Sample records for additional studies investigating

  1. 21 CFR 71.37 - Exemption of color additives for investigational use.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 1 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Exemption of color additives for investigational... additives for investigational use. (a) A shipment or other delivery of a color additive or of a food, drug..., provided that the color additive or the food, drug, or cosmetic containing the color additive bears a label...

  2. 21 CFR 71.37 - Exemption of color additives for investigational use.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Exemption of color additives for investigational... additives for investigational use. (a) A shipment or other delivery of a color additive or of a food, drug..., provided that the color additive or the food, drug, or cosmetic containing the color additive bears a label...

  3. 21 CFR 71.37 - Exemption of color additives for investigational use.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Exemption of color additives for investigational... additives for investigational use. (a) A shipment or other delivery of a color additive or of a food, drug..., provided that the color additive or the food, drug, or cosmetic containing the color additive bears a label...

  4. 21 CFR 71.37 - Exemption of color additives for investigational use.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Exemption of color additives for investigational... additives for investigational use. (a) A shipment or other delivery of a color additive or of a food, drug..., provided that the color additive or the food, drug, or cosmetic containing the color additive bears a label...

  5. Additivity vs Synergism: Investigation of the Additive Interaction of Cinnamon Bark Oil and Meropenem in Combinatory Therapy.

    PubMed

    Yang, Shun-Kai; Yusoff, Khatijah; Mai, Chun-Wai; Lim, Wei-Meng; Yap, Wai-Sum; Lim, Swee-Hua Erin; Lai, Kok-Song

    2017-11-04

    Combinatory therapies have been commonly applied in the clinical setting to tackle multi-drug resistant bacterial infections and these have frequently proven to be effective. Specifically, combinatory therapies resulting in synergistic interactions between antibiotics and adjuvant have been the main focus due to their effectiveness, sidelining the effects of additivity, which also lowers the minimal effective dosage of either antimicrobial agent. Thus, this study was undertaken to look at the effects of additivity between essential oils and antibiotic, via the use of cinnamon bark essential oil (CBO) and meropenem as a model for additivity. Comparisons between synergistic and additive interaction of CBO were performed in terms of the ability of CBO to disrupt bacterial membrane, via zeta potential measurement, outer membrane permeability assay and scanning electron microscopy. It has been found that the additivity interaction between CBO and meropenem showed similar membrane disruption ability when compared to those synergistic combinations which was previously reported. Hence, results based on our studies strongly suggest that additive interaction acts on a par with synergistic interaction. Therefore, further investigation in additive interaction between antibiotics and adjuvant should be performed for a more in depth understanding of the mechanism and the impacts of such interaction.

  6. 21 CFR 71.37 - Exemption of color additives for investigational use.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Exemption of color additives for investigational... SERVICES GENERAL COLOR ADDITIVE PETITIONS Administrative Action on Petitions § 71.37 Exemption of color additives for investigational use. (a) A shipment or other delivery of a color additive or of a food, drug...

  7. Thermodynamic Effect of Platinum Addition to beta-NiAl: An Initial Investigation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2005-01-01

    An initial investigation was conducted to determine the effect of platinum addition on the activities of aluminum and nickel in beta-NiAl(Pt) over the temperature range 1354 to 1692 K. These measurements were made with a multiple effusion-cell configured mass spectrometer (multi-cell KEMS). The results of this study show that Pt additions act to decreased alpha(Al) and increased the alpha(Ni) in beta-NiAl(Pt) for constant X(sub Ni)/X(sub Al) approx. = 1.13, while at constant X(sub Al) the affect of Pt on Al is greatly reduced. The measured partial enthalpies of mixing indicate Al-atoms have a strong self interaction while Ni- and Pt-atoms in have similar interactions with Al-atoms. Conversely the binding of Ni-atoms in beta-NiAl decreases with Pt addition independent of Al concentration. These initial results prove the technique can be applied to the Ni-Al-Pt system but more activity measurements are required to fully understand the thermodynamics of this system and how Pt additions improved the scaling behavior of nickel-based superalloys. In addition, with the choice of a suitable oxide material for the effusion-cell, the "closed" isothermal nature of the effusion-cell allows the direct investigation of an alloy-oxide equilibrium which resembles the "local-equilibrium" description of the metal-scale interface observed during high temperature oxidation. It is proposed that with an Al(l) + Al2O3(s) experimental reference state together with the route measurement of the relative partial-pressures of Al(g) and Al2O(g) allows the activities of O and Al2O3 to be determined along with the activities of Ni and Al. These measurements provide a direct method of investigating the thermodynamics of the metal-scale interface of a TGO-scale.

  8. [Etiological, clinical and neuroradiological investigation of deaf children with additional neuropsychiatric disabilities].

    PubMed

    Chilosi, A M; Scusa, M F; Comparini, A; Genovese, E; Forli, F; Berrettini, S; Cipriani, P

    2012-04-01

    Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) is complicated by additional disabilities in about 30% of cases, but the epidemiology of associated disorders, in terms of type, frequency and aetiology is still not clearly defined. Additional disabilities in a deaf child have important consequences in assessing and choosing a therapeutic treatment, in particular when considering cochlear implantation (CI) or hearing aids (HA). The aim of this paper was to evaluate frequency, type and severity of additional neurodevelopmental disabilities in children with profound bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and to investigate the relationship between disability and the etiology of deafness. Eighty children with profound bilateral sensorineural hearing loss (mean age 5.4 years) were investigated by means of a diagnostic protocol including clinical, neurodevelopmental, and audiological procedures together with genetic and neurometabolic tests and neuroradiological investigation by brain MRI. Fifty-five percent of the sample exhibited one or more disabilities in addition to deafness, with cognitive, behavioural-emotional and motor disorders being the most frequent. The risk of additional disabilities varied according to aetiology, with a higher incidence in hereditary syndromic deafness, in cases due to pre-perinatal pathology (in comparison to unknown and hereditary non syndromic forms) and in the presence of major brain abnormalities at MRI. Our results suggest that the aetiology of deafness may be a significant risk indicator for the presence of neuropsychiatric disorders. A multidimensional evaluation, including aetiological, neurodevelopmental and MRI investigation is needed for formulating prognosis and for planning therapeutic intervention, especially in those children candidated to cochlear implant.

  9. Electrostatic Levitation for Studies of Additive Manufactured Materials

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    SanSoucie, Michael P.; Rogers, Jan R.; Tramel, Terri

    2014-01-01

    The electrostatic levitation (ESL) laboratory at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center is a unique facility for investigators studying high temperature materials. The laboratory boasts two levitators in which samples can be levitated, heated, melted, undercooled, and resolidified. Electrostatic levitation minimizes gravitational effects and allows materials to be studied without contact with a container or instrumentation. The lab also has a high temperature emissivity measurement system, which provides normal spectral and normal total emissivity measurements at use temperature. The ESL lab has been instrumental in many pioneering materials investigations of thermophysical properties, e.g., creep measurements, solidification, triggered nucleation, and emissivity at high temperatures. Research in the ESL lab has already led to the development of advanced high temperature materials for aerospace applications, coatings for rocket nozzles, improved medical and industrial optics, metallic glasses, ablatives for reentry vehicles, and materials with memory. Modeling of additive manufacturing materials processing is necessary for the study of their resulting materials properties. In addition, the modeling of the selective laser melting processes and its materials property predictions are also underway. Unfortunately, there is very little data for the properties of these materials, especially of the materials in the liquid state. Some method to measure thermophysical properties of additive manufacturing materials is necessary. The ESL lab is ideal for these studies. The lab can provide surface tension and viscosity of molten materials, density measurements, emissivity measurements, and even creep strength measurements. The ESL lab can also determine melting temperature, surface temperatures, and phase transition temperatures of additive manufactured materials. This presentation will provide background on the ESL lab and its capabilities, provide an approach to using the ESL

  10. Adsorption of molecular additive onto lead halide perovskite surfaces: A computational study on Lewis base thiophene additive passivation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Lei; Yu, Fengxi; Chen, Lihong; Li, Jingfa

    2018-06-01

    Organic additives, such as the Lewis base thiophene, have been successfully applied to passivate halide perovskite surfaces, improving the stability and properties of perovskite devices based on CH3NH3PbI3. Yet, the detailed nanostructure of the perovskite surface passivated by additives and the mechanisms of such passivation are not well understood. This study presents a nanoscopic view on the interfacial structure of an additive/perovskite interface, consisting of a Lewis base thiophene molecular additive and a lead halide perovskite surface substrate, providing insights on the mechanisms that molecular additives can passivate the halide perovskite surfaces and enhance the perovskite-based device performance. Molecular dynamics study on the interactions between water molecules and the perovskite surfaces passivated by the investigated additive reveal the effectiveness of employing the molecular additives to improve the stability of the halide perovskite materials. The additive/perovskite surface system is further probed via molecular engineering the perovskite surfaces. This study reveals the nanoscopic structure-property relationships of the halide perovskite surface passivated by molecular additives, which helps the fundamental understanding of the surface/interface engineering strategies for the development of halide perovskite based devices.

  11. Investigation of Hydrophobic Concrete Additive for Seawall Replacement at Pililaau Army Recreation Center, Hawaii

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2017-05-01

    ER D C/ CE RL T R- 17 -1 0 DoD Corrosion Prevention and Control Program Investigation of Hydrophobic Concrete Additive for Seawall...Control Program ERDC/CERL TR-17-10 May 2017 Investigation of Hydrophobic Concrete Additive for Seawall Replacement at Pililaau Army Recreation Center...Prevention and Control Program project was to demonstrate the long-term performance of an ultrahydrophobic concrete additive that blocks water intrusion and

  12. Investigation of possible causes of the additional torque on the yacht's rudder

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lubomir, Soukup; Jaroslav, Stigler; Abdellah, Kharicha

    2016-03-01

    The present article deals with investigation of possible causes of the additional torque on the yacht's rudder. One of the most important aspect for design of yachts are the symmetric conditions of all parts, which are located under water level and concentricity of the ship's screw, rudder and keel relative to the hull. These symmetric and concentricity conditions have a major impact on the resulting dynamic properties of the ships. They have either substantial impact on the overall efficiency of installed engine and ship's screw. As the result of poorly designed above mentioned parts, there can be an unsolicited additional torque on the yacht's rudder and higher consumption of the fuel. Last but not least of these problems leads to poor controllability and discomfort within steering. This article is focused on the investigation of possible causes of the additional torque on the yacht's rudder.

