activity was measured using two methods: ABTS(•+) and DPPH(•). The yield obtained using HD, SFE, hexane and ethanol Soxhlet extractions were found to be 0.6, 1.6, 40.4 and 21.2-27.4 g/kg respectively. An original result of this study is that the best antioxidant activity was obtained with an SFE extract (41 mg/L). The SFE method offers some noteworthy advantages over traditional alternatives, such as shorter extraction times, low environmental impact, and a clean, non-thermally-degraded final product. Also, a good correlation between the phenolic contents and the antioxidant activity was observed with extracts obtained by SFE at 9 MPa. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Influence of lasing parameters on the cleaning efficacy of laser-activated irrigation with pulsed erbium lasers.

PubMed

Meire, Maarten A; Havelaerts, Sophie; De Moor, Roeland J

2016-05-01

Laser-activated irrigation (LAI) using erbium lasers is an irrigant agitation technique with great potential for improved cleaning of the root canal system, as shown in many in vitro studies. However, lasing parameters for LAI vary considerably and their influence remains unclear. Therefore, this study sought to investigate the influence of pulse energy, pulse frequency, pulse length, irradiation time and fibre tip shape, position and diameter on the cleaning efficacy of LAI. Transparent resin blocks containing standardized root canals (apical diameter of 0.4 mm, 6% taper, 15 mm long, with a coronal reservoir) were used as the test model. A standardized groove in the apical part of each canal wall was packed with stained dentin debris. The canals were filled with irrigant, which was activated by an erbium: yttrium aluminium garnet (Er:YAG) laser (2940 nm, AT Fidelis, Fotona, Ljubljana, Slovenia). In each experiment, one laser parameter was varied, while the others remained constant. In this way, the influence of pulse energy (10-40 mJ), pulse length (50-1000 μs), frequency (5-30 Hz), irradiation time (5-40 s) and fibre tip shape (flat or conical), position (pulp chamber, canal entrance, next to groove) and diameter (300-600 μm) was determined by treating 20 canals per parameter. The amount of debris remaining in the groove after each LAI procedure was scored and compared among the different treatments. The parameters significantly (P < 0.05, Kruskal-Wallis) affecting debris removal from the groove were fibre tip position, pulse length, pulse energy, irradiation time and frequency. Fibre tip shape and diameter had no significant influence on the cleaning efficacy.

Lipophilic Super-Absorbent Swelling Gels as Cleaners for Use on Weapons Systems and Platforms

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-02-01

disruptive solid state cleaning technology to overcome limitations of currently employed cleaning techniques. Results were com- pared with a commercially...cleaners developed in this research will allow drastic reduction in the use of VOC containing sol- vents and HAP release. DISCLAIMER: The contents of...Grease cleaning .............................................................................................................. 12 4 Results and

Self-cleaning antimicrobial surfaces by bio-enabled growth of SnO2 coatings on glass

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

André, Rute; Natalio, Filipe; Tahir, Muhammad Nawaz; Berger, Rüdiger; Tremel, Wolfgang

2013-03-01

Conventional vapor-deposition techniques for coatings require sophisticated equipment and/or high-temperature resistant substrates. Therefore bio-inspired techniques for the fabrication of inorganic coatings have been developed in recent years. Inspired by the biology behind the formation of the intricate skeletons of diatoms orchestrated by a class of cationic polyamines (silaffins) we have used surface-bound spermine, a naturally occurring polyamine, to promote the fast deposition of homogeneous, thin and transparent biomimetic SnO2 coatings on glass surfaces. The bio-enabled SnO2 film is highly photoactive, i.e. it generates superoxide radicals (O2&z.rad;-) upon sunlight exposure resulting in a strong degradation of organic contaminants and a strong antimicrobial activity. Upon illumination the biomimetic SnO2 coating exhibits a switchable amphiphilic behavior, which - in combination with its photoactivity - creates a self-cleaning surface. The intrinsic self-cleaning properties could lead to the development of new protective, antifouling coatings on various substrates.Conventional vapor-deposition techniques for coatings require sophisticated equipment and/or high-temperature resistant substrates. Therefore bio-inspired techniques for the fabrication of inorganic coatings have been developed in recent years. Inspired by the biology behind the formation of the intricate skeletons of diatoms orchestrated by a class of cationic polyamines (silaffins) we have used surface-bound spermine, a naturally occurring polyamine, to promote the fast deposition of homogeneous, thin and transparent biomimetic SnO2 coatings on glass surfaces. The bio-enabled SnO2 film is highly photoactive, i.e. it generates superoxide radicals (O2&z.rad;-) upon sunlight exposure resulting in a strong degradation of organic contaminants and a strong antimicrobial activity. Upon illumination the biomimetic SnO2 coating exhibits a switchable amphiphilic behavior, which - in combination with its photoactivity - creates a self-cleaning surface. The intrinsic self-cleaning properties could lead to the development of new protective, antifouling coatings on various substrates. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: (1) QCM measurement of SnO2 deposition on spermine functionalized silica-based sensors, (2) scheme of the surface functionalization procedure, (3) FTIR-ATR analysis of polyamine (spermine) functionalized glass surfaces, (4) FITC staining of amine groups on glass surfaces, (5) AFM height analysis of bare, spermine coated and SnO2 coated glass slides, (6) SEM micrograph of a spermine functionalized SnO2 coated glass slide, (7) XPS analysis of SnO2 coated surfaces, (8) kinetic profile of rhodamine B degradation with spermine/SnO2, (9) control experiments for the photodegradation of rhodamine B, (10) comparison with commercial SnO2 catalyst, (11) incubation of non-functionalized glass surfaces with E. coli, and (12) incubation of SnO2 coated glass surfaces with E. coli. See DOI: 10.1039/c3nr00007a

Evaluation of two cleaning methods for the removal of asbestos fibers from carpet

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

Kominsky, J.R.; Freyberg, R.W.; Chesson, J.

The research study examined the effectiveness of dry vacuuming and wet cleaning for the removal of asbestos fibers from carpet, and evaluated the potential for fiber reentrainment during carpet cleaning activities. Routine carpet cleaning operations using high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtered dry vacuum cleaners and HEPA-filtered hot-water extraction cleaners were simulated on carpet artificially contaminated with asbestos fibers. Overall, wet cleaning the carpet with a hot-water extraction cleaner reduced the level of asbestos contamination by approximately 70 percent. There was no significant evidence of either an increase or a decrease in the asbestos concentration after dry vacuuming. The level ofmore » asbestos contamination had no significant effect on the difference between the carpet asbestos concentrations before and after cleaning. Airborne asbestos concentrations were between two and four times greater during the carpet cleaning activities. The level of asbestos contamination in the carpet cleaning activities. The level of asbestos contamination in the carpet and the type of cleaning method used had no statistically significant effect on the difference between the airborne asbestos concentrations before and during cleaning.« less

The tropospheric distribution of formaldehyde

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lowe, D. C.; Schmidt, U.; Ehhalt, D. H.

1981-12-01

A measurement technique for determining the very low formaldehyde concentrations in clean air is described. The method is based on the standard derivation of formaldehyde with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine. The derivative is separated, using high performance liquid chromatography, and detected at 254 nm with a conventional UV absorption detector. The sampling and analysis technique was used to measure tropospheric mixing ratios at various places in Europe and New Zealand as well as during a cruise in the North and South Atlantic. The results of the measurements show that formaldehyde mixing ratios in clean air are very low. In clean maritime air no significant difference in the formaldehyde mixing ratio between the hemispheres is observed.

Experimental control of Triatoma infestans in poor rural villages of Bolivia through community participation

PubMed Central

Lardeux, Frédéric; Depickère, Stéphanie; Aliaga, Claudia; Chavez, Tamara; Zambrana, Lilian

2015-01-01

Background Triatoma infestans is the main vector of Chagas disease in the southern cone countries. Present control strategies based on indoor and outdoor residual insecticide spraying are not sufficient to control disease transmission, particularly in Bolivia. Techniques based on the management of the human environment may be good alternatives or supplements. Methods Social and entomological surveys were carried out in four villages of Bolivia situated in the dry inter-Andean Valleys and the Chaco region. Risk factors for house infestation by T. infestans were identified, and an eco-health intervention based on education and community participation was carried out to reduce the risks of house infestation. It consisted of implementing simple and low cost vector control techniques such as coating of mud walls, cleaning activities and removal of poultry that enter rooms to lay eggs. Results The eco-health intervention significantly reduced the number of infested bedrooms, the mean abundance of T. infestans in bedrooms and beds, especially in the Chaco region. Mud wall coating was well accepted and could be proposed as a supplementary tool to the National Program of Chagas Disease Control to enhance the effects of insecticide sprayings. Conclusions Even if cleaning activities were still neglected, community participation proved to be effective in reducing house infestation. PMID:25604766

Assessment of Hygiene Habits in Acrylic Denture Wearers: a Cross-sectional Study

PubMed Central

Aoun, Georges; Gerges, Elie

2017-01-01

Objectives: To assess the denture hygiene habits in a population of Lebanese denture wearers. Materials and Methods: One hundred and thirty-two (132) patients [71 women (53.8%) and 61 men (46.2%)] wearing their acrylic dentures for more than two years were included in this study. The hygiene methods related to their dentures were evaluated and the data obtained were analyzed statistically using the IBM® SPSS® statistics 20.0 (USA) statistical package. Results: Regardless of the cleaning technique, the big majority of our participants [123 out of 132 (93.1%)] cleaned their dentures daily. The two mostly used denture cleaning techniques were rinsing with tap water (34.1%) and brushing with toothpaste (31.8%). Nearly half of our patients (45.5%) soaked their dentures during the night; most of them with cleansing tablets dissolved in water (28.8%). Conclusions: Within the limitations of our study, it was concluded that in a sample of Lebanese population surveyed about denture hygiene habits, the daily frequency of denture cleaning is satisfactory, but the techniques and products used were self-estimated and, consequently, not sufficient. PMID:29109670

Shear stress cleaning for surface departiculation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Musselman, R. P.; Yarbrough, T. W.

1986-01-01

A cleaning technique widely used by the nuclear utility industry for removal of radioactive surface contamination has proven effective at removing non-hazardous contaminant particles as small as 0.1 micrometer. The process employs a controlled high velocity liquid spray inside a vapor containment enclosure to remove particles from a surface. The viscous drag force generated by the cleaning fluid applies a shear stress greater than the adhesion force that holds small particles to a substrate. Fluid mechanics and field tests indicate general cleaning parameters.

Novel dense CO2 technique for beta-galactosidase immobilization in polystyrene microchannels.

PubMed

Leclair Ellis, Jeffrey; Tomasko, David L; Dehghani, Fariba

2008-03-01

In this study we design new fabrication techniques and demonstrate the potential of using dense CO2 for facilitating crucial steps in the fabrication of polymeric lab-on-a-chip microdevices by embedding biomolecules at temperatures well below the polymer's glass transition temperature (T(g)). These new techniques are environmentally friendly and done without the use of a clean room. Carbon dioxide at 40 degrees C and between 4.48 and 6.89 MPa was used to immobilize the biologically active molecule, beta-galactosidase (beta-gal), on the surface of polystyrene microchannels. To our knowledge, this is the first time dense CO2 has been used to directly immobilize an enzyme in a microchannel. beta-gal activity was maintained and shown via a fluorescent reaction product, after enzyme immobilization and microchannel capping by the designed fabrication steps at 40 degrees C and pressures up to 6.89 MPa.

Use of hydrodynamic cavitation in (waste)water treatment.

PubMed

Dular, Matevž; Griessler-Bulc, Tjaša; Gutierrez-Aguirre, Ion; Heath, Ester; Kosjek, Tina; Krivograd Klemenčič, Aleksandra; Oder, Martina; Petkovšek, Martin; Rački, Nejc; Ravnikar, Maja; Šarc, Andrej; Širok, Brane; Zupanc, Mojca; Žitnik, Miha; Kompare, Boris

2016-03-01

The use of acoustic cavitation for water and wastewater treatment (cleaning) is a well known procedure. Yet, the use of hydrodynamic cavitation as a sole technique or in combination with other techniques such as ultrasound has only recently been suggested and employed. In the first part of this paper a general overview of techniques that employ hydrodynamic cavitation for cleaning of water and wastewater is presented. In the second part of the paper the focus is on our own most recent work using hydrodynamic cavitation for removal of pharmaceuticals (clofibric acid, ibuprofen, ketoprofen, naproxen, diclofenac, carbamazepine), toxic cyanobacteria (Microcystis aeruginosa), green microalgae (Chlorella vulgaris), bacteria (Legionella pneumophila) and viruses (Rotavirus) from water and wastewater. As will be shown, hydrodynamic cavitation, like acoustic, can manifest itself in many different forms each having its own distinctive properties and mechanisms. This was until now neglected, which eventually led to poor performance of the technique. We will show that a different type of hydrodynamic cavitation (different removal mechanism) is required for successful removal of different pollutants. The path to use hydrodynamic cavitation as a routine water cleaning method is still long, but recent results have already shown great potential for optimisation, which could lead to a low energy tool for water and wastewater cleaning. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of HCFC AK 225 Alternatives for Precision Cleaning and Verification

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Melton, D. M.

1998-01-01

Maintaining qualified cleaning and verification processes are essential in an production environment. Environmental regulations have and are continuing to impact cleaning and verification processing in component and large structures, both at the Michoud Assembly Facility and component suppliers. The goal of the effort was to assure that the cleaning and verification proceeds unimpeded and that qualified, environmentally compliant material and process replacements are implemented and perform to specifications. The approach consisted of (1) selection of a Supersonic Gas-Liquid Cleaning System; (2) selection and evaluation of three cleaning and verification solvents as candidate alternatives to HCFC 225 (Vertrel 423 (HCFC), Vertrel MCA (HFC/1,2-Dichloroethylene), and HFE 7100DE (HFE/1,2 Dichloroethylene)); and evaluation of an analytical instrumental post cleaning verification technique. This document is presented in viewgraph format.

Cage Change Influences Serum Corticosterone and Anxiety-Like Behaviors in the Mouse

PubMed Central

Rasmussen, Skye; Miller, Melinda M.; Filipski, Sarah B.; Tolwani, Ravi J.

2011-01-01

Environmental variables and husbandry practices can influence physiology and alter behavior in mice. Our study evaluated the effects of cage change on serum corticosterone levels and anxiety-like behaviors in C57BL/6 male mice. We examined the effects of 3 different methods of performing cage transfer and of transferring mice to a clean or a dirty familiar cage microenvironment. The 3 different handling methods were forceps transfer, gentle transfer with gloved hands, and a passive transfer technique that did not involve active handling. Active handling methods and transfer to both clean and dirty cage microenvironments significantly increased serum corticosterone 15 min after cage change; however, at 60 min after cage change, levels were comparable to those of unmanipulated mice. Although the effects were transient, cage change altered anxiety-like behaviors in the open field when behavioral testing was performed on the same day. These results demonstrate that the timing of cage change can influence behavioral results, an effect that is an important consideration for rodent behavioral studies. PMID:21838975

Development of a New Generation of Stable, Tunable, and Catalytically Active Nanoparticles Produced by the Helium Nanodroplet Deposition Method

DOE PAGES

Wu, Qiyuan; Ridge, Claron J.; Zhao, Shen; ...

2016-07-13

Nanoparticles (NPs) are revolutionizing many areas of science and technology, often delivering unprecedented improvements to properties of the conventional materials. However, despite important advances in NPs synthesis and applications, numerous challenges still remain. Development of alternative synthetic method capable of producing very uniform, extremely clean and very stable NPs is urgently needed. If successful, such method can potentially transform several areas of nanoscience, including environmental and energy related catalysis. Here we present the first experimental demonstration of catalytically active NPs synthesis achieved by the helium nanodroplet isolation method. This alternative method of NPs fabrication and deposition produces narrowly distributed, clean,more » and remarkably stable NPs. The fabrication is achieved inside ultra-low temperature, superfluid helium nanodroplets, which can be subsequently deposited onto any substrate. Lastly, this technique is universal enough to be applied to nearly any element, while achieving high deposition rates for single element as well as composite core-shell NPs.« less

Comparative Analysis of Dentinal Erosion after Passive Ultrasonic Irrigation versus Irrigation with Reciprocating Activation: An Environmental Scanning Electron Study.

PubMed

Simezo, Ana Paula; da Silveira Bueno, Carlos Eduardo; Cunha, Rodrigo Sanches; Pelegrine, Rina Andrea; Rocha, Daniel Guimarães Pedro; de Martin, Alexandre Sigrist; Kato, Augusto Shoji

2017-01-01

The aim of this study was to assess ex vivo the erosive effects of passive ultrasonic irrigation versus irrigation with reciprocating activation on the dentinal surface of the root canal at 3 predetermined levels using environmental scanning electron microscopy. Ten roots of mandibular premolars were prepared using the ProTaper Universal system (Dentsply Maillefer, Ballaigues, Switzerland). The specimens were embedded in flasks cleaved longitudinally, and indentations were made 3.0, 6.0, and 9.0 mm from the apex. The specimens in the control group (n = 10) were cleaned in an ultrasonic bath containing 2.5% sodium hypochlorite and 17% EDTA and then dried. Then, environmental scanning electron microscopic images were obtained at magnification × 800. The specimens were then reassembled in their flasks, and the NaOCl and EDTA solutions were activated according to the conditions established for the experimental groups (ie, the passive ultrasonic irrigation group [n = 5] and the EasyClean (Easy Equipamentos Odontológicos, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil) group, irrigation with reciprocating activation with the EasyClean instrument [n = 5]). The specimens of both experimental groups were analyzed in the same manner as in the control group. Analysis of the dentinal surface topography was conducted using the 3D Roughness Reconstruction program (Phenom-World BV, Eindhoven, the Netherlands) as a means for assessing erosion. The data were evaluated by means of the Kruskal-Wallis, Student-Newman-Keuls, and Mann-Whitney tests. In the EasyClean group, the degree of dentinal erosion at 3.0 mm was significantly higher than at 9.0 mm. In the other comparisons, there was no statistically significant difference (P < .05). The final irrigation techniques tested were equivalent in relation to the degree of erosion caused to the dentinal surface. Copyright © 2016 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

"Magic Eraser" Flame Tests

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Landis, Arthur M.; Davies, Malonne I.; Landis, Linda

2009-01-01

Cleaning erasers are used to support methanol-fueled flame tests. This safe demonstration technique requires only small quantities of materials, provides clean colors for up to 45 seconds, and can be used in the classroom or the auditorium. (Contains 1 note.)

Plasma cleaning of ITER first mirrors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moser, L.; Marot, L.; Steiner, R.; Reichle, R.; Leipold, F.; Vorpahl, C.; Le Guern, F.; Walach, U.; Alberti, S.; Furno, I.; Yan, R.; Peng, J.; Ben Yaala, M.; Meyer, E.

2017-12-01

Nuclear fusion is an extremely attractive option for future generations to compete with the strong increase in energy consumption. Proper control of the fusion plasma is mandatory to reach the ambitious objectives set while preserving the machine’s integrity, which requests a large number of plasma diagnostic systems. Due to the large neutron flux expected in the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), regular windows or fibre optics are unusable and were replaced by so-called metallic first mirrors (FMs) embedded in the neutron shielding, forming an optical labyrinth. Materials eroded from the first wall reactor through physical or chemical sputtering will migrate and will be deposited onto mirrors. Mirrors subject to net deposition will suffer from reflectivity losses due to the deposition of impurities. Cleaning systems of metallic FMs are required in more than 20 optical diagnostic systems in ITER. Plasma cleaning using radio frequency (RF) generated plasmas is currently being considered the most promising in situ cleaning technique. An update of recent results obtained with this technique will be presented. These include the demonstration of cleaning of several deposit types (beryllium, tungsten and beryllium proxy, i.e. aluminium) at 13.56 or 60 MHz as well as large scale cleaning (mirror size: 200 × 300 mm2). Tests under a strong magnetic field up to 3.5 T in laboratory and first experiments of RF plasma cleaning in EAST tokamak will also be discussed. A specific focus will be given on repetitive cleaning experiments performed on several FM material candidates.

Comparative Mirror Cleaning Study: 'A Study on Removing Particulate Contamination'

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Houston, Karrie

2007-01-01

The cleanliness of optical surfaces is recognized as an industry-wide concern for the performance of optical devices such as mirrors and telescopes, microscopes and lenses, lasers and interferometers, and prisms and optical filters. However, no standard has been established for optical cleaning and there is no standard definition of a 'clean' optical element. This study evaluates the effectiveness of commonly used optical cleaning techniques based on wafer configuration, contamination levels, and the number and size of removed particles. It is concluded that cleaning method and exposure time play a significant factor in obtaining a high removal percentage. The detergent bath and solvent rinse method displayed an increase in effective removal percentage as the contamination exposure increased. Likewise, CO2 snow cleaning showed a relatively consistent cleaning effectiveness. The results can help ensure mission success to flight projects developed for the NASA Origins Program. Advantages and disadvantages of each of the optical cleaning methods are described.

Characterization and reclamation assessment for the Central Shops Diesel Storage Facility, Savannah River Site, Aiken, South Carolina

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

Fliermans, C.B.; Hazen, T.C.; Bledsoe, H.

1993-10-01

The contamination of subsurface terrestrial environments by organic contaminants is a global phenomenon. The remediation of such environments requires innovative assessment techniques and strategies for successful clean-ups. Central Shops Diesel Storage Facility at Savannah River Site was characterized to determine the extent of subsurface diesel fuel contamination using innovative approaches and effective bioremediation techniques for clean-up of the contaminant plume have been established.

Proceedings of the 21st DOE/NRC Nuclear Air Cleaning Conference; Sessions 1--8

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

First, M.W.

1991-02-01

Separate abstracts have been prepared for the papers presented at the meeting on nuclear facility air cleaning technology in the following specific areas of interest: air cleaning technologies for the management and disposal of radioactive wastes; Canadian waste management program; radiological health effects models for nuclear power plant accident consequence analysis; filter testing; US standard codes on nuclear air and gas treatment; European community nuclear codes and standards; chemical processing off-gas cleaning; incineration and vitrification; adsorbents; nuclear codes and standards; mathematical modeling techniques; filter technology; safety; containment system venting; and nuclear air cleaning programs around the world. (MB)

Application of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) for cleaning verification in pharmaceutical manufacture.

PubMed

Corrigan, Damion K; Cauchi, Michael; Piletsky, Sergey; Mccrossen, Sean

2009-01-01

Cleaning verification is the process by which pharmaceutical manufacturing equipment is determined as sufficiently clean to allow manufacture to continue. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a very sensitive spectroscopic technique capable of detection at levels appropriate for cleaning verification. In this paper, commercially available Klarite SERS substrates were employed in order to obtain the necessary enhancement of signal for the identification of chemical species at concentrations of 1 to 10 ng/cm2, which are relevant to cleaning verification. The SERS approach was combined with principal component analysis in the identification of drug compounds recovered from a contaminated steel surface.

Surface Cleaning of Iron Artefacts by Lasers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koh, Y. S.; Sárady, I.

In this paper the general method and ethics of the laser cleaning technique for conservation are presented. The results of two experiments are also presented; experiment 1 compares cleaning of rust by an Nd:YAG laser and micro-blasting whilst experiment 2 deals with removing the wax coating from iron samples by a TEA CO2 laser. The first experiment showed that cleaning with a pulsed laser and higher photon energy obtained a better surface structure than micro blasting. The second experiment showed how differences in energy density affect the same surface.

Morphology, Structural and Dielectric Properties of Vacuum Evaporated V2O5 Thin Films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sengodan, R.; Shekar, B. Chandar; Sathish, S.

Vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) thin films were deposited on well cleaned glass substrate using evaporation technique under the pressure of 10-5 Torr. The thickness of the films was measured by the multiple beam interferometry technique and cross checked by using capacitance method. Metal-Insulator-Metal (MIM) structure was fabricated by using suitable masks to study dielectric properties. The dielectric properties were studied by employing LCR meter in the frequency range 12 Hz to 100 kHz for various temperatures. The temperature co- efficient of permittivity (TCP), temperature co-efficient of capacitance (TCC) and dielectric constant (ɛ) were calculated. The activation energy was calculated and found to be very low. The activation energy was found to be increasing with increase in frequency. The obtained low value of activation energy suggested that the hopping conduction may be due to electrons rather than ions.

Surface cleaning techniques and efficient B-field profiles for lithium ion sources on extraction ion diodes

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

Cuneo, M.E.; Menge, P.R.; Hanson, D.L.

Application of ion beams to Inertial Confinement Fusion requires efficient production, transport and focusing of an intense, low microdivergence beam of an appropriate range ion. At Sandia, the authors are studying the production of lithium ion beams in extraction applied-B ion diodes on the SABRE accelerator (5 MV, 250 kA). Evidence on both SABRE (1 TW) and PBFA-II (20 TW) indicates that the lithium beam turns off and is replaced by a beam of mostly protons and carbon, possibly due to electron thermal and stimulated desorption of hydrocarbon surface contamination with subsequent avalanche ionization. Turn-off of the lithium beam ismore » accompanied by rapid impedance collapse. Surface cleaning techniques are being developed to reduce beam contamination, increase the total lithium energy and reduce the rate of diode impedance collapse. Application of surface cleaning techniques has increased the production of lithium from passive LiF sources by a factor of 2. Improved diode electric and magnetic field profiles have increased the diode efficiency and production of lithium by a factor of 5, without surface cleaning. Work is ongoing to combine these two advances which are discussed here.« less

A comprehensive overview on electro-active biofilms, role of exo-electrogens and their microbial niches in microbial fuel cells (MFCs).

PubMed

Saratale, Ganesh Dattatraya; Saratale, Rijuta Ganesh; Shahid, Muhammad Kashif; Zhen, Guangyin; Kumar, Gopalakrishnan; Shin, Han-Seung; Choi, Young-Gyun; Kim, Sang-Hyoun

2017-07-01

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are biocatalyzed systems which can drive electrical energy by directly converting chemical energy using microbial biocatalyst and are considered as one of the important propitious technologies for sustainable energy production. Much research on MFCs experiments is under way with great potential to become an alternative to produce clean energy from renewable waste. MFCs have been one of the most promising technologies for generating clean energy industry in the future. This article summarizes the important findings in electro-active biofilm formation and the role of exo-electrogens in electron transfer in MFCs. This study provides and brings special attention on the effects of various operating and biological parameters on the biofilm formation in MFCs. In addition, it also highlights the significance of different molecular techniques used in the microbial community analysis of electro-active biofilm. It reviews the challenges as well as the emerging opportunities required to develop MFCs at commercial level, electro-active biofilms and to understand potential application of microbiological niches are also depicted. Thus, this review is believed to widen the efforts towards the development of electro-active biofilm and will provide the research directions to overcome energy and environmental challenges. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

In-vitro comparison of instrumentation time and cleaning capacity between endodontic handpiece and manual preparation techniques in primary molar teeth.

PubMed

Seraj, B; Ramezani, G; Ghadimi, S; Mosharrafian, S H; Motahhary, P; Safari, M

2013-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the cleaning ability and instrumentation time of manual method and use of endodontic handpiece for preparation of primary molar teeth. Forty primary teeth canals were used in this experimental study. Access cavities were prepared and India ink was injected into the canals. The samples were divided into three groups according to the preparation technique. In the first group the root canals were manually instrumented by k_files. Endodontic handpiece (TEP-ER10, NSK, Japan) were used for canal preparation in the second group and the samples in the third group (control) were not instrumented. After preparing the canal, the teeth were cleared with methyl salicylate and the removal of India ink was measured in the cervical, middle and apical thirds. The instrumentation time was transcribed by chronometer. Statistical analysis was performed using Mann-Whitney and t-test. There was no significant difference in cleaning capacity between the two techniques, but results of the first and second group differ from those of the control group. In fact, time taken for preparation was significantly shorter with endodontic handpiece system. Seen the shorter working time of endodontic handpiece and the similar cleaning ability of the two techniques, the application of the endodontic handpiece is recommended for preparation of deciduous root canals during pulpectomy.

Comparative Study of Surface Chemical Composition and Oxide Layer Modification upon Oxygen Plasma Cleaning and Piranha Etching on a Novel Low Elastic Modulus Ti25Nb21Hf Alloy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paredes, Virginia; Salvagni, Emiliano; Rodríguez-Castellón, Enrique; Manero, José María

2017-08-01

Metals are widely employed for many biological artificial replacements, and it is known that the quality and the physical/chemical properties of the surface are crucial for the success of the implant. Therefore, control over surface implant materials and their elastic moduli may be crucial to avoid undesired effects. In this study, surface modification upon cleaning and activation of a low elastic modulus Ti alloy (Ti25Hf21Nb) was investigated. Two different methods, oxygen plasma (OP) cleaning and piranha (PI) solution, were studied and compared. Both surface treatments were effective for organic contaminant removal and to increase the Ti-oxide layer thickness rather than other metal-oxides present at the surface, which is beneficial for biocompatibility of the material. Furthermore, both techniques drastically increased hydrophilicity and introduced oxidation and hydroxylation (OH)-functional groups at the surface that may be beneficial for further chemical modifications. However, these treatments did not alter the surface roughness and bulk material properties. The surfaces were fully characterized in terms of surface roughness, wettability, oxide layer composition, and hydroxyl surface density through analytical techniques (interferometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), contact angle, and zinc complexation). These findings provide essential information when planning surface modifications for cleanliness, oxide layer thickness, and surface hydroxyl density, as control over these factors is essential for many applications, especially in biomaterials.

Suppression of stimulus artifact contaminating electrically evoked electromyography.

PubMed

Liu, Jie; Li, Sheng; Li, Xiaoyan; Klein, Cliff; Rymer, William Z; Zhou, Ping

2014-01-01

Electrical stimulation of muscle or nerve is a very useful technique for understanding of muscle activity and its pathological changes for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. During electrical stimulation of a muscle, the recorded M wave is often contaminated by a stimulus artifact. The stimulus artifact must be removed for appropriate analysis and interpretation of M waves. The objective of this study was to develop a novel software based method to remove stimulus artifacts contaminating or superimposing with electrically evoked surface electromyography (EMG) or M wave signals. The multiple stage method uses a series of signal processing techniques, including highlighting and detection of stimulus artifacts using Savitzky-Golay filtering, estimation of the artifact contaminated region with Otsu thresholding, and reconstruction of such region using signal interpolation and smoothing. The developed method was tested using M wave signals recorded from biceps brachii muscles by a linear surface electrode array. To evaluate the performance, a series of semi-synthetic signals were constructed from clean M wave and stimulus artifact recordings with different degrees of overlap between them. The effectiveness of the developed method was quantified by a significant increase in correlation coefficient and a significant decrease in root mean square error between the clean M wave and the reconstructed M wave, compared with those between the clean M wave and the originally contaminated signal. The validity of the developed method was also demonstrated when tested on each channel's M wave recording using a linear electrode array. The developed method can suppress stimulus artifacts contaminating M wave recordings.

Clean and Cold Sample Curation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allen, C. C.; Agee, C. B.; Beer, R.; Cooper, B. L.

2000-01-01

Curation of Mars samples includes both samples that are returned to Earth, and samples that are collected, examined, and archived on Mars. Both kinds of curation operations will require careful planning to ensure that the samples are not contaminated by the instruments that are used to collect and contain them. In both cases, sample examination and subdivision must take place in an environment that is organically, inorganically, and biologically clean. Some samples will need to be prepared for analysis under ultra-clean or cryogenic conditions. Inorganic and biological cleanliness are achievable separately by cleanroom and biosafety lab techniques. Organic cleanliness to the <50 ng/sq cm level requires material control and sorbent removal - techniques being applied in our Class 10 cleanrooms and sample processing gloveboxes.

Environmental biocatalysis: from remediation with enzymes to novel green processes.

PubMed

Alcalde, Miguel; Ferrer, Manuel; Plou, Francisco J; Ballesteros, Antonio

2006-06-01

Modern biocatalysis is developing new and precise tools to improve a wide range of production processes, which reduce energy and raw material consumption and generate less waste and toxic side-products. Biocatalysis is also achieving new advances in environmental fields, from enzymatic bioremediation to the synthesis of renewable and clean energies and biochemical cleaning of 'dirty' fossil fuels. Despite the obvious benefits of biocatalysis, the major hurdles hindering the exploitation of the repertoire of enzymatic processes are, in many cases, the high production costs and the low yields obtained. This article will discuss these issues, pinpointing specific new advances in recombinant DNA techniques amenable to future biocatalyst development, in addition to drawing the attention of the biotechnology community to the active pursuit and development of environmental biocatalysis, from remediation with enzymes to novel green processes.

Cleaning procedure for improved photothermal background of toroidal optical microresonators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horak, Erik H.; Knapper, Kassandra A.; Heylman, Kevin D.; Goldsmith, Randall H.

2016-09-01

High Q-factors and small mode volumes have made toroidal optical microresonators exquisite sensors to small shifts in the effective refractive index of the WGM modes. Eliminating contaminants and improving quality factors is key for many different sensing techniques, and is particularly important for photothermal imaging as contaminants add photothermal background obscuring objects of interest. Several different cleaning procedures including wet- and dry-chemical procedures are tested for their effect on Q-factors and photothermal background. RCA cleaning was shown to be successful in contrast to previously described acid cleaning procedures, most likely due to the different surface reactivity of the acid reagents used. UV-ozone cleaning was shown to be vastly superior to O2 plasma cleaning procedures, significantly reducing the photothermal background of the resonator.

Alternative Solvents through Green Chemistry Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hintze, Paul E.; Quinn, Jacqueline

2014-01-01

Components in the aerospace industry must perform with accuracy and precision under extreme conditions, and surface contamination can be detrimental to the desired performance, especially in cases when the components come into contact with strong oxidizers such as liquid oxygen. Therefore, precision cleaning is an important part of a components preparation prior to utilization in aerospace applications. Current cleaning technologies employ a variety of cleaning agents, many of which are halogenated solvents that are either toxic or cause environmental damage. Thus, this project seeks to identify alternative precision cleaning solvents and technologies, including use of less harmful cleaning solvents, ultrasonic and megasonic agitation, low-pressure plasma cleaning techniques, and supercritical carbon dioxide extraction. Please review all data content found in the Public Data tab located at: https:techport.nasa.govview11697public

15 CFR 922.132 - Prohibited or otherwise regulated activities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

..., clean vessel generator cooling water, clean bilge water, or anchor wash; (D) For a vessel less than 300... except clean vessel engine cooling water, clean vessel generator cooling water, vessel engine or generator exhaust, clean bilge water, or anchor wash. (iii) Discharging or depositing from beyond the...

15 CFR 922.82 - Prohibited or otherwise regulated activities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... cooling water, clean vessel generator cooling water, clean bilge water, or anchor wash; or (iv) Vessel... or other matter from a cruise ship except clean vessel engine cooling water, clean vessel generator cooling water, vessel engine or generator exhaust, clean bilge water, or anchor wash. (4) Discharging or...

Adsorption Properties of Lignin-derived Activated Carbon Fibers (LACF)

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

Contescu, Cristian I.; Gallego, Nidia C.; Thibaud-Erkey, Catherine

The object of this CRADA project between Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and United Technologies Research Center (UTRC) is the characterization of lignin-derived activated carbon fibers (LACF) and determination of their adsorption properties for volatile organic compounds (VOC). Carbon fibers from lignin raw materials were manufactured at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) using the technology previously developed at ORNL. These fibers were physically activated at ORNL using various activation conditions, and their surface area and pore-size distribution were characterized by gas adsorption. Based on these properties, ORNL did down-select five differently activated LACF materials that were delivered to UTRC formore » measurement of VOC adsorption properties. UTRC used standard techniques based on breakthrough curves to measure and determine the adsorption properties of indoor air pollutants (IAP) - namely formaldehyde and carbon dioxide - and to verify the extent of saturated fiber regenerability by thermal treatments. The results are summarized as follows: (1) ORNL demonstrated that physical activation of lignin-derived carbon fibers can be tailored to obtain LACF with surface areas and pore size distributions matching the properties of activated carbon fibers obtained from more expensive, fossil-fuel precursors; (2) UTRC investigated the LACF potential for use in air cleaning applications currently pursued by UTRC, such as building ventilation, and demonstrated their regenerability for CO2 and formaldehyde, (3) Both partners agree that LACF have potential for possible use in air cleaning applications.« less

Nano-photo active cellulosic fabric through in situ phytosynthesis of star-like Ag/ZnO nanocomposites: Investigation and optimization of attributes associated with photocatalytic activity.

PubMed

Aladpoosh, Razieh; Montazer, Majid

2016-05-05

In this study, nano-photo active cellulosic fabric was prepared through in situ phytosynthesis of star-like Ag/ZnO nanocomposites using the ashes of Seidlitzia rosmarinus plants so-called Keliab. This is provided alkali media as a vital condition for synthesis of nanocomposites, further increasing the reduce-ability of cellulosic chains by activation of hydroxyl groups. The intermolecular dehydrolysis of intermediates ions under thermal and alkaline conditions leads to formation of Ag/ZnO heterostructure. Various analytical techniques were employed to confirm Ag/ZnO nanocomposites on the cotton fabric. The surface morphology, crystal phase and chemical structure of the treated fabrics were characterized by field emission and scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM and SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). Moreover, influence of precursors: silver nitrate, zinc acetate and Keliab solution on attributes associated with photocatalytic activities including self-cleaning, whiteness and wettability was investigated via central composite design (CCD). The treated cotton samples exhibited self-cleaning activities through methylene blue degradation under day-light exposure along with improved wettability and whiteness. The prepared sample in optimized conditions showed good antibacterial activities against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli with enhanced fabric tensile strength. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Experimental control of Triatoma infestans in poor rural villages of Bolivia through community participation.

PubMed

Lardeux, Frédéric; Depickère, Stéphanie; Aliaga, Claudia; Chavez, Tamara; Zambrana, Lilian

2015-02-01

Triatoma infestans is the main vector of Chagas disease in the southern cone countries. Present control strategies based on indoor and outdoor residual insecticide spraying are not sufficient to control disease transmission, particularly in Bolivia. Techniques based on the management of the human environment may be good alternatives or supplements. Social and entomological surveys were carried out in four villages of Bolivia situated in the dry inter-Andean Valleys and the Chaco region. Risk factors for house infestation by T. infestans were identified, and an eco-health intervention based on education and community participation was carried out to reduce the risks of house infestation. It consisted of implementing simple and low cost vector control techniques such as coating of mud walls, cleaning activities and removal of poultry that enter rooms to lay eggs. The eco-health intervention significantly reduced the number of infested bedrooms, the mean abundance of T. infestans in bedrooms and beds, especially in the Chaco region. Mud wall coating was well accepted and could be proposed as a supplementary tool to the National Program of Chagas Disease Control to enhance the effects of insecticide sprayings. Even if cleaning activities were still neglected, community participation proved to be effective in reducing house infestation. © The author 2015. The World Health Organization has granted Oxford University Press permission for the reproduction of this article.

Towards sustainable and safe apparel cleaning methods: A review.

PubMed

Troynikov, Olga; Watson, Christopher; Jadhav, Amit; Nawaz, Nazia; Kettlewell, Roy

2016-11-01

Perchloroethylene (PERC) is a compound commonly used as a solvent in dry cleaning, despite its severe health and environmental impacts. In recent times chemicals such as hydrocarbons, GreenEarth(®), acetal and liquid carbon dioxide have emerged as less damaging substitutes for PERC, and an even more sustainable water-based wet cleaning process has been developed. We employed a systematic review approach to provide a comprehensive overview of the existing research evidence in the area of sustainable and safe apparel cleaning methods and care. Our review describes traditional professional dry cleaning methods, as well as those that utilise solvents other than PERC, and their ecological attributes. In addition, the new professional wet cleaning process is discussed. Finally, we address the health hazards of the various solvents used in dry cleaning and state-of-the-art solvent residue trace analysis techniques. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Washing away your sins in the brain: physical cleaning and priming of cleaning recruit different brain networks after moral threat

PubMed Central

Tang, Honghong; Lu, Xiaping; Su, Rui; Liang, Zilu; Mai, Xiaoqin

2017-01-01

Abstract The association between moral purity and physical cleanliness has been widely discussed recently. Studies found that moral threat initiates the need of physical cleanliness, but actual physical cleaning and priming of cleaning have inconsistent effects on subsequent attitudes and behaviors. Here, we used resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging to explore the underlying neural mechanism of actual physical cleaning and priming of cleaning. After recalling moral transgression with strong feelings of guilt and shame, participants either actually cleaned their faces with a wipe or were primed with cleanliness through viewing its pictures. Results showed that actual physical cleaning reduced the spontaneous brain activities in the right insula and MPFC, regions that involved in embodied moral emotion processing, while priming of cleaning decreased activities in the right superior frontal gyrus and middle frontal gyrus, regions that participated in executive control processing. Additionally, actual physical cleaning also changed functional connectivity between insula/MPFC and emotion related regions, whereas priming of cleaning modified connectivity within both moral and sensorimotor areas. These findings revealed that actual physical cleaning and priming of cleaning led to changes in different brain regions and networks, providing neural evidence for the inconsistent effects of cleanliness on subsequent attitudes and behaviors. PMID:28338887

Washing away your sins in the brain: physical cleaning and priming of cleaning recruit different brain networks after moral threat.

PubMed

Tang, Honghong; Lu, Xiaping; Su, Rui; Liang, Zilu; Mai, Xiaoqin; Liu, Chao

2017-07-01

The association between moral purity and physical cleanliness has been widely discussed recently. Studies found that moral threat initiates the need of physical cleanliness, but actual physical cleaning and priming of cleaning have inconsistent effects on subsequent attitudes and behaviors. Here, we used resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging to explore the underlying neural mechanism of actual physical cleaning and priming of cleaning. After recalling moral transgression with strong feelings of guilt and shame, participants either actually cleaned their faces with a wipe or were primed with cleanliness through viewing its pictures. Results showed that actual physical cleaning reduced the spontaneous brain activities in the right insula and MPFC, regions that involved in embodied moral emotion processing, while priming of cleaning decreased activities in the right superior frontal gyrus and middle frontal gyrus, regions that participated in executive control processing. Additionally, actual physical cleaning also changed functional connectivity between insula/MPFC and emotion related regions, whereas priming of cleaning modified connectivity within both moral and sensorimotor areas. These findings revealed that actual physical cleaning and priming of cleaning led to changes in different brain regions and networks, providing neural evidence for the inconsistent effects of cleanliness on subsequent attitudes and behaviors. © The Author (2017). Published by Oxford University Press.

The World of Work--Industrial Clean Rooms.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Potts, Frank E.

The purpose of this publication is to present information concerning the environmental conditions imposed upon workers in industries which require clean room facilities to eliminate particle-caused equipment failure. The information, which was collected through interviews, observation, and other standard job analysis techniques, discusses these…

Cleaning capacity promoted by motor-driven or manual instrumentation using ProTaper Universal system: Histological analysis.

PubMed

da Frota, Matheus Franco; Filho, Idomeo Bonetti; Berbert, Fábio Luiz Camargo Villela; Sponchiado, Emilio Carlos; Marques, André Augusto Franco; Garcia, Lucas da Fonseca Roberti

2013-01-01

The aim of this study was to assess the cleaning capacity of the Protaper system using motor-driven or manual instrumentation. Ten mandibular molars were randomly separated into 2 groups (n = 5) according to the type of instrumentation performed, as follows: Group 1 - instrumentation with rotary nickel-titanium (Ni-Ti) files using ProTaper Universal System (Dentsply/Maillefer); and, Group 2 - instrumentation with Ni-Ti hand files using ProTaper Universal (Dentsply-Maillefer). Afterwards, the teeth were sectioned transversely and submitted to histotechnical processing to obtain histological sections for microscopic evaluation. The images were analyzed by the Corel Photo-Paint X5 program (Corel Corporation) using an integration grid superimposed on the image. Statistical analysis (U-Mann-Whitney - P < 0.05) demonstrated that G1 presented higher cleaning capacity when compared to G2. The rotary technique presented better cleaning results in the apical third of the root canal system when compared to the manual technique.

Atmospheric plasma generation for LCD panel cleaning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Gyu-Sik; Won, Chung-Yuen; Choi, Ju-Yeop; Yim, C. H.

2007-12-01

UV lamp systems have been used for cleaning of display panels of TFT LCD or Plasma Display Panel (PDP). However, the needs for high efficient cleaning and low cost made high voltage plasma cleaning techniques to be developed and to be improved. Dielectric-barrier discharges (DBDs), also referred to as barrier discharges or silent discharges have for a long time been exclusively related to ozone generation. In this paper, a 6kW high voltage plasma power supply system was developed for LCD cleaning. The -phase input voltage is rectified and then inverter system is used to make a high frequency pulse train, which is rectified after passing through a high-power transformer. Finally, bi-directional high voltage pulse switching circuits are used to generate the high voltage plasma. Some experimental results showed the usefulness of atmospheric plasma for LCD panel cleaning.

A Spatially-Explicit Technique for Evaluation of Alternative Scenarios in the Context of Ecosystem Goods and Services

EPA Science Inventory

Ecosystems contribute to maintaining human well-being directly through provision of goods and indirectly through provision of services that support clean water, clean air, flood protection and atmospheric stability. Transparently accounting for biophysical attributes from which h...

Concept Evaluation of Visual Cleaning Performance Indicators (VCPI) for Real Time Cleaning Verification

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-03-15

Dyes Used § ORO § Food Green 3 § Alizarin § Natural Red 4 (Carminic Acid) § ORO § FG3 § ALZ § NR4 (or CAR) Panel Materials § Al2024...with Natural Red 4 (NR4) dye . Blank panels were not contaminated or labeled. The following protocol based on T.O.1-1-691 was used to clean the...Preliminary Estimate of Dye Use Level Required for the VCPI Technique ................................................................................30

Test Results of Heat Exchanger Cleaning in Support of Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-12-01

tests evaluated the performance of three in-situ cleaning techniques in two potential heat exchanger materials ...1-6. 41Mann, M. J., 1979, "Possible Cu-Ni-Clad Steel Material and Abrasive Slurry Cleaning System for Plate-Fin-Type OTEC Heat Exchangers ," in...of a Shell-less Folded Aluminum Tube, OTEC Heat Exchanger ," Proceedings of the Sixth OTEC Conference, Washington, DC, June 19-22, 1978, pp 12.8-1

Computational Prediction of Cryogenic Micro-nano Solid Nitrogen Particle Production Using Laval Nozzle for Physical Photo Resist Removal-cleaning Technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ishimoto, Jun; Abe, Haruto; Ochiai, Naoya

The fundamental characteristics of the cryogenic single-component micro-nano solid nitrogen (SN2) particle production using super adiabatic Laval nozzle and its application to the physical photo resist removal-cleaning technology are investigated by a new type of integrated measurement coupled computational technique. As a result of present computation, it is found that high-speed ultra-fine SN2 particles are continuously generated due to the freezing of liquid nitrogen (LN2) droplets induced by rapid adiabatic expansion of transonic subcooled two-phase nitrogen flow passing through the Laval nozzle. Furthermore, the effect of SN2 particle diameter, injection velocity, and attack angle to the wafer substrate on resist removal-cleaning performance is investigated in detail by integrated measurement coupled computational technique.

Testing animal-assisted cleaning prior to transplantation in coral reef restoration.

PubMed

Frias-Torres, Sarah; van de Geer, Casper

2015-01-01

Rearing coral fragments in nurseries and subsequent transplantation onto a degraded reef is a common approach for coral reef restoration. However, if barnacles and other biofouling organisms are not removed prior to transplantation, fish will dislodge newly cemented corals when feeding on biofouling organisms. This behavior can lead to an increase in diver time due to the need to reattach the corals. Thus, cleaning nurseries to remove biofouling organisms such as algae and invertebrates is necessary prior to transplantation, and this cleaning constitutes a significant time investment in a restoration project. We tested a novel biomimicry technique of animal-assisted cleaning on nursery corals prior to transplantation at a coral reef restoration site in Seychelles, Indian Ocean. To determine whether animal-assisted cleaning was possible, preliminary visual underwater surveys were performed to quantify the fish community at the study site. Then, cleaning stations consisting of nursery ropes carrying corals and biofouling organisms, set at 0.3 m, 2 m, 4 m, 6 m and 8 m from the seabed, were placed at both the transplantation (treatment) site and the nursery (control) site. Remote GoPro video cameras recorded fish feeding at the nursery ropes without human disturbance. A reef fish assemblage of 32 species from 4 trophic levels (18.8% herbivores, 18.8% omnivores, 59.3% secondary consumers and 3.1% carnivores) consumed 95% of the barnacles on the coral nursery ropes placed 0.3 m above the seabed. Using this cleaning station, we reduced coral dislodgement from 16% to zero. This cleaning station technique could be included as a step prior to coral transplantation worldwide on the basis of location-specific fish assemblages and during the early nursery phase of sexually produced juvenile corals.

Testing animal-assisted cleaning prior to transplantation in coral reef restoration

PubMed Central

van de Geer, Casper

2015-01-01

Rearing coral fragments in nurseries and subsequent transplantation onto a degraded reef is a common approach for coral reef restoration. However, if barnacles and other biofouling organisms are not removed prior to transplantation, fish will dislodge newly cemented corals when feeding on biofouling organisms. This behavior can lead to an increase in diver time due to the need to reattach the corals. Thus, cleaning nurseries to remove biofouling organisms such as algae and invertebrates is necessary prior to transplantation, and this cleaning constitutes a significant time investment in a restoration project. We tested a novel biomimicry technique of animal-assisted cleaning on nursery corals prior to transplantation at a coral reef restoration site in Seychelles, Indian Ocean. To determine whether animal-assisted cleaning was possible, preliminary visual underwater surveys were performed to quantify the fish community at the study site. Then, cleaning stations consisting of nursery ropes carrying corals and biofouling organisms, set at 0.3 m, 2 m, 4 m, 6 m and 8 m from the seabed, were placed at both the transplantation (treatment) site and the nursery (control) site. Remote GoPro video cameras recorded fish feeding at the nursery ropes without human disturbance. A reef fish assemblage of 32 species from 4 trophic levels (18.8% herbivores, 18.8% omnivores, 59.3% secondary consumers and 3.1% carnivores) consumed 95% of the barnacles on the coral nursery ropes placed 0.3 m above the seabed. Using this cleaning station, we reduced coral dislodgement from 16% to zero. This cleaning station technique could be included as a step prior to coral transplantation worldwide on the basis of location-specific fish assemblages and during the early nursery phase of sexually produced juvenile corals. PMID:26468440

Clean assembly and integration techniques for the Hubble Space Telescope High Fidelity Mechanical Simulator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hughes, David W.; Hedgeland, Randy J.

1994-01-01

A mechanical simulator of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Aft Shroud was built to perform verification testing of the Servicing Mission Scientific Instruments (SI's) and to provide a facility for astronaut training. All assembly, integration, and test activities occurred under the guidance of a contamination control plan, and all work was reviewed by a contamination engineer prior to implementation. An integrated approach was followed in which materials selection, manufacturing, assembly, subsystem integration, and end product use were considered and controlled to ensure that the use of the High Fidelity Mechanical Simulator (HFMS) as a verification tool would not contaminate mission critical hardware. Surfaces were cleaned throughout manufacturing, assembly, and integration, and reverification was performed following major activities. Direct surface sampling was the preferred method of verification, but access and material constraints led to the use of indirect methods as well. Although surface geometries and coatings often made contamination verification difficult, final contamination sampling and monitoring demonstrated the ability to maintain a class M5.5 environment with surface levels less than 400B inside the HFMS.

A perspective of laminar-flow control. [aircraft energy efficiency program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Braslow, A. L.; Muraca, R. J.

1978-01-01

A historical review of the development of laminar flow control technology is presented with reference to active laminar boundary-layer control through suction, the use of multiple suction slots, wind-tunnel tests, continuous suction, and spanwise contamination. The ACEE laminar flow control program is outlined noting the development of three-dimensional boundary-layer codes, cruise-noise prediction techniques, airfoil development, and leading-edge region cleaning. Attention is given to glove flight tests and the fabrication and testing of wing box designs.

75 FR 6022 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-02-05

.... Abstract: Section 404(g) of the Clean Water Act authorizes States and Tribes to assume the section 404... Activities; Submission to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Clean Water Act Section 404 State....regulations.gov . Title: Clean Water Act Section 404 State-Assumed Programs (Renewal). ICR numbers: EPA ICR No...

MEASUREMENT AND CONTROL OF FOULING IN FINE PORE DIFFUSER SYSTEMS

EPA Science Inventory

The purpose of the study was two-fold: First, to define the efficiency of various methods of cleaning fine pore diffusers and, second, to develop a methodology that could be used to evaluate the efficiency of the cleaning techniques. Dirty fine pore domes from the North Texas Mu...

Smear Layer Evaluation on Root Canal Preparation with Manual and Rotary Techniques using EDTA as an Irrigant: A Scanning Electron Microscopy Study

PubMed Central

Manjunatha, M; Annapurna, Kini; Sudhakar, V; Sunil Kumar, VC; Hiremath, Vinay Kumar; Shah, Ankur

2013-01-01

Introduction: The aim of any root canal treatment is to achieve a canal free of micro organisms, residual pulp remnants, debris and smear layer for the long term success of the procedure. Manual and automated instrumentation techniques along with proper irrigation regime is used to arrive at the aforementioned goal. Many authors focused on the preparation capabilities of various manual and rotary instruments but very few investigators stressed on the actual cleaning abilities of these instruments. Aims and objectives: This study was undertaken to evaluate the cleaning efficiency of manual K flex files and rotary Pro File systems in the root canals using a scanning electron microscope. Material and Methods:Thirty single rooted mandibular first premolars were divided into two groups and randomized (the manual group-M and the ProFile group-P) with respect to the preparation technique. The Manual group was hand instrumented with stainless steel K- Flexofiles by means of a conventional filing technique. The Pro File group was instrumented according to the manufacturer's instructions using a rotary handpiece. All canals were shaped and cleaned under frequent irrigation with EDTA. Final irrigation was carried out with 3 mL of normal saline solution to neutralize the action of the irrigant. The roots were split, one half of each tooth was selected for further SEM technique analysis and examined under the scanning electron microscope. The canal walls were quantitatively evaluated for the amount of debris and smear layer. The apical, middle and coronal regions of the canal surface, were graded (1-5) for debris and smear layer. A statistical analysis was performed using a Mann-Whitney Rank Sum test. ProFile performed least effective cleaning. Manual K-Flexofiles led to a grooved pattern. Results and Conclusion: A statistically significant difference was observed (p<0.05) between the two instrumentation techniques concerning the amount of debris and smear layer at the apical level. The manually filed canals had less debris and smear layer than those using a rotary technique. It was concluded from this study that none of the instrumentation techniques employed, produced the canal walls which were free of surface debris and smear layer. The manual instrumentation technique was better in cleaning the canals compared to the ProFile rotary Ni-Ti instruments despite the step-back technique used for manual instrumentation. How to cite this article: Manjunatha M, Kini A, Sudhakar V, Sunil K V C, Hiremath V K, Shah A. Smear Layer Evaluation on Root Canal Preparation with Manual and Rotary Techniques using EDTA as an Irrigant: A Scanning Electron Microscopy Study. J Int Oral Health 2013; 5(1):66-78. PMID:24155580

15 CFR 922.112 - Prohibited or otherwise regulated activities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... generator cooling water, clean bilge water, or anchor wash; or (D) Vessel engine or generator exhaust. (ii... except clean vessel engine cooling water, clean vessel generator cooling water, clean bilge water, or... Trade (Continued) NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE OCEAN AND...