  13. Making intelligent systems team players: Additional case studies

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Malin, Jane T.; Schreckenghost, Debra L.; Rhoads, Ron W.

    1993-01-01

    Observations from a case study of intelligent systems are reported as part of a multi-year interdisciplinary effort to provide guidance and assistance for designers of intelligent systems and their user interfaces. A series of studies were conducted to investigate issues in designing intelligent fault management systems in aerospace applications for effective human-computer interaction. The results of the initial study are documented in two NASA technical memoranda: TM 104738 Making Intelligent Systems Team Players: Case Studies and Design Issues, Volumes 1 and 2; and TM 104751, Making Intelligent Systems Team Players: Overview for Designers. The objective of this additional study was to broaden the investigation of human-computer interaction design issues beyond the focus on monitoring and fault detection in the initial study. The results of this second study are documented which is intended as a supplement to the original design guidance documents. These results should be of interest to designers of intelligent systems for use in real-time operations, and to researchers in the areas of human-computer interaction and artificial intelligence.

  14. Additional Technologies and Investigations for Provision of Future Aeronautical Communications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gilbert, Tricia; Jin, Jenny; Berger, Jason; Henriksen, Steve

    2008-01-01

    The following NASA Contractor Report documents the in-depth studies on select technologies that could support long-term aeronautical mobile communications operating concepts. This work was performed during the third and final phase of NASA s Technology Assessment for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)/EUROCONTROL Future Communications Study (FCS) under a multiyear NASA contract. It includes the associated findings of ITT Corporation and NASA Glenn Research Center to the FAA as of the end of May 2007. The activities documented in this report focus on three final technology candidates identified by the United States, and were completed before sufficient information about two additional technology candidates proposed by EUROCONTROL was made available. A separate report to be published by NASA/CR-2008-215144, entitled Final Report on Technology Investigations for Provision of Future Aeronautical Communications will include an assessment of all five final candidate technologies considered by the U.S. agencies (FAA and NASA) and EUROCONTROL. It will also provide an overview of the entire technology assessment process, including final recommendations. All three phases of this work were performed in compliance with the Terms of Reference for the Action Plan number 17 (AP-17) cooperative research agreement among EUROCONTROL, FAA, and NASA along with the general guidance of the FAA and EUROCONTROL available throughout this study.

  15. Theoretical Investigation of the NO3 Radical Addition to Double Bonds of Limonene

    PubMed Central

    Jiang, Lei; Wang, Wei; Xu, Yi-Sheng

    2009-01-01

    The addition reactions of NO3 to limonene have been investigated using ab initio methods. Six different possibilities for NO3 addition to the double bonds, which correspond to the two C–C double bonds (endocyclic or exocyclic) have been considered. The negative activation energies for the addition of NO3 to limonene are calculated and the energies of NO3-limonene radical adducts are found to be 14.55 to 20.17 kcal mol-1 more stable than the separated NO3 and limonene at the CCSD(T)/6–31G(d) + CF level. The results also indicate that the endocyclic addition reaction is more energetically favorable than the exocyclic one. PMID:19865516

  16. Investigations on microstructure, electrical and magnetic properties of copper spinel ferrite with WO3 addition for applications in the humidity sensors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tudorache, Florin

    2018-04-01

    In the present study we report the structural, electrical, magnetic and humidity characteristics of copper ferrite with different percent on tungsten trioxide addition. The aim of this study was to obtain more stable and sensitive active materials for humidity sensors. In order to highlight the influence of tungsten on the structural, electrical and magnetic properties, the ferrite samples were fabricated via sol-gel self-combustion method and sintered for 30 min at 1000 °C with percent between 0 and 20% tungsten trioxide additions. The X-ray diffraction investigations showed the copper ferrite phase composition. The scanning electron microscopy revealed the influence of the substitution on characteristics of the crystallites and the profilometry showed the surface topography of samples. The investigation was focused on the variation of permittivity and electrical conductivity, in relation with tungsten trioxide addition, frequency and humidity. We have also, investigated the relevant magnetic characteristics of the copper ferrite material by highlighting the influence of tungsten trioxide addition on to Curie temperature and the permeability frequency characteristics. The data suggests that the copper ferrite with tungsten trioxide addition can be used as active material for humidity sensors.

  17. Kinetic studies of retinol addition radicals.

    PubMed

    El-Agamey, Ali; Fukuzumi, Shunichi; Naqvi, K Razi; McGarvey, David J

    2011-03-07

    Retinol neutral radicals (RS-retinol˙), generated from the reaction of retinol with 4-pyridylthiyl and 2-pyridylthiyl radicals in argon-saturated methanol, undergo β-elimination, which can be monitored via the slow secondary absorption rise at 380 nm attributed to the rearrangement of the unstable retinol neutral addition radicals to the more stable addition radicals. Rate constants for the β-elimination reactions (k(β)) of 4-PyrS-retinol˙ were measured at different temperatures and the Arrhenius equation for the reaction is described by log (k(β)/s(-1)) = (12.7 ± 0.2) - (54.3 ± 1.3)/θ, where θ = 2.3RT kJ mol(-1). The reactivities of retinol addition radicals (RS-retinol˙), generated from the reaction of retinol with various thiyl radicals, towards oxygen have also been investigated in methanol. In the presence of oxygen, the decay of RS-retinol˙ fits to biexponential kinetics and both observed rate constants for the RS-retinol˙ decay are oxygen-concentration dependent. This suggests that at least two thiyl addition radicals, formed from the reaction of RS˙ with retinol, undergo oxygen addition reactions. In light of the estimated rate constants for oxygen addition to RS-retinol˙ and RS-CAR˙ (CAR: carotenoid), the antioxidant-prooxidant properties of retinol are discussed.

  18. Experimental investigations of the hydrogen addition effects on diesel engine performance

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mirica, I.; Pana, C.; Negurescu, N.; Cernat, A.; Nutu, C.

    2016-08-01

    In the global content regarding the impact on the environmental of the gases emissions resulted from the fossil fuels combustion, an interest aspect discussed on the 21st Session of the Conference of the Parties from the 2015 Paris Climate Conference and the gradual diminution of the worldwide oil reserves contribute to the necessity of searching of alternative energy from durable and renewable resources. At the use of hydrogen as addition in air to diesel engine, the level of CO, HC and smoke from the exhaust gases will decrease due to the improvement of the combustion process. At low and medium partial loads and low hydrogen energetic ratios used the NOX emission level can decrease comparative to classic diesel engine. The hydrogen use as fuel for diesel engine leads to the improving of the energetic and emissions performance of the engine due to combustion improvement and reduction of carbon content. The paper presents, in a comparative way, results of the experimental researches carried on a truck compression ignition engine fuelled with diesel fuel and with hydrogen diesel fuel and hydrogen as addition in air at different engine operation regimes. The results obtained during experimental investigations show better energetic and pollution performance of the engine fuelled with hydrogen as addition in air comparative to classic engine. The influences of hydrogen addition on engine operation are shown.

  19. Investigation of the effects of short chain processing additives on polymers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Singh, J. J.; Stclair, T. L.; Pratt, J. R.

    1986-01-01

    The effects of low level concentrations of several short chain processing additives on the properties of the 4,4'-bis(3,4-dicarboxyphenoxy) diphenylsulfide dianhydride (BDSDA)/4,4'-diaminodiphenyl ether (ODA)/1,3'-diaminobenzene (m-phenylene diamine) (MPA) (422) copolyimide were investigated. It was noted that 5 percent MPD/phthalic anhydride (PA) is more effective than 5 percent ODA/PA and BDSDA/aniline (AN) in strengthening the host material. However, the introduction of 10 percent BDSDA/AN produces disproportionately high effects on free volume and free electron density in the host copolyimide.

  20. Arithmetic on Your Phone: A Large Scale Investigation of Simple Additions and Multiplications.

    PubMed

    Zimmerman, Federico; Shalom, Diego; Gonzalez, Pablo A; Garrido, Juan Manuel; Alvarez Heduan, Facundo; Dehaene, Stanislas; Sigman, Mariano; Rieznik, Andres

    2016-01-01

    We present the results of a gamified mobile device arithmetic application which allowed us to collect vast amount of data in simple arithmetic operations. Our results confirm and replicate, on a large sample, six of the main principles derived in a long tradition of investigation: size effect, tie effect, size-tie interaction effect, five-effect, RTs and error rates correlation effect, and most common error effect. Our dataset allowed us to perform a robust analysis of order effects for each individual problem, for which there is controversy both in experimental findings and in the predictions of theoretical models. For addition problems, the order effect was dominated by a max-then-min structure (i.e 7+4 is easier than 4+7). This result is predicted by models in which additions are performed as a translation starting from the first addend, with a distance given by the second addend. In multiplication, we observed a dominance of two effects: (1) a max-then-min pattern that can be accounted by the fact that it is easier to perform fewer additions of the largest number (i.e. 8x3 is easier to compute as 8+8+8 than as 3+3+…+3) and (2) a phonological effect by which problems for which there is a rhyme (i.e. "seis por cuatro es veinticuatro") are performed faster. Above and beyond these results, our study bares an important practical conclusion, as proof of concept, that participants can be motivated to perform substantial arithmetic training simply by presenting it in a gamified format.