EVALUATION OF TWO CLEANING METHODS FOR THE REMOVAL OF ASBESTOS FIBERS FROM CARPET

EPA Science Inventory

This research study examined the effectiveness of dry vacuuming and wet cleaning for the removal of asbestos fibers from carpet, and evaluated the potential for fiber reentrainment during carpet cleaning activities. outine carpet cleaning operations using high-efficiency particul...

Medical toxicology and public health-update on research and activities at the centers for disease control and prevention and the agency for toxic substances and disease registry.

PubMed

Snook, Curtis P; Cardarelli, John; Mickelsen, R Leroy; Mattorano, Dino; Nalipinski, Michael

2008-12-01

An extensive review of CDC epidemiological responses to human outbreaks of anthrax from occupational settings between the years of 1950 and 2001 documented a variety of approaches to mitigation and decontamination [2]. These approaches included taking no action, burning contaminated materials, chlorinating water supplies, instituting administrative and engineering controls and PPE, vaccinating potentially exposed individuals, and in 2 instances, fumigating with formaldehyde vapor (now considered to be a human carcinogen). Secondary contamination of a worker's home was documented in 1 case, but not felt to be clinically significant to warrant any decontamination efforts. In response to the B. anthracis attacks in 2001, chlorine dioxide fumigation, vaporous hydrogen peroxide fumigation, and a combination of HEPA vacuuming, cleaning, and bleach application were all techniques used successfully to clean B. anthracis spore contamination.

Scanning electron microscopy comparison of the cleaning efficacy of a root canal system by Nd:YAG laser and rotary instruments.

PubMed

Samiei, Mohammad; Pakdel, Seyyed Mahdi Vahid; Rikhtegaran, Sahand; Shakoei, Sahar; Ebrahimpour, Delaram; Taghavi, Pedram

2014-08-01

This study evaluated the cleaning efficacy of a root canal system by Nd:YAG laser and rotary instruments. Sixty single-rooted human teeth were divided into four experimental groups (n=15). In the first group the teeth were prepared with a step-back technique using conventional K-files. In the second and third groups, tooth preparation was carried out using Nd:YAG laser and rotary NiTi instruments, respectively. Teeth in the fourth group were prepared by combined laser and rotary methods. The smear layer remaining on canal walls was then assessed by scanning electron microscopy in the coronal, middle, and apical portions. The comparison of smear layer removal efficacy between groups was carried out by Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests. The mean grades of smear layer removal in rotary-laser, rotary, laser and step-back techniques were 1.34 ± 0.18, 2.2 ± 0.28, 1.91 ± 0.25, and 2.42 ± 0.19, respectively. On the whole, differences between rotary-laser and rotary groups, step-back, and the three other techniques (rotary, laser, and rotary-laser) were significant at p=0.034. Based on the findings of this study, the cleaning efficacy of rotary, laser, and rotary-laser techniques were better than the step-back technique and the combined laser and rotary technique was the most efficient method.

Quiet Clean Short-haul Experimental Engine (QCSEE) clean combustor test report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1975-01-01

A component pressure test was conducted on a F101 PFRT combustor to evaluate the emissions levels of this combustor design at selected under the wing and over the wing operating conditions for the quiet clean short haul experimental engine (QCSEE). Emissions reduction techniques were evaluated which included compressor discharge bleed and sector burning in the combustor. The results of this test were utilized to compare the expected QCSEE emissions levels with the emission goals of the QCSEE engine program.

ASRDI Oxygen Technology Survey. Volume 2: Cleaning Requirements, Procedures, and Verification Techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bankaitis, H.; Schueller, C. F.

1972-01-01

The oxygen system cleaning specifications drawn from 23 industrial and government sources are presented along with cleaning processes employed for meeting these specifications, and recommended postcleaning inspection procedures for establishing the cleanliness achieved. Areas of agreement and difference in the specifications, procedures, and inspection are examined. Also, the lack of clarity or specificity will be discussed. This absence of clarity represents potential safety hazards due to misinterpretation. It can result in exorbitant expenditures of time and money in satisfying unnecessary requirements.

15 CFR 922.112 - Prohibited or otherwise regulated activities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... generator cooling water, clean bilge water, or anchor wash; or (D) Vessel engine or generator exhaust. (ii... except clean vessel engine cooling water, clean vessel generator cooling water, vessel engine or generator exhaust, clean bilge water, or anchor wash. (iii) Discharging or depositing, from beyond the...

40 CFR 63.460 - Applicability and designation of source.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 18, material safety data sheets, or engineering calculations. Wipe cleaning activities, such as using... continuous web cleaning machine subject to this subpart shall achieve compliance with the provisions of this... products, solvent cleaning machines used in the manufacture of narrow tubing, and continuous web cleaning...

40 CFR 63.460 - Applicability and designation of source.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 18, material safety data sheets, or engineering calculations. Wipe cleaning activities, such as using... continuous web cleaning machine subject to this subpart shall achieve compliance with the provisions of this... products, solvent cleaning machines used in the manufacture of narrow tubing, and continuous web cleaning...

Cleaning Robot for Solar Panels in Solar Power Station

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hang, Lu-Bin; Shen, Cheng-Wei; Bian, Huai-Qiang; Wang, Yan

2016-05-01

The dust particles on solar panel surface have been a serious problem for the photovoltaic industry, a new monorail-tracked robot used for automatic cleaning of solar panel is presented in this paper. To meet the requirement of comprehensive and stable cleaning of PV array, the monorail-tracked pattern of robot is introduced based on the monorail structure technique. The running and striding mechanism are designed for mobility of robot on the solar panels. According to the carrying capacity and water circulation mechanism, a type of self-cleaning device with filtering system is developed. Combined with the computer software and communications technology, the control system is built in this robot, which can realize the functions of autonomous operation, positioning and monitoring. The application of this developed cleaning robot can actualize the Industrialization of automatic cleaning for PV components and have wide market prospect.

Development of a filter regeneration system for advanced spacecraft fluid systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Behrend, A. F., Jr.; Descamp, V. A.

1974-01-01

The development of a filter regeneration system for efficiently cleaning fluid particulate filters is presented. Based on a backflush/jet impingement technique, the regeneration system demonstrated a cleaning efficiency of 98.7 to 100%. The operating principles and design features are discussed with emphasis on the primary system components that include a regenerable filter, vortex particle separator, and zero-g particle trap. Techniques and equipment used for ground and zero-g performance tests are described. Test results and conclusions, as well as possible areas for commercial application, are included.

Suppression of Stimulus Artifact Contaminating Electrically Evoked Electromyography

PubMed Central

Liu, Jie; Li, Sheng; Li, Xiaoyan; Klein, Cliff; Rymer, William Z.; Zhou, Ping

2013-01-01

Background Electrical stimulation of muscle or nerve is a very useful technique for understanding of muscle activity and its pathological changes for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. During electrical stimulation of a muscle, the recorded M wave is often contaminated by a stimulus artifact. The stimulus artifact must be removed for appropriate analysis and interpretation of M waves. Objectives The objective of this study was to develop a novel software based method to remove stimulus artifacts contaminating or superimposing with electrically evoked surface electromyography (EMG) or M wave signals. Methods The multiple stage method uses a series of signal processing techniques, including highlighting and detection of stimulus artifacts using the Savitzky-Golay filtering, estimation of the artifact contaminated region with the Otsu thresholding, and reconstruction of such region using signal interpolation and smoothing. The developed method was tested using M wave signals recorded from biceps brachii muscles by a linear surface electrode array. To evaluate the performance, a series of semi-synthetic signals were constructed from clean M wave and stimulus artifact recordings with different degrees of overlap between them. Results The effectiveness of the developed method was quantified by a significant increase in correlation coefficient and a significant decrease in root mean square error between the clean M wave and the reconstructed M wave, compared with those between the clean M wave and the originally contaminated signal. The validity of the developed method was also demonstrated when tested on each channel’s M wave recording using the linear electrode array. Conclusions The developed method can suppress stimulus artifacts contaminating M wave recordings. PMID:24419021

Cleaning practices and cleaning products in nurseries and schools: to what extent can they impact indoor air quality?

PubMed

Wei, W; Boumier, J; Wyart, G; Ramalho, O; Mandin, C

2016-08-01

In the framework of a nationwide survey on indoor air quality conducted from September 2009 to June 2011 in 310 nurseries, kindergartens, and elementary schools in all regions of France, cleaning practices and products were described through an extensive questionnaire completed on-site by expert building inspectors. The questionnaire included the cleaning frequencies and periods, cleaning techniques, whether windows were open during cleaning, and the commercial names of the products used. Analysis of the questionnaire responses showed that cleaning was generally performed daily for furniture and floors. It was performed mostly in the evening with wet mopping and with one or more windows open. Five hundred eighty-four different cleaning products were listed, among which 218 safety data sheets (SDSs) were available and analyzed. One hundred fifty-two chemical substances were identified in the SDSs. The typical substances in cleaning products included alcohols, chlorides, terpenes, aldehydes, and ethers; more than half of them are irritants. Two endocrine disruptors, 2-phenylphenol and Galaxolide, were identified in two cleaning products used every day to clean the floors, in seven kindergartens and in a nursery respectively. Eleven reactive substances containing C=C double bonds, mostly terpenes, were identified in a wide variety of cleaning products. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Comparative Effectiveness of New Mechanical Irrigant Agitating Devices for Debris Removal from the Canal and Isthmus of Mesial Roots of Mandibular Molars.

PubMed

Duque, Jussaro Alves; Duarte, Marco Antonio Hungaro; Canali, Lyz Cristina Furquim; Zancan, Rafaela Fernandes; Vivan, Rodrigo Ricci; Bernardes, Ricardo Affonso; Bramante, Clovis Monteiro

2017-02-01

The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of Easy Clean (Easy Dental Equipment, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil) in continuous and reciprocating motion, passive ultrasonic irrigation (PUI), Endoactivator systems (Dentsply Maillefer, Ballaigues, Switzerland), and conventional irrigation for debris removal from root canals and isthmus. Fifty mesial roots of mandibular molars were embedded in epoxy resin using a metal muffle; afterward, the blocks containing the roots were sectioned at 2, 4, and 6 mm from the apex. After instrumentation, the roots were divided into 5 groups (n = 10) for application of the final irrigation protocol using Easy Clean in continuous rotation, Easy Clean in reciprocating motion, PUI, Endoactivator, and conventional irrigation. Scanning electron microscopic images were taken after instrumentation and after the first, second, and third activation of irrigating solution to evaluate the area of remaining debris with image J software (National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD). The protocol of 3 irrigating solution activations for 20 seconds provided better cleaning of the canal and isthmus. On conclusion of all procedures, analysis of the canals showed a statistical difference only at 2 mm; the Easy Clean in continuous rotation was more efficient than conventional irrigation (P < .05). On conclusion of all steps, the largest difference was observed in the isthmus in which the Easy Clean in continuous rotation was more effective than conventional irrigation at the 3 levels analyzed and the Endoactivator at 4 mm (P < .05). The PUI promoted greater cleaning than conventional irrigation at 6 mm (P < .05). There was no statistical difference between Easy Clean in continuous rotation, Easy Clean in reciprocating motion, and PUI (P > .05). Irrigating solution activation methods provided better cleaning of the canal and isthmus, especially the Easy Clean used in continuous rotation. The protocol of 3 irrigating solution activations for 20 seconds favored better cleaning. Copyright © 2016 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The design, fabrication, and photocatalytic utility of nanostructured semiconductors: focus on TiO2-based nanostructures

PubMed Central

Banerjee, Arghya Narayan

2011-01-01

Recent advances in basic fabrication techniques of TiO2-based nanomaterials such as nanoparticles, nanowires, nanoplatelets, and both physical- and solution-based techniques have been adopted by various research groups around the world. Our research focus has been mainly on various deposition parameters used for fabricating nanostructured materials, including TiO2-organic/inorganic nanocomposite materials. Technically, TiO2 shows relatively high reactivity under ultraviolet light, the energy of which exceeds the band gap of TiO2. The development of photocatalysts exhibiting high reactivity under visible light allows the main part of the solar spectrum to be used. Visible light-activated TiO2 could be prepared by doping or sensitizing. As far as doping of TiO2 is concerned, in obtaining tailored material with improved properties, metal and nonmetal doping has been performed in the context of improved photoactivity. Nonmetal doping seems to be more promising than metal doping. TiO2 represents an effective photocatalyst for water and air purification and for self-cleaning surfaces. Additionally, it can be used as an antibacterial agent because of its strong oxidation activity and superhydrophilicity. Therefore, applications of TiO2 in terms of photocatalytic activities are discussed here. The basic mechanisms of the photoactivities of TiO2 and nanostructures are considered alongside band structure engineering and surface modification in nanostructured TiO2 in the context of doping. The article reviews the basic structural, optical, and electrical properties of TiO2, followed by detailed fabrication techniques of 0-, 1-, and quasi-2-dimensional TiO2 nanomaterials. Applications and future directions of nanostructured TiO2 are considered in the context of various photoinduced phenomena such as hydrogen production, electricity generation via dye-sensitized solar cells, photokilling and self-cleaning effect, photo-oxidation of organic pollutant, wastewater management, and organic synthesis. PMID:24198485

Integrated methodology for the evaluation of cleaning effectiveness in two Russian icons (16th-17th centuries).

PubMed

Sandu, Irina Crina Anca; Bracci, Susanna; Lobefaro, Mariella; Sandu, Ion

2010-08-01

This article covers a methodology for evaluating the effectiveness of cleaning two Russian icons. The icons belong to a group of five from the same iconographic school, dating from the 16th to 17th centuries. An integrated and complementary approach to varnish and overpaint removal involved microscopic techniques (optical and scanning electron microscopy) and colorimetry (CIE L*a*b* system). The materials and techniques used in these icons have been characterized previously. Cleaning revealed extensive overpainting that had not only dramatically changed the original appearance, but also the meaning and attribution of one of the two icons. The analyses carried out were useful in determining the extent of the overpainting and led to a better assessment of the results and effectiveness of the restoration. (c) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Laser versus scalpel cleaning of crustose lichens on granite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rivas, T.; Pozo-Antonio, J. S.; López de Silanes, M. E.; Ramil, A.; López, A. J.

2018-05-01

This paper addresses the evaluation of the cleaning of crustose lichens developing on granite. The evaluation was performed considering the effectiveness of the cleanings and harmfulness exerted on the granite. The laser cleaning of lichen was compared with the most conventional procedure, scalpel. The combination of both procedures was also tested. The study, which was carried out with two different species of crustose lichen, was also focused on the influence of the intrinsic characteristics of the lichen on the effectiveness. The cleanings were evaluated by optic and electronic microscopies, FTIR and colour spectrophotometry. A previous characterization of the lichen and its interaction with the granite using those analytical techniques were also performed. The laser cleaning effectiveness depends on the coverage and the colour of the lichen; also, the prior mechanical weakening of the lichen by scalpel seemed to improve the laser cleaning. The darkest lichen was satisfactorily removed by laser and with the combined cleaning. Conversely, the lightest lichen was more difficult to extract with laser than the darkest lichen, being necessary to apply both methods sequentially. Despite laser and the combination of methods cleaned satisfactorily the surface, they were unable to eliminate the thalli into fissures.

A study of blood contamination of Siqveland matrix bands.

PubMed

Lowe, A H; Bagg, J; Burke, F J T; MacKenzie, D; McHugh, S

2002-01-12

AIMS To use a sensitive forensic test to measure blood contamination of used Siqveland matrix bands following routine cleaning and sterilisation procedures in general dental practice. Sixteen general dental practices in the West of Scotland participated. Details of instrument cleaning procedures were recorded for each practice. A total of 133 Siqveland matrix bands were recovered following cleaning and sterilisation and were examined for residual blood contamination by the Kastle-Meyer test, a well-recognised forensic technique. Ultrasonic baths were used for the cleaning of 62 (47%) bands and retainers and the remainder (53%) were hand scrubbed prior to autoclaving. Overall, 21% of the matrix bands and 19% of the retainers gave a positive Kastle-Meyer test, indicative of residual blood contamination, following cleaning and sterilisation. In relation to cleaning method, 34% of hand-scrubbed bands and 32% of hand-scrubbed retainers were positive for residual blood by the Kastle-Meyer test compared with 6% and 3% respectively of ultrasonically cleaned bands and retainers (P < 0.001). If Siqveland matrix bands are re-processed in the assembled state, then adequate pre-sterilisation cleaning cannot be achieved reliably. Ultrasonic baths are significantly more effective than hand cleaning for these items of equipment.

Urine sampling techniques in symptomatic primary-care patients: a diagnostic accuracy review.

PubMed

Holm, Anne; Aabenhus, Rune

2016-06-08

Choice of urine sampling technique in urinary tract infection may impact diagnostic accuracy and thus lead to possible over- or undertreatment. Currently no evidencebased consensus exists regarding correct sampling technique of urine from women with symptoms of urinary tract infection in primary care. The aim of this study was to determine the accuracy of urine culture from different sampling-techniques in symptomatic non-pregnant women in primary care. A systematic review was conducted by searching Medline and Embase for clinical studies conducted in primary care using a randomized or paired design to compare the result of urine culture obtained with two or more collection techniques in adult, female, non-pregnant patients with symptoms of urinary tract infection. We evaluated quality of the studies and compared accuracy based on dichotomized outcomes. We included seven studies investigating urine sampling technique in 1062 symptomatic patients in primary care. Mid-stream-clean-catch had a positive predictive value of 0.79 to 0.95 and a negative predictive value close to 1 compared to sterile techniques. Two randomized controlled trials found no difference in infection rate between mid-stream-clean-catch, mid-stream-urine and random samples. At present, no evidence suggests that sampling technique affects the accuracy of the microbiological diagnosis in non-pregnant women with symptoms of urinary tract infection in primary care. However, the evidence presented is in-direct and the difference between mid-stream-clean-catch, mid-stream-urine and random samples remains to be investigated in a paired design to verify the present findings.

MSG test report: removal of residual sodium. [LMFBR

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

Harty, R.B.

1974-03-08

This report presents the results of cleaning activities performed to remove residual sodium from the AI Modular Steam Generator. A description of the cleaning loop, cleaning procedure, results, and visual inspection are included.

Comparison of extraction techniques of robenidine from poultry feed samples.

PubMed

Wilga, Joanna; Wasik, Agata Kot-; Namieśnik, Jacek

2007-10-31

In this paper, effectiveness of six different commonly applied extraction techniques for the determination of robenidine in poultry feed has been compared. The sample preparation techniques included shaking, Soxhlet, Soxtec, ultrasonically assisted extraction, microwave - assisted extraction and accelerated solvent extraction. Comparison of these techniques was done with respect to the recovery extraction, temperature and time, reproducibility and solvent consumption. Every single extract was subjected to clean - up using aluminium oxide column (Pasteur pipette filled with 1g of aluminium oxide), from which robenidine was eluted with 10ml of methanol. The eluate from the clean-up column was collected in a volumetric flask, and finally it was analysed by HPLC-DAD-MS. In general, all extraction techniques were capable of isolating of robenidine from poultry feed, but the recovery obtained using modern extraction techniques was higher than that obtained using conventional techniques. In particular, accelerated solvent extraction was more superior to other techniques, which highlights the advantages of this sample preparation technique. However, in routine analysis, shaking and ultrasonically assisted extraction is still the preferred method for the solution of robenidine and other coccidiostatics.

76 FR 53423 - Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report for the...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-26

... Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. 1344), for the proposed Southport Sacramento River Early...). USACE also has authority under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. 1344) over activities... of the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. 1344) over activities involving the discharge of dredged or fill...

FAIR exempting separate T (1) measurement (FAIREST): a novel technique for online quantitative perfusion imaging and multi-contrast fMRI.

PubMed

Lai, S; Wang, J; Jahng, G H

2001-01-01

A new pulse sequence, dubbed FAIR exempting separate T(1) measurement (FAIREST) in which a slice-selective saturation recovery acquisition is added in addition to the standard FAIR (flow-sensitive alternating inversion recovery) scheme, was developed for quantitative perfusion imaging and multi-contrast fMRI. The technique allows for clean separation between and thus simultaneous assessment of BOLD and perfusion effects, whereas quantitative cerebral blood flow (CBF) and tissue T(1) values are monitored online. Online CBF maps were obtained using the FAIREST technique and the measured CBF values were consistent with the off-line CBF maps obtained from using the FAIR technique in combination with a separate sequence for T(1) measurement. Finger tapping activation studies were carried out to demonstrate the applicability of the FAIREST technique in a typical fMRI setting for multi-contrast fMRI. The relative CBF and BOLD changes induced by finger-tapping were 75.1 +/- 18.3 and 1.8 +/- 0.4%, respectively, and the relative oxygen consumption rate change was 2.5 +/- 7.7%. The results from correlation of the T(1) maps with the activation images on a pixel-by-pixel basis show that the mean T(1) value of the CBF activation pixels is close to the T(1) of gray matter while the mean T(1) value of the BOLD activation pixels is close to the T(1) range of blood and cerebrospinal fluid. Copyright 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Comparison of laser regimes for stamp cleaning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Radvan, Roxana N.; Dan, Suzana; Popovici, Nicoleta; Striber, J.; Savastru, Dan; Savastru, Roxana

2001-10-01

This paper presents a comparative study of the laser cleaning regimes applied to colored substrates with various chromatic characteristics, including colored paper and printed paper with different dpi (dots per inch) values. Tests are done under microscope with high precision techniques, using controlled Nd:YAG laser. The wavelength preponderantly used in the experiments is the Nd:YAG fundamental regime (1064 nm). Parallel experiments at 532 nm have been developed on difficult cases, or when the results were not satisfactory with 1064 nm. The main part of the work presents some results on stamp cleaning. Experimental results indicate that cleaning efficiency is correlated with the color of substrate, age of the ink on the stamp, color quality and paper quality.

Ultra-high heat flux cooling characteristics of cryogenic micro-solid nitrogen particles and its application to semiconductor wafer cleaning technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ishimoto, Jun; Oh, U.; Guanghan, Zhao; Koike, Tomoki; Ochiai, Naoya

2014-01-01

The ultra-high heat flux cooling characteristics and impingement behavior of cryogenic micro-solid nitrogen (SN2) particles in relation to a heated wafer substrate were investigated for application to next generation semiconductor wafer cleaning technology. The fundamental characteristics of cooling heat transfer and photoresist removal-cleaning performance using micro-solid nitrogen particulate spray impinging on a heated substrate were numerically investigated and experimentally measured by a new type of integrated computational-experimental technique. This study contributes not only advanced cryogenic cooling technology for high thermal emission devices, but also to the field of nano device engineering including the semiconductor wafer cleaning technology.

Review of Techniques to Achieve Optical Surface Cleanliness and Their Potential Application to Surgical Endoscopes

PubMed Central

Kreeft, Davey; Arkenbout, Ewout Aart; Henselmans, Paulus Wilhelmus Johannes; van Furth, Wouter R.; Breedveld, Paul

2017-01-01

A clear visualization of the operative field is of critical importance in endoscopic surgery. During surgery the endoscope lens can get fouled by body fluids (eg, blood), ground substance, rinsing fluid, bone dust, or smoke plumes, resulting in visual impairment. As a result, surgeons spend part of the procedure on intermittent cleaning of the endoscope lens. Current cleaning methods that rely on manual wiping or a lens irrigation system are still far from ideal, leading to longer procedure times, dirtying of the surgical site, and reduced visual acuity, potentially reducing patient safety. With the goal of finding a solution to these issues, a literature review was conducted to identify and categorize existing techniques capable of achieving optically clean surfaces, and to show which techniques can potentially be implemented in surgical practice. The review found that the most promising method for achieving surface cleanliness consists of a hybrid solution, namely, that of a hydrophilic or hydrophobic coating on the endoscope lens and the use of the existing lens irrigation system. PMID:28511635

Iowa's Clean Solid Waste Environmental Education Project (SWEEP).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eells, Jean Crim; And Others

The Iowa Clean SWEEP program is designed to provide educators, K-12, with a series of activities focusing upon critical concepts related to Iowa's solid waste problem. This activity packet contains 19 activities for grades K-6, and 25 activities for grades 7-12. Key concepts addressed throughout the activity packet include: (1) an overview, the…

[Scanning electron microscopy investigation of canal cleaning after canal preparation with nickel titanium files].

PubMed

Brkanić, Tatjana; Ivana, Stojsin; Vukoje, Karolina; Zivković, Slavoljub

2010-01-01

Root canal preparation is the most important phase of endodontic procedure and it consists of adequate canal space cleaning and shaping. In recent years, rotary instruments and techniques have gained importance because of the great efficacy, speed and safety of the preparation procedure. The aim of this research was to investigate the influence of different NiTi files on the canal wall cleaning quality, residual dentine debris and smear layer. The research was conducted on extracted human teeth in vitro conditions. Teeth were divided in 7 main groups depending on the kind of instruments used for root canal preparation: ProTaper, GT, ProFile, K-3, FlexMaster, hand ProTaper and hand GT. Root canal preparation was accomplished by crown-down technique. Prepared samples were assessed on scanning electron microscopy JEOL, JSM-6460 LV. The evaluation of dentine debris was done with 500x magnification, and the evaluation of smear layer with 1,000 times magnification. Quantitive assessment of dentine debris and smear layer was done according to the criteria of Hulsmann. The least amount of debris and smear layer has been found in canals shaped with ProFile instruments, and the largest amount in canals shaped with FlexMaster instruments. Canal cleaning efficacy of hand GTand ProTaperfiles has been similar to cleaning efficacy of rotary NiTi files. Statistic analysis has shown a significant difference in amount of dentine debris and smear layer on the canal walls between sample groups. shaped with different instruments. Completely clean canals have not been found in any tested group of instruments. The largest amount of debris and smear layer has been found in the apical third of all canals. The design and the type of endodontic instruments influence the efficacy of the canal cleaning.

Asbestos-fiber reentrainment during dry vacuuming and wet cleaning of asbestos-contaminated carpet. Report for January 1988-July 1989

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

Kominsky, J.R.; Freyberg, R.W.

A study was conducted to evaluate the potential for asbestos fiber reentrainment during cleaning of carpet contaminated with asbestos. Two types of carpet cleaning equipment were evaluated at two carpet contamination levels. Airborne asbestos concentrations were determined before and during carpet cleaning. Overall, airborne asbestos concentrations were two to four times greater during the carpet cleaning activity. The level of asbestos contamination and the type of cleaning method used had no statistically significant effect on the relative increase of airborne asbestos concentrations during carpet cleaning.

A New Technique to Produce Clean and Thin Silicon Films In Situ in a UHV Electron Microscope for TEM-TED Studies of Surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ozawa, Soh-ichiro; Yamanaka, Akira; Kobayashi, Kunio; Tanishiro, Yasumasa; Yagi, Katsumichi

1990-04-01

A new technique of in situ oxygen gas reaction thinning of Si films at around 750-800°C in an ultrahigh-vacuum electron microscope was developed. The technique produced films as thin as 10 to 20 nm. Such a thin film allows us to observe surface atomic steps, out-of-phase boundaries and {1/7 0}, {1/7 1/7} and {2/7 0} spots from the Si(111)7× 7 surface. These spots were not observed in previous studies, having been masked by strong inelastic scattering. The technique is useful not only for detecting clear diffraction spots of kinematical intensity for surface structure analysis but also for observation of high-resolution plan-view structure images of clean and adsorbed surfaces.

Ion plating technique improves thin film deposition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mattox, D. M.

1968-01-01

Ion plating technique keeps the substrate surface clean until the film is deposited, allows extensive diffusion and chemical reaction, and joins insoluble or incompatible materials. The technique involves the deposition of ions on the substrate surface while it is being bombarded with inert gas ions.

Development of clean coal and clean soil technologies using advanced agglomeration techniques

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

Ignasiak, B.; Ignasiak, T.; Szymocha, K.

1990-01-01

Three major topics are discussed in this report: (1) Upgrading of Low Rank Coals by the Agflotherm Process. Test data, procedures, equipment, etc., are described for co-upgrading of subbituminous coals and heavy oil; (2) Upgrading of Bituminous Coals by the Agflotherm Process. Experimental procedures and data, bench and pilot scale equipments, etc., for beneficiating bituminous coals are described; (3) Soil Clean-up and Hydrocarbon Waste Treatment Process. Batch and pilot plant tests are described for soil contaminated by tar refuse from manufactured gas plant sites. (VC)

Pioneer surgeon drove ultra clean technology.

PubMed

Parkin, Amanda

2013-04-01

On the 50th anniversary of the development of his ground-breaking hip replacement surgical technique, Amanda Parkin, communications consultant with clean air technology specialist, Howorth Air Technology, examines Professor Sir John Charnley's influence on orthopaedic surgery, and explains how his realisation that any subsequent infection may not appear until long after the operation, and that keeping bacteria away from the wound during the procedure is the the key to minimising the risk, led to the emergence of 'ultra clean' operating theatre technology - within which Howorth was an early pioneer.

NHEXAS PHASE I ARIZONA STUDY--STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR CLEANING: BASELINE QUESTIONNAIRES-INDIVIDUAL (UA-D-19.0)

EPA Science Inventory

This entry is included for completeness of documentation. The technique described in the SOP was anticipated in study planning documents. It was subsequently not used, and the SOP was not completed.

The purpose of this SOP is to define the steps involved in cleaning the elect...

De-Trending Techniques: Methods for Cleaning Questionable Shock Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grillo, Vincent J.

2010-01-01

Not all zero shifted acceleration data can De-trended using this technique. DC shifts, improper AC coupling, Circuit noise/EMI/EMR, Equivalent RC circuit gain response/Circuit saturation(Slew Rate Limited), fixture grounding and wiring losses can all contribute to bad shock data being recorded. Some data that is zero-shifted or exhibit large instantaneous velocity shifts is inherently bad and a retest is warranted. Clean Acceleration-Time history data can be bad upon examining the Velocity & Displacement profiles. Laser Vibrometers provide a high level of accuracy for pyrotechnic shock testing. Engineering judgment and experience will determine the validity of Shock data.

Cleaning up with genomics: applying molecular biology to bioremediation.

PubMed

Lovley, Derek R

2003-10-01

Bioremediation has the potential to restore contaminated environments inexpensively yet effectively, but a lack of information about the factors controlling the growth and metabolism of microorganisms in polluted environments often limits its implementation. However, rapid advances in the understanding of bioremediation are on the horizon. Researchers now have the ability to culture microorganisms that are important in bioremediation and can evaluate their physiology using a combination of genome-enabled experimental and modelling techniques. In addition, new environmental genomic techniques offer the possibility for similar studies on as-yet-uncultured organisms. Combining models that can predict the activity of microorganisms that are involved in bioremediation with existing geochemical and hydrological models should transform bioremediation from a largely empirical practice into a science.

Cleaning at Home and at Work in Relation to Lung Function Decline and Airway Obstruction.

PubMed

Svanes, Øistein; Bertelsen, Randi J; Lygre, Stein H L; Carsin, Anne E; Antó, Josep M; Forsberg, Bertil; García-García, José M; Gullón, José A; Heinrich, Joachim; Holm, Mathias; Kogevinas, Manolis; Urrutia, Isabel; Leynaert, Bénédicte; Moratalla, Jesús M; Le Moual, Nicole; Lytras, Theodore; Norbäck, Dan; Nowak, Dennis; Olivieri, Mario; Pin, Isabelle; Probst-Hensch, Nicole; Schlünssen, Vivi; Sigsgaard, Torben; Skorge, Trude D; Villani, Simona; Jarvis, Debbie; Zock, Jan P; Svanes, Cecilie

2018-05-01

Cleaning tasks may imply exposure to chemical agents with potential harmful effects to the respiratory system, and increased risk of asthma and respiratory symptoms among professional cleaners and in persons cleaning at home has been reported. Long-term consequences of cleaning agents on respiratory health are, however, not well described. This study aimed to investigate long-term effects of occupational cleaning and cleaning at home on lung function decline and airway obstruction. The European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS) investigated a multicenter population-based cohort at three time points over 20 years. A total of 6,235 participants with at least one lung function measurement from 22 study centers, who in ECRHS II responded to questionnaire modules concerning cleaning activities between ECRHS I and ECRHS II, were included. The data were analyzed with mixed linear models adjusting for potential confounders. As compared with women not engaged in cleaning (ΔFEV 1  = -18.5 ml/yr), FEV 1 declined more rapidly in women responsible for cleaning at home (-22.1; P = 0.01) and occupational cleaners (-22.4; P = 0.03). The same was found for decline in FVC (ΔFVC = -8.8 ml/yr; -13.1, P = 0.02; and -15.9, P = 0.002; respectively). Both cleaning sprays and other cleaning agents were associated with accelerated FEV 1 decline (-22.0, P = 0.04; and -22.9, P = 0.004; respectively). Cleaning was not significantly associated with lung function decline in men or with FEV 1 /FVC decline or airway obstruction. Women cleaning at home or working as occupational cleaners had accelerated decline in lung function, suggesting that exposures related to cleaning activities may constitute a risk to long-term respiratory health.

Conservation of artists' acrylic emulsion paints: XPS, NEXAFS and ATR-FTIR studies of wet cleaning methods

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

Willneff, E. A.; Ormsby, B. A.; Stevens, J. S.

Works of art prepared with acrylic emulsion paints became commercially available in the 1960s. It is increasingly necessary to undertake and optimise cleaning and preventative conservation treatments to ensure their longevity. Model artists' acrylic paint films covered with artificial soiling were thus prepared on a canvas support and exposed to a variety of wet cleaning treatments based on aqueous or hydrocarbon solvent systems. This included some with additives such as chelating agents and/or surfactants, and microemulsion systems made specifically for conservation practice. The impact of cleaning (soiling removal) on the paint film surface was examined visually and correlated with resultsmore » of attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared, XPS and near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure analyses – three spectroscopic techniques with increasing surface sensitivity ranging from approximately $-$ 1000, 10 and 5 nm, respectively. Visual analysis established the relative cleaning efficacy of the wet cleaning treatments in line with previous results. X-ray spectroscopy analysis provided significant additional findings, including evidence for (i) surfactant extraction following aqueous swabbing, (ii) modifications to pigment following cleaning and (iii) cleaning system residues.« less

Conservation of artists' acrylic emulsion paints: XPS, NEXAFS and ATR-FTIR studies of wet cleaning methods

DOE PAGES

Willneff, E. A.; Ormsby, B. A.; Stevens, J. S.; ...

2014-02-17

Works of art prepared with acrylic emulsion paints became commercially available in the 1960s. It is increasingly necessary to undertake and optimise cleaning and preventative conservation treatments to ensure their longevity. Model artists' acrylic paint films covered with artificial soiling were thus prepared on a canvas support and exposed to a variety of wet cleaning treatments based on aqueous or hydrocarbon solvent systems. This included some with additives such as chelating agents and/or surfactants, and microemulsion systems made specifically for conservation practice. The impact of cleaning (soiling removal) on the paint film surface was examined visually and correlated with resultsmore » of attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared, XPS and near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure analyses – three spectroscopic techniques with increasing surface sensitivity ranging from approximately $-$ 1000, 10 and 5 nm, respectively. Visual analysis established the relative cleaning efficacy of the wet cleaning treatments in line with previous results. X-ray spectroscopy analysis provided significant additional findings, including evidence for (i) surfactant extraction following aqueous swabbing, (ii) modifications to pigment following cleaning and (iii) cleaning system residues.« less

Development of CFC-Free Cleaning Processes at the NASA White Sands Test Facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beeson, Harold; Kirsch, Mike; Hornung, Steven; Biesinger, Paul

1995-01-01

The NASA White Sands Test Facility (WSTF) is developing cleaning and verification processes to replace currently used chlorofluorocarbon-113- (CFC-113-) based processes. The processes being evaluated include both aqueous- and solvent-based techniques. The presentation will include the findings of investigations of aqueous cleaning and verification processes that are based on a draft of a proposed NASA Kennedy Space Center (KSC) cleaning procedure. Verification testing with known contaminants, such as hydraulic fluid and commonly used oils, established correlations between nonvolatile residue and CFC-113. Recoveries ranged from 35 to 60 percent of theoretical. WSTF is also investigating enhancements to aqueous sampling for organics and particulates. Although aqueous alternatives have been identified for several processes, a need still exists for nonaqueous solvent cleaning, such as the cleaning and cleanliness verification of gauges used for oxygen service. The cleaning effectiveness of tetrachloroethylene (PCE), trichloroethylene (TCE), ethanol, hydrochlorofluorocarbon-225 (HCFC-225), tert-butylmethylether, and n-Hexane was evaluated using aerospace gauges and precision instruments and then compared to the cleaning effectiveness of CFC-113. Solvents considered for use in oxygen systems were also tested for oxygen compatibility using high-pressure oxygen autoignition and liquid oxygen mechanical impact testing.

Second Aerospace Environmental Technology Conference

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whitaker, A. F. (Editor); Clark-Ingram, M. (Editor)

1997-01-01

The mandated elimination of CFC'S, Halons, TCA, and other ozone depleting chemicals and specific hazardous materials has required changes and new developments in aerospace materials and processes. The aerospace industry has been involved for several years in providing product substitutions, redesigning entire production processes, and developing new materials that minimize or eliminate damage to the environment. These activities emphasize replacement cleaning solvents and their application, verification, compliant coatings including corrosion protection system and removal techniques, chemical propulsion effects on the environment, and the initiation of modifications to relevant processing and manufacturing specifications and standards.

Second Aerospace Environmental Technology Conference

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whitaker, A. F.; Clark-Ingram, M.; Hessler, S. L.

1997-01-01

The mandated elimination of CFC's, Halons, TCA, and other ozone depleting chemicals and specific hazardous materials has required changes and new developments in aerospace materials and processes. The aerospace industry has been involved for several years in providing product substitutions, redesigning entire production processes, and developing new materials that minimize or eliminate damage to the environment. These activities emphasize replacement cleaning solvents and their application verifications, compliant coatings including corrosion protection systems, and removal techniques, chemical propulsion effects on the environment, and the initiation of modifications to relevant processing and manufacturing specifications and standards.

Noncontaminating technique for making holes in existing process systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hecker, T. P.; Czapor, H. P.; Giordano, S. M.

1972-01-01

Technique is developed for making cleanly-contoured holes in assembled process systems without introducing chips or other contaminants into system. Technique uses portable equipment and does not require dismantling of system. Method was tested on Inconel, stainless steel, ASTMA-53, and Hastelloy X in all positions.

Water Pollution Scrubber Activity Simulates Pollution Control Devices.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kennedy, Edward C., III; Waggoner, Todd C.

2003-01-01

A laboratory activity caused students to think actively about water pollution. The students realized that it would be easier to keep water clean than to remove pollutants. They created a water scrubbing system allowing them to pour water in one end and have it emerge clean at the other end. (JOW)

CORE MUSCLE ACTIVITY DURING THE CLEAN AND JERK LIFT WITH BARBELL VERSUS SANDBAGS AND WATER BAGS.

PubMed

Calatayud, Joaquin; Colado, Juan C; Martin, Fernando; Casaña, José; Jakobsen, Markus D; Andersen, Lars L

2015-11-01

While the traditional clean and jerk maneuver implies simultaneous participation of a large number of muscle groups, the use of this exercise with some variations to enhance core muscle activity remains uninvestigated. The purpose of this study was to compare the muscle activity during clean and jerk lift when performed with a barbell, sandbag and a water bag at same absolute load. Descriptive, repeated-measures study. Twenty-one young fit male university students (age: 25 ± 2.66 years; height: 180.71 ± 5.42 cm; body mass: 80.32 ± 9.8 kg; body fat percentage: 12.41 ± 3.56 %) participated. Surface electromyographic (EMG) signals were recorded from the anterior deltoid (AD), external oblique (OBLIQ), lumbar erector spinae (LUMB), and gluteus medius (GM) and were expressed as a percentage of the maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC). There were no significantly significant differences for AD muscle activity between conditions, whereas muscle activation values for OBLIQ (60%MVIC), GM (29%MVIC) and LUMB (85%MVIC) were significantly higher during the water bag power clean and jerk maneuver when compared with the other conditions. The clean and jerk is an exercise that may be used to enhance core muscle activity. Performing the maneuver with water bags resulted in higher core muscle activity compared with sandbag and standard barbell versions. 3.

Comparison of cleaning Efficacy and Instrumentation Time between Rotary and Manual Instrumentation Techniques in Primary Teeth: An in vitro Study.

PubMed

Katge, Farhin; Chimata, Vamsi Krishna; Poojari, Manohar; Shetty, Shilpa; Rusawat, Bhavesh

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to compare the cleaning efficacy and instrumentation time between manual Hedstrom files (H-files) and rotary Mtwo files in primary molar root canals. A total of 90 primary root canals were selected using standardized radiographs. The canals were injected with India ink with 30 gauge insulin syringe and divided into three groups. Group I-30 root canals instrumented with H-files, group II-30 root canals instrumented with Mtwo files, and group III-control group in which no canal instrumentation was done. The teeth were cleared in various solutions and then observed under a stereomicroscope. No significant difference was seen in cleaning efficacy between H-files and Mtwo files in coronal, middle, and apical thirds of the root canal. The instrumentation time recorded for H-files (3.41 ± 0.38 minutes) was significantly less than that of Mtwo files (4.81 ± 0.52). Although there was no significant difference in cleaning capacity, further studies should be carried out using the single file systems. How to cite this article: Katge F, Chimata VK, Poojari M, Shetty S, Rusawat B. Comparison of cleaning Efficacy and Instrumentation Time between Rotary and Manual Instrumentation Techniques in Primary Teeth: An in vitro Study. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2016;9(2):124-127.

Cleaning techniques for intense ion beam sources

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

Menge, P.R.; Cuneo, M.E.; Bailey, J.E.

Generation of high power lithium ion beams on the SABRE (1TW) and PBFA-X (20 TW) accelerators have been limited by the parallel acceleration of contaminant ions. during the beam pulse lithium is replaced by protons and carbon ions. This replacement is accompanied by rapid impedance decay of the diode. The contaminant hydrogen and carbon is believed to originate from impurity molecules on the surface and in the bulk of the lithium ion source and its substrate material. Cleaning techniques designed to remove hydrocarbons from the ion source have been employed with some success in test stand experiments and on SABRE.more » The test stand experiments have shown that a lithium fluoride (LiF) ion source film can accrue dozens of hydrocarbon monolayers on its surface while sitting in vacuum. Application of 13.5 MHz RF discharge cleaning with 90% Ar/10% O{sub 2} can significantly reduce the surface hydrocarbon layers on the LiF film. On SABRE, combinations of RF discharge cleaning, anode heating, layering gold between the source film (LiF) and its substrate, and cryogenic cathode cooling produced an increase by a factor of 1.5--2 in the quantity of high energy lithium in the ion beam. A corresponding decrease in protons and carbon ions was also observed. Cleaning experiments on PBFA-X are underway. New designs of contamination resistant films and Li ion sources are currently being investigated.« less

Extending CO2 cryogenic aerosol cleaning for advanced optical and EUV mask cleaning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Varghese, Ivin; Bowers, Charles W.; Balooch, Mehdi

2011-11-01

Cryogenic CO2 aerosol cleaning being a dry, chemically-inert and residue-free process is used in the production of optical lithography masks. It is an attractive cleaning option for the mask industry to achieve the requirement for removal of all printable soft defects and repair debris down to the 50nm printability specification. In the technique, CO2 clusters are formed by sudden expansion of liquid from high to almost atmospheric pressure through an optimally designed nozzle orifice. They are then directed on to the soft defects or debris for momentum transfer and subsequent damage free removal from the mask substrate. Unlike aggressive acid based wet cleaning, there is no degradation of the mask after processing with CO2, i.e., no critical dimension (CD) change, no transmission/phase losses, or chemical residue that leads to haze formation. Therefore no restriction on number of cleaning cycles is required to be imposed, unlike other cleaning methods. CO2 aerosol cleaning has been implemented for several years as full mask final clean in production environments at several state of the art mask shops. Over the last two years our group reported successful removal of all soft defects without damage to the fragile SRAF features, zero adders (from the cleaning and handling mechanisms) down to a 50nm printability specification. In addition, CO2 aerosol cleaning is being utilized to remove debris from Post-RAVE repair of hard defects in order to achieve the goal of no printable defects. It is expected that CO2 aerosol cleaning can be extended to extreme ultraviolet (EUV) masks. In this paper, we report advances being made in nozzle design qualification for optimum snow properties (size, velocity and flux) using Phase Doppler Anemometry (PDA) technique. In addition the two new areas of focus for CO2 aerosol cleaning i.e. pellicle glue residue removal on optical masks, and ruthenium (Ru) film on EUV masks are presented. Usually, the residue left over after the pellicle has been removed from returned masks (after long term usage/exposure in the wafer fab), requires a very aggressive SPM wet clean, that drastically reduces the available budget for mask properties (CD, phase/transmission). We show that CO2aerosol cleaning can be utilized to remove the bulk of the glue residue effectively, while preserving the mask properties. This application required a differently designed nozzle to impart the required removal force for the sticky glue residue. A new nozzle was developed and qualified that resulted in PRE in the range of 92-98%. Results also include data on a patterned mask that was exposed in a lithography stepper in a wafer production environment. On EUV mask, our group has experimentally demonstrated that 50 CO2 cleaning cycles of Ru film on the EUV Front-side resulted in no appreciable reflectivity change, implying that no degradation of the Ru film occurs.

Major factors affecting in situ biodegradation rates of jet-fuel during large-scale biosparging project in sedimentary bedrock.

PubMed

Machackova, Jirina; Wittlingerova, Zdena; Vlk, Kvetoslav; Zima, Jaroslav

2012-01-01

Biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH), mainly jet fuel, had taken place at the former Soviet Army air base in the Czech Republic. The remediation of large-scale petroleum contamination of soil and groundwater has provided valuable information about biosparging efficiency in the sandstone sedimentary bedrock. In 1997 petroleum contamination was found to be present in soil and groundwater across an area of 28 hectares, divided for the clean-up purpose into smaller clean-up fields (several hectares). The total estimated quantity of TPH released to the environment was about 7,000 metric tons. Biosparging was applied as an innovative clean-up technology at the site and was operated over a 10-year period (1997-2008). Importance of a variety of factors that affect bacterial activity in unsaturated and saturated zones was widely studied on the site and influence of natural and technological factors on clean-up efficiency in heavily contaminates areas of clean-up fields (initial contaminant mass 111-452 metric ton/ha) was evaluated. Long-term monitoring of the groundwater temperature has shown seasonal rises and falls of temperature which have caused a fluctuation in biodegradation activity during clean-up. By contrast, an overall rise of average groundwater temperature was observed in the clean-up fields, most probably as a result of the biological activity during the clean-up process. The significant rise of biodegradation rates, observed after air sparging intensification, and strong linear correlation between the air injection rates and biodegradation activities have shown that the air injection rate is the principal factor in biodegradation efficiency in heavily contaminated areas. It has a far more important role for achieving a biodegradation activity than the contamination content which appeared to have had only a slight effect after the removal of about 75% of initial contamination.

Implementation of a solvent management program to control paint shop volatile organic compounds

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

Floer, M.M.; Hicks, B.H.

1997-12-31

The majority of automobile assembly plant volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions are generated from painting operations. Typical paint operations generate more than 90 percent of the total plant emissions and, up to, 50 percent can be released by cleaning sources. Plant practices which contribute to the release of VOC emissions include the cleaning of paint lines and equipment, tanks, spray booths, floors and vehicles. Solvents continue to be the largest contributing source of VOC emissions in an automotive paint shop. To reduce overall VOC emissions, environmental regulations and guidelines were introduced under the Clean Air Act; Pollution Prevention and Wastemore » Minimization programs, Control Techniques, and special air permit conditions. The introduction of these regulations and guidelines has driven industry toward continual refinement of their present cleaning methods while pursuing new techniques and technologies. Industry has also shown a proactive approach by introducing new waterborne and powder coating paint technologies to reduce overall emissions. As new paint technologies are developed and introduced, special attention must be given to the types of materials utilized for cleaning. The development and implementation of a solvent management program allows a facility to standardize a program to properly implement materials, equipment, technologies and work practices to reduce volatile organic compound emissions, meet strict cleaning requirements posed by new paint technologies and produce a vehicle which meets the high quality standards of the customer. This paper will assess the effectiveness of a solvent management program by examining pollution prevention initiatives and data from four different painting operations.« less

Atomic cobalt on nitrogen-doped graphene for hydrogen generation

PubMed Central

Fei, Huilong; Dong, Juncai; Arellano-Jiménez, M. Josefina; Ye, Gonglan; Dong Kim, Nam; Samuel, Errol L.G.; Peng, Zhiwei; Zhu, Zhuan; Qin, Fan; Bao, Jiming; Yacaman, Miguel Jose; Ajayan, Pulickel M.; Chen, Dongliang; Tour, James M.

2015-01-01

Reduction of water to hydrogen through electrocatalysis holds great promise for clean energy, but its large-scale application relies on the development of inexpensive and efficient catalysts to replace precious platinum catalysts. Here we report an electrocatalyst for hydrogen generation based on very small amounts of cobalt dispersed as individual atoms on nitrogen-doped graphene. This catalyst is robust and highly active in aqueous media with very low overpotentials (30 mV). A variety of analytical techniques and electrochemical measurements suggest that the catalytically active sites are associated with the metal centres coordinated to nitrogen. This unusual atomic constitution of supported metals is suggestive of a new approach to preparing extremely efficient single-atom catalysts. PMID:26487368

An evaluation of alternative cleaning methods for removing an organic contaminant from a stainless steel part

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

Boyd, J.L.

1996-08-01

As of December 1995, the manufacture of Freon, along with many other chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), was prohibited by the Clean Air Act of 1990 (CAA). The ban of CFC solvents has forced manufacturers across the country to search for alternative metal cleaning techniques. The objective of this study was to develop a thorough, scientific based approach for resolving one specific manufacturer`s problem of removing organic contamination from a stainless steel part. This objective was accomplished with an approach that involved: (1) defining the problem, (2) identifying the process constraints, (3) researching alternate cleaning methods, (4) researching applicable government regulations, (5) performingmore » a scientific evaluation and (6) drawing conclusions.« less

The role of cellulosic chains of cotton in biosynthesis of ZnO nanorods producing multifunctional properties: Mechanism, characterizations and features.

PubMed

Aladpoosh, R; Montazer, M

2015-08-01

In situ synthesis of ZnO nanorods on cellulosic chains of cotton fabric was accomplished using natural plant source namely Keliab and zinc acetate. Hierarchical mechanism of nano ZnO generation and deposition on cellulosic chains of cotton fabric was discussed in details and several analytical techniques were used to characterize the formation of nano ZnO wurtzite structure. The morphology, crystal phase, and chemical structure of the fabric were characterized by scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffraction and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Further, interaction between ZnO and functional groups of cellulosic chains of cotton fabric was studied by Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy. The influence of zinc acetate and Keliab solution on the self-cleaning activity of the treated cellulosic fabric was investigated with a central composite design based on surface response methodology. The treated fabrics showed self-cleaning activity toward methylene blue degradation under day light irradiation. The optimized treated sample showed high antibacterial efficiency against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli with enhanced tensile strength and higher crease recovery angle. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Get Current: Switch on Clean Energy Activity Book

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

None

2014-06-01

Switching on clean energy technologies means strengthening the economy while protecting the environment. This activity book for all ages promotes energy awareness, with facts on different types of energy and a variety of puzzles in an energy theme.

A CLEAN-based method for mosaic deconvolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gueth, F.; Guilloteau, S.; Viallefond, F.

1995-03-01

Mosaicing may be used in aperture synthesis to map large fields of view. So far, only MEM techniques have been used to deconvolve mosaic images (Cornwell (1988)). A CLEAN-based method has been developed, in which the components are located in a modified expression. This allows a better utilization of the information and consequent noise reduction in the overlapping regions. Simulations show that this method gives correct clean maps and recovers most of the flux of the sources. The introduction of the short-spacing visibilities in the data set is strongly required. Their absence actually introduces artificial lack of structures on the corresponding scale in the mosaic images. The formation of ``stripes'' in clean maps may also occur, but this phenomenon can be significantly reduced by using the Steer-Dewdney-Ito algorithm (Steer, Dewdney & Ito (1984)) to identify the CLEAN components. Typical IRAM interferometer pointing errors do not have a significant effect on the reconstructed images.

Adventitious Carbon on Primary Sample Containment Metal Surfaces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Calaway, M. J.; Fries, M. D.

2015-01-01

Future missions that return astromaterials with trace carbonaceous signatures will require strict protocols for reducing and controlling terrestrial carbon contamination. Adventitious carbon (AC) on primary sample containers and related hardware is an important source of that contamination. AC is a thin film layer or heterogeneously dispersed carbonaceous material that naturally accrues from the environment on the surface of atmospheric exposed metal parts. To test basic cleaning techniques for AC control, metal surfaces commonly used for flight hardware and curating astromaterials at JSC were cleaned using a basic cleaning protocol and characterized for AC residue. Two electropolished stainless steel 316L (SS- 316L) and two Al 6061 (Al-6061) test coupons (2.5 cm diameter by 0.3 cm thick) were subjected to precision cleaning in the JSC Genesis ISO class 4 cleanroom Precision Cleaning Laboratory. Afterwards, the samples were analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Raman spectroscopy.

Surface oxidation of GaN(0001): Nitrogen plasma-assisted cleaning for ultrahigh vacuum applications

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

Gangopadhyay, Subhashis; Schmidt, Thomas, E-mail: tschmidt@ifp.uni-bremen.de; Kruse, Carsten

The cleaning of metal-organic vapor-phase epitaxial GaN(0001) template layers grown on sapphire has been investigated. Different procedures, performed under ultrahigh vacuum conditions, including degassing and exposure to active nitrogen from a radio frequency nitrogen plasma source have been compared. For this purpose, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, reflection high-energy electron diffraction, and scanning tunneling microscopy have been employed in order to assess chemical as well as structural and morphological surface properties. Initial degassing at 600 °C under ultrahigh vacuum conditions only partially eliminates the surface contaminants. In contrast to plasma assisted nitrogen cleaning at temperatures as low as 300 °C, active-nitrogen exposure at temperaturesmore » as high as 700 °C removes the majority of oxide species from the surface. However, extended high-temperature active-nitrogen cleaning leads to severe surface roughening. Optimum results regarding both the removal of surface oxides as well as the surface structural and morphological quality have been achieved for a combination of initial low-temperature plasma-assisted cleaning, followed by a rapid nitrogen plasma-assisted cleaning at high temperature.« less

RESULTS OF A PILOT FIELD STUDY TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF CLEANING RESIDENTIAL HEATING AND AIR-CONDITIONING SYSTEMS AND THE IMPACT ON INDOOR AIR QUALITY AND SYSTEM PERFORMANCE

EPA Science Inventory

The report discusses and gives results of a pilot field study to evaluate the effectiveness of air duct cleaning (ADC) as a source removal technique in residential heating and air-conditioning (HAC) systems and its impact on airborne particle, fiber, and bioaerosol concentrations...

Importance of filament diameter when using bass brushing technique.

PubMed

Vowles, A D; Wade, A B

1977-08-01

A comparative study using a crossover experimental construction was made of the effectiveness of brushes containing 6/10 nylon filaments of 0.132 mm mean diameter using a Bass technique with those containing filaments of the same type of nylon but 0.280 mm diameter. Each type of brush was used for a 2-week period. Even though the finer filament brushes contained more than three times as many filaments, they were inferior in cleaning achievement to the brushes with the broader filaments. The difference was particularly marked on the facial aspect, but was largely nullified lingually. The effectiveness of the Bass technique in the gingival zone demonstrated in a previous investigation when brushes containing filaments of 0.18 and 0.20 mm were used, was not found in this investigation. It is concluded that filament diameter is critical in achieving effective cleaning using the Bass technique.

Assessment of cleaning and disinfection in Salmonella-contaminated poultry layer houses using qualitative and semi-quantitative culture techniques.

PubMed

Wales, Andrew; Breslin, Mark; Davies, Robert

2006-09-10

Salmonella infection of laying flocks in the UK is predominantly a problem of the persistent contamination of layer houses and associated wildlife vectors by Salmonella Enteritidis. Methods for its control and elimination include effective cleaning and disinfection of layer houses between flocks, and it is important to be able to measure the success of such decontamination. A method for the environmental detection and semi-quantitative enumeration of salmonellae was used and compared with a standard qualitative method, in 12 Salmonella-contaminated caged layer houses before and after cleaning and disinfection. The quantitative technique proved to have comparable sensitivity to the standard method, and additionally provided insights into the numerical Salmonella challenge that replacement flocks would encounter. Elimination of S. Enteritidis was not achieved in any of the premises examined although substantial reductions in the prevalence and numbers of salmonellae were demonstrated, whilst in others an increase in contamination was observed after cleaning and disinfection. Particular problems with feeders and wildlife vectors were highlighted. The use of a quantitative method assisted the identification of problem areas, such as those with a high initial bacterial load or those experiencing only a modest reduction in bacterial count following decontamination.

Clean Water for Developing Countries.

PubMed

Pandit, Aniruddha B; Kumar, Jyoti Kishen

2015-01-01

Availability of safe drinking water, a vital natural resource, is still a distant dream to many around the world, especially in developing countries. Increasing human activity and industrialization have led to a wide range of physical, chemical, and biological pollutants entering water bodies and affecting human lives. Efforts to develop efficient, economical, and technologically sound methods to produce clean water for developing countries have increased worldwide. We focus on solar disinfection, filtration, hybrid filtration methods, treatment of harvested rainwater, herbal water disinfection, and arsenic removal technologies. Simple, yet innovative water treatment devices ranging from use of plant xylem as filters, terafilters, and hand pumps to tippy taps designed indigenously are methods mentioned here. By describing the technical aspects of major water disinfection methods relevant for developing countries on medium to small scales and emphasizing their merits, demerits, economics, and scalability, we highlight the current scenario and pave the way for further research and development and scaling up of these processes. This review focuses on clean drinking water, especially for rural populations in developing countries. It describes various water disinfection techniques that are not only economically viable and energy efficient but also employ simple methodologies that are effective in reducing the physical, chemical, and biological pollutants found in drinking water to acceptable limits.

Clean recycle and utilization of hazardous iron-bearing waste in iron ore sintering process.

PubMed

Gan, Min; Ji, Zhiyun; Fan, Xiaohui; Chen, Xuling; Zhou, Yang; Wang, Guojing; Tian, Ye; Jiang, Tao

2018-04-18

Applying recycled iron-bearing waste materials (RIM) into iron ore sintering process is the general disposal approach worldwide, while its use is still a thorny problem. Results showed that adding RIM increased contents of hazardous elements (K, Na, Pb, Zn, and Cl) in sinter product, and also enhanced emission concentration of PM 2.5 in flue gas; increasing reaction temperature, and contents of CaO & coke breeze in raw mixtures improved hazardous elements removal. Based on these features, a novel method through granulating natural iron ores and RIM separately and distributing granulated RIM in bottom sintering layers was proposed for clean RIM cycle. When recycling 5% RIM, granulating RIM separately with higher contents of CaO and coke breeze removed hazardous elements effectively, the contents of which in sinter were reduced to comparable level of the case without RIM. Moreover, distributing RIM in bottom sintering layer reached intensive release of hazardous elements and PM 2.5 during sintering, which reduced the flue gas volume needing purification by about 2/3. Through activated carbon purification, about 60% of PM 2.5 comprised high contents of hazardous elements was removed. Novel technique eliminated the negative impact of RIM and has the prospect to reach clean recycle in sinter-making plants. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

49 CFR 624.3 - Eligible activities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... clean fuel, biodiesel, hybrid electric, or zero emissions technology buses that exhibit equivalent or superior emissions reductions to existing clean fuel or hybrid electric technologies. (4) The Federal share...) Batteries; (v) Alcohol-based fuels; (vi) Hybrid electric; (vii) Fuel cells; (viii) Clean diesel, to the...

Closure Report for Corrective Action Unit 516: Septic Systems and Discharge Points

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

NSTec Environmental Restoration

Corrective Action Unit (CAU) 516 is located in Areas 3, 6, and 22 of the Nevada Test Site. CAU 516 is listed in the Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order of 1996 as Septic Systems and Discharge Points, and is comprised of six Corrective Action Sites (CASs): {sm_bullet} CAS 03-59-01, Bldg 3C-36 Septic System {sm_bullet} CAS 03-59-02, Bldg 3C-45 Septic System {sm_bullet} CAS 06-51-01, Sump and Piping {sm_bullet} CAS 06-51-02, Clay Pipe and Debris {sm_bullet} CAS 06-51-03, Clean Out Box and Piping {sm_bullet} CAS 22-19-04, Vehicle Decontamination Area The Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP)-approved corrective action alternative for CASsmore » 06-51-02 and 22-19-04 is no further action. The NDEP-approved corrective action alternative for CASs 03-59-01, 03-59-02, 06-51-01, and 06-51-03 is clean closure. Closure activities included removing and disposing of total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH)-impacted septic tank contents, septic tanks, distribution/clean out boxes, and piping. CAU 516 was closed in accordance with the NDEP-approved CAU 516 Corrective Action Plan (CAP). The closure activities specified in the CAP were based on the recommendations presented in the CAU 516 Corrective Action Decision Document (U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office, 2004). This Closure Report documents CAU 516 closure activities. During closure activities, approximately 186 tons of hydrocarbon waste in the form of TPH-impacted soil and debris, as well as 89 tons of construction debris, were generated and managed and disposed of appropriately. Waste minimization techniques, such as field screening of soil samples and the utilization of laboratory analysis to characterize and classify waste streams, were employed during the performance of closure work.« less

Results Of Automating A Photolithography Cell In A Clean Tunnel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

June, David H.

1987-01-01

A prototype automated photobay was installed in an existing fab area utilizing flexible material handling techniques within a clean tunnel. The project objective was to prove design concepts of automated cassette-to-cassette handling within a clean tunnel that isolated operators from the wafers being processed. Material handling was by monorail track transport system to feed cassettes to pick and place robots. The robots loaded and unloaded cassettes of wafers to each of the various pieces of process equipment. The material handling algorithms, recipe downloading and statistical process control functions were all performed by custom software on the photobay cell controller.

Progress in Operational Analysis of Launch Vehicles in Nonstationary Flight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

James, George; Kaouk, Mo; Cao, Timothy

2013-01-01

This paper presents recent results in an ongoing effort to understand and develop techniques to process launch vehicle data, which is extremely challenging for modal parameter identification. The primary source of difficulty is due to the nonstationary nature of the situation. The system is changing, the environment is not steady, and there is an active control system operating. Hence, the primary tool for producing clean operational results (significant data lengths and data averaging) is not available to the user. This work reported herein uses a correlation-based two step operational modal analysis approach to process the relevant data sets for understanding and development of processes. A significant drawback for such processing of short time histories is a series of beating phenomena due to the inability to average out random modal excitations. A recursive correlation process coupled to a new convergence metric (designed to mitigate the beating phenomena) is the object of this study. It has been found in limited studies that this process creates clean modal frequency estimates but numerically alters the damping.

15 CFR 922.82 - Prohibited or otherwise regulated activities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... cooling water, clean vessel generator cooling water, clean bilge water, or anchor wash; or (iv) Vessel... generator cooling water, clean bilge water, or anchor wash. (4) Discharging or depositing, from beyond the... Trade (Continued) NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE OCEAN AND...

Prediction of operating parameters range for ammonia removal unit in coke making by-products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tiwari, Hari Prakash; Kumar, Rajesh; Bhattacharjee, Arunabh; Lingam, Ravi Kumar; Roy, Abhijit; Tiwary, Shambhu

2018-02-01

Coke oven gas treatment plants are well equipped with distributed control systems (DCS) and therefore recording the vast amount of operational data efficiently. Analyzing the stored information manually from historians is practically impossible. In this study, data mining technique was examined for lowering the ammonia concentration in clean coke oven gas. Results confirm that concentration of ammonia in clean coke oven gas depends on the average PCDC temperature; gas scrubber temperatures stripped liquor flow, stripped liquor concentration and stripped liquor temperature. The optimum operating ranges of the above dependent parameters using data mining technique for lowering the concentration of ammonia is described in this paper.

Learning in Stochastic Bit Stream Neural Networks.

PubMed

van Daalen, Max; Shawe-Taylor, John; Zhao, Jieyu

1996-08-01

This paper presents learning techniques for a novel feedforward stochastic neural network. The model uses stochastic weights and the "bit stream" data representation. It has a clean analysable functionality and is very attractive with its great potential to be implemented in hardware using standard digital VLSI technology. The design allows simulation at three different levels and learning techniques are described for each level. The lowest level corresponds to on-chip learning. Simulation results on three benchmark MONK's problems and handwritten digit recognition with a clean set of 500 16 x 16 pixel digits demonstrate that the new model is powerful enough for the real world applications. Copyright 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd

[NOTES ASSISTED ENDOLUMENAL RECTAL RESECTION AND SPECIMEN EXTRACTION WITHOUT RECTAL STUMP OPENING - OUR EXPERIENCE WITH THIS NOVEL TECHNIQUE IN A PORCINE MODEL].

PubMed

Kvasha, Anton; Rosenthal, Eyal; Khalifa, Muhammad; Waksman, Igor

2017-05-01

Laparoscopic surgery has long been used for colon and rectal resection, and the laparoscopic-assisted approach has prevailed in surgical practice. While this technique includes the fashioning of an intra-corporeal anastomosis, it still requires an abdominal incision for specimen extraction. Elimination of the abdominal incision and its potential complications has been the motivation for the development of natural orifice specimen extraction (NOSE) techniques. Many of these techniques make use of an open rectal stump, which poses as a potential for intra-abdominal contamination. Our group has recently described a novel, NOTES assisted, clean, endoluminal rectal resection utilizing transabdominal and transanal approaches. In this paper we report the combined experience of two study groups: an open approach to the abdominal cavity and a laparoscopic approach to the peritoneal cavity. Ten female pigs were used for this research; 5 in a group using an open approach and 5 using a laparoscopic approach for the abdominal part of the procedure. During the procedure, the rectum was mobilized. An end-to-end circular stapler was used to create a recto-rectal intussusception and pull-through (IPT). The specimen was resected and extracted by making a full thickness incision through 2 bowel walls. The stapler was applied, and a recto-rectal anastomosis created. This was allowed to retract into the abdomen. Peritoneal fluid was sampled for bacteria, the pigs were sacrificed immediately after the experiment and necropsy was performed. All 10 pigs underwent an endoluminal rectal resection utilizing the trans-anal IPT technique. The proximal and distal resection margins remained approximated over the shaft of the anvil after bowel resection in all 10 subjects. A 2- to 4-mm resection margin, distal to the ligatures was accomplished consistently in all 10 subjects. No aerobic or anaerobic bacterial growth was observed in any of the peritoneal fluid samples. Our research demonstrated the feasibility of the described technique in both open and laparoscopic approaches to a clean endoluminal bowel resection and trans-anal specimen extraction without rectal stump opening. The fact that no bacterial growth was found in any of the peritoneal samples supports the initial classification of this novel technique as clean, as opposed to clean contaminated, which classifies all other techniques in use to date.

Corrosion protection of reusable surgical instruments.

PubMed

Shah, Sadiq; Bernardo, Mildred

2002-01-01

To understand the corrosion properties of surgical scissors, 416 stainless steel disks and custom electrodes were used as simulated surfaces under various conditions. These simulated surfaces were exposed to tap water and 400-ppm synthetic hard water as Ca2CO3 under different conditions. The samples were evaluated by various techniques for corrosion potential and the impact of environmental conditions on the integrity of the passive film. The electrodes were used to monitor the corrosion behavior by potentiodynamic polarization technique in water both in the presence and absence of a cleaning product. The surface topography of the 416 stainless steel disks was characterized by visual observations and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the surface chemistry of the passive film on the surface of the scissors was characterized by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results suggest that surgical instruments made from 416 stainless steel are not susceptible to uniform corrosion; however, they do undergo localized corrosion. The use of suitable cleaning products can offer protection against localized corrosion during the cleaning step. More importantly, the use of potentiodynamic polarization techniques allowed for a quick and convenient approach to evaluate the corrosion properties of surgical instruments under a variety of simulated-use environmental conditions.

Evaluation of Apical Vapor Lock Formation and comparative Evaluation of its Elimination using Three different Techniques: An in vitro Study.

PubMed

Agarwal, Anand; Deore, Rahul B; Rudagi, Kavitarani; Nanda, Zinnie; Baig, Mirza Osman; Fareez, Md Adil

2017-09-01

The aim of this study was (i) to evaluate the formation of air bubbles in the apical region of root canal (apical vapor lock) during syringe irrigation, using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) and (ii) comparative evaluation of the elimination of an established vapor lock by EndoActivator, ultrasonics, and manual dynamic agitation (MDA), using CBCT. A total of 60 extracted human single-rooted teeth were equally divided into three groups of 20 teeth each. The samples were decoronated 17 mm from the apex, cleaned, and shaped to size F4 Protaper using 3% sodium hypochlorite. Samples were irrigated with 3% sodium hypochlorite + cesium chloride radiopaque dye, and preoperative CBCT images were obtained. After formation of apical vapor lock in the scanned teeth, EndoActivator (group I), passive ultrasonic irrigation (group II), and MDA with K-file (group III) were performed and the teeth were again placed in CBCT scanner and results analyzed using the chi-square test. The apical vapor lock was formed in all the samples. Out of the 20 teeth in each group, the apical vapor lock was eliminated in 18 samples of EndoActivator group (90%), 16 samples of ultrasonic group (80%), while it was eliminated in 10 samples by MDA (50%). It is concluded that (1) apical vapor lock is consistently formed during endodontic irrigation in closed canal systems and (2) sonic activation performs better than the ultrasonics and MDA in eliminating the apical vapor lock, with statistically significant difference between all the three groups (p < 0.05). The results suggest that the apical vapor lock (dead water zone) is consistently formed during routine endodontic irrigation which impedes irrigant penetration till the working length, thereby leading to inefficient debridement. Hence, to eliminate this vapor lock, techniques, such as sonics or ultrasonics should be used along with the irrigant after shaping and cleaning of the root canal.

Quantitative cleaning characterization of a lithium-fluoride ion diode

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

Menge, P.R.; Cuneo, M.E.

An ion source cleaning testbed was created to test plasma-cleaning techniques, and to provide quantitative data on plasma-cleaning protocols prior to implementation on the SABRE accelerator. The testbed was designed to resolve issues regarding the quantity of contaminants absorbed by the anode source (LiF), and the best cleaning methodology. A test chamber was devised containing a duplicate of the SABRE diode. Radio-frequency (RF) power was fed to the anode, which was isolated from ground and thus served as the plasma discharge electrode. RF plasma discharges in 1--3 mtorr of Ar with 10% O{sub 2} were found to provide the bestmore » cleaning of the LiF surface. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) showed that the LiF could accrue dozens of monolayers of carbon just by sitting in a 2 {times} 10{sup {minus}5} vacuum for 24 h. Tests of various discharge cleaning protocols indicated that 15 min of an Ar/O{sub 2} discharge was sufficient to reduce this initial 13--45 monolayers of carbon impurities to 2--4 monolayers. Rapid recontamination of the LiF was also observed. Up to ten monolayers of carbon returned in 2 min after termination of the plasma discharge and subsequent pumping back to the 10{sup {minus}5} torr range. Heating of the LiF also was found to provide anode cleaning. Application of heating combined with plasma cleaning provided the highest cleaning rates.« less

Does ear endoscopy provide advantages in the outpatient management of open mastoidectomy cavities?

PubMed

Freire, Gustavo Subtil Magalhães; Sampaio, Andre Luiz Lopes; Lopes, Rafaela Aquino Fernandes; Nakanishi, Márcio; de Oliveira, Carlos Augusto Costa Pires

2018-01-01

To evaluate the use of ear endoscopy in the postoperative management of open mastoidectomy cavities, and to test whether ear endoscopy improves inspection and cleaning compared with ear microscopy. Prospective study. Thirty-two ears were divided into two groups: group 1, examination and cleaning of mastoid cavities under endoscopic visualization after microscopic standard ear cleaning; group 2, examination and cleaning of mastoid cavities under microscopic visualization after endoscope-assisted ear cleaning. We assessed the ability of each method to provide exposure and facilitate cleaning, comparing the benefits of microscopy and endoscopy when used sequentially and vice-versa. Endoscopy provided additional benefits for exposure in 61.1% of cases and cleaning in 66.7%. Microscopy provided no additional benefits in terms of exposure in any case, and provided added benefit for cleaning in only 21.4% of cases. For outpatient postoperative care of open mastoidectomy cavities, ear endoscopy provides greater benefit over ear microscopy than vice-versa. In over half of all cases, endoscopy was able to expose areas not visualized under the microscope. Furthermore, in two-thirds of cases, endoscopy enabled removal of material that could not be cleared under microscopy. Ear endoscopy was superior to microscopy in terms of enabling exposure and cleaning of hard-to-reach sites, due to its wider field of vision. Ear endoscopy is a feasible technique for the postoperative management of open mastoidectomy cavities. Ear endoscopy provided superior advantages in terms of exposure and aural cleaning compared with microscopy.

Replacement Technologies for Precision Cleaning of Aerospace Hardware for Propellant Service

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beeson, Harold; Kirsch, Mike; Hornung, Steven; Biesinger, Paul

1997-01-01

The NASA White Sands Test Facility (WSTF) is developing cleaning and verification processes to replace currently used chlorofluorocarbon-l13- (CFC-113-) based processes. The processes being evaluated include both aqueous- and solvent-based techniques. Replacement technologies are being investigated for aerospace hardware and for gauges and instrumentation. This paper includes the findings of investigations of aqueous cleaning and verification of aerospace hardware using known contaminants, such as hydraulic fluid and commonly used oils. The results correlate nonvolatile residue with CFC 113. The studies also include enhancements to aqueous sampling for organic and particulate contamination. Although aqueous alternatives have been identified for several processes, a need still exists for nonaqueous solvent cleaning, such as the cleaning and cleanliness verification of gauges used for oxygen service. The cleaning effectiveness of tetrachloroethylene (PCE), trichloroethylene (TCE), ethanol, hydrochlorofluorocarbon 225 (HCFC 225), HCFC 141b, HFE 7100(R), and Vertrel MCA(R) was evaluated using aerospace gauges and precision instruments and then compared to the cleaning effectiveness of CFC 113. Solvents considered for use in oxygen systems were also tested for oxygen compatibility using high-pressure oxygen autogenous ignition and liquid oxygen mechanical impact testing.

Bubbles versus biofilms: a novel method for the removal of marine biofilms attached on antifouling coatings using an ultrasonically activated water stream

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salta, M.; Goodes, L. R.; Maas, B. J.; Dennington, S. P.; Secker, T. J.; Leighton, T. G.

2016-09-01

The accumulation of marine organisms on a range of manmade surfaces, termed biofouling, has proven to be the Achilles’ heel of the shipping industry. Current antifouling coatings, such as foul release coatings (FRCs), only partially inhibit biofouling, since biofilms remain a major issue. Mechanical ship hull cleaning is commonly employed to remove biofilms, but these methods tend to damage the antifouling coating and often do not result in full removal. Here, we report the effectiveness of biofilm removal from FRCs through a novel cleaning device that uses an ultrasonically activated stream (UAS). In this device, ultrasound enhances the cleaning properties of microbubbles in a freely flowing stream of water. The UAS was applied on two types of commercial FRCs which were covered with biofilm growth following twelve days immersion in the marine environment. Biofilm removal was quantified in terms of reduction in biovolume and surface roughness, both measured using an optical profilometer, which were then compared with similar measurements after cleaning with a non-ultrasonically activated water stream. It was found that the UAS significantly improves the cleaning capabilities of a water flow, up to the point where no detectable biofilm remained on the coating surfaces. Overall biofilm surface coverage was significantly lower on the FRC coatings cleaned with the UAS system when compared to the coatings cleaned with water or not cleaned at all. When biofilm biomass removal was investigated, the UAS system resulted in significantly lower biovolume values even when compared to the water cleaning treatment with biovolume values close to zero. Remarkably, the surface roughness of the coatings after cleaning with the UAS was found to be comparable to that of the blank, non-immersed coatings, illustrating that the UAS did not damage the coatings in the process. The data supporting this study are openly available from the University of Southampton repository at http://dx.doi.org/10.5258/SOTON/399420.

Corrective Action Plan for Corrective Action Unit 562: Waste Systems, Nevada National Security Site, Nevada

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

NSTec Environmental Restoration

2011-04-30

This Corrective Action Plan has been prepared for Corrective Action Unit (CAU) 562, Waste Systems, in accordance with the Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (1996; as amended March 2010). CAU 562 consists of 13 Corrective Action Sites (CASs) located in Areas 2, 23, and 25 of the Nevada National Security Site. Site characterization activities were performed in 2009 and 2010, and the results are presented in Appendix A of the Corrective Action Decision Document for CAU 562. The scope of work required to implement the recommended closure alternatives is summarized. (1) CAS 02-26-11, Lead Shot, will be clean closedmore » by removing shot. (2) CAS 02-44-02, Paint Spills and French Drain, will be clean closed by removing paint and contaminated soil. As a best management practice (BMP), asbestos tile will be removed. (3) CAS 02-59-01, Septic System, will be clean closed by removing septic tank contents. As a BMP, the septic tank will be removed. (4) CAS 02-60-01, Concrete Drain, contains no contaminants of concern (COCs) above action levels. No further action is required; however, as a BMP, the concrete drain will be removed. (5) CAS 02-60-02, French Drain, was clean closed. Corrective actions were completed during corrective action investigation activities. As a BMP, the drain grates and drain pipe will be removed. (6) CAS 02-60-03, Steam Cleaning Drain, will be clean closed by removing contaminated soil. As a BMP, the steam cleaning sump grate and outfall pipe will be removed. (7) CAS 02-60-04, French Drain, was clean closed. Corrective actions were completed during corrective action investigation activities. (8) CAS 02-60-05, French Drain, will be clean closed by removing contaminated soil. (9) CAS 02-60-06, French Drain, contains no COCs above action levels. No further action is required. (10) CAS 02-60-07, French Drain, requires no further action. The french drain identified in historical documentation was not located during corrective action investigation activities. (11) CAS 23-60-01, Mud Trap Drain and Outfall, will be clean closed by removing sediment from the mud trap. As a BMP, the mud trap and outfall pipe will be removed. (12) CAS 23-99-06, Grease Trap, will be clean closed by removing sediment from the grease trap and backfilling the grease trap with grout. (13) CAS 25-60-04, Building 3123 Outfalls, will be clean closed by removing contaminated soil and the sludge-containing outfall pipe.« less

Dispersive Solid Phase Extraction for the Analysis of Veterinary Drugs Applied to Food Samples: A Review

PubMed Central

Islas, Gabriela; Hernandez, Prisciliano

2017-01-01

To achieve analytical success, it is necessary to develop thorough clean-up procedures to extract analytes from the matrix. Dispersive solid phase extraction (DSPE) has been used as a pretreatment technique for the analysis of several compounds. This technique is based on the dispersion of a solid sorbent in liquid samples in the extraction isolation and clean-up of different analytes from complex matrices. DSPE has found a wide range of applications in several fields, and it is considered to be a selective, robust, and versatile technique. The applications of dispersive techniques in the analysis of veterinary drugs in different matrices involve magnetic sorbents, molecularly imprinted polymers, carbon-based nanomaterials, and the Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe (QuEChERS) method. Techniques based on DSPE permit minimization of additional steps such as precipitation, centrifugation, and filtration, which decreases the manipulation of the sample. In this review, we describe the main procedures used for synthesis, characterization, and application of this pretreatment technique and how it has been applied to food analysis. PMID:29181027

NHEXAS PHASE I ARIZONA STUDY--STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR CLEANING: TIME DIARY AND ACTIVITY QUESTIONNAIRE (UA-D-20.0)

EPA Science Inventory

The purpose of this SOP is to define the steps involved in cleaning the electronic data generated from data entry of the Time Diary and Activity Questionnaire. It applies to electronic data corresponding to the Time Diary and Activity Questionnaire that was scanned and verified ...

U.S.-MEXICO BORDER PROGRAM ARIZONA BORDER STUDY--STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR CLEANING: TIME DIARY AND ACTIVITY QUESTIONNAIRE (UA-D-20.0)

EPA Science Inventory

The purpose of this SOP is to define the steps involved in cleaning the electronic data generated from data entry of the Time Diary and Activity Questionnaire. It applies to electronic data corresponding to the Time Diary and Activity Questionnaire that was scanned and verified ...

The Effect of ODC-Free Cleaning Techniques on Bearing Lifetimes in the Parched Elastohydrodynamic Regime

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, William R., Jr.; Toddy, Thomas J.; Predmore, Roamer; Shogrin, Bradley; Herrera-Fierro Pilar

1997-01-01

A parched elastohydrodynamic rig was used to determine relative bearing lifetimes as a function of cleaning procedures in a series of accelerated tests. Two ODC-free cleaning procedures (super critical CO2 and ultraviolet-ozone) were compared to a CFC-113 control. Bearings (52100 steel) were run in the counter rotating mode (equivalent to 4600 rpm) with a full complement (i.e. no retainer) and a single charge of lubricant (Krytox 143 AC). Test conditions included: an air atmosphere, 445N load, approx. 1.0 GPa mean Hertz stress. There was approximately a 50% reduction in life with bearings cleaned with UV/ozone and a 70% reduction in life with SFE CO2 when compared to the Freon control. Possible reasons for these decreases in lifetimes are presented.

The Effect of ODC-Free Cleaning Techniques on Bearing Lifetimes in the Parched Elastohydrodynamic Regime

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, William R., Jr.; Toddy, Thomas J.; Predmore, Roamer; Shogrin, Bradley; Herrera-Fierro, Pilar

1996-01-01

A parched elastohydrodynamic rig was used to determine relative bearing lifetimes as a function of cleaning procedures in a series of accelerated tests. Two ODC-free cleaning procedures (super critical CO2 and ultraviolet-ozone) were compared to a CFC-113 control. Bearings (52100 steel) were run in the counter rotating mode (equivalent to 4600 rpm) with a full complement (i.e. no retainer) and a single charge of lubricant (Krytox 143 AC). Test conditions included: an air atmosphere, 445 N load, approx. 1.0 GPa mean Hertz stress. There was approximately a 50% reduction in life with bearings cleaned with UV/ozone and a 70% reduction in life with SFE CO2 when compared to the Freon control. Possible reasons for these decreases in lifetimes are presented.

Piezo-based motion stages for heavy duty operation in clean environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karasikov, Nir; Peled, Gal; Yasinov, Roman; Gissin, Michael; Feinstein, Alan

2018-02-01

A range of heavy duty, ultra-precise motion stages had been developed for precise positioning in semiconductor manufacturing and metrology, for use in a clean room and high vacuum (HV and UHV) environments, to meet the precision requirements for 7, 5 nm nodes and beyond. These stages are powered by L1B2 direct drive ultrasonic motors, which allows combining long motion range, sub-nanometer positioning accuracy, high stiffness (in the direction of motion), low power consumption and active compensation of thermal and structural drift while holding position. The mechanical design, material selection for clean room and high vacuum preparation techniques are reviewed. Test results in a clean room are reported for a two-axis (X-Y) stage, having a load capacity of 30 kg, a motion range of 450 mm, a positioning accuracy of < 1 nm, a maximum motion speed of > 200 mm/s and a < 2 nm position stability (3 sigma). Long term drift compensation to sub-nm level, against thermal drift, has been validated for more than 10 hours. Heavy duty operation in a high vacuum is exemplified via a single axis stage operating at 5E-7 Torr, having a moving mass of 0.96 kg, oriented against gravity. The stage is operated periodically (up and down) over a travel length of 45 mm. The motion profile has a trapezoidal shape with an acceleration of 1m/s2 and a constant velocity of 100 mm/s. The operational parameters (average absolute position error during constant velocity, motor force, dead zone level) remain stable over more than 370000 passes (experiment duration).

Quantity and quality benefits of in-service invasive cleaning of trunk mains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sunny, Iftekhar; Husband, Stewart; Drake, Nick; Mckenzie, Kevan; Boxall, Joby

2017-07-01

Trunk mains are high risk critical infrastructure where poor performance can impact on large numbers of customers. Both quantity (e.g. hydraulic capacity) and quality (e.g. discolouration) of trunk main performance are affected by asset deterioration in the form of particle accumulation at the pipe wall. Trunk main cleaning techniques are therefore desirable to remove such material. However, little is quantified regarding the efficacy of different maintenance interventions or longer-term changes following such cleaning. This paper presents an assessment of quantity and quality performance of a trunk main system pre, post and for 12 months following cleaning using pigging with ice slurry. Hydraulic calibration showed a 7 times roughness height reduction after ice slurry pigging, evidencing substantially improved hydraulic capacity and reduced headloss. Turbidity response due to carefully imposed shear stress increase remained significant after the cleaning intervention, showing that relatively loose material had not been fully removed from the pipe wall. Overall the results demonstrate that cleaning by pigging with ice slurry can be beneficial for quantity performance, but care and further assessment may be necessary to realise the full quality benefits.

Studies of EUV contamination mitigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Graham, Samual, Jr.; Malinowski, Michael E.; Steinhaus, Chip; Grunow, Philip A.; Klebanoff, Leonard E.

2002-07-01

Carbon contamination removal was investigated using remote RF-O2, RF-H2, and atomic hydrogen experiments. Samples consisted of silicon wafers coated with 100 Angstrom sputtered carbon, as well as bare Si-capped Mo/Si optics. Samples were exposed to atomic hydrogen or RF plasma discharges at 100 W, 200 W, and 300 W. Carbon removal rate, optic oxidation rate, at-wavelength (13.4 nm) peak reflectance, and optic surface roughness were characterized. Data show that RF- O2 removes carbon at a rate approximately 6 times faster RF- H2 for a given discharge power. However, both cleaning techniques induce Mo/Si optic degradation through the loss of reflectivity associated with surface oxide growth for RF-O2 and an unknown mechanism with hydrogen cleaning. Atomic hydrogen cleaning shows carbon removal rates sufficient for use as an in-situ cleaning strategy for EUVoptics with less risk of optic degradation from overexposures than RF-discharge cleaning. While hydrogen cleaning (RF and atomic) of EUV optics has proven effective in carbon removal, attempts to dissociate hydrogen in co-exposures with EUV radiation have resulted in no detectable removal of carbon contamination.

Bioinspired Multifunctional Paper-Based rGO Composites for Solar-Driven Clean Water Generation.

PubMed

Lou, Jinwei; Liu, Yang; Wang, Zhongyong; Zhao, Dengwu; Song, Chengyi; Wu, Jianbo; Dasgupta, Neil; Zhang, Wang; Zhang, Di; Tao, Peng; Shang, Wen; Deng, Tao

2016-06-15

Reusing polluted water through various decontamination techniques has appeared as one of the most practical approaches to address the global shortage of clean water. Rather than relying on single decontamination mechanism, herein we report the preparation and utilization of paper-based composites for multifunctional solar-driven clean water generation that is inspired by the multiple water purification approaches in biological systems. The reduced graphene oxide (rGO) sheets within such composites can efficiently remove organic contaminants through physical adsorption mechanism. Under solar irradiation, the floating rGO composites can instantly generate localized heating, which not only can directly generate clean water through distillation mechanism but also significantly enhance adsorption removal performance with the assistance of upward vapor flow. Such porous-structured paper-based composites allow for facile incorporation of photocatalysts to regenerate clean water out of contaminated water with combined adsorption, photodegradation, and interfacial heat-assisted distillation mechanisms. Within a homemade all-in-one water treatment device, the practical applicability of the composites for multifunctional clean water generation has been demonstrated.

Clean Cities 2010 Annual Metrics Report

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

Johnson, C.

2012-10-01

This report details the petroleum savings and vehicle emissions reductions achieved by the U.S. Department of Energy's Clean Cities program in 2010. The report also details other performance metrics, including the number of stakeholders in Clean Cities coalitions, outreach activities by coalitions and national laboratories, and alternative fuel vehicles deployed.

Clean Cities 2011 Annual Metrics Report

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

Johnson, C.

2012-12-01

This report details the petroleum savings and vehicle emissions reductions achieved by the U.S. Department of Energy's Clean Cities program in 2011. The report also details other performance metrics, including the number of stakeholders in Clean Cities coalitions, outreach activities by coalitions and national laboratories, and alternative fuel vehicles deployed.

International Assistance for Low-Emission Development Planning: Coordinated Low Emissions Assistance Network (CLEAN) Inventory of Activities and Tools--Preliminary Trends

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

Cox, S.; Benioff, R.

2011-05-01

The Coordinated Low Emissions Assistance Network (CLEAN) is a voluntary network of international practitioners supporting low-emission planning in developing countries. The network seeks to improve quality of support through sharing project information, tools, best practices and lessons, and by fostering harmonized assistance. CLEAN has developed an inventory to track and analyze international technical support and tools for low-carbon planning activities in developing countries. This paper presents a preliminary analysis of the inventory to help identify trends in assistance activities and tools available to support developing countries with low-emission planning.

76 FR 41243 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request; National Water...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-13

... Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request; National Water Quality Inventory Reports (Renewal) AGENCY... Clean Water Act (CWA) responsibilities. Title: National Water Quality Inventory Reports (Clean Water Act... information on the water quality standards attainment status of assessed waters, and, when waters are impaired...

The Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network (CLEAN) - Enabling Collective Impact on Climate and Energy Literacy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ledley, T. S.; Gold, A. U.; Niepold, F., III

2015-12-01

Numerous climate change education efforts exist that aim to enable citizens and society to make informed decisions addressing environmental and societal issues arising from climate change. To extend the reach and impact of these efforts, it is necessary to coordinate them in order to reach a greater collective impact. The Collective Impact model, as described by Kania & Kramer (2011), requires five elements: 1) a common agenda; 2) shared measurement systems; 3) mutually reinforcing activities; 4) continuous communication; and 5) a well-funded backbone support organization. The CLEAN Network, as an example of a rudimentary form of such an organization, engages in continuous communication through weekly teleconferences, an active listserv and other activities to share resources, activities, and ideas that is moving the network to develop common understandings that will likely lead to the development of effective collective impact on increasing climate and energy literacy. A Spring 2013 survey of the CLEAN Network provided insight as to how the CLEAN Network was addressing member needs and identified what other support was needed to increase its collective impact. In addition, community discussions identified the components needed for an effective overarching backbone support organization. A Fall 2015 survey of the CLEAN Network and the broader climate change education community is being conducted to examine 1) how the CLEAN Network make up and needs have evolved and how they compare to the broader community, and 2) to gather further input into the shaping of the elements of collective impact on climate and energy literacy. This presentation will describe the results from the 2015 survey and compare them to the 2013 survey and the community discussions. This will include describing the CLEAN Network's evolving professional make up, engagement of its members network activities, the importance of the network to members; how the findings compare with the broader climate change education community, and how the collective impact can be increased.

Aerospace Environmental Technology Conference

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whitaker, A. F. (Editor)

1995-01-01

The mandated elimination of CFC's, Halons, TCA, and other ozone depleting chemicals and specific hazardous materials has required changes and new developments in aerospace materials and processes. The aerospace industry has been involved for several years in providing product substitutions, redesigning entire production processes, and developing new materials that minimize or eliminate damage to the environment. These activities emphasize replacement cleaning solvents and their application verifications, compliant coatings including corrosion protection systems, and removal techniques, chemical propulsion effects on the environment, and the initiation of modifications to relevant processing and manufacturing specifications and standards. The Executive Summary of this Conference is published as NASA CP-3297.

Catheter for Cleaning Surgical Optics During Surgical Procedures: A Possible Solution for Residue Buildup and Fogging in Video Surgery.

PubMed

de Abreu, Igor Renato Louro Bruno; Abrão, Fernando Conrado; Silva, Alessandra Rodrigues; Corrêa, Larissa Teresa Cirera; Younes, Riad Nain

2015-05-01

Currently, there is a tendency to perform surgical procedures via laparoscopic or thoracoscopic access. However, even with the impressive technological advancement in surgical materials, such as improvement in quality of monitors, light sources, and optical fibers, surgeons have to face simple problems that can greatly hinder surgery by video. One is the formation of "fog" or residue buildup on the lens, causing decreased visibility. Intracavitary techniques for cleaning surgical optics and preventing fog formation have been described; however, some of these techniques employ the use of expensive and complex devices designed solely for this purpose. Moreover, these techniques allow the cleaning of surgical optics when they becomes dirty, which does not prevent the accumulation of residue in the optics. To solve this problem we have designed a device that allows cleaning the optics with no surgical stops and prevents the fogging and residue accumulation. The objective of this study is to evaluate through experimental testing the effectiveness of a simple device that prevents the accumulation of residue and fogging of optics used in surgical procedures performed through thoracoscopic or laparoscopic access. Ex-vivo experiments were performed simulating the conditions of residue presence in surgical optics during a video surgery. The experiment consists in immersing the optics and catheter set connected to the IV line with crystalloid solution in three types of materials: blood, blood plus fat solution, and 200 mL of distilled water and 1 vial of methylene blue. The optics coupled to the device were immersed in 200 mL of each type of residue, repeating each immersion 10 times for each distinct residue for both thirty and zero degrees optics, totaling 420 experiments. A success rate of 98.1% was observed after the experiments, in these cases the device was able to clean and prevent the residue accumulation in the optics.

Cicada-Wing-Inspired Self-Cleaning Antireflection Coatings on Polymer Substrates.

PubMed

Chen, Ying-Chu; Huang, Zhe-Sheng; Yang, Hongta

2015-11-18

The cicada has transparent wings with remarkable self-cleaning properties and high transmittance over the whole visible spectral range, which is derived from periodic conical structures covering the wing surface. Here we report a scalable self-assembly technique for fabricating multifunctional optical coatings that mimic cicada-wing structures. Spin-coated two-dimensional non-close-packed colloidal crystals are utilized as etching masks to pattern subwavelength-structured cone arrays directly on polymer substrates. The resulting gratings exhibit broadband antireflection performance and superhydrophobic properties after surface modification. The dependence of the cone shape and size on the antireflective and self-cleaning properties has also been investigated in this study.

An Atmospheric Atomic Oxygen Source for Cleaning Smoke Damaged Art Objects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Banks, Bruce A.; Rutledge, Sharon K.; Norris, Mary Jo

1998-01-01

Soot and other carbonaceous combustion products deposited on the surfaces of porous ceramic, stone, ivory and paper can be difficult to remove and can have potentially unsatisfactory results using wet chemical and/or abrasive cleaning techniques. An atomic oxygen source which operates in air at atmospheric pressure, using a mixture of oxygen and helium, has been developed to produce an atomic oxygen beam which is highly effective in oxidizing soot deposited on surfaces by burning candles made of paraffin, oil or rendered animal fat. Atomic oxygen source operating conditions and the results of cleaning soot from paper, gesso, ivory, limestone and water color-painted limestone are presented,

Impact of terminal cleaning and disinfection on isolation of Acinetobacter baumannii complex from inanimate surfaces of hospital rooms by quantitative and qualitative methods.

PubMed

Manian, Farrin A; Griesnauer, Sandra; Senkel, Diane

2013-04-01

Quantitative broth cultures were obtained from hospital rooms newly vacated by patients positive for multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii complex (ABC) before and after terminal cleaning and disinfection. Of 10 ABC-positive precleaned room surfaces, 6 (60%) remained culture-positive after terminal cleaning and disinfection. Of a total of 16 room surfaces with detectable ABC by the quantitative method, 5 (31.2%; 95% confidence interval, 13.9%-55.8%) were also culture-positive by the qualitative technique. Copyright © 2013 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Environmental cleaning and disinfection.

PubMed

Traverse, Michelle; Aceto, Helen

2015-03-01

The guidelines in this article provide veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and veterinary health care workers with an overview of evidence-based recommendations for the best practices associated with environmental cleaning and disinfection of a veterinary clinic that deals with small animals. Hospital-associated infections and the control and prevention programs necessary to alleviate them are addressed from an environmental perspective. Measures of hospital cleaning and disinfection include understanding mechanisms and types of contamination in veterinary settings, recognizing areas of potential concern, addressing appropriate decontamination techniques and selection of disinfectants, the management of potentially contaminated equipment, laundry, and waste management, and environmental surveillance strategies. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Test results of heat exchanger cleaning in support of ocean thermal energy conversion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lott, D. F.

1980-12-01

This report documents tests conducted at the Naval Coastal Systems Center (NCSC) in support of the Department of Energy's Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) Program. These tests covered the period September 1978 to May 1980 and evaluated flow-driven brushes, recirculating sponge rubber balls, chlorination, and mechanical system/chlorination combinations for in-situ cleaning of two potential heat exchanger materials: titanium and aluminum alloy 5052. Tests were successful when fouling resistance was 0.0003 sq. ft. hr-F/Btu. Results indicated systems and cleaning techniques using brushes, soft sponge balls, and various concentrations of chlorine had some potential for maintaining heat transfer efficiency.

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

Lott, D F

These tests evaluated flow-driven brushes, recirculating sponge rubber balls, chlorination, and mechanical system/chlorination combinations for in-situ cleaning of two potential heat exchanger materials: titanium and aluminum alloy 5052. Tests were successful when fouling resistance was <3.0 x 10/sup -4/ ft/sup 2/ hr-/sup 0/F/Btu. Results indicated systems and cleaning techniques using brushes, soft sponge balls, and various concentrations of chlorine had some potential for maintaining heat transfer efficiency.

Environmental Contaminants in Hospital Settings and Progress in Disinfecting Techniques

PubMed Central

Ceriale, Emma; Lenzi, Daniele; Burgassi, Sandra; Azzolini, Elena; Manzi, Pietro

2013-01-01

Medical devices, such as stethoscopes, and other objects found in hospital, such as computer keyboards and telephone handsets, may be reservoirs of bacteria for healthcare-associated infections. In this cross-over study involving an Italian teaching hospital we evaluated microbial contamination (total bacterial count (TBC) at 36°C/22°C, Staphylococcus spp., moulds, Enterococcus spp., Pseudomonas spp., E. coli, total coliform bacteria, Acinetobacter spp., and Clostridium difficile) of these devices before and after cleaning and differences in contamination between hospital units and between stethoscopes and keyboards plus handsets. We analysed 37 telephone handsets, 27 computer keyboards, and 35 stethoscopes, comparing their contamination in four hospital units. Wilcoxon signed-rank and Mann-Whitney tests were used. Before cleaning, many samples were positive for Staphylococcus spp. and coliforms. After cleaning, CFUs decreased to zero in most comparisons. The first aid unit had the highest and intensive care the lowest contamination (P < 0.01). Keyboards and handsets had higher TBC at 22°C (P = 0.046) and mould contamination (P = 0.002) than stethoscopes. Healthcare professionals should disinfect stethoscopes and other possible sources of bacterial healthcare-associated infections. The cleaning technique used was effective in reducing bacterial contamination. Units with high patient turnover, such as first aid, should practise stricter hygiene. PMID:24286078

Capillary-Force-Assisted Clean-Stamp Transfer of Two-Dimensional Materials.

PubMed

Ma, Xuezhi; Liu, Qiushi; Xu, Da; Zhu, Yangzhi; Kim, Sanggon; Cui, Yongtao; Zhong, Lanlan; Liu, Ming

2017-11-08

A simple and clean method of transferring two-dimensional (2D) materials plays a critical role in the fabrication of 2D electronics, particularly the heterostructure devices based on the artificial vertical stacking of various 2D crystals. Currently, clean transfer techniques rely on sacrificial layers or bulky crystal flakes (e.g., hexagonal boron nitride) to pick up the 2D materials. Here, we develop a capillary-force-assisted clean-stamp technique that uses a thin layer of evaporative liquid (e.g., water) as an instant glue to increase the adhesion energy between 2D crystals and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) for the pick-up step. After the liquid evaporates, the adhesion energy decreases, and the 2D crystal can be released. The thin liquid layer is condensed to the PDMS surface from its vapor phase, which ensures the low contamination level on the 2D materials and largely remains their chemical and electrical properties. Using this method, we prepared graphene-based transistors with low charge-neutral concentration (3 × 10 10 cm -2 ) and high carrier mobility (up to 48 820 cm 2 V -1 s -1 at room temperature) and heterostructure optoelectronics with high operation speed. Finally, a capillary-force model is developed to explain the experiment.

Abnormal urinalysis results are common, regardless of specimen collection technique, in women without urinary tract infections.

PubMed

Frazee, Bradley W; Enriquez, Kayla; Ng, Valerie; Alter, Harrison

2015-06-01

Voided urinalysis to test for urinary tract infection (UTI) is prone to false-positive results for a number of reasons. Specimens are often collected at triage from women with any abdominal complaint, creating a low UTI prevalence population. Improper collection technique by the patient may affect the result. At least four indices, if positive, can indicate UTI. We examine the impact of voided specimen collection technique on urinalysis indicators of UTI and on urine culture contamination in disease-free women. In this crossover design, 40 menstrual-age female emergency department staff without UTI symptoms collected urine two ways: directly in a cup ("non-clean") and midstream clean catch ("ideal"). Samples underwent standard automated urinalysis and culture. Urinalysis indices and culture contamination were compared. The proportion of abnormal results from samples collected by "non-clean" vs. "ideal" technique, respectively, were: leukocyte esterase (>trace) 50%, 35% (95% confidence interval for difference -6% to 36%); nitrites (any) 2.5%, 2.5% (difference -2.5 to 2.5%); white blood cells (>5/high-powered field [HPF]) 50%, 27.5% (difference 4 to 41%); bacteria (any/HPF) 77.5%, 62.5%, (difference -7 to 37%); epithelial cells (>few) 65%, 30% (difference 13 to 56%); culture contamination (>1000 colony-forming units of commensal or >2 species) 77%, 63% (difference -5 to 35%). No urinalysis index was positively correlated with culture contamination. Contemporary automated urinalysis indices were often abnormal in a disease-free population of women, even using ideal collection technique. In clinical practice, such false-positive results could lead to false-positive UTI diagnosis. Only urine nitrite showed a high specificity. Culture contamination was common regardless of collection technique and was not predicted by urinalysis results. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Apical Transportation, Centering Ability, and Cleaning Effectiveness of Reciprocating Single-file System Associated with Different Glide Path Techniques.

PubMed

de Carvalho, Guilherme Moreira; Sponchiado Junior, Emílio Carlos; Garrido, Angela Delfina Bittencourt; Lia, Raphael Carlos Comelli; Garcia, Lucas da Fonseca Roberti; Marques, André Augusto Franco

2015-12-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the apical transportation, the centering ability, and the cleaning effectiveness of a reciprocating single-file system associated to different glide path techniques. The mesial root canals of 52 mandibular molars were randomly distributed into 4 groups (n = 13) according to the different glide path techniques used before biomechanical preparation with Reciproc System (RS): KF/RS (sizes 10 and 15 K-files), NGP/RS (no glide path, only reciprocating system), PF/RS (sizes 13, 16, and 19 PathFile instruments), and NP (no preparation). Cone-beam computed tomography analysis was performed before and after instrumentation for apical third images acquisition. Apical transportation and its direction were evaluated by using the formula D = (X1 - X2) - (Y1 - Y2), and the centering ability was analyzed by the formula CC = (X1 - X2/Y1 - Y2 or Y1 - Y2/X1 - X2). The samples were submitted to histologic processing and analyzed under a digital microscope for debris quantification. The values were statistically analyzed (Kruskal-Wallis, the Dunn multiple comparisons test, P < .05). All groups had similar apical transportation values, with no significant difference among them (P > .05). Groups had a tendency toward transportation in the mesial direction. No technique had perfect centering ability (=1.0), with no significant difference among them. KF/RS had larger amount of debris, with statistically significant difference in comparison with NGP/RS (P > .05). The different glide path techniques promoted minimal apical transportation, and the reciprocating single-file system tested remained relatively centralized within the root canal. Also, the different techniques interfered in the cleaning effectiveness of the reciprocating system. Copyright © 2015 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

ASSESSMENT OF PHYSICAL COAL CLEANING PRACTICES FOR SULFUR REMOVAL

EPA Science Inventory

The report gives results of a study of the current level of coal cleaning activity in the U.S. n 1983, the U.S. DOE's Energy Information Administration (EIA) expanded coal data collection activities to include information on the extent and type of coal preparation conducted in ea...

NATO CCMS PILOT STUDY ON CLEAN PRODUCTS AND PROCESSES -(PHASE I) - 2002 ANNUAL REPORT

EPA Science Inventory

The annual report summarizes the activities of the NATO CCMS Pilot Study on clean products and processes for 2002, including the proceedings of the 2002 annual meeting held in Vilnius, Lithuania. The report presents a wealth of information on cleaner production activities in ove...

76 FR 40723 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Clean Water Act...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-11

... grants to States for the establishment of State Water Pollution Control Revolving Funds (SRF). The... (CWA). The 1987 Act declares that water pollution control revolving funds shall be administered by an... Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Clean Water Act State Revolving Fund Program AGENCY...

Asthma risk, cleaning activities and use of specific cleaning products among Spanish indoor cleaners.

PubMed

Zock, J P; Kogevinas, M; Sunyer, J; Almar, E; Muniozguren, N; Payo, F; Sánchez, J L; Antó, J M

2001-02-01

Recent studies have shown an excess risk of asthma for cleaners, but it is not clear which cleaning-related exposures induce or aggravate asthma. Risk factors for asthma were studied among indoor cleaners participating in the Spanish part of the European Community Respiratory Health Survey in 1992. In 1998, 78 of the 91 subjects reporting cleaning-related jobs in 1992 were identified. Of these, 67 indoor cleaners were interviewed by telephone about their cleaning activities and their use of cleaning products in 1992. These data were related to asthma prevalence in 1992, and the cleaners were compared with a reference group of office workers. Asthma prevalence was 1.7 times higher [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.1-2.6] among the cleaners than among the referents, being highest among private home cleaners (3.3, 95% CI 1.9-5.8). The prevalence of housedust mite sensitization amounted to 28% for the home cleaners and was significantly (P<0.01) higher than for other indoor cleaners (3%), but similar to the corresponding prevalence of office workers (22%). More than half of the cleaners reported work-related respiratory symptoms. The asthma risk of the home cleaners was mainly associated with kitchen cleaning and furniture polishing, with the use of oven sprays and polishes. The asthma risk of Spanish cleaners is primarily related to the cleaning of private homes. This relationship may be explained by the use of sprays and other products in kitchen cleaning and furniture polishing.

Significant OH production under surface cleaning and air cleaning conditions: Impact on indoor air quality.

PubMed

Carslaw, N; Fletcher, L; Heard, D; Ingham, T; Walker, H

2017-11-01

We report measurements of hydroxyl (OH) and hydroperoxy (HO 2 ) radicals made by laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy in a computer classroom (i) in the absence of indoor activities (ii) during desk cleaning with a limonene-containing cleaner (iii) during operation of a commercially available "air cleaning" device. In the unmanipulated environment, the one-minute averaged OH concentration remained close to or below the limit of detection (6.5×10 5  molecule cm -3 ), whilst that of HO 2 was 1.3×10 7  molecule cm -3 . These concentrations increased to ~4×10 6 and 4×10 8  molecule cm -3 , respectively during desk cleaning. During operation of the air cleaning device, OH and HO 2 concentrations reached ~2×10 7 and ~6×10 8  molecule cm -3 respectively. The potential of these OH concentrations to initiate chemical processing is explored using a detailed chemical model for indoor air (the INDCM). The model can reproduce the measured OH and HO 2 concentrations to within 50% and often within a few % and demonstrates that the resulting secondary chemistry varies with the cleaning activity. Whilst terpene reaction products dominate the product composition following surface cleaning, those from aromatics and other VOCs are much more important during the use of the air cleaning device. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

ODS - modified TiO2 nanoparticles for the preparation of self-cleaning superhydrophobic coating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kokare, Ashvini M.; Sutar, Rajaram S.; Deshmukh, S. G.; Xing, Ruimin; Liu, Shanhu; Latthe, Sanjay S.

2018-05-01

Rolling water drops takes off dust particles from lotus leaf showing self-cleaning performance. Self-cleaning effect has great importance in industry as well as in daily life. The present paper describes the preparation of self-cleaning superhydrophobic coating through simple and low cost dip coating technique. The prepared superhydrophobic surface enact as lotus leaf. Firstly TiO2 nanoparticles were dispersed in ethanol and different concentration of octadecyltrichlorosilane (ODS) was added in TiO2 dispersion. The effect of number of deposition layer on the wettability of the coating was studied. The coating prepared from five deposition layers showed contact angle higher than 150° and sliding angle less than 10°. The superhydrophobicity increases with increasing concentration of ODS. The hierarchical rough morphology which is preferable for superhydrophobicity was obtained. The prepared coatings were stable against water jet impact and showed repellent towards colored and muddy water. Such superhydrophobic coating can find enormous scope in self-cleaning application.