  1. Arithmetic on Your Phone: A Large Scale Investigation of Simple Additions and Multiplications

    PubMed Central

    Zimmerman, Federico; Shalom, Diego; Gonzalez, Pablo A.; Garrido, Juan Manuel; Alvarez Heduan, Facundo; Dehaene, Stanislas; Sigman, Mariano; Rieznik, Andres

    2016-01-01

    We present the results of a gamified mobile device arithmetic application which allowed us to collect vast amount of data in simple arithmetic operations. Our results confirm and replicate, on a large sample, six of the main principles derived in a long tradition of investigation: size effect, tie effect, size-tie interaction effect, five-effect, RTs and error rates correlation effect, and most common error effect. Our dataset allowed us to perform a robust analysis of order effects for each individual problem, for which there is controversy both in experimental findings and in the predictions of theoretical models. For addition problems, the order effect was dominated by a max-then-min structure (i.e 7+4 is easier than 4+7). This result is predicted by models in which additions are performed as a translation starting from the first addend, with a distance given by the second addend. In multiplication, we observed a dominance of two effects: (1) a max-then-min pattern that can be accounted by the fact that it is easier to perform fewer additions of the largest number (i.e. 8x3 is easier to compute as 8+8+8 than as 3+3+…+3) and (2) a phonological effect by which problems for which there is a rhyme (i.e. "seis por cuatro es veinticuatro") are performed faster. Above and beyond these results, our study bares an important practical conclusion, as proof of concept, that participants can be motivated to perform substantial arithmetic training simply by presenting it in a gamified format. PMID:28033357

  2. Investigation the impact of ZTA addition on the properties of nano biogenic hydroxyapatite.

    PubMed

    Naga, S M; Sayed, M; El-Maghraby, H F; Awaad, M

    2018-05-04

    The target of the recent study is to achieve a significant inexpensive and eco-friendly way for getting ZTA/HA composites, based on the nano-HA derived from the eggshell biogenic source. Combining simultaneously the porous structure; which is considered as a bone formation key, with developed mechanical properties and adequate biocompatibility, is another purpose of this study. Furthermore, the impact of ZTA addition from 10-30 mass-%, fabricated by uniaxial pressing and sintering at 1200-1300 °C for 2 h, on the physical and mechanical properties, microstructure and phase composition of ZTA/HA composite bodies was investigated. The results demonstrated that the increasing of ZTA content increases the bodies' apparent porosity and decreases the bulk density due to the decomposition of HA into β-TCP. Where the formation of β-TCP possessed the predominant impact on the mechanical properties of the sintered ZTA/HA composites. ICP, SEM, EDX and thin film XRD results of composites containing 20 mass-% ZTA affirmed the excellent bioactivity of the bodies.

  3. Investigation of effect of particle size and rumen fluid addition on specific methane yields of high lignocellulose grass silage.

    PubMed

    Wall, D M; Straccialini, B; Allen, E; Nolan, P; Herrmann, C; O'Kiely, P; Murphy, J D

    2015-09-01

    This work examines the digestion of advanced growth stage grass silage. Two variables were investigated: particle size (greater than 3 cm and less than 1cm) and rumen fluid addition. Batch studies indicated particle size and rumen fluid addition had little effect on specific methane yields (SMYs). In continuous digestion of 3 cm silage the SMY was 342 and 343 L CH4 kg(-1)VS, respectively, with and without rumen fluid addition. However, digester operation was significantly affected through silage floating on the liquor surface and its entanglement in the mixing system. Digestion of 1cm silage with no rumen fluid addition struggled; volatile fatty acid concentrations rose and SMYs dropped. The best case was 1cm silage with rumen fluid addition, offering higher SMYs of 371 L CH4 kg(-1)VS and stable operation throughout. Thus, physical and biological treatments benefited continuous digestion of high fibre grass silage. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Mechanistic Study of Electrolyte Additives to Stabilize High-Voltage Cathode-Electrolyte Interface in Lithium-Ion Batteries.

    PubMed

    Gao, Han; Maglia, Filippo; Lamp, Peter; Amine, Khalil; Chen, Zonghai

    2017-12-27

    Current developments of electrolyte additives to stabilize electrode-electrolyte interface in lithium-ion batteries highly rely on a trial-and-error search, which involves repetitive testing and intensive amount of resources. The lack of understandings on the fundamental protection mechanisms of the additives significantly increases the difficulty for the transformational development of new additives. In this study, we investigated two types of individual protection routes to build a robust cathode-electrolyte interphase at high potentials: (i) a direct reduction in the catalytic decomposition of the electrolyte solvent; and (ii) formation of a "corrosion inhibitor film" that prevents severely attack and passivation from protons that generated from the solvent oxidation, even the decomposition of solvent cannot be mitigated. Effect of two exemplary electrolyte additives, lithium difluoro(oxalato)borate (LiDFOB) and 3-hexylthiophene (3HT), on LiNi 0.6 Mn 0.2 Co 0.2 O 2 (NMC 622) cathode were investigated to validate our hypothesis. It is demonstrated that understandings of both electrolyte additives and solvent are essential and careful balance between the cathode protection mechanism of additives and their side effects is critical to obtain optimum results. More importantly, this study opens up new directions of rational design of functional electrolyte additives for the next-generation high-energy-density lithium-ion chemistries.

  5. Microwave Sanitization of Color Additives Used in Cosmetics: Feasibility Study

    PubMed Central

    Jasnow, S. B.; Smith, J. L.

    1975-01-01

    Microwave exposure has been explored as a method of microbiologically sanitizing color additives used in cosmetic products. Selected microbiologically unacceptable cosmetic color additives, D&C red no. 7 Ca lake (certified synthetic organic color), carmine (natural organic color not subject to certification), and chromium hydroxide green (inorganic color not subject to certification), were submitted to microwave exposure. Gram-negative bacteria were eliminated, as verified by enrichment procedures, and levels of gram-positive bacteria were reduced. Generally, analytical and dermal safety studies indicated no significant alterations in physical, chemical, and toxicological properties of the colors. Sanitization was also successfully performed on other colors (D&C red no. 9 Ba lake, D&C red no. 12 Ba lake, D&C green no. 5, and FD&C red no. 4); initial physical and chemical tests were satisfactory. Results indicated that this method of sanitization is feasible and warrants further investigation. PMID:1164010

  6. Laboratory investigation of hydrated lime as an antistripping additive : final report.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1983-01-01

    The purpose of this laboratory study was to determine the effectiveness of hydrated lime as an antistripping additive when used in bituminous mixes incorporating aggregates frequently used in such mixes in Virginia. The application of 1% hydrated lim...

  7. Mechanistic Study of Electrolyte Additives to Stabilize High-Voltage Cathode–Electrolyte Interface in Lithium-Ion Batteries

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

    Gao, Han; Maglia, Filippo; Lamp, Peter

    Current developments of electrolyte additives to stabilize electrode-electrolyte interface in Li-ion batteries highly rely on a trial-and-error search, which involves repetitive testing and intensive amount of resources. The lack of understandings on the fundamental protection mechanisms of the additives significantly increases the difficulty for the transformational development of new additives. In this study, we investigated two types of individual protection routes to build a robust cathode-electrolyte interphase at high potentials: (i) a direct reduction in the catalytic decomposition of the electrolyte solvent; and (ii) formation of a “corrosion inhibitor film” that prevents severely attack and passivation from protons that generatedmore » from the solvent oxidation, even the decomposition of solvent cannot not mitigated. Effect of three exemplary electrolyte additives: (i) lithium difluoro(oxalato)borate (LiDFOB); (ii) 3-hexylthiophene (3HT); and (iii) tris(hexafluoro-iso-propyl)phosphate (HFiP), on LiNi0.6Mn0.2Co0.2O2 (NMC 622) cathode were investigated to validate our hypothesis. It is demonstrated that understandings of both electrolyte additives and solvent are essential and careful balance between the cathode protection mechanism of additives and their side effects is critical to obtain optimum results. More importantly, this study opens up new directions of rational design of functional electrolyte additives for the next generation high-energy density lithium-ion chemistries.« less

  8. Study on thermal effects & sulfurized additives, in lubricating greases

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shah, Ami Atul

    Lithium Base grease constitutes about 50% of market. The greases are developed to be able to work in multiple working conditions and have longer working life. Greases with extreme pressure additives and anti-wear additives have been developed as a solution to many of the applications. These developed greases are tested under ASTM D2266 testing conditions to meet the requirements. The actual working conditions, although, differ than the real testing conditions. The loading, speed and temperature conditions can be more harsh, or fluctuating in nature. The cyclic nature of the parameters cannot be directly related to the test performance. For this purpose studies on the performance under spectrum loading, variable speed and fluctuating temperature must be performed. This study includes tests to understand the effect of thermal variation on some of the most commonly used grease additives that perform well under ASTM D2266 testing conditions. The studied additives include most widely used industrial extreme pressure additive MoS2. Performance of ZDDP which is trying to replace MoS2 in its industrial applications has also been studied. The tests cover study of extreme pressure, anti-wear and friction modifier additives to get a general idea on the effects of thermal variation in three areas. Sulphur is the most common extreme pressure additive. Sulphur based MoS 2 is extensively used grease additive. Study to understand the tribological performance of this additive through wear testing and SEM/EDX studies has been done. This performance is also studied for other metallic sulfides like WS2 and sulphur based organic compound. The aim is to study the importance of the type of bond that sulphur shares in its additive's structure on its performance. The MoS2 film formation is found to be on the basis of the FeS formation on the substrate and protection through sacrificial monolayer deposition of the MoS2 sheared structure. The free Mo then tends to oxidise. An attempt to

  9. Plaster mortars with polymer fibers and additives investigated by 1H NMR relaxometry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mustea, Andrei; Manea, Daniela L.; Jumate, Elena; Orbán, Yvette A.; Fechete, Radu

    2017-12-01

    Plaster mortars with polypropylene (pp) fibers and/or additives were investigated by 1H NMR relaxometry. Two recipes are proposed and are based on a commercially available mortar or are self-prepared and have different content of polypropylene fibers, which play the role of reinforcement agent, and/or Sika additive which is a waterproofing agent. The distributions of transverse relaxation times, T2 were obtained at 1, 3, 7 and 28 days after preparation. For the majority of T2-distributions four peaks are observed and, are associated with the hydration water (to the mineralogical components) and water in small, medium and large pores. The evolution in time, from 1 to 28 days, of the T2-distributions indicates the effects of pp fibers and Sika additive in the formation of pore microstructure. The degree of homogeneity of prepared receipts was evaluated from the relative peak-width and compared with mechanical measurements. Finally, we shown that the inverse of the transverse relaxation time values, T2-1, characteristic to the hydration water depends linearly on the resistance at compression measured for the 1÷28 days period, proving the important role of hydrations to the mechanical properties of the final product.

  10. A microbiological investigation following the disinfection of alginate and addition cured silicone rubber impression materials.

    PubMed

    al-Omari, W M; Jones, J C; Hart, P

    1998-09-01

    The antimicrobial efficacy of four commercially available disinfectants (Haz-tabs, chlorhexidine, Virkon and C&J Algisept Spray) was investigated. It was shown that all were effective in decontaminating the impressions whilst those placed only in sterile water, used as a control, showed variable levels of bacterial growth. Moreover, alginate appeared to carry significantly higher numbers of bacteria than addition cured silicone rubber.

  11. Active mineral additives of sapropel ashes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Khomich, V. A.; Danilina, E. V.; Krivonos, O. I.; Plaksin, G. V.