Update on the MiniCLEAN dark matter experiment

DOE PAGES

Rielage, K.; Akashi-Ronquest, M.; Bodmer, M.; ...

2015-03-24

The direct search for dark matter is entering a period of increased sensitivity to the hypothetical Weakly Interacting Massive Particle (WIMP). One such technology that is being examined is a scintillation only noble liquid experiment, MiniCLEAN. MiniCLEAN utilizes over 500 kg of liquid cryogen to detect nuclear recoils from WIMP dark matter and serves as a demonstration for a future detector of order 50 to 100 tonnes. The liquid cryogen is interchangeable between argon and neon to study the A² dependence of the potential signal and examine backgrounds. MiniCLEAN utilizes a unique modular design with spherical geometry to maximize themore » light yield using cold photomultiplier tubes in a single-phase detector. Pulse shape discrimination techniques are used to separate nuclear recoil signals from electron recoil backgrounds. MiniCLEAN will be spiked with additional ³⁹Ar to demonstrate the effective reach of the pulse shape discrimination capability. Assembly of the experiment is underway at SNOLAB and an update on the project is given.« less

Design and development of automatic sharia compliant wheelchair wheels cleaner

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shaari, Muhammad Farid; Rasli, Ibrahim Ismail Mohammad; Jamaludin, M. Z. Z. Wan; Isa, W. A. Mohamad; M., H.; Rashid, A. H. Abdul

2017-04-01

Sharia compliant wheelchair wheel cleaner was developed in order to assist the muslim Person with Disabilities (PWD) to pray in the mosque without leaving their wheelchair because of the filthy wheels. Though there are many wheelchair wheel cleaning system in the market, it is very rare to find sharia compliant cleaning system that applies sertu concept which is one of the cleaning and purification technique in Islamic practice. The sertu concept is based on 6:1 ratio that refers to the six times pipe water cleaning and one time soiled water cleaning. The development process consists of design stage, fabrication and system installation stage and followed by testing stage. During the design stage, the proposed prototype underwent design brainstorming, operation programming and structural simulation analysis. Once fabricated, the cleaner prototype underwent was tested. The results showed that the prototype can cater load up to 100kg with 1.31×10-6 mm shaft bending displacement. The water ejection timing varied approximately 3% compared to the program.

Using Image Pro Plus Software to Develop Particle Mapping on Genesis Solar Wind Collector Surfaces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rodriquez, Melissa C.; Allton, J. H.; Burkett, P. J.

2012-01-01

The continued success of the Genesis mission science team in analyzing solar wind collector array samples is partially based on close collaboration of the JSC curation team with science team members who develop cleaning techniques and those who assess elemental cleanliness at the levels of detection. The goal of this collaboration is to develop a reservoir of solar wind collectors of known cleanliness to be available to investigators. The heart and driving force behind this effort is Genesis mission PI Don Burnett. While JSC contributes characterization, safe clean storage, and benign collector cleaning with ultrapure water (UPW) and UV ozone, Burnett has coordinated more exotic and rigorous cleaning which is contributed by science team members. He also coordinates cleanliness assessment requiring expertise and instruments not available in curation, such as XPS, TRXRF [1,2] and synchrotron TRXRF. JSC participates by optically documenting the particle distributions as cleaning steps progress. Thus, optical document supplements SEM imaging and analysis, and elemental assessment by TRXRF.

Influence of barrier on partial discharge activity by a conducting particle in liquid nitrogen under AC voltages adopting UHF technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarathi, R.; Giridhar, A. V.; Sethupathi, K.

2011-02-01

The UHF signals are generated due to PD formed by particle movement in liquid nitrogen under AC voltages. The levitation voltage of a particle in liquid nitrogen measured through UHF technique and by conventional PD measurement technique is the same, confirming the sensitivity of UHF technique for identification of PD activity. The frequency content of UHF signal generated due to particle movement in liquid nitrogen, under AC voltages, lies in the range 0.5-1.5 GHz. The characteristics of UHF signal generated due to particle movement between the barrier and high voltage/ground electrode is much similar to the signal generated by particle movement in clean electrode gap. Pseudo resonance phenomena can occur in liquid nitrogen due to particle movement. It is also observed that the partial discharge magnitude, in general, be high when the particle moves between the barrier and high voltage electrode when compared to the barrier and the ground electrode. Percentage of clay in epoxy nanocomposites has not altered the levitation voltage of the particle in the electrode gap. Zero span analysis clearly indicates that pseudo resonance occurs when particle moves (in a short gap) between the barrier and high voltage/ground electrode.

Can commonly-used fan-driven air cleaning technologies improve indoor air quality? A literature review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yinping; Mo, Jinhan; Li, Yuguo; Sundell, Jan; Wargocki, Pawel; Zhang, Jensen; Little, John C.; Corsi, Richard; Deng, Qihong; Leung, Michael H. K.; Fang, Lei; Chen, Wenhao; Li, Jinguang; Sun, Yuexia

2011-08-01

Air cleaning techniques have been applied worldwide with the goal of improving indoor air quality. The effectiveness of applying these techniques varies widely, and pollutant removal efficiency is usually determined in controlled laboratory environments which may not be realized in practice. Some air cleaners are largely ineffective, and some produce harmful by-products. To summarize what is known regarding the effectiveness of fan-driven air cleaning technologies, a state-of-the-art review of the scientific literature was undertaken by a multidisciplinary panel of experts from Europe, North America, and Asia with expertise in air cleaning, aerosol science, medicine, chemistry and ventilation. The effects on health were not examined. Over 26,000 articles were identified in major literature databases; 400 were selected as being relevant based on their titles and abstracts by the first two authors, who further reduced the number of articles to 160 based on the full texts. These articles were reviewed by the panel using predefined inclusion criteria during their first meeting. Additions were also made by the panel. Of these, 133 articles were finally selected for detailed review. Each article was assessed independently by two members of the panel and then judged by the entire panel during a consensus meeting. During this process 59 articles were deemed conclusive and their results were used for final reporting at their second meeting. The conclusions are that: (1) None of the reviewed technologies was able to effectively remove all indoor pollutants and many were found to generate undesirable by-products during operation. (2) Particle filtration and sorption of gaseous pollutants were among the most effective air cleaning technologies, but there is insufficient information regarding long-term performance and proper maintenance. (3) The existing data make it difficult to extract information such as Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR), which represents a common benchmark for comparing the performance of different air cleaning technologies. (4) To compare and select suitable indoor air cleaning devices, a labeling system accounting for characteristics such as CADR, energy consumption, volume, harmful by-products, and life span is necessary. For that purpose, a standard test room and condition should be built and studied. (5) Although there is evidence that some air cleaning technologies improve indoor air quality, further research is needed before any of them can be confidently recommended for use in indoor environments.

21 CFR 113.40 - Equipment and procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... have adequate filter systems to ensure a supply of clean, dry air. A steam controller activated by the... ensure a supply of clean, dry air. (5) Steam introduction. Steam shall be distributed in the bottom of... temperature controllers should have adequate filter systems to ensure a supply of clean, dry air. (5) Bleeders...

21 CFR 113.40 - Equipment and procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... have adequate filter systems to ensure a supply of clean, dry air. A steam controller activated by the... ensure a supply of clean, dry air. (5) Steam introduction. Steam shall be distributed in the bottom of... temperature controllers should have adequate filter systems to ensure a supply of clean, dry air. (5) Bleeders...

21 CFR 113.40 - Equipment and procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... have adequate filter systems to ensure a supply of clean, dry air. A steam controller activated by the... ensure a supply of clean, dry air. (5) Steam introduction. Steam shall be distributed in the bottom of... temperature controllers should have adequate filter systems to ensure a supply of clean, dry air. (5) Bleeders...

Gulf Coast Clean Energy Application Center

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

Dillingham, Gavin

The Gulf Coast Clean Energy Application Center was initiated to significantly improve market and regulatory conditions for the implementation of combined heat and power technologies. The GC CEAC was responsible for the development of CHP in Texas, Louisiana and Oklahoma. Through this program we employed a variety of outreach and education techniques, developed and deployed assessment tools and conducted market assessments. These efforts resulted in the growth of the combined heat and power market in the Gulf Coast region with a realization of more efficient energy generation, reduced emissions and a more resilient infrastructure. Specific t research, we did notmore » formally investigate any techniques with any formal research design or methodology.« less

Underwater cleaning techniqued used for removal of zebra mussels at the FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant

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

Hobbs, B.; Kahabka, J.

1995-06-01

This paper discusses the use of a mechanical brush cleaning technology recently used to remove biofouling from the Circulating Water (CW) System at New York Power Authority`s James A. FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant. The FitzPatrick plant had previously used chemical molluscicide to treat zebra mussels in the CW system. Full system treatment was performed in 1992 with limited forebay/screenwell treatment in 1993. The New York Power Authority (NYPA) decided to conduct a mechanical cleaning of the intake system in 1994. Specific project objectives included: (1) Achieve a level of surface cleaniness greater than 98%; (2) Remove 100% of debris, bothmore » existing sediment and debris generated as a result of cleaning; (3) Inspect all surfaces and components, identifying any problem areas; (4) Complete the task in a time frame within the 1994-95 refueling outage schedule window, and; (5) Determine if underwater mechanical cleaning is a cost-effective zebra mussel control method suitable for future application at FitzPatrick. A pre-cleaning inspection, including underwater video photography, was conducted of each area. Cleaning was accomplished using diver-controlled, multi-brush equipment included the electro-hydraulic powered Submersible Cleaning and Maintenance Platform (SCAMP), and several designs of hand-held machines. The brushes swept all zebra mussels off surfaces, restoring concrete and metal substrates to their original condition. Sensitive areas including pump housings, standpipes, sensor piping and chlorine injection tubing, were cleaned without degradation. Submersible vortex vacuum pumps were used to remove debris from the cavity. More than 46,000 ft{sup 2} of surface area was cleaned and over 460 cubic yards of dewatered debris were removed. As each area was completed, a post-clean inspection with photos and video was performed.« less

Towards Clean Diesel Engines. Second Symposium. Book of Abstracts.

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-04-06

and Mie-scattering imaging and EXCIPLEX technique, based on a fluorescence system. This last technique, even if it is able to distinguish...set of experimental data, ob- tained by a collaborative effort with researchers at the RWTH Aachen, is presented. Laser-induced exciplex fluorescence

SIRE: A MIMO Radar for Landmine/IED Detection

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-04-30

pursuit) for image formation. This technique has been used for subsurface imaging in the image domain, producing ’CLEANer’ images (where prior knowledge...Astronomy and Astrophysics Supplement 15 (1974). [22] Karpat, E., “CLEAN technique to classify and detect objects in subsurface imaging ,” International

A facile alternative technique for large-area graphene transfer via sacrificial polymer

DOE PAGES

Auchter, Eric; Marquez, Justin; Yarbro, Stephen L.; ...

2017-12-07

A novel method of transferring large-area graphene sheets onto a variety of substrates using Formvar (polyvinyl formal) is presented. Due to the ease at which formvar can be dissolved in chloroform this method allows for a consistent, a clean, and a more rapid transfer than other techniques including the PMMA assisted one. This novel transfer method is demonstrated by transferring large-area graphene onto a range of substrates including commercial TEM grids, silicon dioxide and glass. Raman spectroscopy was used to confirm the presence of graphene and characterize the morphological properties of the large-area sheets. SEM and AFM analyses demonstrated themore » effectiveness of our rapid transfer technique for clean crystalline large-area graphene sheets. The removal of the sacrificial polymer was found to be one to two orders of magnitude faster than PMMA methods. Ultimately this facile transfer technique offers new opportunities for a wide range of applications for large-area graphene through the utilization of a new sacrificial polymer.« less

Imaging and Analysis of Void-defects in Solder Joints Formed in Reduced Gravity using High-Resolution Computed Tomography

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Easton, John W.; Struk, Peter M.; Rotella, Anthony

2008-01-01

As a part of efforts to develop an electronics repair capability for long duration space missions, techniques and materials for soldering components on a circuit board in reduced gravity must be developed. This paper presents results from testing solder joint formation in low gravity on a NASA Reduced Gravity Research Aircraft. The results presented include joints formed using eutectic tin-lead solder and one of the following fluxes: (1) a no-clean flux core, (2) a rosin flux core, and (3) a solid solder wire with external liquid no-clean flux. The solder joints are analyzed with a computed tomography (CT) technique which imaged the interior of the entire solder joint. This replaced an earlier technique that required the solder joint to be destructively ground down revealing a single plane which was subsequently analyzed. The CT analysis technique is described and results presented with implications for future testing as well as implications for the overall electronics repair effort discussed.

A facile alternative technique for large-area graphene transfer via sacrificial polymer

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

Auchter, Eric; Marquez, Justin; Yarbro, Stephen L.

A novel method of transferring large-area graphene sheets onto a variety of substrates using Formvar (polyvinyl formal) is presented. Due to the ease at which formvar can be dissolved in chloroform this method allows for a consistent, a clean, and a more rapid transfer than other techniques including the PMMA assisted one. This novel transfer method is demonstrated by transferring large-area graphene onto a range of substrates including commercial TEM grids, silicon dioxide and glass. Raman spectroscopy was used to confirm the presence of graphene and characterize the morphological properties of the large-area sheets. SEM and AFM analyses demonstrated themore » effectiveness of our rapid transfer technique for clean crystalline large-area graphene sheets. The removal of the sacrificial polymer was found to be one to two orders of magnitude faster than PMMA methods. Ultimately this facile transfer technique offers new opportunities for a wide range of applications for large-area graphene through the utilization of a new sacrificial polymer.« less

Evaluation of dry technology for removal of pellicle adhesive residue on advanced optical reticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paracha, Shazad; Bekka, Samy; Eynon, Benjamin; Choi, Jaehyuck; Balooch, Mehdi; Varghese, Ivin; Hopkins, Tyler

2013-09-01

The fast pace of MOSFET scaling is accelerating the introduction of smaller technology nodes to extend CMOS beyond 20nm as required by Moore's law. To meet these stringent requirements, the industry is seeing an increase in the number of critical layers per reticle set as it move to lower technology nodes especially in a high volume manufacturing operation. These requirements are resulting in reticles with higher feature densities, smaller feature sizes and highly complex Optical Proximity Correction (OPC), built with using new absorber and pellicle materials. These rapid changes are leaving a gap in maintaining these reticles in a fab environment, for not only haze control but also the functionality of the reticle. The industry standard of using wet techniques (which uses aggressive chemicals, like SPM, and SC1) to repel reticles can result in damage to the sub-resolution assist features (SRAF's), create changes to CD uniformity and have potential for creating defects that require other means of removal or repair. Also, these wet cleaning methods in the fab environment can create source for haze growth. Haze can be controlled by: 1) Chemical free (dry) reticle cleaning, 2) In-line reticle inspection in fab, and 3) Manage the environment where reticles are stored. In this paper we will discuss a dry technique (chemical free) to remove pellicle adhesive residue from advanced optical reticles. Samsung Austin Semiconductors (SAS), jointly worked with Eco-Snow System (a division of RAVE N.P., Inc.) to evaluate the use of Dry Reactive Gas (DRG) technique to remove pellicle adhesive residue on reticles. This technique can significantly reduce the impact to the critical geometry in active array of the reticle, resulting in preserving the reticle performance level seen at wafer level. The paper will discuss results on the viability of this technique used on advanced reticles.

Cavitation effects in ultrasonic cleaning baths

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Glasscock, Barbara H.

1995-01-01

In this project, the effect of cavitation from aqueous ultrasonic cleaning on the surfaces of metal and non-metal sample coupons was studied. After twenty cleaning cycles, the mass loss from the aluminum coupons averaged 0.22 mg/sq cm surface area and 0.014 mg/sq cm for both stainless steel and titanium. The aluminum coupons showed visual evidence of minor cavitation erosion in regions of previously existing surface irregularities. The non-metal samples showed some periods of mass gain. These effects are believed to have minor impact on hardware being cleaned, but should be evaluated in the context of specific hardware requirements. Also the ultrasonic activity in the large cleaning baths was found to be unevenly distributed as measured by damage to sheets of aluminum foil. It is therefore recommended that items being cleaned in an ultrasonic bath be moved or conveyed during the cleaning to more evenly distribute the cavitation action provide more uniform cleaning.

Bioinspired materials for water supply and management: water collection, water purification and separation of water from oil.

PubMed

Brown, Philip S; Bhushan, Bharat

2016-08-06

Access to a safe supply of water is a human right. However, with growing populations, global warming and contamination due to human activity, it is one that is increasingly under threat. It is hoped that nature can inspire the creation of materials to aid in the supply and management of water, from water collection and purification to water source clean-up and rehabilitation from oil contamination. Many species thrive in even the driest places, with some surviving on water harvested from fog. By studying these species, new materials can be developed to provide a source of fresh water from fog for communities across the globe. The vast majority of water on the Earth is in the oceans. However, current desalination processes are energy-intensive. Systems in our own bodies have evolved to transport water efficiently while blocking other molecules and ions. Inspiration can be taken from such to improve the efficiency of desalination and help purify water containing other contaminants. Finally, oil contamination of water from spills or the fracking technique can be a devastating environmental disaster. By studying how natural surfaces interact with liquids, new techniques can be developed to clean up oil spills and further protect our most precious resource.This article is part of the themed issue 'Bioinspired hierarchically structured surfaces for green science'. © 2016 The Author(s).

Collaborative Procurement Initiative

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

GPP's Clean Energy Collaborative Procurement Initiative provides a platform for deploying clean energy technologies across multiple government and educational organizations for maximum impact on installed solar system capacity and local economic activity.

Maryland Cleaning & Abatement Services Corp. Information Sheet

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Maryland Cleaning & Abatement Services Corp. (the Company) is located in Baltimore, Maryland. The settlement involves renovation activities conducted at property constructed prior to 1978, located in Baltimore, Maryland.

Development and use of microbial-based cleaning products (MBCPs): Current issues and knowledge gaps.

PubMed

Arvanitakis, George; Temmerman, Robin; Spök, Armin

2018-06-01

Cleaning products containing microbes as active ingredients are becoming increasingly prevalent as an alternative to chemical-based cleaning products. These microbial-based cleaning products (MBCPs) are being used in domestic and commercial settings (i.e., households and businesses) and institutional settings (e.g., hospitals, schools, etc.), in a variety of cleaning activities (hard surface cleaning, odour control, degreasing, septic tank treatments, etc.). They are typically described as "environmentally friendly" and "non-toxic". Publicly available information sources (scientific literature, patent databases, commercial websites) were searched for information on microbial species contained in MBCPs, their mode of action, cleaning applications in which they are used, and their potential impacts on human health and the environment. Although information was found providing a broad indication of microbial genera/species used, information on specific species/strains and quantities produced and sold is generally lacking. This makes it difficult to conduct a meaningful examination of any risks to human health and the environment from the production and use of MBCPs and to determine how effective current policies and regulatory frameworks are in addressing these issues. These and other challenges were addressed at an international workshop in Ottawa, Canada in June 2013 by a number of stakeholders, including industry, government, academic and non-governmental organizations. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Impact of Clean Energy R&D on the U.S. Power Sector

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

Donohoo-Vallett, Paul; Mai, Trieu; Mowers, Matthew

The U.S. government, along with other governments, private corporations and organizations, invests significantly in research, development, demonstration and deployment (RDD&D) activities in clean energy technologies, in part to achieve the goal of a clean, secure, and reliable energy system. While specific outcomes and breakthroughs resulting from RDD&D investment are unpredictable, it can be instructive to explore the potential impacts of clean energy RDD&D activities in the power sector and to place those impacts in the context of current and anticipated market trends. This analysis builds on and leverages analysis by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) titled “Energy CO 2more » Emissions Impacts of Clean Energy Technology Innovation and Policy” (DOE 2017). Similar to DOE (2017), we explore how additional improvements in cost and performance of clean energy technologies could impact the future U.S. energy system; however, unlike the economy-wide modeling used in DOE (2017) our analysis is focused solely on the electricity sector and applies a different and more highly spatially-resolved electric sector model. More specifically, we apply a scenario analysis approach to explore how assumed further advancements in clean electricity technologies would impact power sector generation mix, electricity system costs, and power sector carbon dioxide (CO 2) emissions.« less

40 CFR 35.168 - Award limitations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

...-assumed enforcement as defined in section 309(a)(2) of the Clean Water Act in effect with respect to the... appropriate, with activities proposed for funding under sections 205(g) and (j) of the Clean Water Act; and (5...-assumed enforcement as defined in section 309(a)(2) of the Clean Water Act in effect with respect to the...

Precision cleaning verification of fluid components by air/water impingement and total carbon analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barile, Ronald G.; Fogarty, Chris; Cantrell, Chris; Melton, Gregory S.

1994-01-01

NASA personnel at Kennedy Space Center's Material Science Laboratory have developed new environmentally sound precision cleaning and verification techniques for systems and components found at the center. This technology is required to replace existing methods traditionally employing CFC-113. The new patent-pending technique of precision cleaning verification is for large components of cryogenic fluid systems. These are stainless steel, sand cast valve bodies with internal surface areas ranging from 0.2 to 0.9 sq m. Extrapolation of this technique to components of even larger sizes (by orders of magnitude) is planned. Currently, the verification process is completely manual. In the new technique, a high velocity, low volume water stream impacts the part to be verified. This process is referred to as Breathing Air/Water Impingement and forms the basis for the Impingement Verification System (IVS). The system is unique in that a gas stream is used to accelerate the water droplets to high speeds. Water is injected into the gas stream in a small, continuous amount. The air/water mixture is then passed through a converging/diverging nozzle where the gas is accelerated to supersonic velocities. These droplets impart sufficient energy to the precision cleaned surface to place non-volatile residue (NVR) contaminants into suspension in the water. The sample water is collected and its NVR level is determined by total organic carbon (TOC) analysis at 880 C. The TOC, in ppm carbon, is used to establish the NVR level. A correlation between the present gravimetric CFC113 NVR and the IVS NVR is found from experimental sensitivity factors measured for various contaminants. The sensitivity has the units of ppm of carbon per mg/sq ft of contaminant. In this paper, the equipment is described and data are presented showing the development of the sensitivity factors from a test set including four NVRs impinged from witness plates of 0.05 to 0.75 sq m.

Precision Cleaning Verification of Fluid Components by Air/Water Impingement and Total Carbon Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barile, Ronald G.; Fogarty, Chris; Cantrell, Chris; Melton, Gregory S.

1995-01-01

NASA personnel at Kennedy Space Center's Material Science Laboratory have developed new environmentally sound precision cleaning and verification techniques for systems and components found at the center. This technology is required to replace existing methods traditionally employing CFC-113. The new patent-pending technique of precision cleaning verification is for large components of cryogenic fluid systems. These are stainless steel, sand cast valve bodies with internal surface areas ranging from 0.2 to 0.9 m(exp 2). Extrapolation of this technique to components of even larger sizes (by orders of magnitude) is planned. Currently, the verification process is completely manual. In the new technique, a high velocity, low volume water stream impacts the part to be verified. This process is referred to as Breathing Air/Water Impingement and forms the basis for the Impingement Verification System (IVS). The system is unique in that a gas stream is used to accelerate the water droplets to high speeds. Water is injected into the gas stream in a small, continuous amount. The air/water mixture is then passed through a converging-diverging nozzle where the gas is accelerated to supersonic velocities. These droplets impart sufficient energy to the precision cleaned surface to place non-volatile residue (NVR) contaminants into suspension in the water. The sample water is collected and its NVR level is determined by total organic carbon (TOC) analysis at 880 C. The TOC, in ppm carbon, is used to establish the NVR level. A correlation between the present gravimetric CFC-113 NVR and the IVS NVR is found from experimental sensitivity factors measured for various contaminants. The sensitivity has the units of ppm of carbon per mg-ft(exp 2) of contaminant. In this paper, the equipment is described and data are presented showing the development of the sensitivity factors from a test set including four NVR's impinged from witness plates of 0.05 to 0.75 m(exp 2).

Technology development of fabrication techniques for advanced solar dynamic concentrators

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Richter, Scott W.

1991-01-01

The objective of the advanced concentrator program is to develop the technology that will lead to lightweight, highly reflective, accurate, scaleable, and long lived space solar dynamic concentrators. The advanced concentrator program encompasses new and innovative concepts, fabrication techniques, materials selection, and simulated space environmental testing. Fabrication techniques include methods of fabricating the substrates and coating substrate surfaces to produce high quality optical surfaces, acceptable for further coating with vapor deposited optical films. The selected materials to obtain a high quality optical surface include microsheet glass and Eccocoat EP-3 epoxy, with DC-93-500 selected as a candidate silicone adhesive and levelizing layer. The following procedures are defined: cutting, cleaning, forming, and bonding microsheet glass. Procedures are also defined for surface cleaning, and EP-3 epoxy application. The results and analyses from atomic oxygen and thermal cycling tests are used to determine the effects of orbital conditions in a space environment.

A moving mesh unstaggered constrained transport scheme for magnetohydrodynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mocz, Philip; Pakmor, Rüdiger; Springel, Volker; Vogelsberger, Mark; Marinacci, Federico; Hernquist, Lars

2016-11-01

We present a constrained transport (CT) algorithm for solving the 3D ideal magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equations on a moving mesh, which maintains the divergence-free condition on the magnetic field to machine-precision. Our CT scheme uses an unstructured representation of the magnetic vector potential, making the numerical method simple and computationally efficient. The scheme is implemented in the moving mesh code AREPO. We demonstrate the performance of the approach with simulations of driven MHD turbulence, a magnetized disc galaxy, and a cosmological volume with primordial magnetic field. We compare the outcomes of these experiments to those obtained with a previously implemented Powell divergence-cleaning scheme. While CT and the Powell technique yield similar results in idealized test problems, some differences are seen in situations more representative of astrophysical flows. In the turbulence simulations, the Powell cleaning scheme artificially grows the mean magnetic field, while CT maintains this conserved quantity of ideal MHD. In the disc simulation, CT gives slower magnetic field growth rate and saturates to equipartition between the turbulent kinetic energy and magnetic energy, whereas Powell cleaning produces a dynamically dominant magnetic field. Such difference has been observed in adaptive-mesh refinement codes with CT and smoothed-particle hydrodynamics codes with divergence-cleaning. In the cosmological simulation, both approaches give similar magnetic amplification, but Powell exhibits more cell-level noise. CT methods in general are more accurate than divergence-cleaning techniques, and, when coupled to a moving mesh can exploit the advantages of automatic spatial/temporal adaptivity and reduced advection errors, allowing for improved astrophysical MHD simulations.

Assessing the Rayleigh Intensity Remote Leak Detection Technique

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clements, Sandra

2001-01-01

Remote sensing technologies are being considered for efficient, low cost gas leak detection. An exploratory project to identify and evaluate remote sensing technologies for application to gas leak detection is underway. During Phase 1 of the project, completed last year, eleven specific techniques were identified for further study. One of these, the Rayleigh Intensity technique, would make use of changes in the light scattered off of gas molecules to detect and locate a leak. During the 10-week Summer Faculty Fellowship Program, the scatter of light off of gas molecules was investigated. The influence of light scattered off of aerosols suspended in the atmosphere was also examined to determine if this would adversely affect leak detection. Results of this study indicate that in unconditioned air, it will be difficult, though perhaps not impossible, to distinguish between a gas leak and natural variations in the aerosol content of the air. Because information about the particle size distribution in clean room environments is incomplete, the applicability in clean rooms is uncertain though more promising than in unconditioned environments. It is suggested that problems caused by aerosols may be overcome by using the Rayleigh Intensity technique in combination with another remote sensing technique, the Rayleigh Doppler technique.

Unburnt carbon from coal fly ashes as a precursor of activated carbon for nitric oxide removal.

PubMed

Rubio, Begoña; Izquierdo, M Teresa; Mayoral, M Carmen; Bona, M Teresa; Andres, Jose M

2007-05-08

The aim of this work is to evaluate the characteristics of an activated carbon obtained from unburnt carbon in coal fly ashes to be used in the removal of NO. Carbon-rich fraction was obtained by mechanical sieving of fly ashes. The mineral matter was removed by conventional HCl and HF demineralization procedure. Activation was carried out with steam at 900 degrees C in order to develop porosity onto the sample. Characterization of samples was performed by several techniques with a main objective: to follow the mineral matter content, composition and distribution on the samples in order to better understand how to remove it from unburnt carbon in fly ashes. To study the use of this unburnt carbon as a precursor for the preparation of activated carbons for gas cleaning, the NO removal by ammonia using activated carbon as a catalyst at low temperature was performed. Results show a good performance of activated carbon in this reaction that is in relationship with BET surface area.

Study of slow sand filtration with backwash and the influence of the filter media on the filter recovery and cleaning.

PubMed

de Souza, Fernando Hymnô; Pizzolatti, Bruno Segalla; Schöntag, Juliana Marques; Sens, Maurício Luiz

2016-01-01

Slow sand filters are considered as a great alternative for supplying drinking water in rural and/or isolated areas where raw water that is treatable with this technique is available. Some studies used backwashing as an alternative for cleaning the slow sand filter with the goal of applying the technology in small communities, since filters that supply water to a small number of people do not require much space. In this study the influence of the effective diameter on water quality in the filters and cleaning system was evaluated. A pilot system with six filters was built: three filters were conventionally cleaned by scraping and the other three were cleaned by backwashing, each with a different effective diameter of filter medium. Most filters had an average turbidity of less than 1.0 NTU, the turbidity required at the output of the filters by the Brazilian Ministry of Health Ordinance. In the study, the filters cleaned by scraping with smaller-diameter filter beds effectively filtered water better but had worse effective production. The opposite occurs in the case of backwashed filters.

Passive exposures of children to volatile trihalomethanes during domestic cleaning activities of their parents

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

Andra, Syam S.; Harvard-Cyprus Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA; Charisiadis, Pantelis

Domestic cleaning has been proposed as a determinant of trihalomethanes (THMs) exposure in adult females. We hypothesized that parental housekeeping activities could influence children's passive exposures to THMs from their mere physical presence during domestic cleaning. In a recent cross-sectional study (n=382) in Cyprus [41 children (<18y) and 341 adults (≥18y)], we identified 29 children who met the study's inclusion criteria. Linear regression models were applied to understand the association between children sociodemographic variables, their individual practices influencing ingestion and noningestion exposures to ΣTHMs, and their urinary THMs levels. Among the children-specific variables, age alone showed a statistically significant inversemore » association with their creatinine-adjusted urinary ΣTHMs (r{sub S}=−0.59, p<0.001). A positive correlation was observed between urinary ΣTHMs (ng g{sup −1}) of children and matched-mothers (r{sub S}=0.52, p=0.014), but this was not the case for their matched-fathers (r{sub S}=0.39, p=0.112). Time spent daily by the matched-mothers for domestic mopping, toilet and other cleaning activities using chlorine-based cleaning products was associated with their children's urinary THMs levels (r{sub S}=0.56, p=0.007). This trend was not observed between children and their matched-fathers urinary ΣTHMs levels, because of minimum amount of time spent by the latter in performing domestic cleaning. The proportion of variance of creatinine-unadjusted and adjusted urinary ΣTHMs levels in children that was explained by the matched-mothers covariates was 76% and 74% (p<0.001), respectively. A physiologically-based pharmacokinetic model adequately predicted urinary chloroform excretion estimates, being consistent with the corresponding measured levels. Our findings highlighted the influence of mothers' domestic cleaning activities towards enhancing passive THMs exposures of their children. The duration of such activities could be further tested as a valid indicator of children's THMs body burden. - Highlights: • First report on THMs exposure assessment in matched parents and children. • Duration of domestic cleaning by mothers influenced passive exposure to THMs in children. • Matched-fathers did little cleaning and thereby no contribution to passive exposure to THMs in children. • Reverse dosimetry showed a good agreement between predicted and observed urinary chloroform. • Passive exposures to THMs require new attention in survey questionnaires and epidemiology.« less

Removal of Biologically Active Organic Contaminants using Atomic Oxygen

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Banks, Bruce A. (Inventor); Banks, Michael A. (Inventor); Banks, Eric B. (Inventor)

2003-01-01

Biomedical devices that are to come into contact with living tissue, such as prosthetic and other implants for the human body and the containers used to store and transport them, are together cleaned of non-living, but biologically active organic materials, including endotoxins such as lipopolysaccharides, and assembled into a hermetically sealed package without recontamination. This is achieved by cleaning both the device and package components together in an apparatus, which includes a hermetically sealed chamber, in which they are contacted with atomic oxygen which biocleans them, by oxidizing the biologically active organic materials. The apparatus also includes means for manipulating the device and container and hermetically sealing the cleaned device into the cleaned container to form the package. A calibrated witness coupon visually indicates whether or not the device and container have received enough exposure to the atomic oxygen to have removed the organic materials from their surfaces. Gamma radiation is then used to sterilize the device in the sealed container.

Apparel for Cleaner Clean Rooms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1983-01-01

In the 1960s NASA pioneered contamination control technology, providing a base from which aerospace contractors could develop control measures. NASA conducted special courses for clean room technicians and supervisors, and published a series of handbooks with input from various NASA field centers. These handbooks extended aerospace experience to the medical, pharmaceutical, electronics, and other industries where extreme cleanliness is important. American Hospital Supply Company (AHSC) felt that high technology products with increasingly stringent operating requirements in aerospace, electronics, pharmaceuticals and medical equipment manufacturing demanded improvement in contamination control techniques. After studying the NASA handbooks and visiting NASA facilities, the wealth of information gathered resulted in Micro-clean non-woven garments and testing equipment and procedures for evaluating effectiveness.

QFD analysis of RSRM aqueous cleaners

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marrs, Roy D.; Jones, Randy K.

1995-01-01

This paper presents a Quality Function Deployment (QFD) analysis of the final down-selected aqueous cleaners to be used on the Redesigned Solid Rocket Motor (RSRM) program. The new cleaner will replace solvent vapor degreasing. The RSRM Ozone Depleting Compound Elimination program is discontinuing the methyl chloroform vapor degreasing process and replacing it with a spray-in-air aqueous cleaning process. Previously, 15 cleaners were down-selected to two candidates by passing screening tests involving toxicity, flammability, cleaning efficiency, contaminant solubility, corrosion potential, cost, and bond strength. The two down-selected cleaners were further evaluated with more intensive testing and evaluated using QFD techniques to assess suitability for cleaning RSRM case and nozzle surfaces in preparation for adhesive bonding.

Rice- and butterfly-wing effect inspired self-cleaning and low drag micro/nanopatterned surfaces in water, oil, and air flow.

PubMed

Bixler, Gregory D; Bhushan, Bharat

2014-01-07

In search of new solutions to complex challenges, researchers are turning to living nature for inspiration. For example, special surface characteristics of rice leaves and butterfly wings combine the shark skin (anisotropic flow leading to low drag) and lotus leaf (superhydrophobic and self-cleaning) effects, producing the so-called rice and butterfly wing effect. In this paper, we study four microstructured surfaces inspired by rice leaves and fabricated with photolithography techniques. We also present a method of creating such surfaces using a hot embossing procedure for scaled-up manufacturing. Fluid drag, self-cleaning, contact angle, and contact angle hysteresis data are presented to understand the role of sample geometrical dimensions. Conceptual modeling provides design guidance when developing novel low drag, self-cleaning, and potentially antifouling surfaces for medical, marine, and industrial applications.

Job Hazard Analyses for Musculoskeletal Disorder Risk Factors in Pressing Operations of Dry-cleaning Establishments.

PubMed

Park, Jung-Keun

2016-12-01

Job hazard analyses were conducted to assess exposure to musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) risk factors in seven workers of three dry-cleaning establishments. In accordance with the Washington State Ergonomics Rule, the analyses were performed in two separate steps: (1) observation and checklist approaches were made to identify a "caution zone job" in the seven workers' pressing operations across the three shops; and (2) detailed posture and motion analyses were undertaken to determine a "MSD hazard" in one worker's operation using a video technique. One "caution zone job" was identified and it was the pressing operation job in which five physical risk factors were found in the pressing operations. The detailed analyses confirmed that one "MSD hazard", i.e., awkward posture in shoulders, was prevalent in the pressing operations of the three dry-cleaning facilities. It would be desirable to reduce MSD risk factors including awkward shoulder posture in the dry-cleaning industry.

Rice- and butterfly-wing effect inspired self-cleaning and low drag micro/nanopatterned surfaces in water, oil, and air flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bixler, Gregory D.; Bhushan, Bharat

2013-12-01

In search of new solutions to complex challenges, researchers are turning to living nature for inspiration. For example, special surface characteristics of rice leaves and butterfly wings combine the shark skin (anisotropic flow leading to low drag) and lotus leaf (superhydrophobic and self-cleaning) effects, producing the so-called rice and butterfly wing effect. In this paper, we study four microstructured surfaces inspired by rice leaves and fabricated with photolithography techniques. We also present a method of creating such surfaces using a hot embossing procedure for scaled-up manufacturing. Fluid drag, self-cleaning, contact angle, and contact angle hysteresis data are presented to understand the role of sample geometrical dimensions. Conceptual modeling provides design guidance when developing novel low drag, self-cleaning, and potentially antifouling surfaces for medical, marine, and industrial applications.

High throughput determination of cleaning solutions to prevent the fouling of an anion exchange resin.

PubMed

Elich, Thomas; Iskra, Timothy; Daniels, William; Morrison, Christopher J

2016-06-01

Effective cleaning of chromatography resin is required to prevent fouling and maximize the number of processing cycles which can be achieved. Optimization of resin cleaning procedures, however, can lead to prohibitive material, labor, and time requirements, even when using milliliter scale chromatography columns. In this work, high throughput (HT) techniques were used to evaluate cleaning agents for a monoclonal antibody (mAb) polishing step utilizing Fractogel(®) EMD TMAE HiCap (M) anion exchange (AEX) resin. For this particular mAb feed stream, the AEX resin could not be fully restored with traditional NaCl and NaOH cleaning solutions, resulting in a loss of impurity capacity with resin cycling. Miniaturized microliter scale chromatography columns and an automated liquid handling system (LHS) were employed to evaluate various experimental cleaning conditions. Cleaning agents were monitored for their ability to maintain resin impurity capacity over multiple processing cycles by analyzing the flowthrough material for turbidity and high molecular weight (HMW) content. HT experiments indicated that a 167 mM acetic acid strip solution followed by a 0.5 M NaOH, 2 M NaCl sanitization provided approximately 90% cleaning improvement over solutions containing solely NaCl and/or NaOH. Results from the microliter scale HT experiments were confirmed in subsequent evaluations at the milliliter scale. These results identify cleaning agents which may restore resin performance for applications involving fouling species in ion exchange systems. In addition, this work demonstrates the use of miniaturized columns operated with an automated LHS for HT evaluation of chromatographic cleaning procedures, effectively decreasing material requirements while simultaneously increasing throughput. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2016;113: 1251-1259. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

[Integration and demonstration of key techniques in surveillance and forecast of schistosomiasis in Jiangsu Province III Development of a machine simultaneously integrating mechanized environmental cleaning and automatic mollusciciding].

PubMed

Wang, Fu-biao; Ma, Yu-cai; Sun, Le-ping; Hong, Qing-biao; Gao, Yang; Zhang, Chang-lin; Du, Guang-lin; Lu, Da-qin; Sun, Zhi-yong; Wang, Wei; Dai, Jian-rong; Liang, You-sheng

2016-02-01

To develop a machine simultaneously integrating mechanized environmental cleaning and automatic mollusciciding and to evaluate its effectiveness of field application, so as to provide a novel Oncomelania hupensis snail control technique in the large-scale marshlands. The machine simultaneously integrating mechanized environmental cleaning and automatic mollusciciding, which was suitable for use in complex marshland areas, was developed according to the mechanization and automation principles, and was used for O. hupensis snail control in the marshland. The effect of the machine on environmental cleaning and plough was evaluated, and the distribution of living snails was observed at various soil layers following plough. The snail control effects of plough alone and plough followed by mollusciciding were compared. The machine could simultaneously complete the procedures of getting vegetation down and cut vegetation into pieces, plough and snail control by spraying niclosamide. After plough, the constituent ratios of living snails were 36.31%, 25.60%, 22.62% and 15.48% in the soil layers at depths of 0-5, 6-10, 11-15 cm and 16-20 cm respectively, and 61.91% living snails were found in the 0-10 cm soil layers. Seven and fifteen days after the experiment, the mortality rates of snails were 9.38% and 8.29% in the plough alone group, and 63.04% and 80.70% in the plough + mollusciciding group respectively (χ²₇ d = 42.74, χ²₁₅ d = 155.56, both P values < 0.01). Thirty days after the experiment, the densities of snails were 3.02 snails/0.1 m² and 0.53 snails/ 0.1 m² in the soil surface of the plough alone group and the plough + mollusciciding group, which decreased by 64.92% and 93.60%, respectively, and the decrease rate of snail density was approximately 30% higher in the plough + mollusciciding group than that in the plough alone group. The machine simultaneously integrating mechanized environmental cleaning and automatic mollusciciding achieves the integration of mechanical environmental cleaning and automatic niclosamide spraying in the complex marshland areas, which provides a novel technique of field snail control in the large-scale setting in China.

Exploring surface cleaning strategies in hospital to prevent contact transmission of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

PubMed

Lei, Hao; Jones, Rachael M; Li, Yuguo

2017-01-18

Cleaning of environmental surfaces in hospitals is important for the control of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and other hospital-acquired infections transmitted by the contact route. Guidance regarding the best approaches for cleaning, however, is limited. In this study, a mathematical model based on ordinary differential equations was constructed to study MRSA concentration dynamics on high-touch and low-touch surfaces, and on the hands and noses of two patients (in two hospitals rooms) and a health care worker in a hypothetical hospital environment. Two cleaning interventions - whole room cleaning and wipe cleaning of touched surfaces - were considered. The performance of the cleaning interventions was indicated by a reduction in MRSA on the nose of a susceptible patient, relative to no intervention. Whole room cleaning just before first patient care activities of the day was more effective than whole room cleaning at other times, but even with 100% efficiency, whole room cleaning only reduced the number of MRSA transmitted to the susceptible patient by 54%. Frequent wipe cleaning of touched surfaces was shown to be more effective that whole room cleaning because surfaces are rapidly re-contaminated with MRSA after cleaning. Wipe cleaning high-touch surfaces was more effective than wipe cleaning low-touch surfaces for the same frequency of cleaning. For low wipe cleaning frequency (≤3 times per hour), high-touch surfaces should be targeted, but for high wipe cleaning frequency (>3 times per hour), cleaning should target high- and low-touch surfaces in proportion to the surface touch frequency. This study reproduces the observations from a field study of room cleaning, which provides support for the validity of our findings. Daily whole room cleaning, even with 100% cleaning efficiency, provides limited reduction in the number of MRSA transmitted to susceptible patients via the contact route; and should be supplemented with frequent targeted cleaning of high-touch surfaces, such as by a wipe or cloth containing disinfectant.

Monte-Carlo simulations of the clean and disordered contact process in three space dimensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vojta, Thomas

2013-03-01

The absorbing-state transition in the three-dimensional contact process with and without quenched randomness is investigated by means of Monte-Carlo simulations. In the clean case, a reweighting technique is combined with a careful extrapolation of the data to infinite time to determine with high accuracy the critical behavior in the three-dimensional directed percolation universality class. In the presence of quenched spatial disorder, our data demonstrate that the absorbing-state transition is governed by an unconventional infinite-randomness critical point featuring activated dynamical scaling. The critical behavior of this transition does not depend on the disorder strength, i.e., it is universal. Close to the disordered critical point, the dynamics is characterized by the nonuniversal power laws typical of a Griffiths phase. We compare our findings to the results of other numerical methods, and we relate them to a general classification of phase transitions in disordered systems based on the rare region dimensionality. This work has been supported in part by the NSF under grants no. DMR-0906566 and DMR-1205803.

Novel multifunctional titania-silica-lanthanum phosphate nanocomposite coatings through an all aqueous sol-gel process.

PubMed

Smitha, Venu Sreekala; Jyothi, Chembolli Kunhatta; Peer, Mohamed A; Pillai, Saju; Warrier, Krishna Gopakumar

2013-04-07

A novel nanocomposite coating containing titania, silica and lanthanum phosphate prepared through an all aqueous sol-gel route exhibits excellent self-cleaning ability arising from the synergistic effect of the constituents in the nanocomposite. A highly stable titania-silica-lanthanum phosphate nanocomposite sol having particle size in the range of 30-50 nm has been synthesized starting from a titanyl sulphate precursor, which was further used for the development of photocatalytically active composite coatings on glass. The coatings prepared by the dip coating technique as well as the nanocomposite powders are heat treated and characterized further for their morphology and multifunctionality. The nanocomposite containing 1.5 wt% LaPO4 has shown a surface area as high as 138 m(2) g(-1) and a methylene blue degradation efficiency of 94% in two hours of UV exposure. The composite coating has shown very good homogeneity evidenced by transparency as high as 99.5% and low wetting behaviour. The present novel approach for energy conserving, aqueous derived, self-cleaning coatings may be suitable for large scale industrial applications.

Successful Cleaning and Study of Contamination of Si(001) in Ultrahigh Vacuum

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

Gheorghe, N. G.; Lungu, G. A.; Husanu, M. A.

2011-10-03

This paper presents the very first surface physics experiment performed in ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) in Romania, using a new molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) installation. Cleaning of a Si(001) wafer was achieved by using a very simple technique: sequences of annealing at 900-1000 deg. C in ultrahigh vacuum: low 10{sup -8} mbar, with a base pressure of 1.5x10{sup -10} mbar. The preparation procedure is quite reproducible and allows repeated cleaning of the Si(001) after contamination in ultrahigh vacuum. The Si(001) single crystal surface is characterized by low energy electron diffraction (LEED), reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED), and Auger electron spectroscopymore » (AES). The latter technique is utilized in order to investigate the sample contamination by the residual gas in the UHV chamber, as determined by a residual gas analyzer (RGA). Unambiguous assignment of oxidized and unoxidized silicon is provided; also, an important feature is that the LVV Auger peak at 90-92 eV cannot be solely attributed to clean Si (i.e. Si surrounded only by Si), but also to silicon atoms bounded with carbon. Even with a sum of partial pressures of oxygen and carbon containing molecules in the range of 5x10{sup -10} mbar, the sample is contaminated very quickly, having a (1/e) lifetime of about 76 minutes.« less

Development of Cotton Fabrics with Durable UV Protective and Self-cleaning Property by Deposition of Low TiO2 Levels through Sol-gel Process.

PubMed

Mishra, Anu; Butola, Bhupendra Singh

2018-01-19

In this article, the deposition of TiO 2 on cotton fabric using sol-gel technique has been described. Various process routes (pad-dry-cure, pad-dry-hydrothermal and pad-dry-solvothermal) were examined to impart a stable coating of TiO 2 on fabric. The role of precursor concentration, process temperature and time of treatment were studied to aim at a wash durable, UV protective and self-cleaning property in the treated fabric. EDX and ICP-MS techniques were used to examine the add-on percentage of TiO 2 on cotton fabrics treated via different routes. It has been found that the TiO 2 remains largely amorphous and nondurable if it is given a short thermal treatment. To convert the deposited TiO 2 to its anatase crystal form, a prolonged hydrothermal treatment for at least 3 h needs to be given. TiO 2 deposition levels of less than 0.1% were found to be effective in imparting reasonable degree of UV protection and self-cleaning property to the cotton fabric. The self-cleaning ability of the treated fabric against coffee stain was also studied and was found to be related to the process route and the deposition levels of TiO 2 . © 2018 The American Society of Photobiology.

Synthesis and x-ray characterization of cobalt phosphide (Co₂P) nanorods for the oxygen reduction reaction

DOE PAGES

Doan-Nguyen, Vicky V.T.; Su, Dong; Zhang, Sen; ...

2015-07-14

Low temperature fuel cells are clean, effective alternative fuel conversion technology. Oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) at the fuel cell cathode has required Pt as the electrocatalyst for high activity and selectivity of the four-electron reaction pathway. Targeting a less expensive, earth abundant alternative, we have developed the synthesis of cobalt phosphide (Co₂P) nanorods for ORR. Characterization techniques that include total X-ray scattering and extended X-ray absorption fine structure revealed a deviation of the nanorods from bulk crystal structure with a contraction along the b orthorhombic lattice parameter. The carbon supported nanorods have comparable activity but are remarkably more stable thanmore » conventional Pt catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction in alkaline environments.« less

Evaluation Of Sludge Heel Dissolution Efficiency With Oxalic Acid Cleaning At Savannah River Site

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

Sudduth, Christie; Vitali, Jason; Keefer, Mark

The chemical cleaning process baseline strategy at the Savannah River Site was revised to improve efficiency during future execution of the process based on lessons learned during previous bulk oxalic acid cleaning activities and to account for operational constraints imposed by safety basis requirements. These improvements were also intended to transcend the difficulties that arise from waste removal in higher rheological yield stress sludge tanks. Tank 12 implemented this improved strategy and the bulk oxalic acid cleaning efforts concluded in July 2013. The Tank 12 radiological removal results were similar to previous bulk oxalic acid cleaning campaigns despite the factmore » that Tank 12 contained higher rheological yield stress sludge that would make removal more difficult than the sludge treated in previous cleaning campaigns. No appreciable oxalate precipitation occurred during the cleaning process in Tank 12 compared to previous campaigns, which aided in the net volume reduction of 75-80%. Overall, the controls established for Tank 12 provide a template for an improved cleaning process.« less

76 FR 46892 - Agency Information Collection Activity Under OMB Review

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-03

... development and deployment of clean fuel and advanced propulsion technologies for transit buses. To meet... propulsion technologies for transit buses by providing funds for clean fuel vehicles and facilities. To meet...

Wash or wipe? A comparative study of skin physiological changes between water washing and wiping after skin cleaning.

PubMed

Ogai, K; Matsumoto, M; Aoki, M; Ota, R; Hashimoto, K; Wada, R; Kobayashi, M; Sugama, J

2017-11-01

Presently, skin-cleaning agents that claim to be removed by water or wiping alone are commercially available and have been used for the purpose of bed baths. However, there is a lack of knowledge on how water washing and wiping differently affect skin physiological functions or ceramide content. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of water washing and wiping on skin physiological functions and ceramide content. Three kinds of the cleaning agents with different removal techniques (ie, water washing and wiping) were used in this study. Skin physiological functions (ie, transepidermal water loss, skin hydration, and skin pH) and skin ceramide content were measured before and after seven consecutive days of the application of each cleaning agent. No significant differences in skin physiological functions or ceramide content were observed between water washing and wiping. Cleaning agents that claim to be removed by water washing or wiping do not affect skin physiological functions or ceramide content by either removal method. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Slow positrons in single-crystal samples of Al and Al-AlxOy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lynn, K. G.; Lutz, H.

1980-11-01

Well-characterized Al(111) and Al(100) samples were studied with monoenergetic positrons before and after exposure to oxygen. Both positronium-formation and positron-emission curves were obtained for various incident positron energies at sample temperatures ranging from 160-900 K. The orthopositronium decay signal provides a unique signature that the positron has emerged from the surface region of a clean metal. In the clean Al crystals part of the positronium formed near the surface is found to be associated with a temperature-activated process described as the thermally activated detrapping of a positron from a surface state. A simple positron diffusion model, including surface and vacancy trapping, is fitted to the positronium data and an estimate of the binding energy of the positron in this trap is made. The positron diffusion constant is found to have a negative temperature dependence before the onset of positron trapping at thermally generated monovacancies (>500 K), in reasonable agreement with theoretical predictions. The depth of the positron surface state is reduced or positronium is formed in the chemisorbed layer as oxygen is adsorbed on both Al sample surfaces, thus increasing the positronium fraction and decreasing the positron emission. At higher oxygen exposures [>500 L (1 L = 10-6 torr sec)] positron or positronium traps are generated in the overlayer and the positronium fraction is reduced. The amorphous-to-crystalline surface transition of AlxOy on Al is observed between 650 and 800 K by the change in the positronium fraction and is interpreted as the removal of trapping centers in the metal-oxide overlayer. At the higher temperatures and incident energies vacancy trapping is observed by the decrease in the positron diffusion length in both the clean and the underlying Al of the oxygen-exposed samples. Similar vacancy formation enthalpies for Al are extracted in both the clean and oxygen-covered samples by a simple model and are in good agreement with those measured by other experimental methods. This technique provides a new experimental means for the study of interfaces and thin films and the vacancy-type defects associated with them.

Aerospace Environmental Technology Conference: Exectutive summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whitaker, A. F. (Editor)

1995-01-01

The mandated elimination of CFC's, Halons, TCA, and other ozone depleting chemicals and specific hazardous materials has required changes and new developments in aerospace materials and processes. The aerospace industry has been involved for several years in providing product substitutions, redesigning entire production processes, and developing new materials that minimize or eliminate damage to the environment. These activities emphasize replacement cleaning solvents and their application verifications, compliant coatings including corrosion protection systems, and removal techniques, chemical propulsion effects on the environment, and the initiation of modifications to relevant processing and manufacturing specifications and standards. The papers from this conference are being published in a separate volume as NASA CP-3298.

A nondestructive stratigraphic and radiographic neutron study of Lorenzo Ghiberti's reliefs from paradise and north doors of Florence baptistery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Festa, G.; Andreani, C.; de Pascale, M. P.; Senesi, R.; Vitali, G.; Porcinai, S.; Giusti, A. M.; Schulze, R.; Canella, L.; Kudejova, P.; Mühlbauer, M.; Schillinger, B.; Ancient Charm Collaboration

2009-10-01

A neutron study on two gilded bronze reliefs by Lorenzo Ghiberti is presented. The two reliefs, representing heads of prophets, come from the north and east doors of the Baptistery of Florence. The east door will be permanently located at the Museo dell'Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore museum at the end of its restoration, which is still in progress at the Metals Conservation Department of the Opificio delle Pietre Dure in Florence. The north door is kept in the original site, on the north facade of the Florentine Baptistery. Both reliefs exhibit critical aspects regarding their state of conservation in particular the stability of the gold layer on the bronze surface. Moreover the east head presents a remelting of which extension and composition are still unknown. The present work describes a non-destructive study of the subgilding area and bulk. The two main objectives of such analyses are: (1) to study the manufacturing technique and state of conservation of the reliefs; and (2) to assess the two cleaning techniques (laser cleaning and Rochelle salts chemical cleaning) used by the conservators during the restoration process of the east door. The experiment was carried out using prompt gamma-ray activation imaging combined with neutron radiography and conventional neutron radiography. The former method was applied to map the elemental composition of the two reliefs, while neutron radiography was used to investigate the bulk. The results provide significant information about subsuperficial areas, elemental composition of the objects from the surface down to a depth of 1 mm below gilding, and bulk structure of the remelting. Such information will guide the curators in the selection of the most suitable microclimatic conditions for the exhibition of the east door and for future conservation work on the north door.

Biofilm removal by 6% sodium hypochlorite activated by different irrigation techniques.

PubMed

Ordinola-Zapata, R; Bramante, C M; Aprecio, R M; Handysides, R; Jaramillo, D E

2014-07-01

To compare the removal of biofilm utilizing four irrigation techniques on a bovine root canal model. Fifty dentine specimens (2 × 2 mm) were infected with biofilm. The samples were then adapted to previously created cavities in the bovine model. The root canals were irrigated twice with 2 mL of 6% sodium hypochlorite for 2 min (4 min total). Following initial irrigation, the different treatment modalities were introduced for 60 s (3 × 20 s intervals). The evaluated techniques were needle irrigation, Endoactivator (Dentsply Tulsa Dental, Tulsa, OK, USA), passive ultrasonic irrigation and laser-activated irrigation (photon-induced photoacoustic streaming). The controls were irrigated with distilled water and conventional needle irrigation. Subsequently, the dentine samples were separated from the model and analysed using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Fifteen operative fields were scanned per block, and SEM pictures were captured. Two calibrated evaluators examined the images and collected data using a four-degree scale. Nonparametric tests were used to evaluate for statistical significance amongst the groups. The group undergoing laser-activated irrigation using photon-induced photoacoustic streaming exhibited the most favourable results in the removal of biofilm. Passive ultrasonic irrigation scores were significantly lower than both the Endoactivator and needle irrigation scores. Sonic and needle irrigation were not significantly different. The least favourable results were found in the control group. Laser activation of 6% sodium hypochlorite significantly improved the cleaning of biofilm-infected dentine followed by passive ultrasonic irrigation. © 2013 International Endodontic Journal. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Cleaning interactions by gobies on a tropical eastern Pacific coral reef.

PubMed

Quimbayo, J P; Zapata, F A

2018-04-01

The present study describes the cleaning interactions among species of cleaner gobies Tigrigobius spp. and Elacatinus puncticulatus (family Gobiidae) and the client fish species they clean in a coral reef of Gorgona Island, Colombia. In 419 cleaning events, we observed 27 species acting as clients of Tigrigobius spp., whereas only nine were clients of E. puncticulatus. Paranthias colonus and Cephalopholis panamensis were the species most commonly cleaned by Tigrigobius spp., while Ophioblennius steindachneri and Stegastes acalpulcoensis were the clients most commonly cleaned by E. puncticulatus. The abundance (but not the body size) of clients was an important variable predicting the cleaning frequency observed for clients of Tigrigobius spp., but this was not the case for clients of E. puncticulatus. Additionally, Tigrigobius spp. preferred cleaning planktivores, sessile invertebrate feeders and territorial herbivores (Ivlev's index >0·15), whereas E. puncticulatus did not exhibit any preference. We observed two major peaks of cleaning activity for Tigrigobius spp., one in the early morning and another one in the late afternoon. These results suggest that Tigrigobius spp. is a specialized cleaner goby, whereas E. puncticulatus is a facultative cleaner that cleans sporadically. © 2018 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

Safety assessment of the use of Bacillus-based cleaning products.

PubMed

Berg, Ninna W; Evans, Matthew R; Sedivy, John; Testman, Robert; Acedo, Kimon; Paone, Domenic; Long, David; Osimitz, Thomas G

2018-06-01

Non-pathogenic Bacillus species used in cleaning products produce the appropriate enzymes to degrade stains and soils. However, there is little scientific data regarding the human exposure by inhalation of Bacillus spores during or after use of microbial-based cleaning products. Herein, air samples were collected at various locations in a ventilated, carpeted, residential room to determine the air concentration of viable bacteria and spores during and after the application of microbial-based carpet cleaning products containing Bacillus spores. The influence of human activities and vacuuming was investigated. Bioaerosol levels associated with use and post-application activities of whole room carpet treatments were elevated during post-application activity, but quickly returned to the indoor background range. Use of trigger spray spot applications generated aerosolized spores in the immediate vicinity, however, their use pattern and the generation of mostly non-respirable particles suggest minimal risks for pulmonary exposure from their use. The aerosol counts associated with use of these microbial-based cleaners were below the recommendation for safe exposure levels to non-pathogenic and non-toxigenic microorganisms except during application of the spot cleaner. The data presented suggest that carpet cleaning products, containing non-pathogenic Bacillus spores present a low potential for inhalation exposure and consequently minimal risk of adverse effects. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Activation, orientation and landing of female Culex quinquefasciatus in response to carbon dioxide and odour from human feet: 3-D flight analysis in a wind tunnel.

PubMed

Lacey, E S; Cardé, R T

2011-03-01

This study investigated the interaction between carbon dioxide (CO(2) ) and human foot odour on activation, upwind orientation and landing of host-seeking female Culex quinquefasciatus (Say) (Diptera: Culicidae) in a wind tunnel. More mosquitoes landed on warmed glass beads coated with foot odour than on clean beads; adding a plume of 4% CO(2) did not influence the proportion of mosquitoes landing. A second experiment used 3-dimensional video tracking to assess flight performance. Activation was more rapid with CO(2) and with CO(2) + foot odour than with clean air or with foot odour alone. Upwind flights were fastest with CO(2) and with clean air, and slowest with foot odour; the CO(2) + foot odour treatment overlapped the previous three treatments in significance. Flight headings tended more towards due upwind with CO(2) and with clean air than with CO(2) + foot odour or with foot odour alone. In both experiments, many mosquitoes flew upwind in clean air. There was little evidence of females changing course upon entering or exiting the CO(2) plume or reacting to foot odour during flight. © 2010 The Authors. Medical and Veterinary Entomology © 2010 The Royal Entomological Society.

Clean Cities Technical Assistance Project (Tiger Teams)

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

This two-page fact sheet describes Clean Cities' technical assistance (Tiger Teams) capabilities and projects, both completed and ongoing. Tiger Teams are a critical element of the Clean Cities program, providing on-the-ground consultation to help inform program strategies. The knowledge Tiger Team experts gain from these experiences often helps inform other alternative fuels activities, such as needed research, codes and standards revisions, and new training resources.

Time-resolved monitoring of cavitation activity in megasonic cleaning systems.

PubMed

Hauptmann, M; Brems, S; Struyf, H; Mertens, P; Heyns, M; De Gendt, S; Glorieux, C

2012-03-01

The occurrence of acoustic cavitation in the cleaning liquid is a crucial precondition for the performance of megasonic cleaning systems. Hence, a fundamental understanding of the impact of different parameters of the megasonic process on cavitation activity is necessary. A setup capable of synchronously measuring sonoluminescence and acoustic emission originating from acoustically active bubbles is presented. The system also includes a high-speed-stroboscopic Schlieren imaging system to directly visualize the influence of cavitation activity on the Schlieren contrast and resolvable bubbles. This allows a thorough characterization of the mutual interaction of cavitation bubbles with the sound field and with each other. Results obtained during continuous sonication of argon-saturated water at various nominal power densities indicate that acoustic cavitation occurs in a cyclic manner, during which periods of stable and inertial cavitation activity alternate. The occurrence of higher and ultraharmonics in the acoustic emission spectra is characteristic for the stable cavitation state. The inertial cavitation state is characterized by a strong attenuation of the sound field, the explosive growth of bubbles and the occurrence of broadband components in the acoustic spectra. Both states can only be sustained at sufficiently high intensities of the sound field. At lower intensities, their occurrences are limited to short, random bursts. Cleaning activity can be linked to the cavitation activity through the measurement of particle removal on standard 200 mm silicon wafers. It is found that the particle removal efficiency is reduced, when a continuous state of cavitation activity ceases to exist.

Physical-Chemical Solid Waste Processing for Space Missions at Ames Research Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fisher, John W.; Pisharody, Suresh; Moran, Mark; Wignarajah, K.; Tleimat, Maher; Pace, Greg

2001-01-01

As space missions become longer in duration and reach out to more distant locations such as Mars, solids waste processing progresses from storage technologies to reclamation technologies. Current low Earth orbit technologies consist of store-and dispose to space or return to Earth. Fully regenerative technologies recycle wastes. The materials reclaimed from waste can be used to provide the basic materials to support plant growth for food including carbon dioxide, water, and nutrients. Other products can also be reclaimed from waste such as hydrocarbons and activated carbon. This poster describes development at Ames Research Center of a process to make activated carbon from space mission wastes and to make an incineration system that produces clean flue gas. Inedible biomass and feces contain hydrocarbons in a form that can be pyrolyzed and converted to activated carbon. The activated carbon can then be used to clean up contaminants from various other life support systems; in particular, the activated carbon can be used regeneratively to remove NOx from incinerator flue gas. Incinerator flue gas can also be cleaned up by the use of reductive and oxidative catalysts. A catalytic incinerator flue gas cleanup system has been developed at ARC that produces flue gas clean enough (with the exception of carbon dioxide) to meet the Space Minimum Allowable Concentration limits for human exposure.

Heat release, time required, and cleaning ability of MTwo R and ProTaper universal retreatment systems in the removal of filling material.

PubMed

Bramante, Clovis Monteiro; Fidelis, Natasha Siqueira; Assumpção, Tatiana Santos; Bernardineli, Norberti; Garcia, Roberto Brandão; Bramante, Alexandre Silva; de Moraes, Ivaldo Gomes

2010-11-01

This ex vivo study evaluated the heat release, time required, and cleaning efficacy of MTwo (VDW, Munich, Germany) and ProTaper Universal Retreatment systems (Dentsply/Maillefer, Ballaigues, Switzerland) and hand instrumentation in the removal of filling material. Sixty single-rooted human teeth with a single straight canal were obturated with gutta-percha and zinc oxide and eugenol-based cement and randomly allocated to 3 groups (n = 20). After 30-day storage at 37 °C and 100% humidity, the root fillings were removed using ProTaper UR, MTwo R, or hand files. Heat release, time required, and cleaning efficacy data were analyzed statistically (analysis of variance and the Tukey test, α = 0.05). None of the techniques removed the root fillings completely. Filling material removal with ProTaper UR was faster but caused more heat release. Mtwo R produced less heat release than the other techniques but was the least efficient in removing gutta-percha/sealer. ProTaper UR and MTwo R caused the greatest and lowest temperature increase on root surface, respectively; regardless of the type of instrument, more heat was released in the cervical third. Pro Taper UR needed less time to remove fillings than MTwo R. All techniques left filling debris in the root canals. Copyright © 2010 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A noncontacting scanning photoelectron emission technique for bonding surface cleanliness inspection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gause, Raymond L.

1989-01-01

Molecular contamination of bonding surfaces can drastically affect the bond strength that can be achieved and therefore the structural integrity and reliability of the bonded part. The presence of thin contaminant films on bonding surfaces can result from inadequate or incomplete cleaning methods, from oxide growth during the time between cleaning (such as grit blasting) and bonding, or from failure to properly protect cleaned surfaces from oils, greases, fingerprints, release agents, or deposition of facility airborne molecules generated by adjacent manufacturing or processing operations. Required cleanliness levels for desired bond performance can be determined by testing to correlate bond strength with contaminant type and quantity, thereby establishing the degree of contamination that can be tolerated based on the strength that is needed. Once the maximum acceptable contaminant level is defined, a method is needed to quantitatively measure the contaminant level on the bonding surface prior to bonding to verify that the surface meets the established cleanliness requirement. A photoelectron emission technique for the nondestructive inspection of various bonding surfaces, both metallic and nonmetallic, to provide quantitative data on residual contaminant levels is described. The technique can be used to scan surfaces at speeds of at least 30 ft/min using a servo system to maintain required sensor to surface spacing. The fundamental operation of the photoelectron emission sensor system is explained and the automated scanning system and computer data acquisition hardware and software are described.

Coast Guard's Response to Spilled Oil

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ard, R. W., Jr.

1976-01-01

The Coast Guard utilizes a number of monitoring detectors, sensors, and techniques to find, recover and identify oil spills. Discussed in this article are in-situ and airborne sensors, systems developed to provide clean-up capability such as air deployable anti-pollution transfer system (ADAPTS), and techniques which will determine the source of a…

Microfluidic filtration and extraction of pathogens from food samples by hydrodynamic focusing and inertial lateral migration.

PubMed

Clime, Liviu; Hoa, Xuyen D; Corneau, Nathalie; Morton, Keith J; Luebbert, Christian; Mounier, Maxence; Brassard, Daniel; Geissler, Matthias; Bidawid, Sabah; Farber, Jeff; Veres, Teodor

2015-02-01

Detecting pathogenic bacteria in food or other biological samples with lab-on-a-chip (LOC) devices requires several sample preparation steps prior to analysis which commonly involves cleaning complex sample matrices of large debris. This often underestimated step is important to prevent these larger particles from clogging devices and to preserve initial concentrations when LOC techniques are used to concentrate or isolate smaller target microorganisms for downstream analysis. In this context, we developed a novel microfluidic system for membrane-free cleaning of biological samples from debris particles by combining hydrodynamic focusing and inertial lateral migration effects. The microfluidic device is fabricated using thermoplastic elastomers being compatible with thermoforming fabrication techniques leading to low-cost single-use devices. Microfluidic chip design and pumping protocols are optimized by investigating diffusive losses numerically with coupled Navier-Stokes and convective-diffusion theoretical models. Stability of inertial lateral migration and separation of debris is assessed through fluorescence microscopy measurements with labelled particles serving as a model system. Efficiency of debris cleaning is experimentally investigated by monitoring microchip outlets with in situ optical turbidity sensors, while retention of targeted pathogens (i.e., Listeria monocytogenes) within the sample stream is assessed through bacterial culture techniques. Optimized pumping protocols can remove up to 50 % of debris from ground beef samples while percentage for preserved microorganisms can account for 95 % in relatively clean samples. However, comparison between inoculated turbid and clean samples (i.e., with and without ground beef debris) indicate some degree of interference between debris inertial lateral migration and hydrodynamic focusing of small microorganisms. Although this interference can lead to significant decrease in chip performance through loss of target bacteria, it remains possible to reach 70 % for sample recovery and more than 50 % for debris removal even in the most turbid samples tested. Due to the relatively simple design, the robustness of the inertial migration effect itself, the high operational flow rates and fabrication methods that leverage low-cost materials, the proposed device can have an impact on a wide range of applications where high-throughput separation of particles and biological species is of interest.

Cleaning and activation of beryllium-copper electron multiplier dynodes.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pongratz, M. B.

1972-01-01

Description of a cleaning and activation procedure followed in preparing beryllium-copper dynodes for electron multipliers used in sounding-rocket experiments to detect auroral electrons. The initial degreasing step involved a 5-min bath in trichloroethylene in an ultrasonic cleaner. This was followed by an ultrasonic rinse in methanol and by a two-step acid pickling treatment to remove the oxides. Additional rinsing in water and methanol was followed by activation in a stainless-steel RF induction oven.

Tool use for corpse cleaning in chimpanzees

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Leeuwen, Edwin J. C.; Cronin, Katherine A.; Haun, Daniel B. M.

2017-03-01

For the first time, chimpanzees have been observed using tools to clean the corpse of a deceased group member. A female chimpanzee sat down at the dead body of a young male, selected a firm stem of grass, and started to intently remove debris from his teeth. This report contributes novel behaviour to the chimpanzee’s ethogram, and highlights how crucial information for reconstructing the evolutionary origins of human mortuary practices may be missed by refraining from developing adequate observation techniques to capture non-human animals’ death responses.

Annual Electronics Manufacturing Seminar Processings (18th) Held in Ridgecrest, California on 23-24 February 1994

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-02-01

rework, repair, and maintenance of electronic hardware as well as the initial manufacture. Chemically, HF1 189 is simply citric acid (derived from citrus...fruit) in water. Citric acid is highly soluble in water which allows simple water washing of hardware after soldering totally eliminating the need for...of citric acid in water. PCA’s soldered with either wave or hand techniques presented no cleaning problems if they were cleaned within one-half hour of

Root canal preparation in endodontics: conventional versus laser methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goodis, Harold E.; White, Joel M.; Marshall, Sally J.; Marshall, Grayson W.; Moskowitz, Emrey

1992-06-01

Conventional cleaning and shaping of root canal systems employs hand and/or rotary instrumentation to remove the contents of the canal and shape the canal to receive a filling material. With the advent of the Nd:YAG laser system another method of accomplishing proper cleaning and shaping is evaluated. Single rooted teeth were radiographed bucco- lingually and mesio-distally and were divided into 2 groups. The first group was accessed and the root canal systems cleaned and shaped with a step back technique utilizing hand files and gates glidden burs. At completion of the procedure the teeth were again radiographed at the same positions as those prior to the procedure. The teeth were split longitudinally and examined under scanning electron microscopy to assess cleaning. The second group of teeth were accessed, and cleaning and shaping was accomplished using the Nd:YAG laser in combination with hand files and rotary instruments. These teeth were subjected to the same analysis as those in the first group. The before and after radiographs of each group were subjected to image analysis to determine effectiveness of the two methods in shaping the canal systems. We will discuss the ability of Nd:YAG to clean and shape root canal spaces and remove smear layer and organic tissue remnants from those areas.

Online PH measurement technique in seawater desalination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Haibo; Wu, Kaihua; Hu, Shaopeng

2009-11-01

The measurement technology of pH is essential in seawater desalination. Glass electrode is the main pH sensor in seawater desalination. Because the internal impedance of glass electrode is high and the signal of pH sensor is easy to be disturbed, a signal processing circuit with high input impedance was designed. Because of high salinity of seawater and the characteristic of glass electrode, ultrasonic cleaning technology was used to online clean pH sensor. Temperature compensation was also designed to reduce the measurement error caused by variety of environment temperature. Additionally, the potential drift of pH sensor was analyzed and an automatic calibration method was proposed. In order to online monitor the variety of pH in seawater desalination, three operating modes were designed. The three modes are online monitoring mode, ultrasonic cleaning mode and auto-calibration mode. The current pH in seawater desalination was measured and displayed in online monitoring mode. The cleaning process of pH sensor was done in ultrasonic cleaning mode. The calibration of pH sensor was finished in auto-calibration mode. The result of experiments showed that the measurement technology of pH could meet the technical requirements for desalination. The glass electrode could be promptly and online cleaned and its service life was lengthened greatly.

46 CFR 162.050-33 - Bilge alarm: Design specification.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... to re-zero the instrument. The accuracy of the readings must at all times remain within the limits...) Each bilge alarm must activate its alarm whenever clean water is used for cleaning or zeroing purposes...

46 CFR 162.050-33 - Bilge alarm: Design specification.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... to re-zero the instrument. The accuracy of the readings must at all times remain within the limits...) Each bilge alarm must activate its alarm whenever clean water is used for cleaning or zeroing purposes...

46 CFR 162.050-33 - Bilge alarm: Design specification.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... to re-zero the instrument. The accuracy of the readings must at all times remain within the limits...) Each bilge alarm must activate its alarm whenever clean water is used for cleaning or zeroing purposes...

Transfer and Cross‐Collateralization of Clean Water State Revolving Funds and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Link containing Federal laws and Executive Orders, including cross-cutting federal authorities, apply to projects and activities receiving assistance under the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) program.

Preparing Colorful Astronomical Images III: Cosmetic Cleaning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frattare, L. M.; Levay, Z. G.

2003-12-01

We present cosmetic cleaning techniques for use with mainstream graphics software (Adobe Photoshop) to produce presentation-quality images and illustrations from astronomical data. These techniques have been used on numerous images from the Hubble Space Telescope when producing photographic, print and web-based products for news, education and public presentation as well as illustrations for technical publication. We expand on a previous paper to discuss the treatment of various detector-attributed artifacts such as cosmic rays, chip seams, gaps, optical ghosts, diffraction spikes and the like. While Photoshop is not intended for quantitative analysis of full dynamic range data (as are IRAF or IDL, for example), we have had much success applying Photoshop's numerous, versatile tools to final presentation images. Other pixel-to-pixel applications such as filter smoothing and global noise reduction will be discussed.

Generating High-Brightness Ion Beams for Inertial Confinement Fusion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cuneo, M. E.

1997-11-01

The generation of high current density ion beams with applied-B ion diodes showed promise in the late-1980's as an efficient, rep-rate, focusable driver for inertial confinement fusion. These devices use several Tesla insulating magnetic fields to restrict electron motion across anode-cathode gaps of order 1-2 cm, while accelerating ions to generate ≈ 1 kA/cm^2, 5 - 15 MeV beams. These beams have been used to heat hohlraums to about 65 eV. However, meeting the ICF driver requirements for low-divergence and high-brightness lithium ion beams has been more technically challenging than initially thought. Experimental and theoretical work over the last 5 years shows that high-brightness beams meeting the requirements for inertial confinement fusion are possible. The production of these beams requires the simultaneous integration of at least four conditions: 1) rigorous vacuum cleaning techniques for control of undesired anode, cathode, ion source and limiter plasma formation from electrode contaminants to control impurity ions and impedance collapse; 2) carefully tailored insulating magnetic field geometry for uniform beam generation; 3) high magnetic fields (V_crit/V > 2) and other techniques to control the electron sheath and the onset of a high divergence electromagnetic instability that couples strongly to the ion beam; and 4) an active, pre-formed, uniform lithium plasma for low source divergence which is compatible with the above electron-sheath control techniques. These four conditions have never been simultaneously present in any lithium beam experiment, but simulations and experimental tests of individual conditions have been done. The integration of these conditions is a goal of the present ion beam generation program at Sandia. This talk will focus on the vacuum cleaning techniques for ion diodes and pulsed power devices in general, including experimental results obtained on the SABRE and PBFA-II accelerators over the last 3 years. The current status of integration of the other key physics and technologies required to demonstrate high-brightness ion beams will also be presented.

Clean Cities 2012 Annual Metrics Report

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

Johnson, Caley

2013-12-01

The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Clean Cities program advances the nation's economic, environmental, and energy security by supporting local actions to cut petroleum use in transportation. A national network of nearly 100 Clean Cities coalitions brings together stakeholders in the public and private sectors to deploy alternative and renewable fuels, idle-reduction measures, fuel economy improvements, and new transportation technologies, as they emerge. Each year DOE asks Clean Cities coordinators to submit annual reports of their activities and accomplishments for the previous calendar year. Data and information are submitted via an online database that is maintained as part of themore » Alternative Fuels Data Center (AFDC) at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Coordinators submit a range of data that characterizes the membership, funding, projects, and activities of their coalitions. They also submit data about sales of alternative fuels, deployment of alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), idle-reduction initiatives, fuel economy activities, and programs to reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT). NREL analyzes the data and translates them into petroleum-use reduction impacts, which are summarized in this report.« less

Nanostructured Gd3+-TiO2 surfaces for self-cleaning application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saif, M.; El-Molla, S. A.; Aboul-Fotouh, S. M. K.; Ibrahim, M. M.; Ismail, L. F. M.; Dahn, Douglas C.

2014-06-01

Preparation of self-cleaning surfaces based on lanthanide modified titanium dioxide nanoparticles has rarely been reported. In the present work, gadolinium doped titanium dioxide thin films (x mol Gd3+-TiO2 where x = 0.000, 0.005, 0.008, 0.010, 0.020 and 0.030 mol) were synthesized by sol-gel method and deposited using doctor-blade method. These films were characterized by studying their structural, optical and electrical properties. Doping with gadolinium decreases the band gap energy and increase conductivity of thin films. The photo self-cleaning activity in term of quantitative determination of the active oxidative species (rad OH) produced on the thin film surfaces was evaluated using fluorescent probe method. The results show that, the highly active thin film is the 0.020 Gd3+-TiO2. The structural, morphology, optical, electrical and photoactivity properties of Gd3+-TiO2 thin films make it promising surfaces for self-cleaning application. Mineralization of commercial textile dye (Remazol Red RB-133, RR) and durability using 0.020Gd3+-TiO2 film surface was studied.

The potential use of nanosilver-decorated titanium dioxide nanofibers for toxin decomposition with antimicrobial and self-cleaning properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Srisitthiratkul, Chutima; Pongsorrarith, Voraluck; Intasanta, Narupol

2011-08-01

While chemical and biological attacks pose risk to human health, clean air is of scientific, environmental and physiological concerns. In the present contribution, the potential use of nanosilver-decorated titanium dioxide (TiO 2) nanofibers for toxin decomposition with antimicrobial activity and self-cleaning properties was investigated. Titanium dioxide nanofibers were prepared through sol-gel reaction followed by an electrospinning process. Following the Japan Industrial Standard (JIS) protocol, decompositions of nitrogen oxide (NOx) and volatile organic compound (VOC) by the TiO 2 nanofibers suggested that these materials were capable of air treatment. To further enhance their anti-microbial activity, silver nanoparticles were decorated onto the TiO 2 nanofibers' surfaces via photoreduction of silver ion in the presence of the nanofibers suspension. Furthermore, tests of photocatalytic activity of the samples were performed by photodegrading methylene blue in water. The nanofibrous membranes prepared from these nanofibers showed superhydrophilicity under UV. Finally, the possibility of using these hybrid nanofibers in environmental and hygienic nanofiltration was proposed, where the self-cleaning characteristics was expected to be valuable in maintenance processes.

Below room temperature: How the photocatalytic activity of dense and mesoporous TiO2 coatings is affected

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cedillo-González, Erika Iveth; Riccò, Raffaele; Costacurta, Stefano; Siligardi, Cristina; Falcaro, Paolo

2018-03-01

Different parameters such as morphology, porosity, crystalline phase or doping agents affect the self-cleaning performance of photocatalytic TiO2-based coatings. However, also environmental conditions have been found to play a major role on the photocatalytic self-cleaning property. Substrate temperature is a significant environmental variable that can drastically affect this process. This variable becomes of great importance especially for outdoor applications: many self-cleaning photocatalytic materials have been designed to be exposed to outdoor environments and consequently, can be exposed to variable temperatures depending on the season of the year and the typical weather of the geographical zone. Thus, understanding the influence of the most common outdoor temperatures on the self-cleaning performance of TiO2-based coatings is essential for the fabrication of any kind of photocatalytic self-cleaning materials (fabricated by coating technology) that is expected to be subjected to outdoor environments. In this work, the photocatalytic activity was studied by Fourier Transformed Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy varying the temperature in the 0 to 30 °C range for dense and mesoporous TiO2 coatings. The temperature conditions at which these coatings present better performances were identified, providing a deeper insight for the practical application of TiO2-based self-cleaning coatings.

Photo-induced self-cleaning and sterilizing activity of Sm3+ doped ZnO nanomaterials.

PubMed

Saif, M; Hafez, H; Nabeel, A I

2013-01-01

Highly active samarium doped zinc oxide self-cleaning and biocidal surfaces (x mol% Sm(3+)/ZnO where x=0, 1, 2 and 4 mol%) with crystalline porous structures were synthesized by hydrothermal method. Sm(3+)/ZnO thin films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopic (EDS), UV-visible diffuse reflectance and fluorescence (FL) spectroscopy. The combination between doping and hydrothermal treatments significantly altered the morphology of ZnO into rod and plate-like nanoshapes structure and enhanced its absorption and emission of ultraviolet radiation. The photo-activity in term of quantitative determination of the active oxidative species (()OH) produced on the thin film surfaces was evaluated using fluorescent probe method. The results showed that, the hydrothermally treated 2.0 mol% Sm(3+)/ZnO film (S2) is the highly active one. The optical, structural, morphology and photo-activity properties of the highly active thin film (S2) make it promising surface for self-cleaning and sterilizing applications. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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

Nabeel, A.; Khan, T.A.; Sharma, D.K.

The use of low-grade coal in thermal power stations is leading to environmental pollution due to the generation of large amounts of fly ash, bottom ash, and CO{sub 2} besides other pollutants. It is therefore important to clean the coal before using it in thermal power stations, steel plants, or cement industries etc. Physical beneficiation of coal results in only limited cleaning of coal. The increasing environmental pollution problems from the use of coal have led to the development of clean coal technologies. In fact, the clean use of coal requires the cleaning of coal to ultra low ash contents,more » keeping environmental norms and problems in view and the ever-growing need to increase the efficiency of coal-based power generation. Therefore this requires the adaptation of chemical cleaning techniques for cleaning the coal to obtain ultra clean coal having ultra low ash contents. Presently the reaction conditions for chemical demineralization of low-grade coal using 20% aq NaOH treatment followed by 10% H{sub 2}SO{sub 4} leaching under reflux conditions have been optimized. In order to reduce the concentration of alkali and acid used in this process of chemical demineralization of low-grade coals, stepwise, i.e., three step process of chemical demineralization of coal using 1% or 5% aq NaOH treatment followed by 1% or 5% H{sub 2}SO{sub 4} leaching has been developed, which has shown good results in demineralization of low-grade coals. In order to conserve energy, the alkali-acid leaching of coal was also carried out at room temperature, which gave good results.« less

Section 608 Technician Certification Test Topics

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Identifies some of the topics covered on Section 608 Technician Certification tests such as ozone depletion, the Clean Air Act and Montreal Protocol, Substitute Refrigerants and oils, Refrigeration and Recovery Techniques.

Analysis of leading edge and trailing edge cover glass samples before and after treatment with advanced satellite contamination removal techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hotaling, S. P.

1993-01-01

Two samples from Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) experiment M0003-4 were analyzed for molecular and particulate contamination prior to and following treatment with advanced satellite contamination removal techniques (CO2 gas/solid jet spray and oxygen ion beam). The pre- and post-cleaning measurements and analyses are presented. The jet spray removed particulates in seconds. The low energy reactive oxygen ion beam removed 5,000 A of photo polymerized organic hydrocarbon contamination in less than 1 hour. Spectroscopic analytical techniques were applied to the analysis of cleaning efficiency including: Fourier transform infrared, Auger, x ray photoemissions, energy dispersive x ray, and ultraviolet/visible. The results of this work suggest that the contamination studied here was due to spacecraft self-contamination enhanced by atomic oxygen plasma dynamics and solar UV radiation. These results also suggest the efficacy for the jet spray and ion beam contamination control technologies for spacecraft optical surfaces.

Preparing Al-Mg Substrate for Thermal Spraying: Evaluation of Surface State After Different Pretreatments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lukauskaitė, R.; Valiulis, A. V.; Černašėjus, O.; Škamat, J.; Rębiś, J. A.

2016-08-01

The article deals with the pretreatment technique for preparing the surface of aluminum alloy EN AW 5754 before thermal spray. The surface after different pretreatments, including degreasing with acetone, chemical etching with acidic and alkali solutions, grit-blasting, cathodic cleaning, and some combinations of these techniques, has been studied. The investigation of pre-treated surfaces covered the topographical study (using scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and 3D profilometry), the chemical analysis by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, the evaluation of surface wettability (sessile drop method), and the assessment of surface free energy. Compared with all the techniques used in present work, the cathodic cleaning and its combination with grit-blasting provide the most preferable chemistry of the surface. Due to the absence of hydroxides at the surface and, possible, due to the diffusion of magnesium to the surface of substrate, the surface wettability and the surface free energy have been significantly improved. No direct correlation between the surface topography and the surface wettability has been established.

[Technique for removing donor sclera by eyeball extrusion].

PubMed

González Del Valle, F; Álvarez Portela, M; Lara Medina, J; Celis Sánchez, J; Barrajón Rodríguez, A

2012-09-01

To describe a surgery technique for removing donor sclera tissue after corneo-scleral button excision. The extrusion technique is easy to perform. It allows the complete scleral extraction its total clean up to be performed, as well as making easier to isolate the retina and uveal tissue. This technique could have an important role in the anatomical and morphological study of ocular structures. Copyright © 2011 Sociedad Española de Oftalmología. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLIER ALTERNATIVES TO ORGANIC SYNTHESES

EPA Science Inventory

An overview of the research activity at the USEPA AWBERC Research Center in general and the Sustainable Technology Division with specific reference to clean process development will be presented. Several examples of clean and efficient chemical processes will be highlighted that ...

CARBON ADSORPTION FOR INDOOR AIR CLEANING

EPA Science Inventory

The paper discusses the use of carbon adsorption for indoor air cleaning, focusing on the removal of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) using granular activated carbon (GAC). It addresses GAC performance in two directions. Initially, it presents performance measurements for GAC at...

Reaching Your Limits.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Science Activities, 1995

1995-01-01

Presents a Project WET water education activity. By attempting to remove contaminants from "wastewater," students gain an appreciation for what is involved in providing clean drinking water. Students describe the process for treating wastewater and become familiar with nontoxic household cleaning methods. (LZ)

Evaluation of Disinfection Techniques for, and Their Effects on, Rectal Thermocouple Catheters1

PubMed Central

Maher, J. T.; Rogers, M. R.; Peterson, D. W.

1961-01-01

The antibacterial activities of an iodophor (Wescodyne G), a quaternary ammonium compound (Roccal), and an iodine tincture as agents for the cold disinfection of rectal catheters contaminated in vitro were determined. Following thorough cleaning with an alcoholic solution of soft soap, each of the three disinfectants tested showed satisfactory results (100% kill) in 5 min against the enteric test bacteria (Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhosa) as well as a test species of the genus Pseudomonas, among the bacteria most resistant to surface-active agents. An aqueous solution of Wescodyne G containing 75 ppm available iodine was used both as a wiping solution and for subsequent disinfection of rectal catheters contaminated in vivo. Total bacterial destruction was found to follow a 60-min soak preceded by the wiping procedure. Rectal catheters subjected to prolonged immersion in each of the test disinfectants were found to be essentially unaffected, retaining their initial calibrations within a permissible tolerance. Neither Roccal nor Wescodyne G solutions were found to measurably attack bare thermocouples. Alcoholic iodine 0.5% did, however, exert a deteriorating effect on bare thermocouples in a short time, as measured by change in resistance characteristics. The results of this study have led to the recommendation that Wescodyne G containing 75 ppm available iodine be used in standing operating procedures for the initial cleaning and subsequent disinfection of rectal thermocouple catheters. Images Fig. 1 PMID:13765378

Improved antifouling potential of polyether sulfone polymeric membrane containing silver nanoparticles: self-cleaning membranes.

PubMed

Rana, Sidra; Nazar, Umair; Ali, Jafar; Ali, Qurat Ul Ain; Ahmad, Nasir M; Sarwar, Fiza; Waseem, Hassan; Jamil, Syed Umair Ullah

2018-06-01

A new strategy to enhance the antifouling potential of polyether sulfone (PES) membrane is presented. Chemically synthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were used to prepare a mixed-matrix PES membrane by the phase inversion technique. Primarily, AgNPs synthesis was confirmed by surface plasmon resonance at 410-430 nm using UV-Visible spectroscopy. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that AgNPs were crystalline with a diameter of 21 ± 2 nm. Furthermore, PES membranes were characterized by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy to confirm the incorporation of AgNPs in membranes. Hydrophilicity of the membranes was enhanced, whereas roughness, mechanical strength and biofouling were relatively reduced after embedding the AgNPs. Antibacterial potential of AgNPs was evaluated for E. coli in the disc diffusion and colony-forming unit (CFU) count method. All of the membranes were assessed for antifouling activity by filtering a control dilution (10 6  CFU/ml) of E. coli and by counting CFU. Anti-biofouling activity of the membrane was observed with different concentrations of AgNPs. Maximum reduction (66%) was observed in membrane containing 1.5% of AgNPs. The addition of antibiotic ceftriaxone enhanced the antibacterial effect of AgNPs in PES membranes. Our practicable antifouling strategy may be applied to other polymeric membranes which may pave the new way to achieve sustainable and self-cleaning membrane reactors on large scale.

Radiolytic Synthesis of Pt-Particle/ABS Catalysts for H₂O₂ Decomposition in Contact Lens Cleaning.

PubMed

Ohkubo, Yuji; Aoki, Tomonori; Seino, Satoshi; Mori, Osamu; Ito, Issaku; Endo, Katsuyoshi; Yamamura, Kazuya

2017-08-23

A container used in contact lens cleaning requires a Pt plating weight of 1.5 mg for H₂O₂ decomposition although Pt is an expensive material. Techniques that decrease the amount of Pt are therefore needed. In this study, Pt nanoparticles instead of Pt plating film were supported on a substrate of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (ABS). This was achieved by the reduction of Pt ions in an aqueous solution containing the ABS substrate using high-energy electron-beam irradiation. Pt nanoparticles supported on the ABS substrate (Pt-particle/ABS) had a size of 4-10 nm. The amount of Pt required for Pt-particle/ABS was 250 times less than that required for an ABS substrate covered with Pt plating film (Pt-film/ABS). The catalytic activity for H₂O₂ decomposition was estimated by measuring the residual H₂O₂ concentration after immersing the catalyst for 360 min. The Pt-particle/ABS catalyst had a considerably higher specific catalytic activity for H₂O₂ decomposition than the Pt-film/ABS catalyst. In addition, sterilization performance was estimated from the initial rate of H₂O₂ decomposition over 60 min. The Pt-particle/ABS catalyst demonstrated a better sterilization performance than the Pt-film/ABS catalyst. The difference between Pt-particle/ABS and Pt-film/ABS was shown to reflect the size of the O₂ bubbles formed during H₂O₂ decomposition.

Researching effective approaches to cleaning in hospitals: protocol of the REACH study, a multi-site stepped-wedge randomised trial.

PubMed

Hall, Lisa; Farrington, Alison; Mitchell, Brett G; Barnett, Adrian G; Halton, Kate; Allen, Michelle; Page, Katie; Gardner, Anne; Havers, Sally; Bailey, Emily; Dancer, Stephanie J; Riley, Thomas V; Gericke, Christian A; Paterson, David L; Graves, Nicholas

2016-03-24

The Researching Effective Approaches to Cleaning in Hospitals (REACH) study will generate evidence about the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a novel cleaning initiative that aims to improve the environmental cleanliness of hospitals. The initiative is an environmental cleaning bundle, with five interdependent, evidence-based components (training, technique, product, audit and communication) implemented with environmental services staff to enhance hospital cleaning practices. The REACH study will use a stepped-wedge randomised controlled design to test the study intervention, an environmental cleaning bundle, in 11 Australian hospitals. All trial hospitals will receive the intervention and act as their own control, with analysis undertaken of the change within each hospital based on data collected in the control and intervention periods. Each site will be randomised to one of the 11 intervention timings with staggered commencement dates in 2016 and an intervention period between 20 and 50 weeks. All sites complete the trial at the same time in 2017. The inclusion criteria allow for a purposive sample of both public and private hospitals that have higher-risk patient populations for healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). The primary outcome (objective one) is the monthly number of Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemias (SABs), Clostridium difficile infections (CDIs) and vancomycin resistant enterococci (VRE) infections, per 10,000 bed days. Secondary outcomes for objective one include the thoroughness of hospital cleaning assessed using fluorescent marker technology, the bio-burden of frequent touch surfaces post cleaning and changes in staff knowledge and attitudes about environmental cleaning. A cost-effectiveness analysis will determine the second key outcome (objective two): the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio from implementation of the cleaning bundle. The study uses the integrated Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services (iPARIHS) framework to support the tailored implementation of the environmental cleaning bundle in each hospital. Evidence from the REACH trial will contribute to future policy and practice guidelines about hospital environmental cleaning. It will be used by healthcare leaders and clinicians to inform decision-making and implementation of best-practice infection prevention strategies to reduce HAIs in hospitals. Australia New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry ACTRN12615000325505.

Cheap non-toxic non-corrosive method of glass cleaning evaluated by contact angle, AFM, and SEM-EDX measurements.

PubMed

Dey, Tania; Naughton, Daragh

2017-05-01

Glass surface cleaning is the very first step in advanced coating deposition and it also finds use in conserving museum objects. However, most of the wet chemical methods of glass cleaning use toxic and corrosive chemicals like concentrated sulfuric acid (H 2 SO 4 ), piranha (a mixture of concentrated sulfuric acid and 30% hydrogen peroxide), and hydrogen fluoride (HF). On the other hand, most of the dry cleaning techniques like UV-ozone, plasma, and laser treatment require costly instruments. In this report, five eco-friendly wet chemical methods of glass cleaning were evaluated in terms of contact angle (measured by optical tensiometer), nano-scale surface roughness (measured by atomic force microscopy or AFM), and elemental composition (measured by energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy or SEM-EDX). These glass cleaning methods are devoid of harsh chemicals and costly equipment, hence can be applied in situ in close proximity with plantation such as greenhouse or upon subtle objects such as museum artifacts. Out of these five methods, three methods are based on the chemical principle of chelation. It was found that the citric acid cleaning method gave the greatest change in contact angle within the hydrophilic regime (14.25° for new glass) indicating effective cleansing and the least surface roughness (0.178 nm for new glass) indicating no corrosive effect. One of the glass sample showed unique features which were traced backed to the history of the glass usage.

Cleaning the Southern African Large Telescope's M5 mirror

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crause, Lisa A.; Gajjar, Hitesh; Love, Jonathan; Strümpfer, Francois; O'Connor, James E.; O'Donoghue, Darragh E.; Strydom, Ockert J.; Buckley, David A. H.; Gillingham, Peter

2010-07-01

This paper describes the cleaning of M5, one of the four mirrors that make up the Southern African Large Telescope's Spherical Aberration Corrector. As the top upward-facing mirror in a relatively exposed environment, M5 had accumulated a considerable amount of dust and dirt during the six years it had been on the telescope. With the corrector on the ground for re-alignment and testing, we had the opportunity to remove, wash and replace the mirror. Various cleaning techniques were investigated, including an unsuccessful trial application of First Contact surface cleaning polymer film - fortunately only to a small region outside the mirror's clear aperture. Ultimately, "drag-wiping" with wads of cotton wool soaked in a 10g/l sodium lauryl sulphate solution proved highly effective in restoring the reflectivity of M5's optical surface. Following this success, we repeated the procedure for M3, the other upward-facing mirror in the corrector. The results for M3 were equally spectacular.

Vertically Aligned Graphene Sheets Membrane for Highly Efficient Solar Thermal Generation of Clean Water.

PubMed

Zhang, Panpan; Li, Jing; Lv, Lingxiao; Zhao, Yang; Qu, Liangti

2017-05-23

Efficient utilization of solar energy for clean water is an attractive, renewable, and environment friendly way to solve the long-standing water crisis. For this task, we prepared the long-range vertically aligned graphene sheets membrane (VA-GSM) as the highly efficient solar thermal converter for generation of clean water. The VA-GSM was prepared by the antifreeze-assisted freezing technique we developed, which possessed the run-through channels facilitating the water transport, high light absorption capacity for excellent photothermal transduction, and the extraordinary stability in rigorous conditions. As a result, VA-GSM has achieved average water evaporation rates of 1.62 and 6.25 kg m -2 h -1 under 1 and 4 sun illumination with a superb solar thermal conversion efficiency of up to 86.5% and 94.2%, respectively, better than that of most carbon materials reported previously, which can efficiently produce the clean water from seawater, common wastewater, and even concentrated acid and/or alkali solutions.

Optimal control of diarrhea transmission in a flood evacuation zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erwina, N.; Aldila, D.; Soewono, E.

2014-03-01

Evacuation of residents and diarrhea disease outbreak in evacuation zone have become serious problem that frequently happened during flood periods. Limited clean water supply and infrastructure in evacuation zone contribute to a critical spread of diarrhea. Transmission of diarrhea disease can be reduced by controlling clean water supply and treating diarrhea patients properly. These treatments require significant amount of budget, which may not be fulfilled in the fields. In his paper, transmission of diarrhea disease in evacuation zone using SIRS model is presented as control optimum problem with clean water supply and rate of treated patients as input controls. Existence and stability of equilibrium points and sensitivity analysis are investigated analytically for constant input controls. Optimum clean water supply and rate of treatment are found using optimum control technique. Optimal results for transmission of diarrhea and the corresponding controls during the period of observation are simulated numerically. The optimum result shows that transmission of diarrhea disease can be controlled with proper combination of water supply and rate of treatment within allowable budget.

[Poisoning with household cleaning products in a city in Northeast Brazil].

PubMed

Fook, Sayonara Maria Lia; Azevedo, Esthefanye Fernandes de; Costa, Monalisa Maciel; Feitosa, Itavielly Layany França; Bragagnoli, Gerson; Mariz, Saulo Rios

2013-05-01

This study analyzes toxic exposures to household cleaning products based on data from the Center for Notification and Treatment of Poisoning (CEATOX) in Campina Grande, Paraíba State, Brazil, from 2007 to 2010. The data were collected from the reporting forms from the Information System on Notifiable Diseases (SINAN), analyzed with SPSS (Version 17). Chemical identification was performed in urine samples using high-resolution chromatography techniques (GC-MS and HPLC-UV). Six hundred and sixty cases of poisoning were reported, with pesticides as the principal causal agents (42.2%). Poisoning with household cleaning products occurred mainly in children (30.1%) and/or females (55.21%) who were exposed to the product accidentally (55.4%) by the oral route (82%). These data indicate that poisoning with household cleaning products in Campina Grande should be treated with specific prevention and control measures, including evaluation of ease of access to pesticides, in order to reach the goals set by the Brazilian National Health Plan for 2012-2015.

What's growing on General Practitioner's stethoscope?

PubMed

Carducci, A; Cargnelutti, M; Tassinari, F; Bizzarro, A; Cordio, G; Carletti, S; Maccarini, L; Pelissero, G

2016-01-01

Non-critical medical devices, as stethoscopes, have long been considered as vectors in microorganisms' transmission. Cleaning standards for non-critical medical equipment are often unclear. This study was designed to assess the attitude of General Practitioners (GPs) towards cleaning their stethoscope and the degree of microbiological contamination of doctor's instrument in outpatient setting. Observational, crossover study. A structured questionnaire was administered to GPs to test their knowledge about medical instrument's cleanliness recommendations and the surface of the diaphragm of their stethoscopes was analyzed for bacteriological isolates using mass spectrometry technique. Most of GPs declared they don't know cleaning recommendations for non-critical medical devices and a relevant bacterial growth was identified on the majority of the stethoscopes' membranes. Almost all microbiological isolates resulted typically found in cutaneous flora. We can't state that the GP's stethoscopes feature a risk of transmission for microbiological pathogens; anyway, because of the level of contamination we observed, cleaning recommendations to disinfect instruments on a regular basis should be better indicated.

Removal of graffiti paintings from the Mansion de Mattis site in Corato (Bari), Italy: Laser deveiling or complete cleaning?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daurelio, G.; Andriani, E. S.; Albanese, A.; Catalano, I. M.; Teseo, G.; Marano, D.

2008-10-01

Nowadays one the main problem of stone monuments conservation is not only the natural environment deterioration but the defaced, in particular esthetic, due to graffiti. This paper presents the different stages of the cleaning graffiti research: the laboratory study phase, in which the aims were to investigate the laser cleaning effect on substrate and testing user-friendly and efficient solutions for in situ application; the application phase in which the study results were applied in the restoration of Palazzo de Mattis facade. The graffiti cleaning were carried out by using a Q-Switch Nd:YAG laser source (λ=1064 nm with pulse duration, t=8 ns, f=2 to 20 Hz, energy per impulse up to 280 mJ) in dry, wet and Very wet modes adopting the Daurelio technique n.1 (blade spot laser). The Q-Switch Nd:Yag laser source has demonstrated to be the most suitable for a fully or, according to new restoring theory, "de veiling" graffiti ablation.

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

Rielage, K.; Akashi-Ronquest, M.; Bodmer, M.

The direct search for dark matter is entering a period of increased sensitivity to the hypothetical Weakly Interacting Massive Particle (WIMP). One such technology that is being examined is a scintillation only noble liquid experiment, MiniCLEAN. MiniCLEAN utilizes over 500 kg of liquid cryogen to detect nuclear recoils from WIMP dark matter and serves as a demonstration for a future detector of order 50 to 100 tonnes. The liquid cryogen is interchangeable between argon and neon to study the A² dependence of the potential signal and examine backgrounds. MiniCLEAN utilizes a unique modular design with spherical geometry to maximize themore » light yield using cold photomultiplier tubes in a single-phase detector. Pulse shape discrimination techniques are used to separate nuclear recoil signals from electron recoil backgrounds. MiniCLEAN will be spiked with additional ³⁹Ar to demonstrate the effective reach of the pulse shape discrimination capability. Assembly of the experiment is underway at SNOLAB and an update on the project is given.« less

Achieving ultrahigh vacuum in an unbaked chamber with glow discharge conditioning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khan, Ziauddin; Semwal, Pratibha; Dhanani, Kalpesh R.; Raval, Dilip C.; Pradhan, Subrata

2017-01-01

Glow discharge conditioning (GDC) has long been accepted as one of the basic wall conditioning techniques for achieving ultrahigh vacuum in an unbaked chamber. As a part of this fundamental experimental study, a test chamber has been fabricated from stainless steel 304 L with its inner surface electropolished on which a detailed investigation has been carried out. Both helium and hydrogen gases have been employed as discharge cleaning medium. The discharge cleaning was carried out at 0.1 A / m 2 current density with working pressure maintained at 1.0 × 10 -2 mbar. It was experimentally observed that the pump-down time to attain the base pressure 10 -8 mbar was reduced by 62% compared to the unbaked chamber being pumped to this ultimate vacuum. The results were similar irrespective of whether the discharge cleaning medium is either hydrogen or helium. It was also experimentally established that a better ultimate vacuum could be achieved as compared to theoretically calculated ultimate vacuum with the help of discharge cleaning.

Effects of mouthguards on vertical dimension, muscle activation, and athlete preference: a prospective cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Gage, C Colby; Huxel Bliven, Kellie C; Bay, R Curtis; Sturgill, Jeremiah S; Park, Jae Hyun

2015-01-01

Mandibular repositioning and subsequent neuromuscular signaling are proposed mechanisms of action for commercial mouthguards marketed for performance enhancement. A prospective cross-sectional study of 24 healthy adult weightlifters with normal occlusal relationships was designed to determine whether 2 self-fit performance mouthguards; a custom-fabricated, bilaterally balanced, dual-laminated mouthguard; and no mouthguard (control) differed in their effects on vertical dimension, muscle activation, and user preference during a 75% maximum power clean lift. Each subject was tested for each of the mouthguard categories: Power Balance POWERUP, Under Armour ArmourBite, custom, and no mouthguard. Interocclusal distance was measured at baseline and with each mouthguard. Mean and peak activity of the anterior temporalis, masseter, sternocleidomastoid, and cervical paraspinal muscles was measured during sitting and during a 75% maximum power clean lift. A mouthguard preference questionnaire was completed. Analyses were conducted to determine whether interocclusal distance differed among mouthguard type and to examine the effect of mouthguard type on mean and peak muscle activation during the clean lift. Interocclusal distance was affected by mouthguard type (P = 0.01). Mean and peak activity of the anterior temporalis and masseter muscles and mean activity of the sternocleidomastoid muscle differed among mouthguards (P < 0.05). Mouthguard type did not influence muscle activation of the cervical paraspinal muscle group. Overall, the Power Balance mouthguard produced more muscle activity. Participants preferred custom mouthguards nearly 2:1 over self-fit performance mouthguards (P = 0.05). Participants perceived that they were stronger and were less encumbered when using a custom mouthguard during submaximum power clean lifts.

Activated adsorption of methane on clean and oxygen-modified Pt?111? and Pd?110?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valden, M.; Pere, J.; Hirsimäki, M.; Suhonen, S.; Pessa, M.

1997-04-01

Activated adsorption of CH 4 on clean and oxygen modified Pt{111} and Pd{110} has been studied using molecular beam surface scattering. The absolute dissociation probability of CH 4 was measured as a function of the incident normal energy ( E) and the surface temperature ( Ts). The results from clean Pt{111} and Pd{110} are consistent with a direct dissociation mechanism. The dissociative chemisorption dynamics of CH 4 is addressed by using quantum mechanical and statistical models. The influence of adsorbed oxygen on the dissociative adsorption of CH 4 on both Pt{111} and Pd{110} shows that the dissociation probability decreases linearly with increasing oxygen coverage.

JSF/F-35 Pollution Prevention Activities

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-05-01

Liquid Oxygen •Produces Oxygen-Rich Breathing Gas From Engine Bleed Air Using Molecular Sieve Technology •No Exotic Cleaning Solutions •Military No...Explosion from Bullets/Shrapnel •On-Board Inert Gas Generating System (OBIGGS) Replaced Halon 1301 •Filters out Oxygen from Ambient Air to Create...Supply System •Supply System Must Be Perfectly Clean •Best Cleaning Solutions Freon CFC-113 and HCFC-141b •On-Board Oxygen Generating System Replaced

Portable Raman monitoring of modern cleaning and consolidation operations of artworks on mineral supports.

PubMed

Martínez-Arkarazo, I; Sarmiento, A; Maguregui, M; Castro, K; Madariaga, J M

2010-08-01

Any restoration performed on cultural heritage artworks must guarantee a low impact on the treated surfaces. Although completely risk-free methods do not exist, the use of tailor-made procedures and the continuous monitoring by portable instrumentation is surely one of the best approaches to conduct a modern restoration process. In this work, a portable Raman monitoring, combined sometimes with spectroscopic techniques providing the elemental composition, is the key analysis technique in the three-step restoration protocol proposed: (a) in situ analysis of the surface to be treated (original composition and degradation products/pollutants) and the cleaning agents used as extractants, (b) the thermodynamic study of the species involved in the treatment in order to design a suitable restoration method and (c) application and monitoring of the treatment. Two cleaning operations based on new technologies were studied and applied to two artworks on mineral supports: a wall painting affected by nitrate impact, and a black crusted stone (chalk) altarpiece. Raman bands of nitrate and gypsum, respectively, decreased after the step-by-step operations in each case, which helped restorers to decide when the treatment was concluded, thus avoiding any further damage to the treated surface of the artworks.

Prediction of activity type in preschool children using machine learning techniques.

PubMed

Hagenbuchner, Markus; Cliff, Dylan P; Trost, Stewart G; Van Tuc, Nguyen; Peoples, Gregory E

2015-07-01

Recent research has shown that machine learning techniques can accurately predict activity classes from accelerometer data in adolescents and adults. The purpose of this study is to develop and test machine learning models for predicting activity type in preschool-aged children. Participants completed 12 standardised activity trials (TV, reading, tablet game, quiet play, art, treasure hunt, cleaning up, active game, obstacle course, bicycle riding) over two laboratory visits. Eleven children aged 3-6 years (mean age=4.8±0.87; 55% girls) completed the activity trials while wearing an ActiGraph GT3X+ accelerometer on the right hip. Activities were categorised into five activity classes: sedentary activities, light activities, moderate to vigorous activities, walking, and running. A standard feed-forward Artificial Neural Network and a Deep Learning Ensemble Network were trained on features in the accelerometer data used in previous investigations (10th, 25th, 50th, 75th and 90th percentiles and the lag-one autocorrelation). Overall recognition accuracy for the standard feed forward Artificial Neural Network was 69.7%. Recognition accuracy for sedentary activities, light activities and games, moderate-to-vigorous activities, walking, and running was 82%, 79%, 64%, 36% and 46%, respectively. In comparison, overall recognition accuracy for the Deep Learning Ensemble Network was 82.6%. For sedentary activities, light activities and games, moderate-to-vigorous activities, walking, and running recognition accuracy was 84%, 91%, 79%, 73% and 73%, respectively. Ensemble machine learning approaches such as Deep Learning Ensemble Network can accurately predict activity type from accelerometer data in preschool children. Copyright © 2014 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Brushing Up on Chemistry.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trantow, Ashley

2002-01-01

Presents an activity designed for use during National Chemistry Week 2002 with the theme "Chemistry Keeps Us Clean". Allows students to discover more about a cleaning product they use everyday. Students make their own toothpaste and compare its properties with those of commercial toothpaste. (MM)

Marginal Pipeline Costs of Enlisted Personnel.