    2015-01-01

    The goal of the presented research is to establish a scientific rational for the possibility of sapropel ashes usage as an active mineral additive. The research included the study of producing active mineral additives from sapropels by their thermal treatment at 850900 °C and afterpowdering, the investigation of the properties of paste matrix with an ash additive, and the study of the ash influence on the cement bonding agent. Thermogravimetric analysis and X-ray investigations allowed us to establish that while burning, organic substances are removed, clay minerals are dehydrated and their structure is broken. Sapropel ashes chemical composition was determined. An amorphous ash constituent is mainly formed from silica of the mineral sapropel part and alumosilicagels resulted from clay minerals decomposition. Properties of PC 400 and PC 500A0 sparopel ash additives were studied. Adding ashes containing Glenium plasticizer to the cement increases paste matrix strength and considerably reduces its water absorption. X-ray phase analysis data shows changes in the phase composition of the paste matrix with an ash additive. Ash additives produce a pozzolanic effect on the cement bonding agent. Besides, an ash additive due to the alumosilicagels content causes transformation from unstable calcium aluminate forms to the stable ones.

  12. An Investigation into the Effects of Additives on Crystal Characteristics and Impact Sensitivity of RDX

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Dong-Xu; Chen, Shu-Sen; Li, Yan-Yue; Yang, Jia-Yun; Wei, Tian-Yu; Jin, Shao-Hua

    2014-07-01

    Additives are one of the most important factors that greatly affect the crystal characteristics of the high energy compound hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-s-triazine (RDX, C3H6N6O6) and they have an influence on impact sensitivity. In this article, a growth morphology method was applied to obtain the crystal habit of RDX in a vacuum as well as the morphologically important faces, and molecular dynamics simulations were applied to calculate the interaction energy between these crystal faces and additive molecules for prediction of the additive-effect crystal habits of RDX. On this basis, crystal characteristics including crystal morphology, aspect ratio, and total surface charge were investigated. Then the particle size and surface electrostatic voltage of the samples from recrystallization were analyzed experimentally. The impact sensitivity test indicated that acrylamide, which could enhance the regularity and degree of sphericity of RDX crystals and effectively reduce the surface static electricity of RDX, was successful in reducing the impact sensitivity of RDX as an additive for crystallization. The above experimental results were in good agreement with the conclusions based on the theoretical calculations.

  13. Behaviors of Polymer Additives Under EHL and Influences of Interactions Between Additives on Friction Modification

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sakurai, T.

    1984-01-01

    Polymer additives have become requisite for the formulation of multigrade engine oils. The behavior of polymethacrylate (PMA)-thickened oils as lubricants in concentrated contacts under nominal rolling and pure sliding conditions was investigated by conventional optical interferometry. The PMA thickened oils behaved differently from the base oil in the formation of elastohydrodynamic (EHL) films. The higher the elastohydrodynamic molecular weight of the PMA contained in the lubricant, the thinner was the oil film under EHL conditions. The film thickness of shear-degraded PMA-thickened oils was also investigated. The behavior of graphite particles dispersed in both the base oil and the PMA-thickened oil was studied under pure sliding by taking photomicrographs. Many kinds of additives are contained in lubricating oil and the interactions between additives are considered. The interactions of zinc-organodithiophosphates (ZDP) with other additives is discussed.

  14. Follow-up field investigation of the effectiveness of antistripping additives in Virginia.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1997-01-01

    A previous field study of 12 pavements revealed considerable stripping in the surface layers of mixtures placed in 1991-92. Most of the mixes containing chemical additives showed visual stripping, but the ones containing hydrated lime did not show si...

  15. From Addition to Multiplication ... and Back: The Development of Students' Additive and Multiplicative Reasoning Skills

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Van Dooren, Wim; De Bock, Dirk; Verschaffel, Lieven

    2010-01-01

    This study builds on two lines of research that have so far developed largely separately: the use of additive methods to solve proportional word problems and the use of proportional methods to solve additive word problems. We investigated the development with age of both kinds of erroneous solution methods. We gave a test containing missing-value…

  16. Experimental Investigations on the effect of Additive on the Tensile Properties of Fiber Glass Fabric Lamina

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nava Sai Divya, A.; Raghu Kumar, B., Dr; Lakshmi Narayana, G., Dr

    2017-09-01

    The main objective of this work is to investigate the effect of additives on tensile behaviour of fiber glass fabric at lamina level to explore an alternative skin material for the outer body of aerospace applications and machines. This experimental work investigates the effect of silica concentration in epoxy resin lapox L-12 on the tensile properties of glass fabric lamina of 4H-satin weave having 3.6 mm thickness. The lamina was prepared by using hand lay-up method and tests were conducted on it. Various tensile properties values obtained from experimentation were compared for four glass fiber lamina composites fabricated by adding the silica powder to resin bath. The effect of variations in silica concentration (0% SiO2, 5% SiO2, 10% SiO2 and 15% SiO2) on the tensile properties of prepared material revealed that maximum stiffness was obtained at 15% and yield strength at 10% SiO2 concentration in glass fiber lamina. Increasing the silica concentration beyond 10% had led to deterioration in the material properties. The experimentation that was carried out on test specimen was reasonably successful as the effect of silica powder as an additive in glass fiber lamina enhanced the mechanical properties up to certain limit. The underpinning microscopic behaviour at the source of these observations will be investigated in a follow up work.

  17. Parasexuality in genitourinary investigations: a qualitative study

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    the participants suppressed their sexuality. Viewing staff as professional was an additional strategy used by participants to limit any sexuality as parasexuality. Conclusion This study has contributed towards the appeal for more studies to examine privacy perceptions of patients in genitalia-related care, however, it is by no means definitive. Parasexuality goes some way to explain the dynamics of communication between older men and health care professionals during genitourinary investigations. PMID:24606673

  18. Influence of Ar addition on ozone generation in a non-thermal plasma—a numerical investigation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Hsin Liang; Lee, How Ming; Chen, Shiaw Huei; Wei, Ta Chin; Been Chang, Moo

    2010-10-01

    A numerical model based on a dielectric barrier discharge is developed in this study to investigate the influence of Ar addition on ozone generation. The simulation results show good agreement with the experimental data, confirming the validity of the numerical model. The mechanisms regarding how the Ar addition affects ozone generation are investigated with the assistance of a numerical simulation by probing into the following two questions, (1) why the ozone concentration just slightly decreases in the low specific input energy (SIE, the ratio of discharge power to gas flow rate) region even if the inlet O2 concentration is substantially decreased and (2) why the variation of the increased rate of ozone concentration with SIE (i.e. the variation in the slope of ozone concentration versus SIE) is more significant for an O2/Ar mixture plasma. As SIE is relatively low, ozone decomposition through electron-impact and radical attack reactions is less significant because of low ozone concentration and gas temperature. Therefore, the ozone concentration depends mainly on the amount of oxygen atoms generated. The simulation results indicate that the amount of oxygen atoms generated per electronvolt for Ar concentrations of 0%, 10%, 30%, 50% and 80% are 0.178, 0.174, 0.169, 0.165 and 0.166, respectively, explaining why the ozone concentration does not decrease linearly with the inlet O2 concentration in the low SIE region. On the other hand, the simulation results show that increasing Ar concentration would lead to a lower reduced field and a higher gas temperature. The former would lead to an increase in the rate constant of e + O3 → e + O + O2 while the latter would result in a decrease in the rate constant of O + O2 + M → O3 + M and an increase in that of O3 + O → 2O2. The changes in the rate constants of these reactions would have a negative effect on ozone generation, which is the rationale for the second question.

  19. Theoretical investigation of the effect of hydrogen addition on the formation and properties of soliton in direct current argon plasma

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

    Saikia, P., E-mail: partha.008@gmail.com; Goswami, K. S.; Saikia, B. K.

    2014-03-15

    In this study the effect of hydrogen addition on the formation and properties of soliton in direct-current (DC) argon plasma is theoretically investigated. By coupling fluid equations with Poisons equation for such multi-component plasma, the Mach number and amplitude of the soliton are determined following pseudo potential method. Addition of hydrogen in argon discharge leads to the decrease of electron, Ar{sup +} ion density while a reverse trend was observed for ArH{sup +} and hydrogen like ions. It was found that presence of hydrogen like ions in argon plasma affects the formation of soliton with its amplitude significantly decreases asmore » concentration of hydrogen increases. On the other hand, increase in ion to electron temperature ratios of the lighter ions in the discharge also has a significant influence on the amplitude and formation of soliton. The inverse relation between solitons width and amplitude is found to be consistent for the entire range of study.« less

  20. An Experimental Investigation of the Influence of the Lubricant Viscosity and Additives on Gear Wear

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Krantz, Timothy L.; Kahraman, Ahmet

    2005-01-01

    The influence of lubricant viscosity and additives on the average wear rate of spur gear pairs was investigated experimentally. The gear specimens of a comprehensive gear durability test program that made use of seven lubricants covering a range of viscosities were examined to measure gear tooth wear. The measured wear was related to the as-manufactured surface roughness, the elastohydrodynamic film thickness, and the experimentally determined contact fatigue lives of the same specimens. In general, the wear rate was found to be inversely proportional to the viscosity of the lubricant and to the lambda ratio (also sometimes called the specific film thickness). The data also show an exponential trend between the average wear rates and the surface fatigue lives. Lubricants with similar viscosities but differing additives and compositions had somewhat differing gear surface fatigue lives and wear rates.

  1. Influence of polymer additive on flow past a hydrofoil: A numerical study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xiong, Yongliang; Peng, Sai; Yang, Dan; Duan, Juan; Wang, Limin

    2018-01-01

    Flows of dilute polymer solutions past a hydrofoil (NACA0012) are examined by direct numerical simulation to investigate the modification of the wake pattern due to the addition of polymer. The influence of polymer additive is modeled by the FENE-P model in order to simulate a non-linear modulus of elasticity and a finite extendibility of the polymer macromolecules. Simulations were carried out at a Reynolds number of 1000 with the angle of attack varying from 0° to 20°. The results show that the influence of polymer on the flow behavior of the flow past a hydrofoil exhibits different flow regimes. In general, the addition of polymer modifies the wake patterns for all angles of attack in this study. Consequently, both drag and lift forces are changed as the Weissenberg number increases while the drag of the hydrofoil is enhanced at small angles of attack and reduced at large angles of attack. As the Weissenberg number increases, two attached recirculation bubbles or two columns of shedding vortices downstream tend to be symmetric, and the polymer tends to make the flow less sensitive to the variation of the angle of attack.

  2. Investigation of gamma ray shielding efficiency and mechanical performances of concrete shields containing bismuth oxide as an environmentally friendly additive

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yao, Ya; Zhang, Xiaowen; Li, Mi; Yang, Rong; Jiang, Tianjiao; Lv, Junwen

    2016-10-01

    Concrete has a proven ability to attenuate gamma rays and neutrons without compromising structural property; therefore, it is widely used as the primary shielding material in many nuclear facilities. Recently, there is a tendency toward using various additives to enhance the shielding properties of these concrete mixtures. However, most of these additives being used either pose hygiene hazards or require special handling processes. It would be ideal if environmentally friendly additives were available for use. The bismuth oxide (Bi2O3) additive shows promise in various shielding applications due to its proven radiation attenuation ability and environmentally friendly nature. To the best of our knowledge, however, Bi2O3 has never been used in concrete mixtures. Therefore, for this research, we fabricated the Bi2O3-based concrete mixtures by adding Bi2O3 powder in the ordinary concrete mixture. Concrete mixtures with lead oxide (PbO) additives were used for comparison. Radiation shielding parameters like the linear attenuation coefficients (LAC) of all these concrete mixtures showing the effects of the Bi2O3 additions are presented. The mechanical performances of concrete mixtures incorporated with Bi2O3 additive were also investigated. It suggested that the concrete mixture containing 25% Bi2O3 powder (B5 in this study) provided the best shielding capacity and mechanical performance among other mixes. It has a significant potential for application as a structural concrete where radiological protection capability is required.

  3. Investigation of microstructure in additive manufactured Inconel 625 by spatially resolved neutron transmission spectroscopy

    DOE PAGES

    Tremsin, Anton S.; Gao, Yan; Dial, Laura C.; ...

    2016-07-08

    Non-destructive testing techniques based on neutron imaging and diffraction can provide information on the internal structure of relatively thick metal samples (up to several cm), which are opaque to other conventional non-destructive methods. Spatially resolved neutron transmission spectroscopy is an extension of traditional neutron radiography, where multiple images are acquired simultaneously, each corresponding to a narrow range of energy. The analysis of transmission spectra enables studies of bulk microstructures at the spatial resolution comparable to the detector pixel. In this study we demonstrate the possibility of imaging (with ~100 μm resolution) distribution of some microstructure properties, such as residual strain,more » texture, voids and impurities in Inconel 625 samples manufactured with an additive manufacturing method called direct metal laser melting (DMLM). Although this imaging technique can be implemented only in a few large-scale facilities, it can be a valuable tool for optimization of additive manufacturing techniques and materials and for correlating bulk microstructure properties to manufacturing process parameters. Additionally, the experimental strain distribution can help validate finite element models which many industries use to predict the residual stress distributions in additive manufactured components.« less

  4. Investigation of microstructure in additive manufactured Inconel 625 by spatially resolved neutron transmission spectroscopy.

    PubMed

    Tremsin, Anton S; Gao, Yan; Dial, Laura C; Grazzi, Francesco; Shinohara, Takenao

    2016-01-01

    Non-destructive testing techniques based on neutron imaging and diffraction can provide information on the internal structure of relatively thick metal samples (up to several cm), which are opaque to other conventional non-destructive methods. Spatially resolved neutron transmission spectroscopy is an extension of traditional neutron radiography, where multiple images are acquired simultaneously, each corresponding to a narrow range of energy. The analysis of transmission spectra enables studies of bulk microstructures at the spatial resolution comparable to the detector pixel. In this study we demonstrate the possibility of imaging (with ~100 μm resolution) distribution of some microstructure properties, such as residual strain, texture, voids and impurities in Inconel 625 samples manufactured with an additive manufacturing method called direct metal laser melting (DMLM). Although this imaging technique can be implemented only in a few large-scale facilities, it can be a valuable tool for optimization of additive manufacturing techniques and materials and for correlating bulk microstructure properties to manufacturing process parameters. In addition, the experimental strain distribution can help validate finite element models which many industries use to predict the residual stress distributions in additive manufactured components.

  5. Investigation of microstructure in additive manufactured Inconel 625 by spatially resolved neutron transmission spectroscopy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tremsin, Anton S.; Gao, Yan; Dial, Laura C.; Grazzi, Francesco; Shinohara, Takenao

    2016-01-01

    Non-destructive testing techniques based on neutron imaging and diffraction can provide information on the internal structure of relatively thick metal samples (up to several cm), which are opaque to other conventional non-destructive methods. Spatially resolved neutron transmission spectroscopy is an extension of traditional neutron radiography, where multiple images are acquired simultaneously, each corresponding to a narrow range of energy. The analysis of transmission spectra enables studies of bulk microstructures at the spatial resolution comparable to the detector pixel. In this study we demonstrate the possibility of imaging (with 100 μm resolution) distribution of some microstructure properties, such as residual strain, texture, voids and impurities in Inconel 625 samples manufactured with an additive manufacturing method called direct metal laser melting (DMLM). Although this imaging technique can be implemented only in a few large-scale facilities, it can be a valuable tool for optimization of additive manufacturing techniques and materials and for correlating bulk microstructure properties to manufacturing process parameters. In addition, the experimental strain distribution can help validate finite element models which many industries use to predict the residual stress distributions in additive manufactured components.

  6. Investigation of microstructure in additive manufactured Inconel 625 by spatially resolved neutron transmission spectroscopy

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

    Tremsin, Anton S.; Gao, Yan; Dial, Laura C.

    Non-destructive testing techniques based on neutron imaging and diffraction can provide information on the internal structure of relatively thick metal samples (up to several cm), which are opaque to other conventional non-destructive methods. Spatially resolved neutron transmission spectroscopy is an extension of traditional neutron radiography, where multiple images are acquired simultaneously, each corresponding to a narrow range of energy. The analysis of transmission spectra enables studies of bulk microstructures at the spatial resolution comparable to the detector pixel. In this study we demonstrate the possibility of imaging (with ~100 μm resolution) distribution of some microstructure properties, such as residual strain,more » texture, voids and impurities in Inconel 625 samples manufactured with an additive manufacturing method called direct metal laser melting (DMLM). Although this imaging technique can be implemented only in a few large-scale facilities, it can be a valuable tool for optimization of additive manufacturing techniques and materials and for correlating bulk microstructure properties to manufacturing process parameters. Additionally, the experimental strain distribution can help validate finite element models which many industries use to predict the residual stress distributions in additive manufactured components.« less

  7. Investigation of microstructure in additive manufactured Inconel 625 by spatially resolved neutron transmission spectroscopy

    PubMed Central

    Tremsin, Anton S.; Gao, Yan; Dial, Laura C.; Grazzi, Francesco; Shinohara, Takenao

    2016-01-01

    Abstract Non-destructive testing techniques based on neutron imaging and diffraction can provide information on the internal structure of relatively thick metal samples (up to several cm), which are opaque to other conventional non-destructive methods. Spatially resolved neutron transmission spectroscopy is an extension of traditional neutron radiography, where multiple images are acquired simultaneously, each corresponding to a narrow range of energy. The analysis of transmission spectra enables studies of bulk microstructures at the spatial resolution comparable to the detector pixel. In this study we demonstrate the possibility of imaging (with ~100 μm resolution) distribution of some microstructure properties, such as residual strain, texture, voids and impurities in Inconel 625 samples manufactured with an additive manufacturing method called direct metal laser melting (DMLM). Although this imaging technique can be implemented only in a few large-scale facilities, it can be a valuable tool for optimization of additive manufacturing techniques and materials and for correlating bulk microstructure properties to manufacturing process parameters. In addition, the experimental strain distribution can help validate finite element models which many industries use to predict the residual stress distributions in additive manufactured components. PMID:27877885

  8. Culture and neuroscience: additive or synergistic?

    PubMed Central

    Dapretto, Mirella; Iacoboni, Marco

    2010-01-01

    The investigation of cultural phenomena using neuroscientific methods—cultural neuroscience (CN)—is receiving increasing attention. Yet it is unclear whether the integration of cultural study and neuroscience is merely additive, providing additional evidence of neural plasticity in the human brain, or truly synergistic, yielding discoveries that neither discipline could have achieved alone. We discuss how the parent fields to CN: cross-cultural psychology, psychological anthropology and cognitive neuroscience inform the investigation of the role of cultural experience in shaping the brain. Drawing on well-established methodologies from cross-cultural psychology and cognitive neuroscience, we outline a set of guidelines for CN, evaluate 17 CN studies in terms of these guidelines, and provide a summary table of our results. We conclude that the combination of culture and neuroscience is both additive and synergistic; while some CN methodologies and findings will represent the direct union of information from parent fields, CN studies employing the methodological rigor required by this logistically challenging new field have the potential to transform existing methodologies and produce unique findings. PMID:20083533

  9. Influence of Polarization on Carbohydrate Hydration: A Comparative Study Using Additive and Polarizable Force Fields.

    PubMed

    Pandey, Poonam; Mallajosyula, Sairam S

    2016-07-14

    Carbohydrates are known to closely modulate their surrounding solvent structures and influence solvation dynamics. Spectroscopic investigations studying far-IR regions (below 1000 cm(-1)) have observed spectral shifts in the libration band (around 600 cm(-1)) of water in the presence of monosaccharides and polysaccharides. In this paper, we use molecular dynamics simulations to gain atomistic insight into carbohydrate-water interactions and to specifically highlight the differences between additive (nonpolarizable) and polarizable simulations. A total of six monosaccharide systems, α and β anomers of glucose, galactose, and mannose, were studied using additive and polarizable Chemistry at HARvard Macromolecular Mechanics (CHARMM) carbohydrate force fields. Solvents were modeled using three additive water models TIP3P, TIP4P, and TIP5P in additive simulations and polarizable water model SWM4 in polarizable simulations. The presence of carbohydrate has a significant effect on the microscopic water structure, with the effects being pronounced for proximal water molecules. Notably, disruption of the tetrahedral arrangement of proximal water molecules was observed due to the formation of strong carbohydrate-water hydrogen bonds in both additive and polarizable simulations. However, the inclusion of polarization resulted in significant water-bridge occupancies, improved ordered water structures (tetrahedral order parameter), and longer carbohydrate-water H-bond correlations as compared to those for additive simulations. Additionally, polarizable simulations also allowed the calculation of power spectra from the dipole-dipole autocorrelation function, which corresponds to the IR spectra. From the power spectra, we could identify spectral signatures differentiating the proximal and bulk water structures, which could not be captured from additive simulations.