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-12-03

printing, cleaning supplies , organizational equipment for train- ing support, barracks furnishings, motor pools and various other items. (USMC: MC... cleaning , supplies , and related items. 11-26 C. ARMY MISSION/SUPPORT COSTS The Army accepted 124,000 active NPS accessions in FY1978. These

Cleaning Services.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sharpton, James L.

This curriculum guide provides cleaning services instructional materials for a ninth- and tenth-grade Coordinated Vocational Education and Training: Home and Community Services program. It includes 2 sections and 11 instructional units. Each unit of instruction consists of eight basic components: performance objectives, teacher activities,…

The effect of ozonization on furniture dust: microbial content and immunotoxicity in vitro.

PubMed

Huttunen, Kati; Kauhanen, Eeva; Meklin, Teija; Vepsäläinen, Asko; Hirvonen, Maija-Riitta; Hyvärinen, Anne; Nevalainen, Aino

2010-05-01

Moisture and mold problems in buildings contaminate also the furniture and other movable property. If cleaning of the contaminated furniture is neglected, it may continue to cause problems to the occupants even after the moisture-damage repairs. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of high-efficiency ozone treatment in cleaning of the furniture from moisture-damaged buildings. In addition, the effectiveness of two cleaning methods was compared. Samples were vacuumed from the padded areas before and after the treatment. The microbial flora and concentrations in the dust sample were determined by quantitative cultivation and QPCR-methods. The immunotoxic potential of the dust samples was analyzed by measuring effects on cell viability and production of inflammatory mediators in vitro. Concentrations of viable microbes decreased significantly in most of the samples after cleaning. Cleaning with combined steam wash and ozonisation was more effective method than ozonising alone, but the difference was not statistically significant. Detection of fungal species with PCR showed a slight but nonsignificant decrease in concentrations after the cleaning. The immunotoxic potential of the collected dust decreased significantly in most of the samples. However, in a small subgroup of samples, increased concentrations of microbes and immunotoxicological activity were detected. This study shows that a transportable cleaning unit with high-efficiency ozonising is in most cases effective in decreasing the concentrations of viable microbes and immunotoxicological activity of the furniture dust. However, the method does not destroy or remove all fungal material present in the dust, as detected with QPCR analysis, and in some cases the cleaning procedure may increase the microbial concentrations and immunotoxicity of the dust. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Influence of in-situ ion-beam sputter cleaning on the conditioning effect of vacuum gaps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kobayashi, Shinichi; Kojima, Hiroyuki; Saito, Yoshio

1994-05-01

An ion beam sputtering technique was used to clean the electrode surfaces of vacuum gaps. Ions of the sputtering gas were irradiated by means of an ion gun in a vacuum chamber attached to a breakdown measurement chamber. By providing in situ ion-beam sputter cleaning, this system makes it possible to make measurements free from contamination due to exposure to the air. The sputtering gas was He or Ar, and the electrodes were made of oxygen-free copper (purity more than 99.96%). An impulse voltage with the wave form of 64/700 microsecond(s) was applied to the test gap, and the pressure in the breakdown measurement chamber at the beginning of breakdown tests was 1.3 X 10-8 Pa. These experiments showed that ion-beam sputter cleaning results in higher breakdown fields after a repetitive breakdown conditioning procedure, and that He is more effective in improving hold- off voltages after the conditioning (under the same ion current density, the breakdown field was 300 MV/m for He sputtering and 200 MV/m for Ar sputtering). The breakdown fields at the first voltage application after the sputtering cleaning, on the other hand, were not improved.

Clean Cities 2015 Annual Metrics Report

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

Johnson, Caley; Singer, Mark

2016-12-01

The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Clean Cities program advances the nation's economic, environmental, and energy security by supporting local actions to cut petroleum use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in transportation. A national network of nearly 100 Clean Cities coalitions, whose territory covers 80% of the U.S. population, brings together stakeholders in the public and private sectors to deploy alternative and renewable fuels, idle-reduction (IR) measures, fuel economy improvements, and new transportation technologies as they emerge. Each year, DOE asks Clean Cities coordinators to submit annual reports of their activities and accomplishments for the previous calendar year. Progress reportsmore » and information are submitted online as a function of the Alternative Fuels Data Center (AFDC) at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Coordinators report a range of information that characterize the membership, funding, projects, and activities of their coalitions. They also document activities in their region related to the development of refueling/charging infrastructure, sales of alternative fuels; deployment of alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs), plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs), hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs); idle reduction initiatives; fuel economy improvement activities; and programs to reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT). NREL analyzes the data and translates them into petroleum-use and GHG emission reduction impacts, which are summarized in this report.« less

Theoretical considerations of soil retention. [dirtying of solar energy devices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cuddihy, E. F.

1980-01-01

The performance of solar energy devices is adversely affected by surface soiling, and generally, the loss of performance increases with increases in the quantity of soil retained on their surfaces. To minimize performance losses caused by soiling, solar devices should not only be deployed in low soiling geographical areas, but employ surfaces or surfacing materials having low affinity for soil retention, maximum susceptibility to be naturally cleaned by wind, rain and snow, and to be readily cleanable by simple and inexpensive maintenance cleaning techniques. This article describes known and postulated mechanisms of soil retention on surfaces, and infers from these mechanisms that low soiling and easily cleanable surfaces should have low surface energy, and be hard, smooth, hydrophobic and chemically clean of sticky materials and water soluble salts.

Toward the development of erosion-free ultrasonic cavitation cleaning with gas-supersaturated water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamashita, Tatsuya; Ando, Keita

2015-11-01

In ultrasonic cleaning, contaminant particles attached at target surfaces are removed by liquid flow or acoustic waves that are induced by acoustic cavitation bubbles. However, the inertial collapse of such bubbles often involve strong shock emission or water hammer by re-entrant jets, thereby giving rise to material erosion. Here, we aim at developing an erosion-free ultrasonic cleaning technique with the aid of gas-supersaturated water. The key idea is that (gaseous) cavitation is triggered easily even with low-intensity sonication in water where gases are dissolved beyond Henry's saturation limit, allowing us to buffer violent bubble collapse. In this presentation, we report on observations of the removal of micron/submicron-sized particles attached at glass surfaces by the action of gaseous cavitation bubbles under low-intensity sonication.

Photo-Curable Metal-Chelating Coatings Offer a Scalable Approach to Production of Antioxidant Active Packaging.

PubMed

Lin, Zhuangsheng; Goddard, Julie

2018-02-01

Synthetic metal chelators (for example, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, EDTA) are widely used as additives to control trace transition metal induced oxidation in consumer products. To enable removal of synthetic chelators in response to increasing consumer demand for clean label products, metal-chelating active food packaging technologies have been developed with demonstrated antioxidant efficacy in simulated food systems. However, prior work in fabrication of metal-chelating materials leveraged batch chemical reactions to tether metal-chelating ligands, a process with limited industrial translatability for large-scale fabrication. To improve the industrial translatability, we have designed a 2-step laminated photo-grafting process to introduce metal chelating functionality onto common polymeric packaging materials. Iminodiacetic acid (IDA) functionalized materials were fabricated by photo-grafting poly(acrylic acid) onto polypropylene (PP) films, followed by a second photo-grafting process to graft-polymerize an IDA functionalized vinyl monomer (GMA-IDA). The photo-grafting was conducted under atmospheric conditions and was completed in 2 min. The resulting IDA functionalized metal-chelating material was able to chelate iron and copper, and showed antioxidant efficacy against ascorbic acid degradation, supporting its potential to be used synergistically with natural antioxidants for preservation of food and beverage products. The 2-step photo-grafting process improves the throughput of active packaging coatings, enabling potential roll-to-roll fabrication of metal-chelating active packaging materials for antioxidant food packaging applications. To address consumer and retail demands for "clean label" foods and beverages without a corresponding loss in product quality and shelf life, producers are seeking next generation technologies such as active packaging. In this work, we will report the synthesis of metal-chelating active packaging films, which enable removal of the synthetic additive, ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid. The new synthesis technique improves the throughput of metal-chelating active packaging coatings, enabling potential roll-to-roll fabrication of the materials for antioxidant food packaging applications. © 2018 Institute of Food Technologists®.

Estimates of air emissions from asphalt storage tanks and truck loading

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

Trumbore, D.C.

1999-12-31

Title V of the 1990 Clean Air Act requires the accurate estimation of emissions from all US manufacturing processes, and places the burden of proof for that estimate on the process owner. This paper is published as a tool to assist in the estimation of air emission from hot asphalt storage tanks and asphalt truck loading operations. Data are presented on asphalt vapor pressure, vapor molecular weight, and the emission split between volatile organic compounds and particulate emissions that can be used with AP-42 calculation techniques to estimate air emissions from asphalt storage tanks and truck loading operations. Since currentmore » AP-42 techniques are not valid in asphalt tanks with active fume removal, a different technique for estimation of air emissions in those tanks, based on direct measurement of vapor space combustible gas content, is proposed. Likewise, since AP-42 does not address carbon monoxide or hydrogen sulfide emissions that are known to be present in asphalt operations, this paper proposes techniques for estimation of those emissions. Finally, data are presented on the effectiveness of fiber bed filters in reducing air emissions in asphalt operations.« less

Generation of dissolved organic matter and byproducts from activated sludge during contact with sodium hypochlorite and its implications to on-line chemical cleaning in MBR.

PubMed

Cai, Weiwei; Liu, Jiaqi; Zhang, Xiangru; Ng, Wun Jern; Liu, Yu

2016-11-01

On-line chemical cleaning of membranes with sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) has been commonly employed for maintaining a constant permeability of membrane bioreactor (MBR) due to its simple and efficient operation. However, activated sludge is inevitably exposed to NaClO during this cleaning process. In spite of the broad applications of on-line chemical cleaning in MBR such as chemical cleaning-in-place (CIP) and chemical enhanced backwash (CEB), little information is currently available for the release of emerging dissolved organic matter (DOM) and byproducts from this prevalent practice. Therefore, in this study, activated sludge suspended in a phosphate buffered saline solution was exposed to different doses of NaClO in order to determine the generation of potential DOM and byproducts. The results showed the occurrence of significant DOM release (up to 24.7 mg/L as dissolved organic carbon) after exposure to NaClO for 30 min. The dominant components of the released DOM were characterized to be humic acid-like as well as protein-like substances by using an excitation-emission matrix fluorescence spectrophotometer. Furthermore, after the contact of activated sludge with NaClO, 19 kinds of chlorinated and brominated byproducts were identified by ultra performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry, eight of which were confirmed and characterized with standard compounds. Many byproducts were found to be halogenated aromatic compounds, including halopyrroles and halo(hydro)benzoquinones, which had been reported to be significantly more toxic than the halogenated aliphatic ones. Consequently, this study offers new insights into the practice of on-line chemical cleaning, and opens up a window to re-examine the current operation of MBR by looking into the generation of micropollutants. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Notification: Review of Inspections and Evaluations of Clean Air Act Sources

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Project #OPE-FY15-0015, March 12, 2015. The EPA OIG plans to begin preliminary research of the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA) and selected EPA region's oversight of compliance assurance activities for major Clean Air Act sources.

Controlled study of mold growth and cleaning procedure on treated and untreated wet gypsum wallboard in an indoor environment.

PubMed

Krause, Michael; Geer, William; Swenson, Lonie; Fallah, Payam; Robbins, Coreen

2006-08-01

The basis for some common gypsum wallboard mold remediation practices was examined. The bottom inch of several gypsum wallboard panels was immersed in bottled drinking water; some panels were coated and others were untreated. The panels were examined and tested for a period of 8 weeks. This study investigated: (a) whether mold growth, detectable visually or with tape lift samples, occurs within 1 week on wet gypsum wallboard; (b) the types, timing, and extent of mold growth on wet gypsum wallboard; (c) whether mold growth is present on gypsum wallboard surfaces 6 inches from visible mold growth; (d) whether some commonly used surface treatments affect the timing of occurrence and rate of mold growth; and (e) if moldy but dried gypsum wallboard can be cleaned with simple methods and then sealed with common surface treatments so that residual mold particles are undetectable with typical surface sampling techniques. Mold growth was not detected visually or with tape lift samples after 1 week on any of the wallboard panels, regardless of treatment, well beyond the 24-48 hours often mentioned as the incubation period. Growth was detected at 2 weeks on untreated gypsum. Penicillium, Cladosporium, and Acremonium were early colonizers of untreated panels. Aspergillus, Epicoccum, Alternaria, and Ulocladium appeared later. Stachybotrys was not found. Mold growth was not detected more than 6 inches beyond the margin of visible mold growth, suggesting that recommendations to remove gypsum wallboard more than 1 foot beyond visible mold are excessive. The surface treatments resulted in delayed mold growth and reduced the area of mold growth compared with untreated gypsum wallboard. Results showed that simple cleaning of moldy gypsum wallboard was possible to the extent that mold particles beyond "normal trapping" were not found on tape lift samples. Thus, cleaning is an option in some situations where removal is not feasible or desirable. In cases where conditions are not similar to those of this study, or where large areas may be affected, a sample area could be cleaned and tested to verify that the cleaning technique is sufficient to reduce levels to background or normal trapping. These results are generally in agreement with laboratory studies of mold growth on, and cleaning of, gypsum wallboard.

Removal of the long-lived {sup 222}Rn daughters from steel and germanium surfaces

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

Wojcik, Marcin; Zuzel, Grzegorz; Majorovits, Bela

Removal of the long-lived {sup 222}Rn daughters ({sup 210}Pb, {sup 210}Bi and {sup 210}Po) from stainless steel and germanium surfaces was investigated. As cleaning technique etching was applied to samples in a form of discs exposed earlier to a strong radon source. Reduction of the {sup 210}Pb activity was tested using a HPGe spectrometer, for {sup 210}Bi a beta spectrometer and for {sup 210}Po an alpha spectrometer was used. According to the conducted measurements all the isotopes were removed very efficiently from germanium. Results obtained for stainless steel were worse but still better than those achieved for copper.

Quasi-Speckle Measurements of Close Double Stars With a CCD Camera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harshaw, Richard

2017-01-01

CCD measurements of visual double stars have been an active area of amateur observing for several years now. However, most CCD measurements rely on “lucky imaging” (selecting a very small percentage of the best frames of a larger frame set so as to get the best “frozen” atmosphere for the image), a technique that has limitations with regards to how close the stars can be and still be cleanly resolved in the lucky image. In this paper, the author reports how using deconvolution stars in the analysis of close double stars can greatly enhance the quality of the autocorellogram, leading to a more precise solution using speckle reduction software rather than lucky imaging.

Correlation of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Space Telescope Imaging Spectrometer (STIS) On-Orbit Data with Pre-launch Predictions and Ground Contamination Controls

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hansen, Patricia A.

2003-01-01

The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) was deployed on-orbit in February 1997. The contamination program for STIS was stringently controlled as the five-year end-of-life deposition was set at 158, per optical element. Contamination was controlled through materials selection, extensive vacuum outgassing certifications, cleaning techniques, and environmental controls. In addition to ground contamination controls, on-orbit contamination controls were implemented for both the HST servicing mission activities and early post-servicing mission checkout. The extensive contamination control program will be discussed and the STIS on-orbit data will be correlated with the prelaunch analytical predictions.

Poland petroleum refinery sludge lagoon demonstration project

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

Altman, D.J.

The US Department of Energy and the Institute for Ecology of Industrial Area have been working together to develop mutually beneficial, cost-effective environmental remediation technologies such as the demonstration of bioremediation techniques for the clean up of acidic petroleum sludge impacted soils at an oil refinery in southern Poland. After an expedited site characterization, treatability study, and a risk assessment study, a remediation strategy was devised. The waste material was composed primarily of high molecular weight paraffinic and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons. A biopile design which employed a combination of passive and active aeration in conjunction with nutrient and surfactant applicationmore » as used to increase the biodegradation of the contaminants of concern.« less

Collecting, preparing, crossdating, and measuring tree increment cores

USGS Publications Warehouse

Phipps, R.L.

1985-01-01

Techniques for collecting and handling increment tree cores are described. Procedures include those for cleaning and caring for increment borers, extracting the sample from a tree, core surfacing, crossdating, and measuring. (USGS)

Air Permitting Streamlining Techniques and Approaches for Greenhouse Gases, 2012

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This report presents potential GHG permit streamlining options and observations developed by the Clean Air Act Advisory Committee (CAAAC): Permits, New Source Review and Toxics Subcommittee GHG Permit Streamlining Workgroup

Intermittent catheterisation for long-term bladder management (abridged cochrane review).

PubMed

Prieto, Jacqui A; Murphy, Catherine; Moore, Katherine N; Fader, Mandy J

2015-09-01

To review the evidence on strategies to reduce UTI, other complications or improve satisfaction in intermittent catheter (IC) users by comparing: (1) one catheter design, material or technique versus another; (2) sterile technique versus clean; or (3) single-use (sterile) or multiple-use (clean) catheters. We searched Cochrane Incontinence Group Specialised Trials Register, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, ERIC, reference lists, and conference proceedings to November 2013. We contacted other investigators for unpublished data or clarification. Trial screening, assessment and data abstraction were all in accordance with the Cochrane handbook. Thirty one trials (13 RCTs and 18 randomized crossover trials), addressed the inclusion criteria comparing method or design and UTI/bacteriuria, other complications or participant assessed outcomes. Studies varied widely in follow-up, UTI definition and attrition; in some, data could not be combined. Where there were data, confidence intervals were wide and hence clinically important differences could neither be reliably identified nor ruled out. Current research evidence is weak and design issues are significant. It has not yet been established whether incidence of UTI, other complications such as haematuria, or user satisfaction are affected by sterile or clean technique, coated or uncoated catheters, single or multiple-use catheters or by any other strategy. For people using IC, choice of catheter will depend on personal preference, cost, portability, and ease of use. Individuals should discuss the catheter options with their healthcare practitioner. Cost-effectiveness analysis and use of the standard definition of UTI are essential in any proposed clinical trial. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Effectiveness of granite cleaning procedures in cultural heritage: A review.

PubMed

Pozo-Antonio, J S; Rivas, T; López, A J; Fiorucci, M P; Ramil, A

2016-11-15

Most of the Cultural Heritage built in NW Iberian Peninsula is made of granite which exposition to the environment leads to the formation of deposits and coatings, mainly two types: biological colonization and sulphated black crusts. Nowadays, another form of alteration derives from graffiti paints when these are applied as an act of vandalism. A deep revision needs to be addressed considering the severity of these deterioration forms on granite and the different cleaning effectiveness achieved by cleaning procedures used to remove them. The scientific literature about these topics on granite is scarcer than on sedimentary carbonate stones and marbles, but the importance of the granite in NW Iberian Peninsula Cultural Heritage claims this review centred on biological colonization, sulphated black crusts and graffiti on granite and their effectiveness of the common cleaning procedures. Furthermore, this paper carried out a review of the knowledge about those three alteration forms on granite, as well as bringing together all the major studies in the field of the granite cleaning with traditional procedures (chemical and mechanical) and with the recent developed technique based on the laser ablation. Findings concerning the effectiveness evaluation of these cleaning procedures, considering the coating extraction ability and the damage induced on the granite surface, are described. Finally, some futures research lines are pointed out. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Research and Implementation of MUSER CLEAN Algorithm Based on OpenCL

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, Y.; Chen, K.; Deng, H.; Wang, F.; Mei, Y.; Wei, S. L.; Dai, W.; Yang, Q. P.; Liu, Y. B.; Wu, J. P.

2017-03-01

It's urgent to carry out high-performance data processing with a single machine in the development of astronomical software. However, due to the different configuration of the machine, traditional programming techniques such as multi-threading, and CUDA (Compute Unified Device Architecture)+GPU (Graphic Processing Unit) have obvious limitations in portability and seamlessness between different operation systems. The OpenCL (Open Computing Language) used in the development of MUSER (MingantU SpEctral Radioheliograph) data processing system is introduced. And the Högbom CLEAN algorithm is re-implemented into parallel CLEAN algorithm by the Python language and PyOpenCL extended package. The experimental results show that the CLEAN algorithm based on OpenCL has approximately equally operating efficiency compared with the former CLEAN algorithm based on CUDA. More important, the data processing in merely CPU (Central Processing Unit) environment of this system can also achieve high performance, which has solved the problem of environmental dependence of CUDA+GPU. Overall, the research improves the adaptability of the system with emphasis on performance of MUSER image clean computing. In the meanwhile, the realization of OpenCL in MUSER proves its availability in scientific data processing. In view of the high-performance computing features of OpenCL in heterogeneous environment, it will probably become the preferred technology in the future high-performance astronomical software development.

Comparison of Clean-Up Methods for Ochratoxin A on Wine, Beer, Roasted Coffee and Chili Commercialized in Italy

PubMed Central

Prelle, Ambra; Spadaro, Davide; Denca, Aleksandra; Garibaldi, Angelo; Gullino, Maria Lodovica

2013-01-01

The most common technique used to detect ochratoxin A (OTA) in food matrices is based on extraction, clean-up, and chromatography detection. Different clean-up cartridges, such as immunoaffinity columns (IAC), molecular imprinting polymers (MIP), Mycosep™ 229, Mycospin™, and Oasis® HLB (Hydrophilic Lipophilic balance) as solid phase extraction were tested to optimize the purification for red wine, beer, roasted coffee and chili. Recovery, reproducibility, reproducibility, limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) were calculated for each clean-up method. IAC demonstrated to be suitable for OTA analysis in wine and beer with recovery rate >90%, as well as Mycosep™ for wine and chili. On the contrary, MIP columns were the most appropriate to clean up coffee. A total of 120 samples (30 wines, 30 beers, 30 roasted coffee, 30 chili) marketed in Italy were analyzed, by applying the developed clean-up methods. Twenty-seven out of 120 samples analyzed (22.7%: two wines, five beers, eight coffees, and 12 chili) resulted positive to OTA. A higher incidence of OTA was found in chili (40.0%) more than wine (6.6%), beers (16.6%) and coffee (26.6%). Moreover, OTA concentration in chili was the highest detected, reaching 47.8 µg/kg. Furthermore, three samples (2.5%), two wines and one chili, exceeded the European threshold. PMID:24152987

Performing a urine dipstick test with a clean-catch urine sample is an accurate screening method for urinary tract infections in young infants.

PubMed

Herreros, María Luisa; Tagarro, Alfredo; García-Pose, Araceli; Sánchez, Aida; Cañete, Alfonso; Gili, Pablo

2018-01-01

This study evaluated using urine dipstick tests with the clean-catch method to screen for urinary tract infection (UTI) in febrile infants under 90 days of age. We carried out a comparative diagnostic accuracy study of infants under 90 days old, who were studied for unexplained fever without any source, in the emergency room of a hospital in Madrid from January 2011 to January 2013. We obtained matched samples of urine using two different methods: a clean-catch, standardised stimulation technique and catheterisation collection. The results of the leucocyte esterase test and nitrite test were compared with their urine cultures. We obtained 60 pairs of matched samples. A combined analysis of leukocyte esterase and, or, nitrites yielded a sensitivity of 86% and a specificity of 80% for the diagnosis of UTIs in clean-catch samples. The sensitivity of leukocyte esterase and, or, nitrites in samples obtained by catheterisation were not statistically different to the clean-catch samples (p = 0.592). Performing urine dipstick tests using urine samples obtained by the clean-catch method was an accurate screening test for diagnosing UTIs in febrile infants of less than 90 days old. This provided a good alternative to bladder catheterisation when screening for UTIs. ©2017 Foundation Acta Paediatrica. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Chemotaxonomic identification of single bacteria by micro-Raman spectroscopy: application to clean-room-relevant biological contaminations.

PubMed

Rösch, Petra; Harz, Michaela; Schmitt, Michael; Peschke, Klaus-Dieter; Ronneberger, Olaf; Burkhardt, Hans; Motzkus, Hans-Walter; Lankers, Markus; Hofer, Stefan; Thiele, Hans; Popp, Jürgen

2005-03-01

Microorganisms, such as bacteria, which might be present as contamination inside an industrial food or pharmaceutical clean room process need to be identified on short time scales in order to minimize possible health hazards as well as production downtimes causing financial deficits. Here we describe the first results of single-particle micro-Raman measurements in combination with a classification method, the so-called support vector machine technique, allowing for a fast, reliable, and nondestructive online identification method for single bacteria.

Chemotaxonomic Identification of Single Bacteria by Micro-Raman Spectroscopy: Application to Clean-Room-Relevant Biological Contaminations

PubMed Central

Rösch, Petra; Harz, Michaela; Schmitt, Michael; Peschke, Klaus-Dieter; Ronneberger, Olaf; Burkhardt, Hans; Motzkus, Hans-Walter; Lankers, Markus; Hofer, Stefan; Thiele, Hans; Popp, Jürgen

2005-01-01

Microorganisms, such as bacteria, which might be present as contamination inside an industrial food or pharmaceutical clean room process need to be identified on short time scales in order to minimize possible health hazards as well as production downtimes causing financial deficits. Here we describe the first results of single-particle micro-Raman measurements in combination with a classification method, the so-called support vector machine technique, allowing for a fast, reliable, and nondestructive online identification method for single bacteria. PMID:15746368

Neutron Imaging for Selective Laser Melting Inconel Hardware with Internal Passages

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tramel, Terri L.; Norwood, Joseph K.; Bilheux, Hassina

2014-01-01

Additive Manufacturing is showing great promise for the development of new innovative designs and large potential life cycle cost reduction for the Aerospace Industry. However, more development work is required to move this technology into space flight hardware production. With selective laser melting (SLM), hardware that once consisted of multiple, carefully machined and inspected pieces, joined together can be made in one part. However standard inspection techniques cannot be used to verify that the internal passages are within dimensional tolerances or surface finish requirements. NASA/MSFC traveled to Oak Ridge National Lab's (ORNL) Spallation Neutron Source to perform some non-destructive, proof of concept imaging measurements to assess the capabilities to understand internal dimensional tolerances and internal passages surface roughness. This presentation will describe 1) the goals of this proof of concept testing, 2) the lessons learned when designing and building these Inconel 718 test specimens to minimize beam time, 3) the neutron imaging test setup and test procedure to get the images, 4) the initial results in images, volume and a video, 4) the assessment of using this imaging technique to gather real data for designing internal flow passages in SLM manufacturing aerospace hardware, and lastly 5) how proper cleaning of the internal passages is critically important. In summary, the initial results are very promising and continued development of a technique to assist in SLM development for aerospace components is desired by both NASA and ORNL. A plan forward that benefits both ORNL and NASA will also be presented, based on the promising initial results. The initial images and volume reconstruction showed that clean, clear images of the internal passages geometry are obtainable. These clear images of the internal passages of simple geometries will be compared to the build model to determine any differences. One surprising result was that a new cleaning process was used on these simply geometric specimens that resulted in what appears to be very smooth internal surfaces, when compared to other aerospace hardware cleaning methods.

Disability rank in vestibular older adults.

PubMed

Aratani, Mayra Cristina; Perracini, Monica Rodrigues; Caovilla, Heloísa Helena; Gazzola, Juliana Maria; Ganança, Mauricio Malavasi; Ganança, Fernando Freitas

2011-01-01

To analyze the hierarchical structure of activities of daily living (ADL) among vestibular older adults, according to its power to discriminate disability. An exploratory cross-sectional study was conducted comprising 235 elderly, aged 65 years and older, with chronic vestibular dysfunction. Functional capacity was assessed through the Brazilian version of OARS Multidimensional Functional Assessment Questionnaire which consists of 15 activities of daily living (ADL). The sample was classified in each ADL according to the difficulty level in performing the activity. A multiple correlation analysis technique and discriminant analysis was used to analyze the hierarchical structure of ADL. The sample consisted of 75.3% women, with an average age of 73.55±5.94 years. The ADL and their respective discrimination measurements were: getting into and out of bed (0.293); eating (0.129); combing hair (0.150); walking on flat surfaces (0.270); having a bath/shower (0.512); getting dressed (0.325); getting to the toilet in time (0.107); climbing stairs (0.338); taking medicines on time (0.035); walking close to home (0.529); shopping (0.503); preparing meals (0.398); cutting toenails (0.242); getting off buses (0.452); and cleaning the house (0.408). The tasks that reflect a higher demand upon the vestibular system were the most impaired, in the following order: walking close to home, having a bath/shower, shopping, getting off buses, cleaning the house, preparing meals, climbing stairs, getting dressed, getting into and out of bed, walking on flat surfaces, cutting toenails, combing hair, eating, getting to the toilet in time, taking medicines on time. © 2010 Japan Geriatrics Society.

Assessment of the potential suitability of selected commercially available enzymes for cleaning-in-place (CIP) in the dairy industry.

PubMed

Boyce, Angela; Piterina, Anna V; Walsh, Gary

2010-10-01

The potential suitability of 10 commercial protease and lipase products for cleaning-in-place (CIP) application in the dairy industry was investigated on a laboratory scale. Assessment was based primarily on the ability of the enzymes to remove an experimentally generated milk fouling deposit from stainless steel (SS) panels. Three protease products were identified as being most suitable for this application on the basis of their cleaning performance at 40 °C, which was comparable to that of the commonly used cleaning agent, 1% NaOH at 60 °C. This was judged by quantification of residual organic matter and protein on the SS surface after cleaning and analysis by laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM). Enzyme activity was removed/inactivated under conditions simulating those normally undertaken after cleaning (rinsing with water, acid circulation, sanitation). Preliminary process-scale studies strongly suggest that enzyme-based CIP achieves satisfactory cleaning at an industrial scale. Cost analysis indicates that replacing caustic-based cleaning procedures with biodegradable enzymes operating at lower temperatures would be economically viable. Additional potential benefits include decreased energy and water consumption, improved safety, reduced waste generation, greater compatibility with wastewater treatment processes and a reduction in the environmental impact of the cleaning process.

A climate risk assessment of clean water supply in an urban area: A case study of South Tangerang city, Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nastiti, S. I. W.; Kusnoputranto, H.; Boer, R.; Utomo, S. W.

2018-03-01

The demand for clean water in South Tangerang, Indonesia, is very high. At present, this demand is mostly met by groundwater that is much influenced by climate variability, land cover change, and human activities. The local company on water services (PDAM) provides clean water services for only about 9% of the population. The climate risk assessment conducted by South Tangerang Government in 2016 indicates that several areas are potentially exposed to a high risk of climate change. Survey and in-depth interview with communities and sectoral officers suggest that a risk to clean water supply in this city is increasing. This study aims to assess climate potential risks on clean water supply based on the 2016 study. We adopted the method of that study by modifying some of the vulnerability indicators that can represent clean water access and supply. The results of the study demonstrate that many wards in South Tangerang would be exposed to high climate risks of clean water supply. By 2021, about 54% of wards would be exposed from high to the very very high risk of clean water supply. These results signify the tangible need of adaptation actions, to prevent the worsening impacts of climate on clean water supply.

Supersonic gas-liquid cleaning system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Caimi, Raoul E. B.; Thaxton, Eric A.

1994-01-01

A system to perform cleaning and cleanliness verification is being developed to replace solvent flush methods using CFC 113 for fluid system components. The system is designed for two purposes: internal and external cleaning and verification. External cleaning is performed with the nozzle mounted at the end of a wand similar to a conventional pressure washer. Internal cleaning is performed with a variety of fixtures designed for specific applications. Internal cleaning includes tubes, pipes, flex hoses, and active fluid components such as valves and regulators. The system uses gas-liquid supersonic nozzles to generate high impingement velocities at the surface of the object to be cleaned. Compressed air or any inert gas may be used to provide the conveying medium for the liquid. The converging-diverging nozzles accelerate the gas-liquid mixture to supersonic velocities. The liquid being accelerated may be any solvent including water. This system may be used commercially to replace CFC and other solvent cleaning methods widely used to remove dust, dirt, flux, and lubricants. In addition, cleanliness verification can be performed without the solvents which are typically involved. This paper will present the technical details of the system, the results achieved during testing at KSC, and future applications for this system.

Supersonic gas-liquid cleaning system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caimi, Raoul E. B.; Thaxton, Eric A.

1994-02-01

A system to perform cleaning and cleanliness verification is being developed to replace solvent flush methods using CFC 113 for fluid system components. The system is designed for two purposes: internal and external cleaning and verification. External cleaning is performed with the nozzle mounted at the end of a wand similar to a conventional pressure washer. Internal cleaning is performed with a variety of fixtures designed for specific applications. Internal cleaning includes tubes, pipes, flex hoses, and active fluid components such as valves and regulators. The system uses gas-liquid supersonic nozzles to generate high impingement velocities at the surface of the object to be cleaned. Compressed air or any inert gas may be used to provide the conveying medium for the liquid. The converging-diverging nozzles accelerate the gas-liquid mixture to supersonic velocities. The liquid being accelerated may be any solvent including water. This system may be used commercially to replace CFC and other solvent cleaning methods widely used to remove dust, dirt, flux, and lubricants. In addition, cleanliness verification can be performed without the solvents which are typically involved. This paper will present the technical details of the system, the results achieved during testing at KSC, and future applications for this system.

The Effectiveness of the Removal of DNA from the Surfaces of EVA-Based Mouthguards using Standard Cleaning Protocols

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-06-16

Dental Association has recognized the value of mouthguards for all those who participate in contact sports and recreational activities in the...sustaining dental injuries in sporting activities , including organized and unorganized sports at both recreational and competitive levels.3 Since mouthguards...Overall p-value=0.008 based on logged analysis. Air dry and Commercial mouthguard cleaning tablet performed better than the antibacterial hand soap (p

Fabricating waveguide Bragg gratings (WBGs) in bulk materials using ultrashort laser pulses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ams, Martin; Dekker, Peter; Gross, Simon; Withford, Michael J.

2017-01-01

Optical waveguide Bragg gratings (WBGs) can be created in transparent materials using femtosecond laser pulses. The technique is conducted without the need for lithography, ion-beam fabrication methods, or clean room facilities. This paper reviews the field of ultrafast laser-inscribed WBGs since its inception, with a particular focus on fabrication techniques, WBG characteristics, WBG types, and WBG applications.

Risk Management Programs under Clean Air Act Section 112(r): Guidance for Implementing Agencies

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Accidental release prevention programs under section 112(r) of the Clean Air Act (CAA) are related to and build on activities under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act, and Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards.

WATER AS A REACTION MEDIUM FOR CLEAN CHEMICAL PROCESSES.

EPA Science Inventory

Green chemistry is a rapid developing new field that provides us a pro-active avenue for the sustainable development of future science and technologies. When designed properly, clean chemical technology can be developed in water as a reaction media. The technologies generated f...

'How To' Clean Room Video

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McCarty, Kaley Corinne

2013-01-01

One of the projects that I am completing this summer is a Launch Services Program intern 'How to' set up a clean room informational video. The purpose of this video is to go along with a clean room kit that can be checked out by employees at the Kennedy Space Center and to be taken to classrooms to help educate students and intrigue them about NASA. The video will include 'how to' set up and operate a clean room at NASA. This is a group project so we will be acting as a team and contributing our own input and ideas. We will include various activities for children in classrooms to complete, while learning and having fun. Activities that we will explain and film include: helping children understand the proper way to wear a bunny suit, a brief background on cleanrooms, and the importance of maintaining the cleanliness of a space craft. This project will be shown to LSP management and co-workers; we will be presenting the video once it is completed.

Ionic cleaning after wave solder and before conformal coat

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nguygen, Tochau N.; Sutherland, Thomas H.

An account is given of efforts made by a military electronics manufacturer to upgrade product reliability in response to the printed writing board (PWB) ionic cleanliness requirements recently set out in MIL-P-28809 Rev. A. These requirements had to be met both after wave soldering, involving the immediate removal of ionically active RA flux, and immediately before conformal coating, in order to remove the less active RMA flux and bonding contaminants. Attention is given to the results of a test program which compared the effectiveness with which five different solvents and two (batch and conveyorized vapor degreasing) cleaning methods cleaned representative PWBs containing many components. Alcohol-containing fluorocarbon blends were adequate, but the most densely packed PWBs required a supplemental water rinse.

Effectiveness of different final irrigation techniques and placement of endodontic sealer into dentinal tubules.

PubMed

Oliveira, Kauhanna Vianna de; Silva, Bruno Marques da; Leonardi, Denise Piotto; Crozeta, Bruno Monguilhott; Sousa-Neto, Manoel Damião de; Baratto-Filho, Flares; Gabardo, Marilisa Carneiro Leão

2017-12-18

The aim of this study was to compare two irrigation techniques and four devices for endodontic sealer placement into the dentinal tubules. Ninety-nine single-rooted human teeth were instrumented and allocated to either the control (CO) (n=11) or experimental groups according to the irrigation method: syringe and NaveTip needle (NT) (n=44), and EndoActivator (EA) (n=44). These groups were subdivided according to sealer placement into K-File (KF), lentulo spiral (LS), Easy Clean (EC), and EndoActivator (EA) subgroups. Moreover, the distances of 5 mm and 2 mm from the apex were analyzed. The teeth were obturated with AH Plus and GuttaCore X3. Analyses were performed by scanning electron microscopy associated to cathodoluminescence. The percentage and maximum depth of sealer penetration were measured. Data were evaluated by three-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Games-Howell test (p<0.05). EA was superior to NT in percentage of sealer penetration. EC was significantly superior to EA (subgroup) for sealer penetration, and both improved the percentage of sealer penetration when compared to LS. Better sealer penetration was observed at the distance of 5 mm from the apex. Sealer penetration into the dentinal tubules was significantly improved by sonic irrigant activation.

Synthesis of silver/silver chloride/graphene oxide composite and its surface-enhanced Raman scattering activity and self-cleaning property

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Nan; Fei, Xiao; Cheng, Xiaonong; Yang, Juan

2017-09-01

Recently, silver nanoparticles decorated with graphene and graphene oxide (GO) sheets can be employed as surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates. However, their SERS activity on macromolecular compound detection is all one-time process. In order to solve this issue and decrease the cost of routine SERS detection, silver/silver chloride (Ag/AgCl) with photocatalytic activity under visible light was introduced. In this study, a novel, simple and clean approach is carried out for synthesis of the Ag/AgCl/GO composite. The Ag/AgCl colloidal solution is obtained by hydrothermal method and then mixed with GO solution to obtain the Ag/AgCl/GO composite using a facile electrostatic self-assembly method. Results showed that the Ag/AgCl/GO composite has the optimized SERS activity to Rhodamine 6G molecules with the maximum enhancement factor value of 3.8×107. Furthermore, the Ag/AgCl particles with high efficient and stable photocatalytic activity under visible light lead to an outstanding self-cleaning property of the Ag/AgCl/GO composite.

Asphalt pavement maintenance field handbook

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2001-04-01

This field manual provides guidelines for preventive asphalt pavement maintenance techniques for a variety of distresses and conditions. It covers: 1. crack treatments (clean and seal, rout and seal, full-depth crack repair); 2. surface treatments (f...

Caring for Your Videodiscs, CD-ROM Discs, and Players.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ekhaml, Leticia; Saygan, Bobby

1993-01-01

Presents guidelines for the proper care and handling of videodisc and CD-ROM hardware and software. Topics discussed include handling the equipment, moving, cleaning techniques, storage considerations, ventilation requirements, and climate control. (LRW)

Planetary quarantine. Space research and technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1973-01-01

Planetary quarantine strategies for advanced spacecraft consider effects of satellite encounter, Jupiter atmosphere entry, space radiation, and cleaning and decontamination techniques on microbiological growth probability. Analytical restructuring is developed for microbial burden prediction and planetary contamination.

Establishing and monitoring an aseptic workspace for building the MOMA mass spectrometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lalime, Erin N.; Berlin, David

2016-09-01

Mars Organic Molecule Analyzer (MOMA) is an instrument suite on the European Space Agency (ESA) ExoMars 2020 Rover, and the Mass Spectrometer (MOMA-MS) is being built at Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). MOMA-MS is a life-detection instrument and thus falls in the most stringent category of Planetary Protection (PP) biological cleanliness requirements. Less than 0.03 spore/m2 are allowed in the instrument sample path. In order to meet these PP requirements, MOMA-MS must be built and maintained in a low bioburden environment. The MOMA-MS project at GSFC maintains three clean rooms with varying levels of bioburden control. The Aseptic Assembly Clean room has the highest level of control, applying three different bioburden reducing methods: 70% Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA), 7.5% Hydrogen Peroxide, and Ultra-Violet C (UVC) light. The three methods are used in rotation and each kills microorganisms by a different mechanism, reducing the likelihood of microorganisms developing resistance to all three. The Integration and Mars Chamber Clean rooms use less biocidal cleaning, with the option to deploy extra techniques as necessary. To support the monitoring of clean rooms and verification that MOMA-MS hardware meets PP requirements, a new Planetary Protection lab was established that currently has the capabilities of standard growth assays for spore or vegetative bacteria, rapid bioburden analysis that detects Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP), plus autoclave and Dry Heat microbial Reduction (DHMR) verification. The clean rooms are monitored for vegetative microorganisms and by rapid ATP assay, and a clear difference in bioburden is observed between the aseptic and other clean room.

Establishing and Monitoring an Aseptic Workspace for Building the MOMA Mass Spectrometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lalime, Erin N.; Berlin, David

2016-01-01

Mars Organic Molecule Analyzer (MOMA) is an instrument suite on the European Space Agency (ESA) ExoMars 2020 Rover, and the Mass Spectrometer (MOMA-MS) is being built at Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). MOMA-MS is a life-detection instrument and thus falls in the most stringent category of Planetary Protection (PP) biological cleanliness requirements. Less than 0.03 spore/m2 are allowed in the instrument sample path. In order to meet these PP requirements, MOMA-MS must be built and maintained in a low bioburden environment. The MOMA-MS project at GSFC maintains three clean rooms with varying levels of bioburden control. The Aseptic Assembly Clean room has the highest level of control, applying three different bioburden reducing methods: 70% Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA), 7.5% Hydrogen Peroxide, and Ultra-Violet C (UVC) light. The three methods are used in rotation and each kills microorganisms by a different mechanism, reducing the likelihood of microorganisms developing resistance to all three. The Integration and Mars Chamber Clean rooms use less biocidal cleaning, with the option to deploy extra techniques as necessary. To support the monitoring of clean rooms and verification that MOMA-MS hardware meets PP requirements, a new Planetary Protection lab was established that currently has the capabilities of standard growth assays for spore or vegetative bacteria, rapid bioburden analysis that detects Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP), plus autoclave and Dry Heat microbial Reduction (DHMR) verification. The clean rooms are monitored for vegetative microorganisms and by rapid ATP assay, and a clear difference in bioburden is observed between the aseptic and other clean room.

Low-level (PPB) determination of cisplatin in cleaning validation (rinse water) samples. II. A high-performance liquid chromatographic method.

PubMed

Raghavan, R; Burchett, M; Loffredo, D; Mulligan, J A

2000-04-01

A high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method is described for the determination of residual levels of cisplatin from extracts of surfaces with very low surface area; from extracts of surfaces of coupons made of Teflon (polytetrafluoroethylene, PTFE), stainless steel, and glass; and in aqueous solution collected after rinsing equipment and parts. Initially, the method was developed to determine cisplatin at concentrations ranging from 20 to 200 ng/ml by direct injection. Retaining the same method conditions, the scope of the method was expanded by the addition of a sample preconcentration step, allowing analyses at levels ranging from 0.5 ng to 20 ng/ml. Preconcentration is necessary for the determination of cisplatin in rinse waters at a quantifiable concentration of about 2 PPB. Under these conditions, the detection limit is about 0.2 to 0.3 ng/ml. Residual cisplatin on different types of surfaces, including surfaces with very low surface area, can be determined by swabbing each test surface with a derivatizing solution. The cisplatin recovered in the swabbing solution can be analyzed by HPLC using direct injection or preconcentration, depending on the expected level of cisplatin in the sample. Initial methods were developed to quantitate at a cisplatin concentration of about 100 PPB or higher in solution extracted from surfaces. However, when surface areas are limited because of the size of the parts, solution concentration becomes very low as a result of the minimum volume required for extraction. To support the application of swabbing techniques to surface analysis, stainless steel, Teflon, and glass surfaces were spiked with cisplatin at 2.5 to 20 ng/cm2. Satisfactory overall recoveries of 90% +/- 10% were obtained from all surfaces. Cisplatin has no ultraviolet/visible (UV/Vis) spectral-active functional group that can be used to detect low levels of cisplatin. Hence, diethyldithiocarbamate (DDTC) was used as a derivatizing agent to increase sensitivity to UV absorption at 340 nm. Diethyldithiocarbamate forms complexes with the platinum in cisplatin to yield a platinum-DDTC (Pt-DDTC) complex with a high molar-extinction coefficient. The Pt(DDTC)2 complex thus formed was chromatographically separated and the quantitated by comparison of its detector response to that of a similarly derivatized standard preparation. DDTC also has application as a cleaning agent for cisplatin (e.g., for production equipment cleaning, spill cleanup). Destruction of cisplatin can be affected by the reaction of cisplatin with this cleaning agent. Derivatization of cisplatin will convert active cisplatin to platinum-DDTC on surfaces or in solution. Final cleaning can be accomplished using a water-for-injection rinse. After such a cleaning process, the rinse water, when collected and analyzed, showed levels of free cisplatin less than the detection concentration of 0.2 PPB and a total platinum concentration less than 10 PPB as Pt-DDTC complex.

Seasonal variations and shared latrine cleaning practices in the slums of Kampala city, Uganda.

PubMed

Kwiringira, Japheth; Atekyereza, Peter; Niwagaba, Charles; Kabumbuli, Robert; Rwabukwali, Charles; Kulabako, Robinah; Günther, Isabel

2016-04-27

The effect of seasons on health outcomes is a reflection on the status of public health and the state of development in a given society. Evidence shows that in Sub-Saharan Africa, most infectious diseases flourish during the wet months of the year; while human activities in a context of constrained choices in life exacerbate the effects of seasons on human health. The paper argues that, the wet season and when human activities are at their peak, sanitation is most dire poor slum populations. A shared latrine cleaning observation was undertaken over a period of 6 months in the slums of Kampala city. Data was collected through facility observations, user group meetings, Focus group discussions and, key informant interviews. The photos of the observed sanitation facilities were taken and assessed for facility cleanliness or dirt. Shared latrine pictures, observations, Focus Group Discussion, community meetings and key informant interviews were analysed and subjected to an analysis over the wet, dry and human activity cycles before a facility was categorised as either 'dirty' or 'clean'. Human activity cycles also referred to as socio-economic seasons were, school days, holidays, weekends and market days. These have been called 'impure' seasons, while the 'pure' seasons were the wet and dry months: improved and unimproved facilities were negatively affected by the wet seasons and the peak seasons of human activity. Wet seasons were associated with, mud and stagnant water, flooding pits and a repugnant smell from the latrine cubicle which made cleaning difficult. During the dry season, latrines became relatively cleaner than during the wet season. The presence of many child(ren) users during school days as well as the influx of market goers for the roadside weekly markets compromised the cleaning outcomes for these shared sanitation facilities. Shared latrine cleaning in slums is impacted by seasonal variations related to weather conditions and human activity. The wet seasons made the already bad sanitation situation worse. The seasonal fluctuations in the state of shared slum sanitation relate to a wider malaise in the population and an implied capacity deficit among urban authorities. Poor sanitation in slums is part of a broader urban mismanagement conundrum pointing towards the urgent need for multiple interventions aimed at improving the general urban living conditions well beyond sanitation.

78 FR 41025 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-09

... that import seed for cleaning or processing, to enter into compliance agreements with APHIS. This... other information activities to enable the importation of seeds for cleaning and processing so that they...: Imported Seed and Screening. OMB Control Number: 0579-0124. Summary of Collection: The United States...

Status of the MiniCLEAN dark matter experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rielage, Keith

2009-10-01

MiniCLEAN utilizes over 400 kg of liquid cryogen to detect nuclear recoils from WIMP dark matter with a projected sensitivity of 2x10-45 cm^2 for a mass of 100 GeV. The liquid cryogen is interchangeable between argon and neon to study the A^2 dependence of the potential signal and examine backgrounds. MiniCLEAN utilizes a unique modular design with spherical geometry to maximize the light yield using cold photomultiplier tubes in a single-phase detector. Pulse shape discrimination techniques are used to separate nuclear recoil signals from electron recoil backgrounds. Particular attention is being paid to mitigating the backgrounds from contamination of surfaces by radon daughters during assembly. The design and assembly status of the experiment will be discussed. The projected timeline and future plans for staging the experiment at SNOLAB in Sudbury, Canada will be presented.

Assessment of the efficacy of benzalkonium chloride and sodium hypochlorite against Acanthamoeba polyphaga and Tetrahymena spp.

PubMed

Vaerewijck, M J M; Sabbe, K; Baré, J; Spengler, H-P; Favoreel, H W; Houf, K

2012-03-01

The efficacy of benzalkonium chloride and sodium hypochlorite against Acanthamoeba polyphaga and two Tetrahymena spp. was determined based on the European Standard EN 1276:2009 suspension test. Trophozoite viability was assessed by determination of the membrane integrity using flow cytometry as a fast screening technique. Bovine serum albumin was added to simulate clean (0.3 g/liter) and dirty (3 g/liter) conditions. Benzalkonium chloride caused cell lysis at concentrations above 50 mg/liter under clean and dirty conditions. A concentration of 50 mg of free chlorine per liter had a strong biocidal effect on acanthamoebae and tetrahymenae after 15 min under clean and dirty conditions. Our results suggest that benzalkonium chloride and sodium hypochlorite were effective against the three microorganisms at concentrations commonly applied in the food industry.

NASA Ares 1 Crew Launch Vehicle Upper Stage Configuration Selection Process

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cook, Jerry R.

2006-01-01

The Upper Stage Element of NASA s Ares I Crew Launch Vehicle (CLV) is a "clean-sheet" approach that is being designed and developed in-house, with Element management at MSFC. The USE concept is a self-supporting cylindrical structure, approximately 115 long and 216" in diameter. While the Reusable Solid Rocket Booster (RSRB) design has changed since the CLV inception, the Upper Stage Element design has remained essentially a clean-sheet approach. Although a clean-sheet upper stage design inherently carries more risk than a modified design, it does offer many advantages: a design for increased reliability; built-in extensibility to allow for commonality/growth without major redesign; and incorporation of state-of-the-art materials, hardware, and design, fabrication, and test techniques and processes to facilitate a potentially better, more reliable system.

Investigating the failure of repeated standard cleaning and disinfection of a Pseudomonas aeruginosa-infected pancreatic and biliary endoscope.

PubMed

Qiu, Lijun; Zhou, Zhihui; Liu, Qifang; Ni, Yuhua; Zhao, Feng; Cheng, Hao

2015-08-01

Digestive endoscopy is an important technique for the diagnosis and treatment of digestive system disease. To assure medical safety, a digestive endoscope must be cleaned and disinfected before its use in an operation on the next patient. The most common treatment procedure on a digestive endoscope is high-level disinfection. The potential risk associated with digestive endoscopes is always the focus of endoscopic management in clinical practice. In this study, a polluted pancreatic and biliary endoscope after surgery was cleaned and disinfected multiple times with the standard procedure but still tested positive for Pseudomonas aeruginosa culture, which is very rare and has not been reported in China or abroad. Copyright © 2015 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The MiniCLEAN Dark Matter Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schnee, Richard; Deap/Clean Collaboration

2011-10-01

The MiniCLEAN dark matter experiment exploits a single-phase liquid argon (LAr) detector, instrumented with photomultiplier tubes submerged in the cryogen with nearly 4 π coverage of a 500 kg target (150 kg fiducial) mass. The high light yield and large difference in singlet/triplet scintillation time-profiles in LAr provide effective defense against radioactive backgrounds through pulse-shape discrimination and event position reconstruction. The detector is also designed for a liquid neon target which, in the event of a positive signal in LAr, will enable an independent verification of backgrounds and provide a unique test of the expected A2 dependence of the WIMP interaction rate. The conceptually simple design can be scaled to target masses in excess of 10 tons in a relatively straightforward and economic manner. The experimental technique and current status of MiniCLEAN will be summarized.

Quantitative assessment of airborne exposures generated during common cleaning tasks: a pilot study

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background A growing body of epidemiologic evidence suggests an association between exposure to cleaning products with asthma and other respiratory disorders. Thus far, these studies have conducted only limited quantitative exposure assessments. Exposures from cleaning products are difficult to measure because they are complex mixtures of chemicals with a range of physicochemical properties, thus requiring multiple measurement techniques. We conducted a pilot exposure assessment study to identify methods for assessing short term, task-based airborne exposures and to quantitatively evaluate airborne exposures associated with cleaning tasks simulated under controlled work environment conditions. Methods Sink, mirror, and toilet bowl cleaning tasks were simulated in a large ventilated bathroom and a small unventilated bathroom using a general purpose, a glass, and a bathroom cleaner. All tasks were performed for 10 minutes. Airborne total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) generated during the tasks were measured using a direct reading instrument (DRI) with a photo ionization detector. Volatile organic ingredients of the cleaning mixtures were assessed utilizing an integrated sampling and analytic method, EPA TO-17. Ammonia air concentrations were also measured with an electrochemical sensor embedded in the DRI. Results Average TVOC concentrations calculated for 10 minute tasks ranged 0.02 - 6.49 ppm and the highest peak concentrations observed ranged 0.14-11 ppm. TVOC time concentration profiles indicated that exposures above background level remained present for about 20 minutes after cessation of the tasks. Among several targeted VOC compounds from cleaning mixtures, only 2-BE was detectable with the EPA method. The ten minute average 2- BE concentrations ranged 0.30 -21 ppm between tasks. The DRI underestimated 2-BE exposures compared to the results from the integrated method. The highest concentration of ammonia of 2.8 ppm occurred during mirror cleaning. Conclusions Our results indicate that airborne exposures from short-term cleaning tasks can remain in the air even after tasks' cessation, suggesting potential exposures to anyone entering the room shortly after cleaning. Additionally, 2-BE concentrations from cleaning could approach occupational exposure limits and warrant further investigation. Measurement methods applied in this study can be useful for workplace assessment of airborne exposures during cleaning, if the limitations identified here are addressed. PMID:21118559

Spectroscopic investigation of the wettability of multilayer graphene using highly ordered pyrolytic graphite as a model material.