  10. Additive-manufactured sandwich lattice structures: A numerical and experimental investigation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fergani, Omar; Tronvoll, Sigmund; Brøtan, Vegard; Welo, Torgeir; Sørby, Knut

    2017-10-01

    The utilization of additive-manufactured lattice structures in engineered products is becoming more and more common as the competitiveness of AM as a production technology has increased during the past several years. Lattice structures may enable important weight reductions as well as open opportunities to build products with customized functional properties, thanks to the flexibility of AM for producing complex geometrical configurations. One of the most critical aspects related to taking AM into new application areas—such as safety critical products—is currently the limited understanding of the mechanical behavior of sandwich-based lattice structure mechanical under static and dynamic loading. In this study, we evaluate manufacturability of lattice structures and the impact of AM processing parameters on the structural behavior of this type of sandwich structures. For this purpose, we conducted static compression testing for a variety of geometry and manufacturing parameters. Further, the study discusses a numerical model capable of predicting the behavior of different lattice structure. A reasonably good correlation between the experimental and numerical results was observed.

  11. Electrochemical and Morphological Investigations of Ga Addition to Pt Electrocatalyst Supported on Carbon

    PubMed Central

    Paganoto, Giordano T.; Santos, Deise M.; Guimarães, Marco C. C.; Carneiro, Maria Tereza W. D.

    2017-01-01

    This paper is consisted in the synthesis of platinum-based electrocatalysts supported on carbon (Vulcan XC-72) and investigation of the addition of gallium in their physicochemical and electrochemical properties toward ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR). PtGa/C electrocatalysts were prepared through thermal decomposition of polymeric precursor method at a temperature of 350°C. Six different compositions were homemade: Pt50Ga50/C, Pt60Ga40/C, Pt70Ga30/C, Pt80Ga20/C, Pt90Ga10/C, and Pt100/C. These electrocatalysts were electrochemically characterized by cyclic voltammetry (CV), chronoamperometry (CA), chronopotentiometry (CP), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) in the presence and absence of ethanol 1.0 mol L−1. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were also carried out for a physicochemical characterization of those materials. XRD results showed the main peaks of face-centered cubic Pt. The particle sizes obtained from XRD and TEM analysis range from 7.2 nm to 12.9 nm. The CV results indicate behavior typical of Pt-based electrocatalysts in acid medium. The CV, EIS, and CA data reveal that the addition of up to 31% of gallium to the Pt highly improves catalytic activity on EOR response when compared to Pt100/C. PMID:28466065

  12. Investigating Self-Regulated Study Strategies among Postsecondary Students with and without Dyslexia: A Diary Method Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Andreassen, Rune; Jensen, Magne S.; Bråten, Ivar

    2017-01-01

    We investigated the use of self-regulated study strategies among undergraduates with dyslexia by means of extensive web-based diary data, comparing their strategy use to that of matched students without dyslexia who completed the diary in the same period. Additionally, we examined the perceived benefits of using the recorded strategies in both…

  13. Investigation of Boron addition and compaction pressure on the compactibility, densification and microhardness of 316L Stainless Steel

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ali, S.; Rani, A. M. A.; Altaf, K.; Baig, Z.

    2018-04-01

    Powder Metallurgy (P/M) is one of the continually evolving technologies used for producing metal materials of various sizes and shapes. However, some P/M materials have limited use in engineering for their performance deficiency including fully dense components. AISI 316L Stainless Steel (SS) is one of the promising materials used in P/M that combines outstanding corrosion resistance, strength and ductility for numerous applications. It is important to analyze the material composition along with the processing conditions that lead to a superior behaviour of the parts manufactured with P/M technique. This research investigates the effect of Boron addition on the compactibility, densification, sintering characteristics and microhardness of 316L SS parts produced with P/M. In this study, 0.25% Boron was added to the 316L Stainless Steel matrix to study the increase in densification of the 316L SS samples. The samples were made at different compaction pressures ranging from 100 MPa to 600 MPa and sintered in Nitrogen atmosphere at a temperature of 1200°C. The effect of compaction pressure and sintering temperature and atmosphere on the density and microhardness was evaluated. The microstructure of the samples was examined by optical microscope and microhardness was found using Vickers hardness machine. Results of the study showed that sintered samples with Boron addition exhibited high densification with increase in microhardness as compared to pure 316L SS sintered samples.

  14. Investigation of lithium ion battery electrolytes containing flame retardants in combination with the film forming electrolyte additives vinylene carbonate, vinyl ethylene carbonate and fluoroethylene carbonate

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dagger, Tim; Grützke, Martin; Reichert, Matthias; Haetge, Jan; Nowak, Sascha; Winter, Martin; Schappacher, Falko M.

    2017-12-01

    In order to address the trade-off between the safety lithium ion battery (LIB) electrolytes and their electrochemical performance, synergetic effects of flame retardant additives (FRs) in combination with film forming additives (FFAs) are investigated. Triphenyl phosphate (TPP) and a silicon-containing additive (WA) are applied as FRs to improve the onset temperature of the thermal runaway of a LIB standard electrolyte (LP57: 1 M LiPF6 in EC:EMC 3:7) about 15 K and 28 K, respectively. The application of the FRs in MCMB graphite/lithium metal and NMC111/lithium metal three-electrode cells induces insufficiencies in terms of charge/discharge cycling stability and rate capability. It is investigated if the addition of FFAs can degrade the insufficiencies that are induced by the FRs. Vinylene carbonate, vinyl ethylene carbonate and fluoroethylene carbonate are added to a mixture of LP57 with 10% FR to enhance the cycling performance via improved interphase formation. Results reveal, that the rate capability of cells containing TPP or WA is especially improved by addition of 2% or 5% FEC, respectively. Postmortem analyses of the electrodes by SEM and of the electrolyte by GC-MS are performed. Direct correlations between the cycling behavior during the C-rate study and the electrolyte decomposition products are drawn.

  15. A Dosing Study of Bevacizumab for Retinopathy of Prematurity: Late Recurrences and Additional Treatments.

    PubMed

    Wallace, David K; Dean, Trevano W; Hartnett, Mary Elizabeth; Kong, Lingkun; Smith, Lois E; Hubbard, G Baker; McGregor, Mary Lou; Jordan, Catherine O; Mantagos, Iason S; Bell, Edward F; Kraker, Raymond T

    2018-06-07

    Intravitreal bevacizumab is increasingly used to treat severe retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), but it enters the bloodstream, and there is concern that it may alter development of other organs. Previously we reported short-term outcomes of 61 infants enrolled in a dose de-escalation study, and we report the late recurrences and additional treatments. Masked, multicenter, dose de-escalation study. A total of 61 premature infants with type 1 ROP. If type 1 ROP was bilateral at enrollment, then the study eye was randomly selected. In the study eye, bevacizumab intravitreal injections were given at de-escalating doses of 0.25 mg, 0.125 mg, 0.063 mg, or 0.031 mg; if needed, fellow eyes received 1 dose level higher: 0.625 mg, 0.25 mg, 0.125 mg, or 0.063 mg, respectively. After 4 weeks, additional treatment was at the discretion of the investigator. Early and late ROP recurrences, additional treatments, and structural outcomes after 6 months. Of 61 study eyes, 25 (41%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 29%-54%) received additional treatment: 3 (5%; 95% CI, 1%-14%) for early failure (within 4 weeks), 11 (18%; 95% CI, 9%-30%) for late recurrence of ROP (after 4 weeks), and 11 (18%; 95% CI, 9%-30%) for persistent avascular retina. Re-treatment for early failure or late recurrence occurred in 2 of 11 eyes (18%; 95% CI, 2%-52%) treated with 0.25 mg, 4 of 16 eyes (25%; 95% CI, 7%-52%) treated with 0.125 mg, 8 of 24 eyes (33%; 95% CI, 16%-55%) treated with 0.063 mg, and 0 (0%; 95% CI, 0%-31%) of 10 eyes treated with 0.031 mg. By 6 months corrected age, 56 of 61 study eyes had regression of ROP with normal posterior poles, 1 study eye had developed a Stage 5 retinal detachment, and 4 infants had died of preexisting medical conditions. Retinal structural outcomes are very good after low-dose bevacizumab treatment for ROP, although many eyes received additional treatment. Copyright © 2018 American Academy of Ophthalmology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Solar Sintering for Additive Manufacturing on the Moon

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fateri, M.; Meurisse, A.; Sperl, M.

    2017-09-01

    This study investigates solar sintering of lunar regolith for Additive Manufacturing (AM) purposes on the Moon. In this study, multiple interlocking elements are fabricated for future Lunar habitat developments.

  17. Anatomically ordered tapping interferes more with one-digit addition than two-digit addition: a dual-task fMRI study.

    PubMed

    Soylu, Firat; Newman, Sharlene D

    2016-02-01

    Fingers are used as canonical representations for numbers across cultures. In previous imaging studies, it was shown that arithmetic processing activates neural resources that are known to participate in finger movements. Additionally, in one dual-task study, it was shown that anatomically ordered finger tapping disrupts addition and subtraction more than multiplication, possibly due to a long-lasting effect of early finger counting experiences on the neural correlates and organization of addition and subtraction processes. How arithmetic task difficulty and tapping complexity affect the concurrent performance is still unclear. If early finger counting experiences have bearing on the neural correlates of arithmetic in adults, then one would expect anatomically and non-anatomically ordered tapping to have different interference effects, given that finger counting is usually anatomically ordered. To unravel these issues, we studied how (1) arithmetic task difficulty and (2) the complexity of the finger tapping sequence (anatomical vs. non-anatomical ordering) affect concurrent performance and use of key neural circuits using a mixed block/event-related dual-task fMRI design with adult participants. The results suggest that complexity of the tapping sequence modulates interference on addition, and that one-digit addition (fact retrieval), compared to two-digit addition (calculation), is more affected from anatomically ordered tapping. The region-of-interest analysis showed higher left angular gyrus BOLD response for one-digit compared to two-digit addition, and in no-tapping conditions than dual tapping conditions. The results support a specific association between addition fact retrieval and anatomically ordered finger movements in adults, possibly due to finger counting strategies that deploy anatomically ordered finger movements early in the development.

  18. Investigative study of holographic recording materials development

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1972-01-01

    The potential of certain cis-trans isomers and doped LiNbO3 for the holographic read/write/erase memory application was investigated. The cis-trans work involved the photochemical investigation of a number of potential materials as well as specific molecular engineering efforts on alpha-methyl stilbene and its derivatives. These efforts resulted in an increase in the change in index of refraction, and thereby, in potential recording utility, of an order of magnitude. The work on LiNbO3 was directed toward a preliminary investigation of the dynamics of the writing process. Several samples and a variety of writing conditions were investigated. An unexpected and as yet unexplained improvement in material behavior with continued recycling was observed. In addition, some effort was devoted to an analysis of the physical conditions under which several current theories of the optical damage process are valid.

  19. Structure Property Studies for Additively Manufactured Parts

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

    Milenski, Helen M; Schmalzer, Andrew Michael; Kelly, Daniel

    2015-08-17

    Since the invention of modern Additive Manufacturing (AM) processes engineers and designers have worked hard to capitalize on the unique building capabilities that AM allows. By being able to customize the interior fill of parts it is now possible to design components with a controlled density and customized internal structure. The creation of new polymers and polymer composites allow for even greater control over the mechanical properties of AM parts. One of the key reasons to explore AM, is to bring about a new paradigm in part design, where materials can be strategically optimized in a way that conventional subtractivemore » methods cannot achieve. The two processes investigated in my research were the Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) process and the Direct Ink Write (DIW) process. The objectives of the research were to determine the impact of in-fill density and morphology on the mechanical properties of FDM parts, and to determine if DIW printed samples could be produced where the filament diameter was varied while the overall density remained constant.« less

  20. Does the addition of visceral manipulation improve outcomes for patients with low back pain? Rationale and study protocol.

    PubMed

    Panagopoulos, John; Hancock, Mark; Ferreira, Paulo

    2013-07-01

    There has been no randomised controlled trial conducted to investigate the effectiveness of visceral manipulation (VM) for the treatment of low back pain (LBP). The primary aim of this study would be to investigate whether the addition of VM, to a standard physiotherapy treatment regimen, improves pain 6 weeks post treatment commencement in people with LBP. Secondary aims would be to examine the effect of VM on disability and functional outcomes at 2, 6 and 52 weeks post-treatment commencement and pain at 2 and 52 weeks. This paper describes the rationale and design of a randomised controlled trial investigating the addition of VM to a standard physiotherapy treatment algorithm which includes manual therapy, specific exercise and functional exercise prescription. Analysis of data would be carried out by a statistician blinded to group allocation and by intention-to-treat. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. ACADEMY OF SCIENCES AZERBAYDZHAN. INSTITUTE OF ADDITIVE CHEMISTRY. ADDITIVES AND LUBRICANTS, QUESTIONS OF SYNTHESIS, RESEARCH ON THE APPLICATION OF ADDITIVES AND LUBRICANTS, FUELS, AND POLYMER MATERIALS (SELECTED ARTICLES),

    DTIC Science & Technology

    an alkylphenol ); Synthesis and investigation of the new antioxidative INKhP-40 Additive; Synthesis and investigation of N-butylurethane-based antioxidative additive; and Synthesis of mixed esters of dithiophosphoric acid.

  2. Study on the reutilization of clear fracturing flowback fluids in surfactant flooding with additives for Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR).

    PubMed

    Dai, Caili; Wang, Kai; Liu, Yifei; Fang, Jichao; Zhao, Mingwei

    2014-01-01

    An investigation was conducted to study the reutilization of clear fracturing flowback fluids composed of viscoelastic surfactants (VES) with additives in surfactant flooding, making the process more efficient and cost-effective. The clear fracturing flowback fluids were used as surfactant flooding system with the addition of α-olefin sulfonate (AOS) for enhanced oil recovery (EOR). The interfacial activity, emulsification activity and oil recovery capability of the recycling system were studied. The interfacial tension (IFT) between recycling system and oil can be reduced by 2 orders of magnitude to 10(-3) mN/m, which satisfies the basic demand of surfactant flooding. The oil can be emulsified and dispersed more easily due to the synergetic effect of VES and AOS. The oil-wet surface of quartz can be easily converted to water-wet through adsorption of surfactants (VES/AOS) on the surface. Thirteen core plug flooding tests were conducted to investigate the effects of AOS concentrations, slug sizes and slug types of the recycling system on the incremental oil recovery. The investigations prove that reclaiming clear fracturing flowback fluids after fracturing operation and reuse it in surfactant flooding might have less impact on environment and be more economical.

  3. Effect of additives on the purification of urease

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yu, X.; Wang, J.; Ulrich, J.

    2015-12-01

    The effect of additives on the purification of proteins was investigated. The target protein studied here is the enzyme urease. Studies on the purification of urease from jack bean meal were carried out. 32% (v/v) acetone was utilized to extract urease from the jack bean meal. Further purification by crystallization with the addition of 2-mercaptoethanol and EDTA disodium salt dehydrate was carried out. It was found out that the presence of additives can affect the selectivity of the crystallization. Increases in both purity and yield of the urease after crystallization were observed in the presence of additives, which were proven using both SDS-PAGE and activity. Urease crystals with a yield of 69.9% and a purity of 85.1% were obtained in one crystallization step in the presence of additives. Furthermore, the effect of additives on the thermodynamics and kinetics of urease crystallization was studied.

  4. Relearning To Teach Arithmetic Addition and Subtraction: A Teacher's Study Guide.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Russell, Susan Jo

    This package features videotapes and a study guide that are designed to help teachers revisit the operations of addition and subtraction and consider how students can develop meaningful approaches to these operations. The study guides' sessions are on addition, subtraction, the teacher's role, and goals for students and teachers. The readings in…

  5. Additional Cultural Resources Investigations at Selected Portions of the State-Road Coulee - Pammel Creek Flood Control Project at La Crosse, Wisconsin

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1986-05-01

    Mammals: Ten mammal taxa are represented in the Lc176 assemblage. Two of these, the short-tailed shrew (Blarina brevivicauda) and a vole (Microtus sp...ADDITIONAL CULTURAL RESOURCES INVESTIGATIONS AT SELECTED PORTIONS OF THE STATE-ROAD COULEE - PAMMEL CREEK FLOOD CONTROL PROJECT ATm LA CROSSE...INVESTIGATIONS AT SELECTED PORTIONS OF THE STATE-ROAD COULEE- PAMMEL CREEK FLOOD CONTROL PROJECT AT LA CROSSE. WISCONSIN 12. PERSONAL AUTHOR(S

  6. The Development of Students' Use of Additive and Proportional Methods along Primary and Secondary School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fernandez, Ceneida; Llinares, Salvador; Van Dooren, Wim; De Bock, Dirk; Verschaffel, Lieven

    2012-01-01

    This study investigates the development of proportional and additive methods along primary and secondary school. In particular, it simultaneously investigates the use of additive methods in proportional word problems and the use of proportional methods in additive word problems. We have also studied the role played by integer and non-integer…

  7. Enhancing antioxidant activity of sesamol at frying temperature by addition of additives through reducing volatility

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Additives were evaluated to investigate their effects on volatility of sesamol at frying temperature with the hypothesis that the interaction between an additive and sesamol would reduce sesamol volatility. Twenty-two additive:sesamol combinations were examined by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) un...

  8. Value Addition in Information Technology and Literacy: An Empirical Investigation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sanghera, Kamaljeet K.

    2009-01-01

    The purpose of the research is to analyze the value addition in students' information communication and technology (ICT) literacy level and confidence in using technology after completing a general education information technology course at a four-year university. An online survey was created to examine students' perceptions. The findings revealed…

  9. Investigating critical effects of variegated lubricants, glidants and hydrophilic additives on lag time of press coated ethylcellulose tablets.

    PubMed

    Patadia, Riddhish; Vora, Chintan; Mittal, Karan; Mashru, Rajashree

    2016-01-01

    The research envisaged focuses on vital impacts of variegated lubricants, glidants and hydrophilic additives on lag time of press coated ethylcellulose (EC) tablets using prednisone as a model drug. Several lubricants and glidants such as magnesium stearate, colloidal SiO2, sodium stearyl fumarate, talc, stearic acid, polyethylene glycol (6000) and glyceryl behenate were investigated to understand their effects on lag time by changing their concentrations in outer coat. Further, the effects of hydrophilic additives on lag time were examined for hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (E5), hydroxypropylcellulose (EF and SSL), povidone (K30), copovidone, polyethylene glycol (4000), lactose and mannitol. In vitro drug release testing revealed that each selected lubricant/glidant, if present even at concentration of 0.25% w/w, significantly reduced the lag time of press coated tablets. Specifically, colloidal SiO2 and/or magnesium stearate were detrimental while other lubricants/glidants were relatively less injurious. Among hydrophilic additives, freely water soluble fillers had utmost influence in lag time, whereas, comparatively less impact was observed with polymeric binders. Concisely, glidant and lubricant should be chosen to have minimal impact on lag time and further judicious selection of hydrophilic additives should be exercised for modulating lag time of pulsatile release formulations.

  10. Additive Effectiveness Investigations in Alternative Fuels

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-05-01

    cetane value and storage stability for biodiesel . If only those properties were measured, it would have been deemed a success but a broader study...Paraffinic Kerosene ............................................................................. 2 2.1.2 FAME ( Biodiesel ...ASTM International, consensus standard organization ATP Adenosine TriPhosphate B20 Biodiesel , 20% blend with refined diesel (min) BOCLE Ball on

  11. Investigation into the effect of some additives on the mechanical strength, quality and thermal conductivity of clay bricks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zaid, Adnan I. O.; Qandil, A.; Qattous, M. A. A.

    2016-08-01

    It was repeatedly reported that the clay bricks industry in Jordan is facing both weak mechanical strength and poor quality which caused marketing problems where it is expected to serve the increasing demand of housing in the country especially after the political crises in the neighboring countries Iraq and Syria. It is therefore anticipated that improvement of the mechanical strength and quality of the produced clay evaluation of the brick industry in Jordan is worth investigating. In this paper, theoretical and experimental investigation obtained from field visits to the factories producing clay bricks were carried out. Furthermore, the effect of using some additives from locally available materials namely: Battn El-Ghoul Clay, Suweileh sand and Olive extracts on the mechanical strength, thermal conductivity and surface quality of the produced bricks is investigated and discussed. The experimental results indicated that thermal conductivity, color and durability were all enhanced and the ultimate compressive strength was reduced but remained higher than the acceptable value for brickwork.