PubMed

Ashraf, Ali; Wu, Yanbin; Wang, Michael C; Aluru, Narayana R; Dastgheib, Seyed A; Nam, SungWoo

2014-11-04

We report the intrinsic water contact angle (WCA) of multilayer graphene, explore different methods of cleaning multilayer graphene, and evaluate the efficiency of those methods on the basis of spectroscopic analysis. Highly ordered pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) was used as a model material system to study the wettability of the multilayer graphene surface by WCA measurements. A WCA value of 45° ± 3° was measured for a clean HOPG surface, which can serve as the intrinsic WCA for multilayer graphene. A 1 min plasma treatment (100 W) decreased the WCA to 6°, owing to the creation of surface defects and functionalization by oxygen-containing groups. Molecular dynamics simulations of water droplets on the HOPG surface with or without the oxygen-containing defect sites confirmed the experimental results. Heat treatment at near atmospheric pressure and wet chemical cleaning methods using hydrofluoric acid and chloroform did not change the WCA significantly. Low-pressure, high-temperature annealing under argon and hydrogen reduced the WCA to 54°, close to the intrinsic WCA of HOPG. Raman spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy did not show any significant change for the HOPG surface after this treatment, confirming low-pressure, high-temperature annealing as an effective technique to clean multilayer graphene without damaging the surface. Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry indicated the existence of hydrocarbon species on the surface of the HOPG sample that was exposed to air for <5 min and the absence of these impurities in the bulk. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses of the sample surfaces after the different cleaning techniques were performed to correlate the WCA to the surface chemistry. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results revealed that the WCA value changed drastically, depending on the amounts of oxygen-containing and hydrocarbon-containing groups on the surface.

The effect of four different irrigation systems in the removal of a root canal sealer.

PubMed

Grischke, J; Müller-Heine, A; Hülsmann, M

2014-09-01

The aim of this study was to compare the efficiency of sonic, ultrasonic, and hydrodynamic devices in the removal of a root canal sealer from the surface and from simulated irregularities of root canals. Fifty-three root canals with two standardized grooves in the apical and coronal parts of longitudinally split roots were covered with AH Plus root canal sealer. Compared were the effects of (control) syringe irrigation, (1) CanalBrush, (2) passive ultrasonic irrigation, (3) EndoActivator, and (4) RinsEndo on the removal of the sealer. The specimens were divided into four groups (N = 12) and one control group (N = 5) via randomization. The amount of remaining sealer in the root canal irregularities was evaluated under a microscope using a 4-grade scoring system, whereas the remaining sealer on the root canal surface was evaluated with a 7-grade scoring system. Passive ultrasonic irrigation is more effective than the other tested irrigation systems or syringe irrigation in removing sealer from root canal walls (p < 0.01). None of the techniques had a significant effect on cleaning the lateral grooves. Within the limitations of this study protocol ultrasonic irrigation shows a superior effect on sealer removal from the root canal surface during endodontic retreatment. Cleaning of lateral grooves seems not to be possible with one of the techniques investigated. Incomplete removal of root canal sealer during re-treatment may cause treatment failure. Passive Ultrasonic irrigation seems to be the most effective system to remove sealer from a root canal.

Biosynthesis, characterization and antimicrobial activity of copper oxide nanoparticles (CONPs) produced using brown alga extract ( Bifurcaria bifurcata)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abboud, Y.; Saffaj, T.; Chagraoui, A.; El Bouari, A.; Brouzi, K.; Tanane, O.; Ihssane, B.

2014-06-01

Recently, biosynthesis of nanoparticles has attracted scientists' attention because of the necessity to develop new clean, cost-effective and efficient synthesis techniques. In particular, metal oxide nanoparticles are receiving increasing attention in a large variety of applications. However, up to now, the reports on the biopreparation and characterization of nanocrystalline copper oxide are relatively few compared to some other metal oxides. In this paper, we report for the first time the use of brown alga ( Bifurcaria bifurcata) in the biosynthesis of copper oxide nanoparticles of dimensions 5-45 nm. The synthesized nanomaterial is characterized by UV-visible absorption spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectrum analysis. X-ray diffraction confirms the formation and the crystalline nature of copper oxide nanomaterial. Further, these nanoparticles were found to exhibit high antibacterial activity against two different strains of bacteria Enterobacter aerogenes (Gram negative) and Staphylococcus aureus (Gram positive).

Aerospace technology and hospital systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

The use of aerospace medical techniques to improve the quality of earth health care systems is discussed. Data are focused on physiological measurements and monitoring, medical information management, clean room technology, and reliability and quality assurance for hospital equipment.

Developments in ICP-MS: electrochemically modulated liquid chromatography for the clean-up of ICP-MS blanks and reduction of matrix effects by flow injection ICP-MS

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

Gross, Cory Thomas

2008-01-01

The focus of this dissertation is the development of techniques with which to enhance the existing abilities of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). ICP-MS is a powerful technique for trace metal analysis in samples of many types, but like any technique it has certain strengths and weaknesses. Attempts are made to improve upon those strengths and to overcome certain weaknesses.

Mealtime Observation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Piedra, Betty

2012-01-01

By nature, lunchtime is a whirlwind of activity: from hand-washing to serving to clean-up, there are usually several things happening at once. Staff members have their hands full helping children transition into lunch from circle time or outside, keeping children focused and seated during the meal, and cleaning up after the meal, while…

40 CFR 25.1 - Introduction.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... RESOURCE CONSERVATION AND RECOVERY ACT, THE SAFE DRINKING WATER ACT, AND THE CLEAN WATER ACT § 25.1... in activities under the Clean Water Act (Pub. L. 95-217), the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (Pub. L. 94-580), and the Safe Drinking Water Act (Pub. L. 93-523). The applicability of the...

Environmental Management Fact Sheets.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Department of Energy, Washington, DC.

In recent years, the need for nuclear materials has decreased and the Department of Energy (DOE) has focused greater attention on cleaning up contamination left from past activities. The Office of Environmental Management (EM) within DOE is responsible for managing waste and cleaning up contamination at DOE sites across the nation. This collection…

Three Proposed Compendia for Genesis Solar Wind Samples: Science Results, Collector Materials Characterization and Cleaning Techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allton, J. H.; Calaway, M. J.; Nyquist, L. E.; Jurewicz, A. J. G.; Burnett, D. S.

2018-01-01

Final Paper and not the abstract is attached. Introduction: Planetary material and cosmochemistry research using Genesis solar wind samples (including the development and implementation of cleaning and analytical techniques) has matured sufficiently that compilations on several topics, if made publically accessible, would be beneficial for researchers and reviewers. We propose here three compendia based on content, organization and source of documents (e.g. published peer-reviewed, published, internal memos, archives). For planning purposes, suggestions are solicited from potential users of Genesis solar wind samples for the type of science content and/or organizational style that would be most useful to them. These compendia are proposed as living documents, periodically updated. Similar to the existing compendia described below, the curation compendia are like library or archival finding aids, they are guides to published or archival documents and should not be cited as primary sources.

SVM classification of microaneurysms with imbalanced dataset based on borderline-SMOTE and data cleaning techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Qingjie; Xin, Jingmin; Wu, Jiayi; Zheng, Nanning

2017-03-01

Microaneurysms are the earliest clinic signs of diabetic retinopathy, and many algorithms were developed for the automatic classification of these specific pathology. However, the imbalanced class distribution of dataset usually causes the classification accuracy of true microaneurysms be low. Therefore, by combining the borderline synthetic minority over-sampling technique (BSMOTE) with the data cleaning techniques such as Tomek links and Wilson's edited nearest neighbor rule (ENN) to resample the imbalanced dataset, we propose two new support vector machine (SVM) classification algorithms for the microaneurysms. The proposed BSMOTE-Tomek and BSMOTE-ENN algorithms consist of: 1) the adaptive synthesis of the minority samples in the neighborhood of the borderline, and 2) the remove of redundant training samples for improving the efficiency of data utilization. Moreover, the modified SVM classifier with probabilistic outputs is used to divide the microaneurysm candidates into two groups: true microaneurysms and false microaneurysms. The experiments with a public microaneurysms database shows that the proposed algorithms have better classification performance including the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and the free-response receiver operating characteristic (FROC) curve.

Laser cleaning on Roman coins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Drakaki, E.; Karydas, A. G.; Klinkenberg, B.; Kokkoris, M.; Serafetinides, A. A.; Stavrou, E.; Vlastou, R.; Zarkadas, C.

Ancient metal objects react with moisture and environmental chemicals to form various corrosion products. Because of the unique character and high value of such objects, any cleaning procedure should guarantee minimum destructiveness. The most common treatment used is mechanical stripping, in which it is difficult to avoid surface damage when employed. Lasers are currently being tested for a wide range of conservation applications. Since they are highly controllable and can be selectively applied, lasers can be used to achieve more effective and safer cleaning of archaeological artifacts and protect their surface details. The basic criterion that motivated us to use lasers to clean Roman coins was the requirement of pulsed emission, in order to minimize heat-induced damages. In fact, the laser interaction with the coins has to be short enough, to produce a fast removal of the encrustation, avoiding heat conduction into the substrate. The cleaning effects of three lasers operating at different wavelengths, namely a TEA CO2 laser emitting at 10.6 μm, an Er:YAG laser at 2.94 μm, and a 2ω-Nd:YAG laser at 532 nm have been compared on corroded Romans coins and various atomic and nuclear techniques have also been applied to evaluate the efficiency of the applied procedure.

Engineers Clean Mirror with Carbon Dioxide Snow

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-01-22

Just like drivers sometimes use snow to clean their car mirrors in winter, two Exelis Inc. engineers are practicing "snow cleaning'" on a test telescope mirror for the James Webb Space Telescope at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. By shooting carbon dioxide snow at the surface, engineers are able to clean large telescope mirrors without scratching them. "The snow-like crystals (carbon dioxide snow) knock contaminate particulates and molecules off the mirror," said Lee Feinberg, NASA optical telescope element manager. This technique will only be used if the James Webb Space Telescope's mirror is contaminated during integration and testing. The Webb telescope is the scientific successor to NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. It will be the most powerful space telescope ever built. With a mirror seven times as large as Hubble's and infrared capability, Webb will be capturing light from 13.5 billion light years away. To do this, its mirror must be kept super clean. "Small dust particles or molecules can impact the science that can be done with the Webb," said Feinberg. "So cleanliness especially on the mirrors is critical." Webb is an international project led by NASA with its partners, the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency. Image credit: NASA/Goddard/Chris Gunn

Experimental and theoretical investigation of LNAPL movement in stratified media during soil remediation.

PubMed

Lashanizadegan, A; Ayatollahi, Sh; Kazemi, H

2007-07-01

The saturation distribution and clean up efficiency of light non-aqueous phase liquid (LNAPL) in the strata beneath the earth has been the subject of many studies. Better understanding of LNAPL infiltration into layered soil is important for the effective design of remediation strategies. The objective of this study was to simulate LNAPL movement in homogenous and stratified porous media using gravity assisted inert gas injection (GAIGI) process as a cleaning technique. We used homogeneous and layered sandpacked transparent models that allows for visual observation of LNAPL movement in order to study LNAPL redistribution in a layered porous medium. Pore volume, porosity, absolute permeability, connate water saturation, and oil saturation of the models were determined experimentally. Seasonal water table movement and contaminated zone were established and then, under GAIGI process, clean up efficiency was determined. The downward displacement of LNAPL by gas drive resulted in very high LNAPL clean up efficiency. Using the contaminant production history in the homogeneous model, the LNAPL relative permeability was calculated and the results were extended to layered media. The numerical multi-phase flow model in porous media was validated with regard to the experimental results. This model is able to adequately reproduce the experimental LNAPL saturation profile and clean up efficiency.

Evaluating and operationalizing an environmental auditing program: a pilot study.

PubMed

Gordon, Laura; Bruce, Natalie; Suh, Kathryn N; Roth, Virginia

2014-07-01

Environmental auditing is an important tool to ensure consistent and effective cleaning. Our pilot study compared an alcohol-based fluorescent marking product and an adenosine-5'-triphosphate bioluminescence product for use in an environmental auditing program to determine which product was more practical and acceptable to users. Both products were tested on 15 preselected high touch objects in randomly selected patient rooms, following regular daily cleaning. A room was considered a "pass" if ≥80% of surfaces were adequately cleaned as defined by manufacturers' guidelines. A qualitative survey assessed user preference and operational considerations. Using fluorescent marking, 9 of 37 patient rooms evaluated (24%) were considered a "pass" after daily cleaning. Using adenosine-5'-triphosphate bioluminescence, 21 of 37 patient rooms passed (57%). There was great variability in results between different high touch objects. Eighty percent of users preferred the alcohol-based fluorescent marking product because it provided an effective visual aid to coach staff on proper cleaning techniques and allowed simple and consistent application. Environmental auditing using translucent, alcohol-based fluorescent marking best met the requirements of our organization. Our results reinforce the importance of involving a multidisciplinary team in evaluating and operationalizing an environmental auditing program. Copyright © 2014 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparison of the cleaning capacity of Mtwo and Pro Taper rotary systems and manual instruments in primary teeth

PubMed Central

Azar, Mohammad Reza; Safi, Laya; Nikaein, Afshin

2012-01-01

Background: Root canal cleaning is an important step in endodontic therapy. In order to develop better techniques, a new generation of endodontic instruments has been designed. The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of manual K-files (Mani Co, Tokyo, Japan) and two rotary systems–Mtwo (Dentsply-Maillefer, Ballaigues, Switzerland) and ProTaper (VDW, Munich, Germany)–for root canal preparation in primary molars. Materials and Methods: India ink was injected to 160 mesiobuccal and distal root canals of mandibular primary molars. The teeth were randomly divided into three experimental groups and one control group. In each experimental group, either manual instruments (K-files) or rotary instruments (Mtwo or ProTaper) were used to prepare root canals. After cleaning the canals and clearing the teeth, ink removal was evaluated with a stereomicroscope. Statistical analysis was done with Kruskal–Wallis and Friedman tests. Results: There were no significant differences in cleaning efficiency between manual and rotary instruments. Only ProTaper files performed significantly better in the coronal and middle thirds than in the apical third of the root canal. Conclusion: Manual K-files and the Mtwo and ProTaper rotary systems showed equally acceptable cleaning ability in primary molar root canals. PMID:22623929

MiniCLEAN-360: A liquid argon/neon dark matter detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rielage, Keith; DEAP/CLEAN Collaboration

2008-11-01

MiniCLEAN-360 utilizes 360 kg of liquid argon to detect the nuclear recoil from WIMP dark matter with a projected cross-section sensitivity of 10-45 cm2. To reach this planned sensitivity, a unique modular design is being developed with a spherical geometry to maximize light collection using PMTs. Pulse shape discrimination techniques separate nuclear recoil signal from the electron recoil backgrounds resulting from the beta decay of 39Ar and Compton scattering of gamma rays. The design allows for the replacement of the target material with liquid neon to examine any signal and backgrounds with a different sensitivity. It also provides research and development for a larger scale low energy solar neutrino experiment using neon (CLEAN: Cryogenic Low Energy Astrophysics with Noble gases) that plans to measure the pp-solar neutrino flux to 1%. Particular attention is being paid to mitigating the background from contamination of surfaces by radon daughters during assembly. The engineering design, radon mitigation plan, and various testing setups are presented. MiniCLEAN-360 anticipates the start of data collection in mid-2009 at SNOLAB in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada.

Aqueous Cleaning and Validation for Space Shuttle Propulsion Hardware at the White Sands Test Facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hornung, Steven D.; Biesinger, Paul; Kirsch, Mike; Beeson, Harold; Leuders, Kathy

1999-01-01

The NASA White Sands Test Facility (WSTF) has developed an entirely aqueous final cleaning and verification process to replace the current chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) 113 based process. This process has been accepted for final cleaning and cleanliness verification of WSTF ground support equipment. The aqueous process relies on ultrapure water at 50 C (323 K) and ultrasonic agitation for removal of organic compounds and particulate. The cleanliness is verified bv determining the total organic carbon (TOC) content and filtration with particulate counting. The effectiveness of the aqueous methods for detecting hydrocarbon contamination and particulate was compared to the accepted CFC 113 sampling procedures. Testing with known contaminants, such as hydraulic fluid and cutting and lubricating oils, to establish a correlation between aqueous TOC and CFC 113 nonvolatile residue (NVR) was performed. Particulate sampling on cleaned batches of hardware that were randomly separated and sampled by the two methods was performed. This paper presents the approach and results, and discusses the issues in establishing the equivalence of aqueous sampling to CFC 113 sampling, while describing the approach for implementing aqueous techniques on Space Shuttle Propulsion hardware.

Laser cleaning of ITER's diagnostic mirrors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skinner, C. H.; Gentile, C. A.; Doerner, R.

2012-10-01

Practical methods to clean ITER's diagnostic mirrors and restore reflectivity will be critical to ITER's plasma operations. We report on laser cleaning of single crystal molybdenum mirrors coated with either carbon or beryllium films 150 - 420 nm thick. A 1.06 μm Nd laser system provided 220 ns pulses at 8 kHz with typical power densities of 1-2 J/cm^2. The laser beam was fiber optically coupled to a scanner suitable for tokamak applications. The efficacy of mirror cleaning was assessed with a new technique that combines microscopic imaging and reflectivity measurements [1]. The method is suitable for hazardous materials such as beryllium as the mirrors remain sealed in a vacuum chamber. Excellent restoration of reflectivity for the carbon coated Mo mirrors was observed after laser scanning under vacuum conditions. For the beryllium coated mirrors restoration of reflectivity has so far been incomplete and modeling indicates that a shorter duration laser pulse is needed. No damage of the molybdenum mirror substrates was observed.[4pt][1] C.H. Skinner et al., Rev. Sci. Instrum. at press.

Dirt detection on brown eggs by means of color computer vision.

PubMed

Mertens, K; De Ketelaere, B; Kamers, B; Bamelis, F R; Kemps, B J; Verhoelst, E M; De Baerdemaeker, J G; Decuypere, E M

2005-10-01

In the last 20 yr, different methods for detecting defects in eggs were developed. Until now, no satisfying technique existed to sort and quantify dirt on eggshells. The work presented here focuses on the design of an off-line computer vision system to differentiate and quantify the presence of different dirt stains on brown eggs: dark (feces), white (uric acid), blood, and yolk stains. A system that provides uniform light exposure around the egg was designed. In this uniform light, pictures of dirty and clean eggs were taken, stored, and analyzed. The classification was based on a few standard logical operators, allowing for a quick implementation in an online set-up. In an experiment, 100 clean and 100 dirty eggs were used to validate the classification algorithm. The designed vision system showed an accuracy of 99% for the detection of dirt stains. Two percent of the clean eggs had a light-colored eggshell and were subsequently mistaken for showing large white stains. The accuracy of differentiation of the different kinds of dirt stains was 91%. Of the eggs with dark stains, 10.81% were mistaken for having bloodstains, and 33.33% of eggs with bloodstains were mistaken for having dark stains. The developed system is possibly a first step toward an on line dirt evaluation technique for brown eggs.

The effect of surfactant-free TiO2 surface hydroxyl groups on physicochemical, optical and self-cleaning properties of developed coatings on polycarbonate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yaghoubi, H.; Dayerizadeh, A.; Han, S.; Mulaj, M.; Gao, W.; Li, X.; Muschol, M.; Ma, S.; Takshi, A.

2013-12-01

TiO2 is a prototypical transition metal oxide with physicochemical properties that can be modified more readily through sol-gel synthesis than through other techniques. Herein, we report on the change in the density of the hydroxyl groups on the surface of synthesized surfactant-free TiO2 nanoparticles in water due to varying the pH (7.3, 8.3, 9.3 and 10.3) of the peroxotitanium complex, i.e. the amorphous sol, prior to refluxing. This resulted in colloidal solutions with differing crystallinity, nanoparticle size, optical indirect bandgaps and photocatalytic activity. It was shown that increasing the density of hydroxyl groups on TiO2 particles coupled with low-temperature annealing (90 °C) induced an anatase to rutile transformation. Increasing the pH of the peroxotitanium complex interrupted the formation of anatase phase in crystalline sol, as evidenced by intensity increases of the Raman bands at ˜822 (Ti-O-H) and 906 cm-1 (vibrational Ti-O-H) and an intensity decrease of the band at 150 cm-1 (anatase photonic Eg). Films prepared from higher pH suspensions showed lower roughness. The reaction rate constants for photo-induced self-cleaning activity of TiO2 films prepared from colloidal solutions at pH 7.3, 8.3, 9.3 and 10.3 were estimated at 0.017 s-1, 0.014 s-1, 0.007 s-1 and 0.006 s-1, respectively.

Hebei Spirit Oil Spill Exposure and Subjective Symptoms in Residents Participating in Clean-Up Activities

PubMed Central

Cheong, Hae-Kwan; Lee, Jong Seong; Kwon, Hojang; Ha, Eun-Hee; Hong, Yun-Chul; Choi, Yeyong; Jeong, Woo-Chul; Hur, Jongil; Lee, Seung-Min; Kim, Eun-Jung; Im, Hosub

2011-01-01

Objectives This study was conducted to examine the relationship between crude oil exposure and physical symptoms among residents participating in clean-up work associated with the Hebei Spirit oil spill, 2007 in Korea. Methods A total of 288 residents responded to a questionnaire regarding subjective physical symptoms, sociodemographic characteristics and clean-up activities that occurred between two and eight weeks after the accident. Additionally, the urine of 154 of the respondents was analyzed for metabolites of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metals. To compare the urinary levels of exposure biomarkers, the urine of 39 inland residents who were not directly exposed to the oil spill were analyzed. Results Residents exposed to oil remnants through clean-up work showed associations between physical symptoms and the exposure levels defined in various ways, including days of work, degree of skin contamination, and levels of some urinary exposure biomarkers of VOCs, metabolites and metals, although no major abnormalities in urinary exposure biomarkers were observed. Conclusions This study provides evidence of a relationship between crude oil exposure and acute human health effects and suggests the need for follow-up to evaluate the exposure status and long-term health effects of clean-up participants. PMID:22125768

Searching for dark matter with single phase liquid argon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caldwell, Thomas S., Jr.

The first hint that we fail to understand the nature of a large fraction of the gravitating matter in the universe came from Fritz Zwicky's measurements of the velocity distribution of the Coma cluster in 1933. Using the Virial theorem, Zwicky found that galaxies in the cluster were orbiting far too fast to remain gravitationally bound when their mass was estimated by the brightness of the visible matter. This led to the postulation that some form of non-luminous dark matter is present in galaxies comprising a large fraction of the galactic mass. The nature of this dark matter remains yet unknown over 80 years after Zwicky's measurements despite the efforts of many experiments. Dark matter is widely believed to be a beyond the Standard Model particle which brings the dark matter problem into the realm of particle physics. Supersymmetry is one widely explored extension of the Standard model, from which particles meeting the constraints on dark matter properties can naturally arise. These particles are generically termed weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs), and are a currently favored dark matter candidate. A variety of experimental efforts are underway aimed towards direct detection of dark matter through observation of rare scattering of WIMPs in terrestrial detectors. Single phase liquid argon detectors are an appealing WIMP detection technique due to the scintillation properties of liquid argon and the scalability of the single phase approach. The MiniCLEAN dark matter detector is a single phase liquid argon scintillation scintillation detector with a 500 kg active mass. The modular design offers 4pi coverage with 92 optical cassettes, each containing TPB coated acrylic and a cryogenic photomultiplier tube. The MiniCLEAN detector has recently completed construction at SNOLAB. The detector is currently being commissioned, and will soon begin operation with the liquid argon target. Utilizing advanced pulse-shape discrimination techniques, MiniCLEAN will probe the WIMP-nucleon cross section parameter space to the level of 10--44 cm2 and demonstrate the pulse-shape discrimination required for next generation experiments capable of further probing the WIMP parameter space in search of WIMP dark matter.

New techniques to control salinity-wastewater reuse interactions in golf courses of the Mediterranean regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beltrao, J.; Costa, M.; Rosado, V.; Gamito, P.; Santos, R.; Khaydarova, V.

2003-04-01

Due to the lack water around the Mediterranean regions, potable water luxurious uses - as in golf courses - are increasingly contested. In order to solve this problem, non conventional water resources (effluent, gray, recycled, reclaimed, brackish), like treated wastewater, for irrigation gained increasing role in the planning and development of additional water supplies in golf courses. In most cases, the intense use of effluent for irrigation attracted public awareness in respect of contaminating pathogens and heavy metals. The contaminating effect of salinity in soil and underground water is very often neglected. The objective of this work is to present the conventional techniques to control salinity of treated wastewater and to present some results on new clean techniques to solve this problem, in the framework of the INCO-COPERNICUS project (no. IC-15CT98-0105) "Adaptation of Efficient Water Use Criteria in Marginal Regions of Europe and Middle Asia with Scarce Sources Subject to Environmental Control, Climate Change and Socio-Economic Development" and of the INCO-DC project (no. IC18-CT98-0266) "Control of Salination and Combating Desertification Effects in the Mediterranean Region. Phase II". Saline water is the most common irrigation water in arid climates. Moreover, for each region treated wastewater is always more saline than tap water, and therefore, when treated wastewater is reused in golf courses, more salinity problems occur. Conventional techniques to combat the salination process in golf courses can be characterized by four generations: 1) Problem of root zone salination by soil leaching - two options can occur - when there is an impermeable layer, salts will be concentrated above this layer; on the other hand, when there is no impermeable layer, aquifers contamination can be observed; 2) Use of subsurface trickle irrigation - economy of water, and therefore less additional salts; however the problem of groundwater contamination due to natural rain or artificial leaching remained; 3) Enhanced fertilization increases turfgrass tolerance to salinity, but the contamination will be increased by other hazardous chemicals such as nitrate; 4) Use of salt tolerant turfgrass species this technique will be very useful to the plants, but does not solve the problem os soil or groundwater contamination. When reusing treated wastewater in the Mediterranean areas, the only way to control the salination process and to maintain the sustainability of golf courses is to combat the salination problems by environmentally safe and clean techniques. These new clean techniques include: 1) Use of salt removing turfgrass species; 2) Use of drought tolerant turfgrass species - reduction of salt application by deficit irrigation; 3) Reuse of minimal levels of wastewater enough to obtain a good visual appearance GVA of the turfgrass. Regarding these new clean techniques, experiments were carried out in golf courses of Algarve, Portugal, the most southwest part of Europe. It was shown: 1) Use of salt removing turfgrass species - 3 sprinkle irrigated cultivars were studied (Agrostis solonífera L.; Cynodon dactylon, L. and Penninsetum clandestinum Hochst ex Chiov). 2) Use of drought tolerant turfgrass species -responses to several levels of sprinkle irrigation wastewater and potable water (with and without fertilization). An experimental design, known as sprinkle point source was specially used to simulate the several levels of water application, expressed by the crop coefficient kc and by the crop evapotranspiration rate ETc. Turfgrass yield was enhanced linearly with the increased application of treated wastewater. 3) Reuse of minimal levels of wastewater enough to obtain a good visual appearance GVA of the turfgrass - The minimal crop coefficient kc for a good visual appearance GVA of the turfgrass was around 1.0 to potable water irrigated mixed cultivars (with 30 kg nitrogen ha-1 month-1) and 1.2 to wastewater irrigated Bermuda grass (without any mineral fertilization). As concluding remarks, our results show that these new clean techniques are a strong and powerful tool to control salinity and to avoid soil salination and to maintain sustainability of golf courses.

Sterilization, high-level disinfection, and environmental cleaning.

PubMed

Rutala, William A; Weber, David J

2011-03-01

Failure to perform proper disinfection and sterilization of medical devices may lead to introduction of pathogens, resulting in infection. New techniques have been developed for achieving high-level disinfection and adequate environmental cleanliness. This article examines new technologies for sterilization and high-level disinfection of critical and semicritical items, respectively, and because semicritical items carry the greatest risk of infection, the authors discuss reprocessing semicritical items such as endoscopes and automated endoscope reprocessors, endocavitary probes, prostate biopsy probes, tonometers, laryngoscopes, and infrared coagulation devices. In addition, current issues and practices associated with environmental cleaning are reviewed. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Guideline series: Control of volatile organic compound emissions from wood furniture manufacturing operations, April 1996. Final report

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

NONE

1996-04-01

This Control Techniques Guideline (CTG) provides the necessary guidance for development of regulations to limit emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOC) from wood furniture finishing and cleaning operations. This guidance includes emission limits for specific wood furniture finishing steps and work practices to reduce waste and evaporation through pollution prevention methods; these represent available control technology for wood furniture finishing and cleaning operations. This document is intended to provide State and local air pollution authorities with an information base for proceeding with their own analyses of RACT to meet statutory requirements.

Guideline series: Control of volatile organic compound emissions from wood furniture manufacturing operations. Draft report

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

NONE

1995-08-01

This draft Control Techniques Guidelines (CTG) provides necessary guidance for development of regulations to limit emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOC`s) from wood furniture finishing and cleaning operations. This guidance includes emission limits for specific wood furniture finishing steps and work pratices to reduce waste and evaporation through pollution prevention methods; these represent reasonably available control technology for wood furniture finishing and cleaning operations. This document is intended to provide State and local air pollution authorities with an information base for proceeding with their own analyses of RACT to meet statutory requirements.

Long-term bladder management by intermittent catheterisation in adults and children.

PubMed

Moore, K N; Fader, M; Getliffe, K

2007-10-17

Intermittent catheterisation (IC) is a commonly recommended procedure for people with incomplete bladder emptying not satisfactorily managed by other methods. The most frequent complication of IC is urinary tract infection (UTI). It is unclear which catheter types, techniques or strategies, affect the incidence of UTI. There is wide variation in practice and important cost implications for using different catheters, techniques or strategies. To compare sterile versus clean catheterisation technique, coated (pre-lubricated) versus uncoated (separate lubricant) catheters, single (sterile) or multiple use (clean) catheters, self-catheterisation versus catheterisation by others, and any other strategies designed to reduce UTIs in respect of incidence of symptomatic UTI, haematuria, other infections and user preference, in adults and children using intermittent catheterisation for incomplete bladder emptying. We searched the Cochrane Incontinence Group Specialised Trials Register (searched 19 June 2006), MEDLINE (January 1966 to June 2007), EMBASE (January 1988 to June 2007), CINAHL (January 1982 to June 2007), ERIC (January 1984 to June 2007), the reference lists of relevant articles and conference proceedings, and we attempted to contact other investigators for unpublished data or for clarification. Randomised controlled trials comparing at least two different catheterisation techniques, strategies or catheter types. Three reviewers assessed the methodological quality of trials and abstracted data. For dichotomous variables, relative risks and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were derived for each outcome where possible. For continuous variables, mean differences and 95% CI were calculated for each outcome. Because of trial heterogeneity, data were not combined to give an overall estimate of treatment effect. Fourteen studies met the inclusion criteria; all were small (less than 60 participants). There was considerable variation in length of follow-up and definitions of UTI. Participant drop-out was a problem for several studies. Several studies were more than ten years old and outcome measures varied between studies. Where there were data, confidence intervals around estimates were wide and hence clinically important differences in UTI and other outcomes could neither be identified nor ruled out reliably. Intermittent catheterisation is a critical aspect of healthcare for individuals with incomplete emptying who are otherwise unable to void adequately to protect bladder and renal health. There is a lack of evidence to state that incidence of UTI is affected by use of sterile or clean technique, coated or uncoated catheters, single (sterile) or multiple use (clean) catheters, self-catheterisation or catheterisation by others, or by any other strategy. The current research evidence is weak and design issues are significant. In light of the current climate of infection control and antibiotic resistance, further, well-designed studies are strongly recommended. Based on the current data, it is not possible to state that one catheter type, technique or strategy is better than another.

Lignin and silicate based hydrogels for biosensor applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burrs, S. L.; Jairam, S.; Vanegas, D. C.; Tong, Z.; McLamore, E. S.

2013-05-01

Advances in biocompatible materials and electrocatalytic nanomaterials have extended and enhanced the field of biosensors. Immobilization of biorecognition elements on nanomaterial platforms is an efficient technique for developing high fidelity biosensors. Single layer (i.e., Langmuir-Blodgett) protein films are efficient, but disadvantages of this approach include high cost, mass transfer limitations, and Vromer competition for surface binding sites. There is a need for simple, user friendly protein-nanomaterial sensing membranes that can be developed in laboratories or classrooms (i.e., outside of the clean room). In this research, we develop high fidelity nanomaterial platforms for developing electrochemical biosensors using sustainable biomaterials and user-friendly deposition techniques. Catalytic nanomaterial platforms are developed using a combination of self assembled monolayer chemistry and electrodeposition. High performance biomaterials (e.g., nanolignin) are recovered from paper pulp waste and combined with proteins and nanomaterials to form active sensor membranes. These methods are being used to develop electrochemical biosensors for studying physiological transport in biomedical, agricultural, and environmental applications.

Optical Waveguide Lightmode Spectroscopic Techniques for Investigating Membrane-Bound Ion Channel Activities

PubMed Central

Székács, Inna; Kaszás, Nóra; Gróf, Pál; Erdélyi, Katalin; Szendrő, István; Mihalik, Balázs; Pataki, Ágnes; Antoni, Ferenc A.; Madarász, Emilia

2013-01-01

Optical waveguide lightmode spectroscopic (OWLS) techniques were probed for monitoring ion permeation through channels incorporated into artificial lipid environment. A novel sensor set-up was developed by depositing liposomes or cell-derived membrane fragments onto hydrophilic polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membrane. The fibrous material of PTFE membrane could entrap lipoid vesicles and the water-filled pores provided environment for the hydrophilic domains of lipid-embedded proteins. The sensor surface was kept clean from the lipid holder PTFE membrane by a water- and ion-permeable polyethylene terephthalate (PET) mesh. The sensor set-up was tested with egg yolk lecithin liposomes containing gramicidin ion channels and with cell-derived membrane fragments enriched in GABA-gated anion channels. The method allowed monitoring the move of Na+ and organic cations through gramicidin channels and detecting the Cl–-channel functions of the (α5β2γ2) GABAA receptor in the presence or absence of GABA and the competitive GABA-blocker bicuculline. PMID:24339925

The Care and Maintenance of Videodiscs and Players.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paris, Judith; Boss, Richard W.

1982-01-01

Explores the effects of library use on both capacitance and laser-optical videodisc systems and outlines proper cleaning, servicing, and storage techniques. The article is excerpted from "Conservation in the Library," a book edited by Susan Swartzberg. (Author/JJD)

Development and test of flexible film coupon strips for use as a sampling technique

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aldridge, C.

1969-01-01

Film consisting of a gelatin base serves as a flexible, water soluble microbiological assay coupon for clean room use. It is nontoxic to microorganisms and capable of remaining unchanged during periods of storage.

Spectroscopic Monitoring of the Laser Cleaning Applied to Ancient Marbles from Mediterranean Areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lazic, V.; Colao, F.; Fantoni, R.; Fiorani, L.; Palucci, A.; Striber, J.; Santagata, A.; Morone, A.; Spizzicchino, V.

Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) analysis by Nd:YAG laser emitting at 355nm were performed on different clean and dirty surfaces of marble fragments collected from ancient quarries in Greece, Turkey and Italy, in order to determine semi-quantitavely the atomic composition of the bulk material and encrustation. The method here developed for element concentrations retrieval could be applied during laser cleaning process to supply the information about the effective crust composition at different depths and the point where the process should be interrupted. The knowledge of the crust composition along successive layers is also important for determining the restoration procedures. The elements measured in the encrustations, such as Si, Al, Ca, C, Ti, Mn, Mg, Na, Ba, Sr and Cu are also present in the bulk, but at different concentrations whose determination allows for the process monitoring. The only element here observed in the crusts and not detected in the bulk materials is Chromium, whose progressive disappearance from LIBS spectra could be used as another indicator of the laser cleaning effectiveness. On a sample from Turkey also Vanadium was detected in the encrustation. The present LIBS measuring method was validated by SEM-EDX and ICP analyses. The clean marble surface and encrustations were further analysed by Laser Induced Fluorescence (LIF), which could be used as an alternative technique for the on-line control of the cleaning effectiveness. Better discrimination between dirty and clean marble surface was obtained when 266nm excitation was applied instead of 355 nm. Characteristic LIF spectral signatures allows for the discrimination between different type of the natural stones, even under the water.

Genesis Solar Wind Collector Cleaning Assessment: Update on 60336 Sample Case Study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goreva, Y. S.; Allums, K. K.; Gonzalez, C. P.; Jurewicz, A. J.; Burnett, D. S.; Allton, J. H.; Kuhlman, K. R.; Woolum, D.

2015-01-01

To maximize the scientific return of Genesis Solar Wind return mission it is necessary to characterize and remove a crash-derived particle and thin film surface contamination. A small subset of Genesis mission collector fragments are being subjected to extensive study via various techniques. Here we present an update on the sample 60336, a Czochralski silicon (Si-CZ) based wafer from the bulk array (B/C). This sample has undergone multiple cleaning steps (see the table below): UPW spin wash, aggressive chemical cleanings (including aqua regia, hot xylene and RCA1), as well as optical and chemical (EDS, ToF-SIMS) imaging. Contamination appeared on the surface of 60336 after the initial 2007 UPW cleaning. Aqua regia and hot xylene treatment (8/13/2013) did little to remove contaminants. The sample was UPW cleaned for the third time and imaged (9/16/13). The UPW removed the dark stains that were visible on the sample. However, some features, like "the Flounder" (a large, 100 micron feature in Fig. 1b) appeared largely intact, resisting all previous cleaning efforts. These features were likely from mobilized adhesive, derived from the Post-It notes used to stabilize samples for transport from Utah after the hard landing. To remove this contamination, an RCA step 1 organic cleaning (RCA1) was employed. Although we are still uncertain on the nature of the Flounder and why it is resistant to UPW and aqua regia/hot xylene treatment, we have found RCA1 to be suitable for its removal. It is likely that the glue from sticky pads used during collector recovery may have been a source for resistant organic contamination [9]; however [8] shows that UPW reaction with crash-derived organic contamination does not make particle removal more difficult.

Electrocatalysts by atomic layer deposition for fuel cell applications

DOE PAGES

Cheng, Niancai; Shao, Yuyan; Liu, Jun; ...

2016-01-22

Here, fuel cells are a promising technology solution for reliable and clean energy because they offer high energy conversion efficiency and low emission of pollutants. However, high cost and insufficient durability are considerable challenges for widespread adoption of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) in practical applications. Current PEMFCs catalysts have been identified as major contributors to both the high cost and limited durability. Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is emerging as a powerful technique for solving these problems due to its exclusive advantages over other methods. In this review, we summarize recent developments of ALD in PEMFCs with a focusmore » on design of materials for improved catalyst activity and durability. New research directions and future trends have also been discussed.« less

TA-60-1 Heavy Equipment Shop Areas SWPPP Rev 2 Jan 2017-Final

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

Burgin, Jillian Elizabeth

The primary activities and equipment areas at the facility that are potential stormwater pollution sources include; The storage of vehicles and heavy equipment awaiting repair; or repaired vehicles waiting to be picked up; The storage and handling of oils, anti-freeze, solvents, degreasers, batteries and other chemicals for the maintenance of vehicles and heavy equipment; and Equipment cleaning operations including exterior vehicle wash-down. Steam cleaning is only done on the steam cleaning pad area located at the north east end of Building 60-0001.

Comparative study of dissolved organic matter generated from activated sludge during exposure to hypochlorite, hydrogen peroxide, acid and alkaline: Implications for on-line chemical cleaning of MBR.

PubMed

Cai, Weiwei; Liu, Yu

2018-02-01

Although on-line chemical cleaning has been extensively employed for maintaining the MBR permeability, little attention has been given to the negative impacts of such prevalent membrane cleaning practice. This study thus comparatively investigated the potential release of dissolved organic matter (DOM) from activated sludge upon the exposure to different kinds of frequently-used cleaning reagents, i.e. NaClO, H 2 O 2 , HCl and NaOH. It was found that NaClO at 50 and 80 mg L -1 triggered significant release of DOM, while NaOH strongly promoted soluble nitrogen release. However, the DOM generation induced by H 2 O 2 in the range of 0-80 mg L -1 was nearly negligible. The combined analysis by EEM-PARAFAC and LC-OCD-OND further revealed that NaClO-triggered DOM mainly originated from the breakdown of humic substances and other small humics with molecular weight (MW) less than 500 Da. In contrast, proteins and other biopolymers with higher MW highly contributed to DOM induced by NaOH. Most of DOM detected in this study belonged to low molecular weight (LMW) substances, which were not considered readily biodegradable or physically retainable by microfiltration membrane. It appears from this study that DOM generated from suspended activated sludge during membrane cleaning with different chemicals should be taken into serious consideration when water recycle and reuse are concerned. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Catheter port cleansing techniques and the entry of povidone-iodine into the epidural space.

PubMed

Paice, J A; DuPen, A; Schwertz, D

1999-04-01

To determine whether three epidural catheter port cleansing techniques used to apply a povidone-iodine solution differed with respect to the introduction of this solution through the epidural catheter. Experimental. Laboratory. Five DuPen (Davol, Cranston, RI) epidural catheters. Five DuPen epidural catheters each were cleansed twice with (a) a commercially available 10% povidone-iodine swabstick, (b) a commercially available pledget impregnated with 10% povidone-iodine, and (c) a gauze pad saturated with 10% povidone-iodine. The order of cleansing was randomized. Each solution was used to clean the port for 30 seconds, and the port was allowed to dry for 30 seconds, similar to the technique used in the clinical setting. After cleaning the catheter port, water was injected through the catheter, and the solution from the tip of the catheter was analyzed using absorbance spectrophotometry. Cleansing techniques, presence of povidone-iodine in catheter. A statistically significant difference existed between the three cleansing techniques, with the pledget yielding the lowest values of povidone-iodine contamination of the epidural catheter (Freidman test, p = 0.02). Use of pledgets allowed the least amount of povidone-iodine to enter the epidural catheter as compared with the swabsticks or gauze pads. Commercially available pledgets used to cleanse catheter injection ports may limit the introduction of 10% povidone-iodine into the epidural or intrathecal space.

[Determination of acetanilide herbicide residues in tea by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with two different ionization techniques].

PubMed

Shen, Weijian; Xu, Jinzhong; Yang, Wenquan; Shen, Chongyu; Zhao, Zengyun; Ding, Tao; Wu, Bin

2007-09-01

An analytical method of solid phase extraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with two different ionization techniques was established for simultaneous determination of 12 acetanilide herbicide residues in tea-leaves. Herbicides were extracted from tea-leaf samples with ethyl acetate. The extract was cleaned-up on an active carbon SPE column connected to a Florisil SPE column. Analytical screening was determined by the technique of gas chromatography (GC)-mass spectrometry (MS) in the selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode with either electron impact ionization (EI) or negative chemical ionization (NCI). It is reliable and stable that the recoveries of all herbicides were in the range from 50% to 110% at three spiked levels, 10 microg/kg, 20 microg/kg and 40 microg/kg, and the relative standard deviations (RSDs) were no more than 10.9%. The two different ionization techniques are complementary as more ion fragmentation information can be obtained from the EI mode while more molecular ion information from the NCI mode. By comparison of the two techniques, the selectivity of NCI-SIM was much better than that of EI-SIM method. The sensitivities of the both techniques were high, the limit of quantitative (LOQ) for each herbicide was no more than 2.0 microg/kg, and the limit of detection (LOD) with NCI-SIM technique was much lower than that of EI-SIM when analyzing herbicides with several halogen atoms in the molecule.

HAZ-ED Classroom Activities for Understanding Hazardous Waste.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC.

The Federal Superfund Program investigates and cleans up hazardous waste sites throughout the United States. Part of this program is devoted to informing the public and involving people in the process of cleaning up hazardous waste sites from beginning to end. The Haz-Ed program was developed to assist the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA)…

Solving the problems we face: the United States Environmental Protection Agency, sustainability, and the challenges of the twenty-first century

EPA Science Inventory

Addressing the problems of the twenty-first century will require new initiatives that complement traditional regulatory activities. Existing regulations, such as the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act are important safety nets in the United States for protecting human health and t...

A study of the effectiveness of particulate cleaning protocols on intentionally contaminated niobium surfaces

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

Reece, Charles E.; Ciancio, Elizabeth J.; Keyes, Katharine A.

2009-11-01

Particulate contamination on the surface of SRF cavities limits their performance via the enhanced generation of field-emitted electrons. Considerable efforts are expended to actively clean and avoid such contamination on niobium surfaces. The protocols in active use have been developed via feedback from cavity testing. This approach has the risk of over-conservatively ratcheting an ever increasing complexity of methods tied to particular circumstances. A complementary and perhaps helpful approach is to quantitatively assess the effectiveness of candidate methods at removing intentional representative particulate contamination. Toward this end, we developed a standardized contamination protocol using water suspensions of Nb{sub 2}O{sub 5}more » and SS 316 powders applied to BCP’d surfaces of standardized niobium samples yielding particle densities of order 200 particles/mm{sup 2}. From these starting conditions, controlled application of high pressure water rinse, ultrasonic cleaning, or CO{sub 2} snow jet cleaning was applied and the resulting surfaces examined via SEM/scanning EDS with particle recognition software. Results of initial parametric variations of each will be reported.« less

Advanced coal conversion process demonstration. Technical progress report for the period July 1, 1995--September 30, 1995

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

NONE

1997-05-01

This report describes the technical progress made on the Advanced Coal Conversion Process (ACCP) Demonstration Project from July 1, 1995 through September 30, 1995. The ACCP Demonstration Project is a US Department of Energy (DOE) Clean Coal Technology Project. This project demonstrates an advanced, thermal, coal upgrading process, coupled with physical cleaning techniques, that is designed to upgrade high-moisture, low-rank coals to a high-quality, low-sulfur fuel, registered as the SynCoal process. The coal is processed through three stages (two heating stages followed by an inert cooling stage) of vibrating fluidized bed reactors that remove chemically bound water, carboxyl groups, andmore » volatile sulfur compounds. After thermal upgrading, the cola is put through a deep-bed stratifier cleaning process to separate the pyrite-rich ash from the coal.« less

Wavelet imaging cleaning method for atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lessard, R. W.; Cayón, L.; Sembroski, G. H.; Gaidos, J. A.

2002-07-01

We present a new method of image cleaning for imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes. The method is based on the utilization of wavelets to identify noise pixels in images of gamma-ray and hadronic induced air showers. This method selects more signal pixels with Cherenkov photons than traditional image processing techniques. In addition, the method is equally efficient at rejecting pixels with noise alone. The inclusion of more signal pixels in an image of an air shower allows for a more accurate reconstruction, especially at lower gamma-ray energies that produce low levels of light. We present the results of Monte Carlo simulations of gamma-ray and hadronic air showers which show improved angular resolution using this cleaning procedure. Data from the Whipple Observatory's 10-m telescope are utilized to show the efficacy of the method for extracting a gamma-ray signal from the background of hadronic generated images.

Toll-Booth Purification

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1977-01-01

NASA's Technology Application Team at Stanford Research Institute searched available information and suggested a transfer of clean-room technology employing the use of the same laminar flow techniques found in environmental control systems of clean rooms used for contamination-free assembly of precision aerospace equipment. That information, from technology originally developed by NASA and the Energy Research & Development Administration was incorporated in the design of a prototype toll booth purifier. The draft-free design includes a "diffusor", which blows clean air out the toll booth doorway, thus retarding the infiltration of contaminated air. The net effect is a decrease in the toll collector's inhalation of exhaust fumes. The Washington Department of Highways installed the prototype system in a toll booth at the Evergreen Point Bridge near Seattle. After a successful two-year test, the department now has equipped all 10 of the bridge's toll booths with the air purifiers.

Fast and accurate determination of the detergent efficiency by optical fiber sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patitsa, Maria; Pfeiffer, Helge; Wevers, Martine

2011-06-01

An optical fiber sensor was developed to control the cleaning efficiency of surfactants. Prior to the measurements, the sensing part of the probe is covered with a uniform standardized soil layer (lipid multilayer), and a gold mirror is deposited at the end of the optical fiber. For the lipid multilayer deposition on the fiber, Langmuir-Blodgett technique was used and the progress of deposition was followed online by ultraviolet spectroscopy. The invention provides a miniaturized Surface Plasmon Resonance dip-sensor for automated on-line testing that can replace the cost and time consuming existing methods and develop a breakthrough in detergent testing in combining optical sensing, surface chemistry and automated data acquisition. The sensor is to be used to evaluate detergency of different cleaning products and also indicate how formulation, concentration, lipid nature and temperature affect the cleaning behavior of a surfactant.

Film loss-free cleaning chemicals for EUV mask lifetime elongation developed through combinatorial chemical screening

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, Jaehyuck; Kim, Jinsu; Lowe, Jeff; Dattilo, Davide; Koh, Soowan; Choi, Jun Yeol; Dietze, Uwe; Shoki, Tsutomu; Kim, Byung Gook; Jeon, Chan-Uk

2015-10-01

EUV masks include many different layers of various materials rarely used in optical masks, and each layer of material has a particular role in enhancing the performance of EUV lithography. Therefore, it is crucial to understand how the mask quality and patterning performance can change during mask fabrication, EUV exposure, maintenance cleaning, shipping, or storage. SPM (Sulfuric acid peroxide mixture) which has been extensively used for acid cleaning of photomask and wafer has serious drawback for EUV mask cleaning. It shows severe film loss of tantalum-based absorber layers and limited removal efficiency of EUV-generated carbon contaminants on EUV mask surface. Here, we introduce such novel cleaning chemicals developed for EUV mask as almost film loss free for various layers of the mask and superior carbon removal performance. Combinatorial chemical screening methods allowed us to screen several hundred combinations of various chemistries and additives under several different process conditions of temperature and time, eventually leading to development of the best chemistry selections for EUV mask cleaning. Recently, there have been many activities for the development of EUV pellicle, driven by ASML and core EUV scanner customer companies. It is still important to obtain film-loss free cleaning chemicals because cleaning cycle of EUV mask should be much faster than that of optic mask mainly due to EUV pellicle lifetime. More frequent cleaning, combined with the adoption of new materials for EUV masks, necessitates that mask manufacturers closely examine the performance change of EUV masks during cleaning process. We have investigated EUV mask quality changes and film losses during 50 cleaning cycles using new chemicals as well as particle and carbon contaminant removal characteristics. We have observed that the performance of new chemicals developed is superior to current SPM or relevant cleaning chemicals for EUV mask cleaning and EUV mask lifetime elongation.

Advanced mask cleaning for 0.20-μm technology: an integrated user-supplier approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poschenrieder, Rudolf; Hay, Bernd; Beier, Matthias; Hourd, Andrew C.; Stuemer, Harald; Gairing, Thomas M.

1998-12-01

A newly developed photomask final cleaning system, STEAG HamaTech's Advanced Single Substrate Cleaner, ASC 500, was assessed and optimized at the Siemens mask shop in Munich, Germany, under production conditions within the Esprit European Semiconductor Equipment Assessment programme (SEA). The project was carried out together with the active participation of Compugraphics Intl. Ltd. (UK), DuPont Photomasks, Inc. (Germany; Photronics-MZD, Germany). The results of the assessment are presented, focusing on the cleaning performance at the 0.25 micrometer defect level on photomasks, equipment reliability and Cost of Ownership data. A reticle free of soft defects on glass and on chrome down to the 0.25 micrometer level requires an excellent cleaning process and the use of high-end inspection tools like the KLA STARlight. In order to get a full understanding of the nature of the detected features additional investigations on the blank quality have been carried out. These investigations include the questions whether a detection is a hard or a soft defect and whether small defects on chrome are able to move on the reticle surface. Final cleaning recipes have been optimized in respect to cleaning efficiency while maintaining high throughput and low Cost of Ownership. A benchmark comparison against other final cleaning tools at the partner's maskshops showed the leading data of the ASC 500. It was found that a cleaning program which includes several substrate flips and a combination of the available cleaning methods acid- dispense, water pressure jet clean, brush and megasonic clean was best suitable to achieve these goals. In particular the use of the brush unit was shown to improve the yield while not adding damage to the plate.

Technical and Regulatory Considerations in Using Freight Containers as Industrial Packages

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

Hawk, Mark B; Opperman, Erich; Natali, Ronald

2008-01-01

The US Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Environmental Management (EM), is actively pursuing activities to reduce the radiological risk and clean up the environmental legacy of the nation's nuclear weapons programmes. The EM has made significant progress in recent years in the clean-up and closure of sites and is also focusing on longer term activities necessary for the completion of the clean-up programme. The packaging and transportation of contaminated demolition debris and low level waste materials in a safe and cost effective manner are essential in completing this mission. Toward this end, the US Department of Transportation's Final Rulemore » on Hazardous Materials Regulation issued on 26 January 2004, included a new provision authorising the use of freight containers (e.g. 20 and 40 ft ISO containers) as industrial packages type 2 or 3. This paper will discuss the technical and regulatory considerations in using these newly authorised and large packages for the packaging and transportation of low level waste materials.« less

Results of gamma activity traverses made in process tube channels and VSR channels at 105-KW

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

Greene, M.C. Jr.

1955-02-03

Activity traverses were made at Hanford reactor 105-KW in VSR channels 23, 29, 37, 46, 55, 63 and 69 and in process channels 4669, 4569, 4668, 4670 and 4769. These traverses were made during cleaning operations to assist in the location of any contaminated material in these channels and again after completion of the cleaning operations to determine if all of the contaminated material was removed. Upon completion of the cleaning of the VSR channels and process channels activity traverses were made in all of the channels. The results of these traverses show that no detectable amounts of contaminated materialmore » were present in any of these channels. The traverses made in the VSR channels all show a large peak in the lower part of the pile indicating that the metal in the lower part of the pile received as much as five times the integrated exposure received by the metal in the upper half of the pile. 15 figs.« less

Visible light driven multifunctional photocatalysis in TeO2-based semiconductor glass ceramics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kushwaha, Himmat Singh; Thomas, Paramanandam; Vaish, Rahul

2017-01-01

Photocatalytic xCaCu3Ti4O12-(100-x)TeO2 (x=0.25 mol% to 3 mol%), glass nanocomposites were fabricated and investigated for wastewater treatment, self-cleaning surfaces, and photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. Visible light active crystals of Cu-doped TiO2 and TiTe3O8 were grown by optimized crystallization of as-quenched glasses. The visible light photocatalytic activity of glass samples was investigated for estrogenic pharmaceutical pollutants, and the degradation rate was obtained as 168.56 min-1 m-2. A higher photocatalytic H2 production rate was observed (135 μmole h-1 g-1) for the crystallized CaCu3Ti4O12-TeO2 (x=3. 0) glass plate under visible light. The self-cleaning performance was observed using contact angle measurements for water under dark and light conditions. These visible light active glass ceramics are a cost effective sustainable solution for water treatment and self-cleaning applications.

Examination on the use of acoustic emission for monitoring metal forging process: A study using simulation technique

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

Mullins, W.M.; Irwin, R.D.; Malas, J.C. III

The aim of this study is to determine the feasibility of using acoustic emission as a monitoring technique for metal forging operations. From the sensor development paradigm proposed by McClean et al. the most likely approach to determining feasibility for application is through signal recognition. For this reason, signature prediction and analysis was chosen to determine the suitability for forging applications.

Modulation Spectroscopy and Opto Mechanics of Micro Toroidal Resonators

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-08-01

campus at UTRGV, 2) to initiate training of the UTRGV students in nano fabrication and clean room techniques, 3) to conduct experiments with silicon...Email: Volker.Quetschke@utb.edu RPPR Final Report as of 30-Oct-2017 Training Opportunities: During this reporting period PI and his students acquired...Lithography (EBL), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), and Reactive Ion-Etching (RIE) techniques. The students involved in this project attended the

Application of the flow-through time-resolved analysis technique to trace element determination in ostracod shells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Börner, Nicole; De Baere, Bart; Francois, Roger; Frenzel, Peter; Schwalb, Antje

2014-05-01

Trace element analyses of ostracod shells are a vital tool for paleoenvironmental reconstructions from lake sediments (Börner et al., 2013). Conventional batch dissolution ICP-MS is the most common way for analyzing trace elements in ostracod shells. However, due to dissolution or secondary overgrowth the primary signal may be masked. Resulting variations in trace element composition have been identified to be in the order of a magnitude range. Therefore, the application of the newly developed flow-through technique will be assessed. The flow-through time-resolved analysis technique allows to chemically separate mineral phases of different solubility such as, in particular, original shell calcite from overgrowth calcite, and thus to correct the measurements for the biogenic signal. During a flow-through experiment, eluent is continuously pumped through a sample column, typically a filter in which the ostracod valves are loaded. The gradual dissolution of the substrate is controlled by a combination of eluent type, eluent temperature and eluent flow rate. The dissolved sample then flows directly to a mass spectrometer. The resulting data is a chromatogram, featuring different mineral phases dissolving as time progresses. Hence, the flow-through technique provides a detailed geochemical fingerprint of the substrate and therefore additional data relative to conventional methods. To calibrate this technique for the application to ostracods we use ostracod shells from Southern Tibetan Plateau lakes, which feature an alkaline environment but show highly diverse hydrochemistry. Cleaned as well as uncleaned ostracod shells show similarity in their trace element signals, allowing measurements without prior cleaning of the shells, and thus more time-efficient sample throughput. Measurements of unclean shells are corrected for the biogenic signal using an equation from Klinkhammer et al. (2004). Another advantage is that the measurements can be carried out on single ostracod shells, as not every single sediment sample contains enough adult intact specimens of all required genera, making batch cleaning dissolution impossible. The flow-through time-resolved analysis technique gives an accurate and high-resolution dataset. The trace elemental data for living ostracods compared to the hydrological data from each sampling site provides a calibration dataset for further hydrological and thus climatological reconstruction of a sediment core from Nam Co. Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca ratios in ostracod shells will provide information about past water temperature and salinity resulting from changes in precipitation vs. evaporation ratios and monsoon activity. Further, we will exploit Mn/Ca, Fe/Ca and U/Ca ratios as redox indicators to reconstruct oxygenation cycles and Ba/Ca ratios to detect changes in productivity and/or salinity. This reconstruction should provide a more extensive insight in past climatic change, e.g. precipitation - evaporation balance, lake level and circulation changes, and the recording of environmental signatures by ostracod shells. Börner, N., De Baere, B., Yang, Q., Jochum, K.P., Frenzel, P., Andreae, M.O., Schwalb, A., 2013. Ostracod shell chemistry as proxy for paleoenvironmental change. Quaternary International 313-314, 17-37. Klinkhammer, G.P., Haley, B.A., Mix, A.C., Benway, H., Cheseby, M., 2004. Evaluation of automated flow-through time-resolved analysis of foraminifera for Mg/Ca paleothermometry. Paleoceanography 19, PA4030.

Improved Diffuse Foreground Subtraction with the ILC Method: CMB Map and Angular Power Spectrum Using Planck and WMAP Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sudevan, Vipin; Aluri, Pavan K.; Yadav, Sarvesh Kumar; Saha, Rajib; Souradeep, Tarun

2017-06-01

We report an improved technique for diffuse foreground minimization from Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) maps using a new multiphase iterative harmonic space internal-linear-combination (HILC) approach. Our method nullifies a foreground leakage that was present in the old and usual iterative HILC method. In phase 1 of the multiphase technique, we obtain an initial cleaned map using the single iteration HILC approach over the desired portion of the sky. In phase 2, we obtain a final CMB map using the iterative HILC approach; however, now, to nullify the leakage, during each iteration, some of the regions of the sky that are not being cleaned in the current iteration are replaced by the corresponding cleaned portions of the phase 1 map. We bring all input frequency maps to a common and maximum possible beam and pixel resolution at the beginning of the analysis, which significantly reduces data redundancy, memory usage, and computational cost, and avoids, during the HILC weight calculation, the deconvolution of partial sky harmonic coefficients by the azimuthally symmetric beam and pixel window functions, which in a strict mathematical sense, are not well defined. Using WMAP 9 year and Planck 2015 frequency maps, we obtain foreground-cleaned CMB maps and a CMB angular power spectrum for the multipole range 2≤slant {\\ell }≤slant 2500. Our power spectrum matches the published Planck results with some differences at different multipole ranges. We validate our method by performing Monte Carlo simulations. Finally, we show that the weights for HILC foreground minimization have the intrinsic characteristic that they also tend to produce a statistically isotropic CMB map.

Lipophilic super-absorbent polymer gels as surface cleaners for oil and grease

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Increasingly stringent environmental regulations on volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) demand the development of disruptive technologies for cleaning weapons systems and platforms. Currently employed techniques such as vapor degreasing, solvent, aqueous, or blast ...

Clean Cities: Building Partnerships to Reduce Petroleum Use in Transportation (Brochure)

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

Not Available

2012-03-01

This fact sheet provides an overview of the U.S. Department of Energy's Clean Cities program, which builds partnerships to reduce petroleum use in transportation in communities across the country. The U.S. Department of Energy's Clean Cities initiative advances the nation's economic, environmental, and energy security by supporting local actions to reduce petroleum consumption in transportation. Clean Cities accomplishes this work through the activities of nearly 100 local coalitions. These coalitions provide resources and technical assistance in the deployment of alternative and renewable fuels, idle-reduction measures, fuel economy improvements, and new transportation technologies, as they emerge. Clean Cities overarching goal ismore » to reduce U.S. petroleum use by 2.5 billion gallons per year by 2020. To achieve this goal, Clean Cities employs three strategies: (1) Replace petroleum with alternative and renewable fuels, including natural gas, propane, electricity, ethanol, biodiesel, and hydrogen; (2) Reduce petroleum consumption through smarter driving practices and fuel economy improvements; and (3) Eliminate petroleum use through idle reduction and other fuel-saving technologies and practices.« less

A surfactant free preparation of ultradispersed surface-clean Pt catalyst with highly stable electrocatalytic performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tao, Lu; Zhao, Yueping; Zhao, Yufeng; Huang, Shifei; Yang, Yunxia; Tong, Qi; Gao, Faming

2018-02-01

High efficiency platinum-based catalyst demands the ultrafine size and well dispersion of Pt nanoparticles (NPs), with clean surface and strong interactions between the supports. In this work, we demonstrate a simple strategy for the preparation of ultra-dispersed surface-clean Pt catalyst with high stability, in which the Pt nanoparticles (NPs) with 1.8 ± 0.6 nm in size are anchored tightly on a 3D hierarchical porous graphitized carbon (3D-HPG) through galvanic replacement reaction. The as-obtained catalyst can undergo 2000 voltage cycles with negligible activity decay and no apparent structure and size changes for MOR during the durability test, and its mass activity for ORR only reduce 18.3% after 5000 cycles. The excellent performance is attributed to strong anchoring effect between carbon support and Pt nanoparticles.

Cavitation controlled acoustic probe for fabric spot cleaning and moisture monitoring

DOEpatents

Sheen, Shuh-Haw; Chien, Hual-Te; Raptis, Apostolos C.

1997-01-01

A method and apparatus are provided for monitoring a fabric. An acoustic probe generates acoustic waves relative to the fabric. An acoustic sensor, such as an accelerometer is coupled to the acoustic probe for generating a signal representative of cavitation activity in the fabric. The generated cavitation activity representative signal is processed to indicate moisture content of the fabric. A feature of the invention is a feedback control signal is generated responsive to the generated cavitation activity representative signal. The feedback control signal can be used to control the energy level of the generated acoustic waves and to control the application of a cleaning solution to the fabric.

Cleaning of Root Canal System by Different Irrigation Methods.

PubMed

Tanomaru-Filho, Mário; Miano, Lucas Martinati; Chávez-Andrade, Gisselle Moraima; Torres, Fernanda Ferrari Esteves; Leonardo, Renato de Toledo; Guerreiro-Tanomaru, Juliane Maria

2015-11-01

The aim of this study was to compare the cleaning of main and lateral canals using the irrigation methods: negative pressure irrigation (EndoVac system), passive ultrasonic irrigation (PUI) and manual irrigation (MI). Resin teeth were used. After root canal preparation, four lateral canals were made at 2 and 7 mm from the apex. Root canals were filled with contrast solution and radiographed pre- and post-irrigation using digital radiographic system [radiovisiography (RVG)]. The irrigation protocols were: MI1-manual irrigation [22 G needle at 5 mm short of working length-WL]; MI2-manual irrigation (30G needle at 2 mm short of WL); PUI; EV1-EndoVac (microcannula at 1 mm short of WL); EV2-Endovac (microcannula at 3 mm short of WL). The obtained images, initial (filled with contrast solution) and final (after irrigation) were analyzed by using image tool 3.0 software. Statistical analysis was performed by analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey tests (5% significance level). EV1 and EV2, followed by PUI showed better cleaning capacity than manual irrigation (MI1 and MI2) (p < 0.05). Negative pressure irrigation and PUI promoted better cleaning of main and simulated lateral canals. Conventional manual irrigation technique may promote less root canal cleaning in the apical third. For this reason, the search for other irrigation protocols is important, and EndoVac and PUI are alternatives to contribute to irrigation effectiveness.

Comparison of home lead dust reduction techniques on hard surfaces: the New Jersey assessment of cleaning techniques trial.

PubMed Central

Rich, David Q; Rhoads, George G; Yiin, Lih-Ming; Zhang, Junfeng; Bai, Zhipeng; Adgate, John L; Ashley, Peter J; Lioy, Paul J

2002-01-01

High efficiency particulate air filter (HEPA) vacuums, which collect particles > 0.3 micro m, and trisodium phosphate (TSP), a detergent claimed to selectively remove lead, have been included in the HUD Guidelines for the Evaluation and Control of Lead Based Paint Hazards in Housing without systematic validation of their effectiveness. At the time the study was initiated, both HEPA vacuums and TSP were relatively expensive, they were not readily found in urban retail centers, and there were environmental concerns about the use and disposal of high-phosphate detergents. A randomized, controlled trial was conducted in urban high-risk homes in northern New Jersey to determine whether a more readily available and less expensive low-phosphate, non-TSP detergent and non-HEPA vacuum could perform as well as TSP and a HEPA vacuum in a cleaning protocol. Homes were randomized to one of three cleaning methods: TSP/HEPA vacuum, TSP/non-HEPA vacuum, or non-TSP/non-HEPA vacuum. Change in log-transformed lead loading was used in mixed models to compare the efficacy of the three cleaning techniques separately for uncarpeted floors, window sills, and window troughs. After we adjusted for baseline lead loading, the non-HEPA vacuum produced larger reductions on hard floors [19%; 95% confidence interval (CI), 3-38%], but the HEPA vacuum produced larger reductions on window sills (22%; 95% CI, 11-32%) and larger reductions on window troughs (16%; 95% CI, -4 to 33%). The non-TSP produced larger reductions on window troughs (21%; 95% CI, -2 to 50%), but TSP produced larger reductions on hard floors (5%; 95% CI, -12 to 19%) and window sills (8%; 95% CI, -5 to 20%). TSP/HEPA produced larger reductions on window sills (28%; 95% CI, 18-37%) and larger reductions on window troughs (2%; 95% CI, -24 to 23%), whereas the non-TSP/non-HEPA method produced larger reductions on hard floors (13%; 95% CI, -5 to 34%). Because neither vacuum nor detergent produced consistent results across surface types, the use of low-phosphate detergents and non-HEPA vacuums in a temporary control measure is supported. PMID:12204823

Comparison of home lead dust reduction techniques on hard surfaces: the New Jersey assessment of cleaning techniques trial.

PubMed

Rich, David Q; Rhoads, George G; Yiin, Lih-Ming; Zhang, Junfeng; Bai, Zhipeng; Adgate, John L; Ashley, Peter J; Lioy, Paul J

2002-09-01

High efficiency particulate air filter (HEPA) vacuums, which collect particles > 0.3 micro m, and trisodium phosphate (TSP), a detergent claimed to selectively remove lead, have been included in the HUD Guidelines for the Evaluation and Control of Lead Based Paint Hazards in Housing without systematic validation of their effectiveness. At the time the study was initiated, both HEPA vacuums and TSP were relatively expensive, they were not readily found in urban retail centers, and there were environmental concerns about the use and disposal of high-phosphate detergents. A randomized, controlled trial was conducted in urban high-risk homes in northern New Jersey to determine whether a more readily available and less expensive low-phosphate, non-TSP detergent and non-HEPA vacuum could perform as well as TSP and a HEPA vacuum in a cleaning protocol. Homes were randomized to one of three cleaning methods: TSP/HEPA vacuum, TSP/non-HEPA vacuum, or non-TSP/non-HEPA vacuum. Change in log-transformed lead loading was used in mixed models to compare the efficacy of the three cleaning techniques separately for uncarpeted floors, window sills, and window troughs. After we adjusted for baseline lead loading, the non-HEPA vacuum produced larger reductions on hard floors [19%; 95% confidence interval (CI), 3-38%], but the HEPA vacuum produced larger reductions on window sills (22%; 95% CI, 11-32%) and larger reductions on window troughs (16%; 95% CI, -4 to 33%). The non-TSP produced larger reductions on window troughs (21%; 95% CI, -2 to 50%), but TSP produced larger reductions on hard floors (5%; 95% CI, -12 to 19%) and window sills (8%; 95% CI, -5 to 20%). TSP/HEPA produced larger reductions on window sills (28%; 95% CI, 18-37%) and larger reductions on window troughs (2%; 95% CI, -24 to 23%), whereas the non-TSP/non-HEPA method produced larger reductions on hard floors (13%; 95% CI, -5 to 34%). Because neither vacuum nor detergent produced consistent results across surface types, the use of low-phosphate detergents and non-HEPA vacuums in a temporary control measure is supported.

Role of Advisory Groups. Instructor Guide. Working for Clean Water: An Information Program for Advisory Committees.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pennsylvania State Univ., Middletown. Inst. of State and Regional Affairs.

Presented is an instructor's manual for conducting a learning session about public participation in water quality planning. Participants in the session learn about the purpose, organization, and activities of citizen advisory groups. The manual, a component of the Working for Clean Water Project, is designed for use in conjunction with a…

Development of a laboratory demonstration model active cleaning device

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shannon, R. L.; Gillette, R. B.

1975-01-01

A laboratory demonstration model of a device for removing contaminant films from optical surfaces in space was developed. The development of a plasma tube, which would produce the desired cleaning effects under high vacuum conditions, represented the major problem in the program. This plasma tube development is discussed, and the resulting laboratory demonstration-model device is described.

75 FR 4793 - Availability of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement To Consider Issuance of a Department of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-29

... of the Clean Water Act for the Angelina & Neches River Authority's Proposal to Construct Lake Columbia, a Proposed 10,133- Surface-Acre Water Supply Reservoir in Cherokee and Smith Counties, TX AGENCY... pursuant to Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. The proposed activity would involve the discharge of...

Metal sponge for cryosorption pumping applications

DOEpatents

Myneni, Ganapati R.; Kneisel, Peter

1995-01-01

A system has been developed for adsorbing gases at high vacuum in a closed area. The system utilizes large surface clean anodized metal surfaces at low temperatures to adsorb the gases. The large surface clean anodized metal is referred to as a metal sponge. The metal sponge generates or maintains the high vacuum by increasing the available active cryosorbing surface area.

75 FR 2539 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-15

... Analysis Information Under Section 112(r)(7)(H) of the Clean Air Act (CAA) (Renewal); EPA ICR No. 1981.04... . Title: Distribution of Offsite Consequence Analysis Information under Section 112(r)(7)(H) of the Clean... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0073; FRL-9103-6] Agency Information Collection...

Clean Watersheds Needs Survey (CWNS) 2000 Report to Congress

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The Environmental Protection Agency's CWNS is required by Sections 205(a) and 516(b)(1) of the CWA. The CWNS is a summary of the estimated capital costs for water quality projects and other activities eligible for SRF support as authorized by the 1987 CWA Amendments. Data summarizes the Clean Watersheds Needs Survey (CWNS) 2000 Report to Congress.

Effective reprocessing of reusable dispensers for surface disinfection tissues – the devil is in the details

PubMed Central

Kampf, Günter; Degenhardt, Stina; Lackner, Sibylle; Ostermeyer, Christiane

2014-01-01

Background: It has recently been reported that reusable dispensers for surface disinfection tissues may be contaminated, especially with adapted Achromobacter species 3, when products based on surface-active ingredients are used. Fresh solution may quickly become recontaminated if dispensers are not processed adequately. Methods: We evaluated the abilities of six manual and three automatic processes for processing contaminated dispensers to prevent recolonisation of a freshly-prepared disinfectant solution (Mikrobac forte 0.5%). Dispensers were left at room temperature for 28 days. Samples of the disinfectant solution were taken every 7 days and assessed quantitatively for bacterial contamination. Results: All automatic procedures prevented recolonisation of the disinfectant solution when a temperature of 60–70°C was ensured for at least 5 min, with or without the addition of chemical cleaning agents. Manual procedures prevented recontamination of the disinfectant solution when rinsing with hot water or a thorough cleaning step was performed before treating all surfaces with an alcohol-based disinfectant or an oxygen-releaser. Other cleaning and disinfection procedures, including the use of an alcohol-based disinfectant, did not prevent recolonisation. Conclusions: These results indicate that not all processes are effective for processing reusable dispensers for surface-disinfectant tissues, and that a high temperature during the cleaning step or use of a biofilm-active cleaning agent are essential. PMID:24653973

Monitoring of endoscope reprocessing with an adenosine triphosphate (ATP) bioluminescence method.

PubMed

Parohl, Nina; Stiefenhöfer, Doris; Heiligtag, Sabine; Reuter, Henning; Dopadlik, Dana; Mosel, Frank; Gerken, Guido; Dechêne, Alexander; Heintschel von Heinegg, Evelyn; Jochum, Christoph; Buer, Jan; Popp, Walter

2017-01-01

Background: The arising challenges over endoscope reprocessing quality proposes to look for possibilities to measure and control the process of endoscope reprocessing. Aim: The goal of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of monitoring endoscope reprocessing with an adenosine triphosphate (ATP) based bioluminescence system. Methods: 60 samples of eight gastroscopes have been assessed from routine clinical use in a major university hospital in Germany. Endoscopes have been assessed with an ATP system and microbial cultures at different timepoints during the reprocessing. Findings: After the bedside flush the mean ATP level in relative light units (RLU) was 19,437 RLU, after the manual cleaning 667 RLU and after the automated endoscope reprocessor (AER) 227 RLU. After the manual cleaning the mean total viable count (TVC) per endoscope was 15.3 CFU/10 ml, and after the AER 5.7 CFU/10 ml. Our results show that there are reprocessing cycles which are not able to clean a patient used endoscope. Conclusion: Our data suggest that monitoring of flexible endoscope with ATP can identify a number of different influence factors, like the endoscope condition and the endoscopic procedure, or especially the quality of the bedside flush and manual cleaning before the AER. More process control is one option to identify and improve influence factors to finally increase the overall reprocessing quality, best of all by different methods. ATP measurement seems to be a valid technique that allows an immediate repeat of the manual cleaning if the ATP results after manual cleaning exceed the established cutoff of 200 RLU.

Custodial Training Makes Sense and Saves Dollars.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Petersen, David

2002-01-01

Explains that due to the complexity of today's custodial work, extensive education and training is required. This includes basic commercial/industrial cleaning techniques; hygiene procedures; asbestos awareness; management, scheduling, and budgeting; chemical usage; and calculating operations efficiency. Details the in-depth custodial training of…

Planetary Quarantine Annual Review, Space Technology and Research, July 1971 - July 1972

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1973-01-01

The effects of planetary quarantine constraints are assessed for advanced missions and unmanned planetary sample return missions. Considered are natural space environment factors, post launch recontamination effects, spacecraft microbial burden estimation and prediction, and spacecraft cleaning and decontamination techniques.

Determining Passive Sampler Partition Coefficients for Dissolved-phase Organic Contaminants

EPA Science Inventory

Passive samplers are used for environmental and analytical purposes to measure dissolved nonionic organic contaminants (NOCs) by absorption from a contaminated medium into a clean phase, usually in the form of a synthetic organic film. Recently developed passive sampler techniqu...

Volatile Organic Compounds: Characteristics, distribution and sources in urban schools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mishra, Nitika; Bartsch, Jennifer; Ayoko, Godwin A.; Salthammer, Tunga; Morawska, Lidia

2015-04-01

Long term exposure to organic pollutants, both inside and outside school buildings may affect children's health and influence their learning performance. Since children spend significant amount of time in school, air quality, especially in classrooms plays a key role in determining the health risks associated with exposure at schools. Within this context, the present study investigated the ambient concentrations of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in 25 primary schools in Brisbane with the aim to quantify the indoor and outdoor VOCs concentrations, identify VOCs sources and their contribution, and based on these; propose mitigation measures to reduce VOCs exposure in schools. One of the most important findings is the occurrence of indoor sources, indicated by the I/O ratio >1 in 19 schools. Principal Component Analysis with Varimax rotation was used to identify common sources of VOCs and source contribution was calculated using an Absolute Principal Component Scores technique. The result showed that outdoor 47% of VOCs were contributed by petrol vehicle exhaust but the overall cleaning products had the highest contribution of 41% indoors followed by air fresheners and art and craft activities. These findings point to the need for a range of basic precautions during the selection, use and storage of cleaning products and materials to reduce the risk from these sources.

Gas Surface Interactions Occurring on Materials Within Ultrahigh Vacuum. Ph.D. Thesis - va. Polytechnic Inst.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Outlaw, R. A.

1972-01-01

The physical adsorption of nitrogen on the chemically cleaned surfaces of Pyrex, 347 stainless steel and polycrystalline nickel was investigated over the pressure range 1 x 10 to the minus 12th power to 3 x 10 to the minus 7th power torr and for temperatures 77.4 and 87.4 K. The adsorption data were linearized by the Dubinin-Radushkevich equation. The metal surfaces were cleaned by electron impact desorption (EID) and the desorbed gases analyzed by mass spectrometry. Work function measurements were also used to indicate changes in the surface condition following an EID dose. At least a monolayer of gas was observed to desorb from the metal surfaces. The isotherms revealed that the metal surfaces were very heterogeneous and that the Pyrex surface had been leached. The calculated isosteric heats of adsorption indicated that the relative order of the physical binding of nitrogen to the solids was 347 stainless steel Pyrex nickel. A relationship was observed to exist in the dynamic technique between the equilibration time and the pressure above the absorbed layer. The slope of the log-log plot of these parameters was found to be sensitive to the surface heterogeneity and may be related to the activation energy for surface diffusion of physically absorbed molecules.

The Chemistry of Ultra-Radiopure Materials

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

Miley, Harry S.; Aalseth, Craig E.; Day, Anthony R.

Ultra-pure materials are needed for the construction of the next generation of ultra-low level radiation detectors. These detectors are used for environmental research as well as rare nuclear decay experiments, e.g. probing the effective mass and character of the neutrino. Unfortunately, radioactive isotopes are found in most construction materials, either primordial isotopes, activation/spallation products from cosmic-ray exposure, or surface deposition of dust or radon progeny. Copper is an ideal candidate material for these applications. High-purity copper is commercially available and, when even greater radiopurity is needed, additional electrochemical purification can be combined with the final construction step, resulting in “electroformed”more » copper of extreme purity. Copper also offers desirable thermal, mechanical, and electrical properties. To bridge the gap between commercially-available high purity copper and the most stringent requirements of next-generation low-background experiments, a method of additional chemical purification is being developed based on well-known copper electrochemistry. This method is complemented with the co-development of surface cleaning techniques and more sensitive assay for both surface and bulk contamination. Developments in the electroplating of copper, surface cleaning, assay of U and Th in the bulk copper, and residual surface contamination will be discussed relative to goals of less than 1 microBq/kg Th.« less

An eco-benign synthesis of AgNPs using aqueous extract of Longan fruit peel: Antiproliferative response against human breast cancer cell line MCF-7, antioxidant and photocatalytic deprivation of methylene blue.

PubMed

Khan, Arif Ullah; Yuan, Qipeng; Khan, Zia Ul Haq; Ahmad, Aftab; Khan, Faheem Ullah; Tahir, Kamran; Shakeel, Muhammad; Ullah, Sadeeq

2018-05-07

Plants mediated synthesis of noble metal nanoparticles is encountered as a clean, environment friendly, lucrative and benign loom. The current study consists of clean and green synthesis of Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). Phytoconstituents from Longan (Euphorbia longana Lam.) fruit peel were used to reduce Ag + into AgNPs. Different analytical techniques i.e. UV-vis Spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD), electron dispersive X-ray (EDX), High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were used to analyze the synthesized AgNPs. AgNPs have localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) peak at 445 nm which is confirmed by UV-vis spectroscopy. HRTEM showed that the prepared AgNPs are spheroid in shape and well dispersed while XRD results showed that the AgNPs are face centered cubic crystalline. EDX confirmed the elemental composition of AgNPs. The antiproliferative response of AgNPs was assayed by an exhaustive MTT assay. AgNPs showed potent anticancer activity (88%) against breast cancer cells MCF-7. Moreover, the green produced AgNPs effectively scavenged 91% of the stable and harmful 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical which confirms its' efficient antioxidant nature. AgNPs have profound photocatalytic degradation (99%) of methylene blue in a short period of time (7 min). The noteworthy biological and photocatalytic responses of the green and cleanly produced AgNPs are encountered to their well dispersion, petite volume and round shaped structure. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Asthma and exposure to cleaning products - a European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology task force consensus statement.

PubMed

Siracusa, A; De Blay, F; Folletti, I; Moscato, G; Olivieri, M; Quirce, S; Raulf-Heimsoth, M; Sastre, J; Tarlo, S M; Walusiak-Skorupa, J; Zock, J-P

2013-12-01

Professional and domestic cleaning is associated with work-related asthma (WRA). This position paper reviews the literature linking exposure to cleaning products and the risk of asthma and focuses on prevention. Increased risk of asthma has been shown in many epidemiological and surveillance studies, and several case reports describe the relationship between exposure to one or more cleaning agents and WRA. Cleaning sprays, bleach, ammonia, disinfectants, mixing products, and specific job tasks have been identified as specific causes and/or triggers of asthma. Because research conclusions and policy suggestions have remained unheeded by manufactures, vendors, and commercial cleaning companies, it is time for a multifaceted intervention. Possible preventive measures encompass the following: substitution of cleaning sprays, bleach, and ammonia; minimizing the use of disinfectants; avoidance of mixing products; use of respiratory protective devices; and worker education. Moreover, we suggest the education of unions, consumer, and public interest groups to encourage safer products. In addition, information activities for the general population with the purpose of improving the knowledge of professional and domestic cleaners regarding risks and available preventive measures and to promote strict collaboration between scientific communities and safety and health agencies are urgently needed. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Cleaning verification: Exploring the effect of the cleanliness of stainless steel surface on sample recovery.

PubMed

Haidar Ahmad, Imad A; Tam, James; Li, Xue; Duffield, William; Tarara, Thomas; Blasko, Andrei

2017-02-05

The parameters affecting the recovery of pharmaceutical residues from the surface of stainless steel coupons for quantitative cleaning verification method development have been studied, including active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) level, spiking procedure, API/excipient ratio, analyst-to-analyst variability, inter-day variability, and cleaning procedure of the coupons. The lack of a well-defined procedure that consistently cleaned coupon surface was identified as the major contributor to low and variable recoveries. Assessment of acid, base, and oxidant washes, as well as the order of treatment, showed that a base-water-acid-water-oxidizer-water wash procedure resulted in consistent, accurate spiked recovery (>90%) and reproducible results (S rel ≤4%). By applying this cleaning procedure to the previously used coupons that failed the cleaning acceptance criteria, multiple analysts were able to obtain consistent recoveries from day-to-day for different APIs, and API/excipient ratios at various spike levels. We successfully applied our approach for cleaning verification of small molecules (MW<1000Da) as well as large biomolecules (MW up to 50,000Da). Method robustness was greatly influenced by the sample preparation procedure, especially for analyses using total organic carbon (TOC) determination. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Aluminum Surface Texturing by Means of Laser Interference Metallurgy

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

Chen, Jian; Sabau, Adrian S; Jones, Jonaaron F.

2015-01-01

The increasing use of lightweight materials, such as aluminum alloys, in auto body structures requires more effective surface cleaning and texturing techniques to improve the quality of the structural components. The present work introduces a novel surface treatment method using laser interferometry produced by two beams of a pulsed Nd:YAG laser operating at 10Hz of frequency to clean aluminum surfaces, and meanwhile creating periodic and rough surface structures. The influences of beam size, laser fluence, wavelength, and pulse number per spot are investigated. High resolution optical profiler images reveal the change of the peak-to-valley height on the laser-treated surface.

Epi-cleaning of Ge/GeSn heterostructures

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

Di Gaspare, L.; Sabbagh, D.; De Seta, M.

2015-01-28

We demonstrate a very-low temperature cleaning technique based on atomic hydrogen irradiation for highly (1%) tensile strained Ge epilayers grown on metastable, partially strain relaxed GeSn buffer layers. Atomic hydrogen is obtained by catalytic cracking of hydrogen gas on a hot tungsten filament in an ultra-high vacuum chamber. X-ray photoemission spectroscopy, reflection high energy electron spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, secondary ion mass spectroscopy, and micro-Raman showed that an O- and C-free Ge surface was achieved, while maintaining the same roughness and strain condition of the as-deposited sample and without any Sn segregation, at a process temperature in the 100–300 °C range.

Epi-cleaning of Ge/GeSn heterostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Di Gaspare, L.; Sabbagh, D.; De Seta, M.; Sodo, A.; Wirths, S.; Buca, D.; Zaumseil, P.; Schroeder, T.; Capellini, G.

2015-01-01

We demonstrate a very-low temperature cleaning technique based on atomic hydrogen irradiation for highly (1%) tensile strained Ge epilayers grown on metastable, partially strain relaxed GeSn buffer layers. Atomic hydrogen is obtained by catalytic cracking of hydrogen gas on a hot tungsten filament in an ultra-high vacuum chamber. X-ray photoemission spectroscopy, reflection high energy electron spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, secondary ion mass spectroscopy, and micro-Raman showed that an O- and C-free Ge surface was achieved, while maintaining the same roughness and strain condition of the as-deposited sample and without any Sn segregation, at a process temperature in the 100-300 °C range.

The temporal evolution process from fluorescence bleaching to clean Raman spectra of single solid particles optically trapped in air

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gong, Zhiyong; Pan, Yong-Le; Videen, Gorden; Wang, Chuji

2017-12-01

We observe the entire temporal evolution process of fluorescence and Raman spectra of single solid particles optically trapped in air. The spectra initially contain strong fluorescence with weak Raman peaks, then the fluorescence was bleached within seconds, and finally only the clean Raman peaks remain. We construct an optical trap using two counter-propagating hollow beams, which is able to stably trap both absorbing and non-absorbing particles in air, for observing such temporal processes. This technique offers a new method to study dynamic changes in the fluorescence and Raman spectra from a single optically trapped particle in air.

Halogen occultation experiment (HALOE) optical witness-plate program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harvey, Gale A.; Raper, James L.

1989-01-01

An optical witness plate program was implemented to monitor buildup of molecular contamination in the clean room during the assembly and testing of the Halogen Occulation Experiment (HALOE) instrument. Travel plates to monitor molecular contamination when the instrument is not in the clean room are also measured. The instrument technique is high-resolution transmission spectroscopy in the 3 micron spectral region using a Fourier transform spectrometer. Witness specimens of low index of refraction, infrared transmitting material are used for contaminant monitoring and for spectral signature analysis. Spectral signatures of possible molecular contamination are presented. No condensible volatile material contamination of HALOE optical witness specimens have yet been found.

Magnetic Tape Recording for the Eighties

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kalil, Ford (Editor)

1982-01-01

The practical and theoretical aspects of state-of-the-art magnetic tape recording technology are reviewed. Topics covered include the following: (1) analog and digital magnetic tape recording, (2) tape and head wear, (3) wear testing, (4) magnetic tape certification, (5) care, handling, and management of magnetic tape, (6) cleaning, packing, and winding of magnetic tape, (7) tape reels, bands, and packaging, (8) coding techniques for high-density digital recording, and (9) tradeoffs of coding techniques.

The current status on the selection and management of vegetation for slow rate and overland flow application systems to treat municipal wastewater in the North Central region of the United States

Treesearch

D.G. Brockway; T.M. Burton; J.H. Cooley; F.M. D' Itri; R.H. Dowdy; B.G. Ellis; L. Epstein; A.E. Erickson; J.E. Hook; L.W. Jacobs; S.N. Kerr; B.D. Knezek; E.A. Myers; A.J. Palazzo; S. Poloncsik; G.R. Safir; W.E. Sopper; J.C. Sutherland; M.B. Tesar; R.E. Thomas; D.H. Urie

1981-01-01

The 1977 Clean Water Amendments to Public Law 92-500 were enacted to strengthen the orignal policy of encouraging the utilization ofinnovative, alternative management techniques far the treatment and disposal of municipal wastewater. These alternative techniques include spray irigation and overland flow land treatment systems which can be used individual cr...

Cleaning of parts for new manufacturing and parts rebuilding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doherty, Jeff

1994-06-01

Parts cleaning is the largest single expense, and the most time consuming activity, in rebuilding and new manufacturing. On average, 25% to 40% of the total labor and overhead burden is spent on cleaning. EPA and OSHA pressures add to the burden by making some methods and chemicals obsolete. Some of the processes and chemicals in current use will be curtailed and or outlawed in the future. How can a shops and industries make long term decisions or capital investments in cleaning and process improvements when the government keeps changing its rules? At the MART Corporation in Saint Louis, Missouri, we manufacture a line of cabinet-style batch cleaning machines known as Power Washers. Twenty years ago MART invented and patented the Power Washer process, a cleaning method that recycles wash solution and blasts contaminates as they are washed off the more heavily contaminated parts. Since the initial invention MART has continued to R&D the washing process and develop ancillary systems that comply with EPA and OSHA regulations. For applications involving new industrial parts or items requiring specification cleaned surfaces. MART provides filtration and solution conditioning systems, part drying operations, and triple rinsing. Units are available in stainless steel or higher alloys. We are not alone in the washer manufacturing business. You have many choices of cleaning solutions (no pun intended) which will perform in your operations and yield good results. As a manufacturer, we are interested in your success with our equipment. We have all heard the horror stories of companies having selected inappropriate cleaning systems and or processes which then brought the company to its knees, production wise. Assembly, appearance, warranty, and performance shortcomings of finished products can often be directly related to the cleaning process and its shortcomings.

A mechanistic study of limonene oxidation products and pathways following cleaning activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carslaw, Nicola

2013-12-01

Indoor air pollution has caused increasing concern since the 1970s, when the advent of stricter energy efficiency measures lead to increased reports of building related symptoms. Cleaning activities have been linked to adverse health effects indoors, although it is unclear which of the components of cleaning products cause these reported health effects. This paper uses a detailed chemical model for indoor air chemistry, to identify the species formed at the highest concentrations following use of a limonene-based cleaning product. The explicit nature of the chemical mechanism also permits the key pathways to their formation to be identified. The results show that the key species in terms of gas-phase concentration are multi-functional carbonyl species including limonaldehyde, 4-acetyl-1-methyl-1-cyclohexene and other dicarbonyl species. The particle-phase was dominated by peroxide species. The predicted gas-phase concentrations for three limonene-oxidation products were compared to recently published human reference values, but found not to be high enough to cause concern for typical indoor conditions, or under high indoor ozone conditions. However, cleaning products contain a range of terpenes other than limonene, which could also produce some of the secondary products identified here, as well as more common species such as formaldehyde, glyoxal and hydrogen peroxide. A mechanistic pathway analysis shows that the secondary products formed through limonene oxidation indoors depend critically on the competition between ozone and hydroxyl radicals, such that indoor pollutant concentrations and composition could vary widely in different locations for a nominally similar residence and indoor activities. Future studies should focus on aiming to measure multi-functional carbonyl species indoors to help validate models, whilst human reference values are needed for many more relevant species indoors.

Review of dust transport and mitigation technologies in lunar and Martian atmospheres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Afshar-Mohajer, Nima; Wu, Chang-Yu; Curtis, Jennifer Sinclair; Gaier, James R.

2015-09-01

Dust resuspension and deposition is a ubiquitous phenomenon in all lunar and Martian missions. The near-term plans to return to the Moon as a stepping stone to further exploration of Mars and beyond bring scientists' attention to development and evaluation of lunar and Martian dust mitigation technologies. In this paper, different lunar and Martian dust transport mechanisms are presented, followed by a review of previously developed dust mitigation technologies including fluidal, mechanical, electrical and passive self-cleaning methods for lunar/Martian installed surfaces along with filtration for dust control inside cabins. Key factors in choosing the most effective dust mitigation technology are recognized to be the dust transport mechanism, energy consumption, environment, type of surface materials, area of the surface and surface functionality. While electrical methods operating at higher voltages are identified to be suitable for small but light sensitive surfaces, pre-treatment of the surface is effective for cleaning thermal control surfaces, and mechanical methods are appropriate for surfaces with no concerns of light blockage, surface abrasion and 100% cleaning efficiency. Findings from this paper can help choose proper surface protection/cleaning for future space explorations. Hybrid techniques combining the advantages of different methods are recommended.

Determination of mycotoxins produced by Fusarium isolates from banana fruits by capillary gas chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography.

PubMed

Jiménez, M; Mateo, R

1997-08-22

A method of analysis for trichothecenes (nivalenol, deoxynivalenol, 3- and 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol, diacetoxyscirpenol, neosolaniol, T-2 tetraol, T-2 and HT-2 toxins), zearalenone and zearalenols, and another method for determination of fumonisin B1 are described and applied to cultures of Fusarium isolated from bananas. Both methods were adapted from different techniques of extraction, clean-up and determination of these mycotoxins. The first method involves extraction with methanol-1% aqueous sodium chloride, clean-up of extracts by partition with hexane and dichloromethane, additional solid reversed-phase clean-up and analysis of two eluates by both high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection and capillary gas chromatography. The method for fumonisin B1 implies extraction with aqueous methanol, concentration, clean-up with water and methanol on Amberlite XAD-2 column, formation of a fluorescent 4-fluoro-7-nitrobenzofurazan derivative and analysis by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. Both procedures give good limits of detection and recoveries, and are considered suitable for the detection and quantification of the studied toxins in corn and rice cultures of Fusarium spp. isolated from banana fruits.

Ultra Pure Water Cleaning Baseline Study on NASA JSC Astromaterial Curation Gloveboxes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Calaway, Michael J.; Burkett, P. J.; Allton, J. H.; Allen, C. C.

2013-01-01

Future sample return missions will require strict protocols and procedures for reducing inorganic and organic contamination in isolation containment systems. In 2012, a baseline study was orchestrated to establish the current state of organic cleanliness in gloveboxes used by NASA JSC astromaterials curation labs [1, 2]. As part of this in-depth organic study, the current curatorial technical support procedure (TSP) 23 was used for cleaning the gloveboxes with ultra pure water (UPW) [3-5]. Particle counts and identification were obtained that could be used as a benchmark for future mission designs that require glovebox decontamination. The UPW baseline study demonstrates that TSP 23 works well for gloveboxes that have been thoroughly degreased. However, TSP 23 could be augmented to provide even better glovebox decontamination. JSC 03243 could be used as a starting point for further investigating optimal cleaning techniques and procedures. DuPont Vertrel XF or other chemical substitutes to replace Freon- 113, mechanical scrubbing, and newer technology could be used to enhance glovebox cleanliness in addition to high purity UPW final rinsing. Future sample return missions will significantly benefit from further cleaning studies to reduce inorganic and organic contamination.

Numerical Study of High-Speed Droplet Impact on Surfaces and its Physical Cleaning Effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kondo, Tomoki; Ando, Keita

2015-11-01

Spurred by the demand for cleaning techniques of low environmental impact, one favors physical cleaning that does not rely on any chemicals. One of the promising candidates is based on water jets that often involve fission into droplet fragments and collide with target surfaces to which contaminant particles (often micron-sized or even smaller) stick. Hydrodynamic force (e.g., shearing and lifting) arising from the droplet impact will play a role to remove the particles, but its detailed mechanism is still unknown. To explore the role of high-speed droplet impact in physical cleaning, we solve compressible Navier-Stokes equations with a finite volume method that is designed to capture both shocks and material interfaces in accurate and robust manners. Water hammer and shear flow accompanied by high-speed droplet impact at a rigid wall is simulated to evaluate lifting force and rotating torque, which are relevant to the application of particle removal. For the simulation, we use the numerical code recently developed by Computational Flow Group lead by Tim Colonius at Caltech. The first author thanks Jomela Meng for her help in handling the code during his stay at Caltech.

Electrical properties of metal/Al2O3/In0.53Ga0.47As capacitors grown on InP

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferrandis, Philippe; Billaud, Mathilde; Duvernay, Julien; Martin, Mickael; Arnoult, Alexandre; Grampeix, Helen; Cassé, Mikael; Boutry, Hervé; Baron, Thierry; Vinet, Maud; Reimbold, Gilles

2018-04-01

To overcome the Fermi-level pinning in III-V metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitors, attention is usually focused on the choice of dielectric and surface chemical treatments prior to oxide deposition. In this work, we examined the influence of the III-V material surface cleaning and the semiconductor growth technique on the electrical properties of metal/Al2O3/In0.53Ga0.47As capacitors grown on InP(100) substrates. By means of the capacitance-voltage measurements, we demonstrated that samples do not have the same total oxide charge density depending on the cleaning solution used [(NH4)2S or NH4OH] prior to oxide deposition. The determination of the interface trap density revealed that a Fermi-level pinning occurs for samples grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition but not for similar samples grown by molecular beam epitaxy. Deep level transient spectroscopy analysis explained the Fermi-level pinning by an additional signal for samples grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition, attributed to the tunneling effect of carriers trapped in oxide toward interface states. This work emphasizes that the choice of appropriate oxide and cleaning treatment is not enough to prevent a Fermi-level pinning in III-V metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitors. The semiconductor growth technique needs to be taken into account because it impacts the trapping properties of the oxide.

Improved Detection Technique for Solvent Rinse Cleanliness Verification

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hornung, S. D.; Beeson, H. D.

2001-01-01

The NASA White Sands Test Facility (WSTF) has an ongoing effort to reduce or eliminate usage of cleaning solvents such as CFC-113 and its replacements. These solvents are used in the final clean and cleanliness verification processes for flight and ground support hardware, especially for oxygen systems where organic contaminants can pose an ignition hazard. For the final cleanliness verification in the standard process, the equivalent of one square foot of surface area of parts is rinsed with the solvent, and the final 100 mL of the rinse is captured. The amount of nonvolatile residue (NVR) in the solvent is determined by weight after the evaporation of the solvent. An improved process of sampling this rinse, developed at WSTF, requires evaporation of less than 2 mL of the solvent to make the cleanliness verification. Small amounts of the solvent are evaporated in a clean stainless steel cup, and the cleanliness of the stainless steel cup is measured using a commercially available surface quality monitor. The effectiveness of this new cleanliness verification technique was compared to the accepted NVR sampling procedures. Testing with known contaminants in solution, such as hydraulic fluid, fluorinated lubricants, and cutting and lubricating oils, was performed to establish a correlation between amount in solution and the process response. This report presents the approach and results and discusses the issues in establishing the surface quality monitor-based cleanliness verification.

Comparison of Sunphotometric Measurements During the Fall 1997 ARM Intensive Observation Period

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Michalsky, J. J.; Schmid, B.; Halthore, R. N.; Pavloski, C. F.; Ackerman, T. P.; Beauharnois, M. C.; Harrison, L. C.; Livingston, J. M.; Russell, P. B.

2000-01-01

In the Fall of 1997 the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) program held an intensive observation period (IOP) to study atmospheric aerosols using in situ and remote sensing techniques at its Southern Great Plains (SGP) site near Lamont, Oklahoma. As part of this experiment five automated, tracking sunphotometers were present to measure total column aerosol optical depth over the three-week period. which included many clear days or parts of days that were clear. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO 1993) has recommended a comparison of tracking sunphotometers to assess the ability of different instruments to arrive at similar aerosol optical depths. It was further recommended that the comparison be staged at a clean mountain site. In fact, this comparison has not occurred, but the comparison that we describe in this paper is representative of what contemporary instruments may accomplish in an environment more typical of sites where aerosols measurements will be required. The measurements were made over the period 15 September to 5 October 1997. The aerosol loading varied from extremely clean to moderately turbid conditions. In the next section the instruments will be described along with a brief explanation of the calibration techniques. The third section contains the results compared graphically on moderately turbid and fairly clean days and in a table representing the whole period. The paper ends with a section of discussion and a summary of the results.

Separation techniques for the clean-up of radioactive mixed waste for ICP-AES/ICP-MS analysis

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

Swafford, A.M.; Keller, J.M.

1993-03-17

Two separation techniques were investigated for the clean-up of typical radioactive mixed waste samples requiring elemental analysis by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-AES) or Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). These measurements frequently involve regulatory or compliance criteria which include the determination of elements on the EPA Target Analyte List (TAL). These samples usually consist of both an aqueous phase and a solid phase which is mostly an inorganic sludge. Frequently, samples taken from the waste tanks contain high levels of uranium and thorium which can cause spectral interferences in ICP-AES or ICP-MS analysis. The removal of these interferences ismore » necessary to determine the presence of the EPA TAL elements in the sample. Two clean-up methods were studied on simulated aqueous waste samples containing the EPA TAL elements. The first method studied was a classical procedure based upon liquid-liquid extraction using tri-n- octylphosphine oxide (TOPO) dissolved in cyclohexane. The second method investigated was based on more recently developed techniques using extraction chromatography; specifically the use of a commercially available Eichrom TRU[center dot]Spec[trademark] column. Literature on these two methods indicates the efficient removal of uranium and thorium from properly prepared samples and provides considerable qualitative information on the extraction behavior of many other elements. However, there is a lack of quantitative data on the extraction behavior of elements on the EPA Target Analyte List. Experimental studies on these two methods consisted of determining whether any of the analytes were extracted by these methods and the recoveries obtained. Both methods produced similar results; the EPA target analytes were only slightly or not extracted. Advantages and disadvantages of each method were evaluated and found to be comparable.« less

Exercise and activity for weight loss

MedlinePlus

... light activity such as cleaning house or playing baseball or golf. 370 to 460 calories doing activity ... or karate class. You could also join a baseball or bowling team, or even a mall-walking ...

Antifouling Compounds from Marine Macroalgae

PubMed Central

Dahms, Hans Uwe; Dobretsov, Sergey

2017-01-01

Marine macroalgae produce a wide variety of biologically-active metabolites that have been developed into commercial products, such as antibiotics, immunosuppressive, anti-inflammatory, cytotoxic agents, and cosmetic products. Many marine algae remain clean over longer periods of time, suggesting their strong antifouling potential. Isolation of biogenic compounds and the determination of their structure could provide leads for the development of environmentally-friendly antifouling paints. Isolated substances with potent antifouling activity belong to fatty acids, lipopeptides, amides, alkaloids, lactones, steroids, terpenoids, and pyrroles. It is unclear as yet to what extent symbiotic microorganisms are involved in the synthesis of these compounds. Algal secondary metabolites have the potential to be produced commercially using genetic and metabolic engineering techniques. This review provides an overview of publications from 2010 to February 2017 about antifouling activity of green, brown, and red algae. Some researchers were focusing on antifouling compounds of brown macroalgae, while metabolites of green algae received less attention. Several studies tested antifouling activity against bacteria, microalgae and invertebrates, but in only a few studies was the quorum sensing inhibitory activity of marine macroalgae tested. Rarely, antifouling compounds from macroalgae were isolated and tested in an ecologically-relevant way. PMID:28846625

Antifouling Compounds from Marine Macroalgae.

PubMed

Dahms, Hans Uwe; Dobretsov, Sergey

2017-08-28

Marine macroalgae produce a wide variety of biologically-active metabolites that have been developed into commercial products, such as antibiotics, immunosuppressive, anti-inflammatory, cytotoxic agents, and cosmetic products. Many marine algae remain clean over longer periods of time, suggesting their strong antifouling potential. Isolation of biogenic compounds and the determination of their structure could provide leads for the development of environmentally-friendly antifouling paints. Isolated substances with potent antifouling activity belong to fatty acids, lipopeptides, amides, alkaloids, lactones, steroids, terpenoids, and pyrroles. It is unclear as yet to what extent symbiotic microorganisms are involved in the synthesis of these compounds. Algal secondary metabolites have the potential to be produced commercially using genetic and metabolic engineering techniques. This review provides an overview of publications from 2010 to February 2017 about antifouling activity of green, brown, and red algae. Some researchers were focusing on antifouling compounds of brown macroalgae, while metabolites of green algae received less attention. Several studies tested antifouling activity against bacteria, microalgae and invertebrates, but in only a few studies was the quorum sensing inhibitory activity of marine macroalgae tested. Rarely, antifouling compounds from macroalgae were isolated and tested in an ecologically-relevant way.

Self-powering/self-cleaning electronic-skin basing on PVDF/TiO2 nanofibers for actively detecting body motion and degrading organic pollutants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, Chuanyi; Fu, Yongming; Zang, Weili; He, Haoxuan; Xing, Lili; Xue, Xinyu

2017-09-01

A flexible self-powering/self-cleaning electronic-skin (e-skin) for actively detecting body motion and degrading organic pollutants has been fabricated from PVDF/TiO2 nanofibers. PVDF/TiO2 nanofibers are synthesized by high voltage electrospinning method. The e-skin can be driven by external mechanical vibration, and actively output piezoelectric impulse. The outputting piezoelectric voltage can be significantly influenced by different applied deformation, acting as both the body-motion-detecting signal and the electricity power for driving the device. The e-skin can detect various body motions, such as pressing, stretching, bending finger and clenching fist. The e-skin also has distinct self-cleaning characteristic through piezo-photocatalytic coupling process. The photocatalytic activity of TiO2 and the piezoelectric effect of PVDF are coupled in a single physical/chemical process, which can efficiently degrade organic pollutants on the e-skin. For example, methylene blue (MB) can be completely degraded within 40 min under UV/ultrasonic irradiation. The present results could provoke a possible new research direction for realizing self-powering multifunctional e-skin.

INFLUENCE OF AGING AND PH ON DISSOLUTION KINETICS AND STABILITY OF PHROMORPHITE

EPA Science Inventory

In-situ, immobilization of metal contaminates in soil systems shows great potential as a cost-effective and environmemtally sound remediation technique. Pb contaminated soils are typically removed from site and replaced with clean soil at great costs. However, innovative techno...

14 CFR 43.2 - Records of overhaul and rebuilding.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... engine, propeller, appliance, or component part as being overhauled unless— (1) Using methods, techniques... may describe in any required maintenance entry or form an aircraft, airframe, aircraft engine, propeller, appliance, or component part as being rebuilt unless it has been disassembled, cleaned, inspected...

14 CFR 43.2 - Records of overhaul and rebuilding.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... engine, propeller, appliance, or component part as being overhauled unless— (1) Using methods, techniques... may describe in any required maintenance entry or form an aircraft, airframe, aircraft engine, propeller, appliance, or component part as being rebuilt unless it has been disassembled, cleaned, inspected...

14 CFR 43.2 - Records of overhaul and rebuilding.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... engine, propeller, appliance, or component part as being overhauled unless— (1) Using methods, techniques... may describe in any required maintenance entry or form an aircraft, airframe, aircraft engine, propeller, appliance, or component part as being rebuilt unless it has been disassembled, cleaned, inspected...

Lipophilic super-absorbent swelling gels as cleaners for use on weapons systems and platforms

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Increasingly stringent environmental regulations on volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) demand the development of disruptive technologies for cleaning weapons systems and platforms. Currently employed techniques such as vapor degreasing, solvent, aqueous, or blast c...

Graphene as a Buffer Layer for Silicon Carbide-on-Insulator Structures

PubMed Central

Astuti, Budi; Tanikawa, Masahiro; Rahman, Shaharin Fadzli Abd; Yasui, Kanji; Hashim, Abdul Manaf

2012-01-01

We report an innovative technique for growing the silicon carbide-on-insulator (SiCOI) structure by utilizing polycrystalline single layer graphene (SLG) as a buffer layer. The epitaxial growth was carried out using a hot-mesh chemical vapor deposition (HM-CVD) technique. Cubic SiC (3C-SiC) thin film in (111) domain was realized at relatively low substrate temperature of 750 °C. 3C-SiC energy bandgap of 2.2 eV was confirmed. The Si-O absorption band observed in the grown film can be caused by the out-diffusion of the oxygen atom from SiO2 substrate or oxygen doping during the cleaning process. Further experimental works by optimizing the cleaning process, growth parameters of the present growth method, or by using other growth methods, as well, are expected to realize a high quality SiCOI structure, thereby opening up the way for a breakthrough in the development of advanced ULSIs with multifunctionalities.

Case Study: Using Microbe Molecular Biology for Gulf Oil Spill Clean Up

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Daniel R.

2011-01-01

This case has the student actively investigate the regulation of expression of a novel bacterial gene in the context of attempts to solve a real world problem, clean up of the April 2010 Deep Water Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Although the case is fictitious, it is based on factual gene regulatory characteristics of oil-degrading…

Metal sponge for cryosorption pumping applications

DOEpatents

Myneni, G.R.; Kneisel, P.

1995-12-26

A system has been developed for adsorbing gases at high vacuum in a closed area. The system utilizes large surface clean anodized metal surfaces at low temperatures to adsorb the gases. The large surface clean anodized metal is referred to as a metal sponge. The metal sponge generates or maintains the high vacuum by increasing the available active cryosorbing surface area. 4 figs.