  12. Preliminary Investigation of Keyhole Phenomena during Single Layer Fabrication in Laser Additive Manufacturing of Stainless Steel

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Matilainen, Ville-Pekka; Piili, Heidi; Salminen, Antti; Nyrhilä, Olli

    Laser additive manufacturing (LAM) is a fabrication technology that enables production of complex parts from metallic materials with mechanical properties comparable to conventionally manufactured parts. In the LAM process, parts are manufactured by melting metallic powder layer-by-layer with a laser beam. This manufacturing technology is nowadays called powder bed fusion (PBF) according to the ASTM F2792-12a standard. This strategy involves several different independent and dependent thermal cycles, all of which have an influence on the final properties of the manufactured part. The quality of PBF parts depends strongly on the characteristics of each single laser-melted track and each single layer. This study consequently concentrates on investigating the effects of process parameters such as laser power on single track and layer formation and laser-material interaction phenomena occurring during the PBF process. Experimental tests were done with two different machines: a modified research machine based on an EOS EOSINT M-series system and an EOS EOSINT M280 system. The material used was EOS stainless steel 17-4 PH. Process monitoring was done with an active illuminated high speed camera system. After microscopy analysis, it was concluded that a keyhole can form during laser additive manufacturing of stainless steel. It was noted that heat input has an important effect on the likelihood of keyhole formation. The threshold intensity value for keyhole formation of 106 W/cm2 was exceeded in all manufactured single tracks. Laser interaction time was found to have an effect on penetration depth and keyhole formation, since the penetration depth increased with increased laser interaction time. It was also concluded that active illuminated high speed camera systems are suitable for monitoring of the manufacturing process and facilitate process control.

  13. Study on the Reutilization of Clear Fracturing Flowback Fluids in Surfactant Flooding with Additives for Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR)

    PubMed Central

    Dai, Caili; Wang, Kai; Liu, Yifei; Fang, Jichao; Zhao, Mingwei

    2014-01-01

    An investigation was conducted to study the reutilization of clear fracturing flowback fluids composed of viscoelastic surfactants (VES) with additives in surfactant flooding, making the process more efficient and cost-effective. The clear fracturing flowback fluids were used as surfactant flooding system with the addition of α-olefin sulfonate (AOS) for enhanced oil recovery (EOR). The interfacial activity, emulsification activity and oil recovery capability of the recycling system were studied. The interfacial tension (IFT) between recycling system and oil can be reduced by 2 orders of magnitude to 10−3 mN/m, which satisfies the basic demand of surfactant flooding. The oil can be emulsified and dispersed more easily due to the synergetic effect of VES and AOS. The oil-wet surface of quartz can be easily converted to water-wet through adsorption of surfactants (VES/AOS) on the surface. Thirteen core plug flooding tests were conducted to investigate the effects of AOS concentrations, slug sizes and slug types of the recycling system on the incremental oil recovery. The investigations prove that reclaiming clear fracturing flowback fluids after fracturing operation and reuse it in surfactant flooding might have less impact on environment and be more economical. PMID:25409507

  14. A case study on topology optimized design for additive manufacturing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gebisa, A. W.; Lemu, H. G.

    2017-12-01

    Topology optimization is an optimization method that employs mathematical tools to optimize material distribution in a part to be designed. Earlier developments of topology optimization considered conventional manufacturing techniques that have limitations in producing complex geometries. This has hindered the topology optimization efforts not to fully be realized. With the emergence of additive manufacturing (AM) technologies, the technology that builds a part layer upon a layer directly from three dimensional (3D) model data of the part, however, producing complex shape geometry is no longer an issue. Realization of topology optimization through AM provides full design freedom for the design engineers. The article focuses on topologically optimized design approach for additive manufacturing with a case study on lightweight design of jet engine bracket. The study result shows that topology optimization is a powerful design technique to reduce the weight of a product while maintaining the design requirements if additive manufacturing is considered.

  15. Effect of Fuel Additives on Spray Performance of Alternative Jet Fuels

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kannaiyan, Kumaran; Sadr, Reza

    2015-11-01

    Role of alternative fuels on reducing the combustion pollutants is gaining momentum in both land and air transport. Recent studies have shown that addition of nanoscale metal particles as fuel additives to liquid fuels have a positive effect not only on their combustion performance but also in reducing the pollutant formation. However, most of those studies are still in the early stages of investigation with the addition of nanoparticles at low weight percentages. Such an addition can affect the hydrodynamic and thermo-physical properties of the fuel. In this study, the near nozzle spray performance of gas-to-liquid jet fuel with and without the addition of alumina nanoparticles are investigated at macro- and microscopic levels using optical diagnostic techniques. At macroscopic level, the addition of nanoparticles is seen to enhance the sheet breakup process when compared to that of the base fuel. Furthermore, the microscopic spray characteristics such as droplet size and velocity are also found to be affected. Although the addition of nanoscale metal particles at low weight percentages does not affect the bulk fluid properties, the atomization process is found to be affected in the near nozzle region. Funded by Qatar National Research Fund.

  16. Investigation of the Effect of Various Oxide and Fluoride Additives on the Microstructure, Electronic Properties, and Phase Shifting Ability of Ba(1-x) Sr(x)TiO3

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1993-09-01

    AD-A271 756 ARMY RESEARCH LABORATORY Investigation of the Effect of Various Oxide and Flouride Additives on the Microstructure, Electronic Properties ...NUMBERS Investigation of the Effect of Various Oxide and Fluoride Additives on the Microstructure, Electronic Properties , and Phase Shifting Ability of...dielectric properties . tunability. hysteresis. and grain size have been investigated. The homogeneity of the doped materials has been verified using

  17. Hydrogen atom addition to the surface of graphene nanoflakes: A density functional theory study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tachikawa, Hiroto

    2017-02-01

    Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) provide a 2-dimensional (2D) reaction surface in 3-dimensional (3D) interstellar space and have been utilized as a model of graphene surfaces. In the present study, the reaction of PAHs with atomic hydrogen was investigated by means of density functional theory (DFT) to systematically elucidate the binding nature of atomic hydrogen to graphene nanoflakes. PAHs with n = 4-37 were chosen, where n indicates the number of benzene rings. Activation energies of hydrogen addition to the graphene surface were calculated to be 5.2-7.0 kcal/mol at the CAM-B3LYP/6-311G(d,p) level, which is almost constant for all PAHs. The binding energies of hydrogen atom were slightly dependent on the size (n): 14.8-28.5 kcal/mol. The absorption spectra showed that a long tail is generated at the low-energy region after hydrogen addition to the graphene surface. The electronic states of hydrogenated graphenes were discussed on the basis of theoretical results.

  18. Estimating Additive and Non-Additive Genetic Variances and Predicting Genetic Merits Using Genome-Wide Dense Single Nucleotide Polymorphism Markers

    PubMed Central

    Su, Guosheng; Christensen, Ole F.; Ostersen, Tage; Henryon, Mark; Lund, Mogens S.

    2012-01-01

    Non-additive genetic variation is usually ignored when genome-wide markers are used to study the genetic architecture and genomic prediction of complex traits in human, wild life, model organisms or farm animals. However, non-additive genetic effects may have an important contribution to total genetic variation of complex traits. This study presented a genomic BLUP model including additive and non-additive genetic effects, in which additive and non-additive genetic relation matrices were constructed from information of genome-wide dense single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers. In addition, this study for the first time proposed a method to construct dominance relationship matrix using SNP markers and demonstrated it in detail. The proposed model was implemented to investigate the amounts of additive genetic, dominance and epistatic variations, and assessed the accuracy and unbiasedness of genomic predictions for daily gain in pigs. In the analysis of daily gain, four linear models were used: 1) a simple additive genetic model (MA), 2) a model including both additive and additive by additive epistatic genetic effects (MAE), 3) a model including both additive and dominance genetic effects (MAD), and 4) a full model including all three genetic components (MAED). Estimates of narrow-sense heritability were 0.397, 0.373, 0.379 and 0.357 for models MA, MAE, MAD and MAED, respectively. Estimated dominance variance and additive by additive epistatic variance accounted for 5.6% and 9.5% of the total phenotypic variance, respectively. Based on model MAED, the estimate of broad-sense heritability was 0.506. Reliabilities of genomic predicted breeding values for the animals without performance records were 28.5%, 28.8%, 29.2% and 29.5% for models MA, MAE, MAD and MAED, respectively. In addition, models including non-additive genetic effects improved unbiasedness of genomic predictions. PMID:23028912

  19. Novel active driven drop tower facility for microgravity experiments investigating production technologies on the example of substrate-free additive manufacturing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lotz, Christoph; Wessarges, Yvonne; Hermsdorf, Jörg; Ertmer, Wolfgang; Overmeyer, Ludger

    2018-04-01

    Through the striving of humanity into space, new production processes and technologies for the use under microgravity will be essential in the future. Production of objects in space demands for new processes, like additive manufacturing. This paper presents the concept and the realization for a new machine to investigate microgravity production processes on earth. The machine is based on linear long stator drives and a vacuum chamber carrying up to 1000 kg. For the first time high repetition rate and associated low experimental costs can provide basic research. The paper also introduces the substrate-free additive manufacturing as a future research topic and one of our primary application.

  20. Investigation of the tribology behaviour of the graphene nanosheets as oil additives on textured alloy cast iron surface

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zheng, Dan; Cai, Zhen-bing; Shen, Ming-xue; Li, Zheng-yang; Zhu, Min-hao

    2016-11-01

    Tribological properties of graphene nanosheets (GNS) as lubricating oil additives on textured surfaces were investigated using a UMT-2 tribotester. The lubricating fluids keeping a constant temperature of 100 °C were applied to a GCr15 steel ball and an RTCr2 alloy cast iron plate with various texture designs (original surface, dimple density of 22.1%, 19.6% and 44.2%). The oil with GNS adding showed good tribological properties (wear reduced 50%), especially on the textured surfaces (the reduction in wear was high at over 90%). A combined effect between GNS additives and laser surface texturing (LST) was revealed, which is not a simple superposition of the two factors mentioned. A mechanism is proposed to explain for these results -the graphene layers sheared at the sliding contact interfaces, and form a protective film, which is closely related with the GNS structures and surface texture patterns.

  1. Effects of various additives on sintering of aluminum nitride

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Komeya, K.; Inoue, H.; Tsuge, A.

    1982-01-01

    Effects of thirty additives on sintering A/N were investigated. The addition of alkali earth oxides and rare earth oxides gave fully densified aluminum nitride. This is due to the formation of nitrogen-containing aluminate liquid in the system aluminum nitride-alkali earth oxides or rare earth oxides. Microstructural studies of the sintered specimens with the above two types of additives suggested that the densification was due to the liquid phase sintering. Additions of silicon compounds resulted in poor densification by the formation of highly refractory compounds such as A/N polytypes.

  2. A laboratory investigation of consumer addition of UHT milk to lessen the erosive potential of fizzy drinks.

    PubMed

    Syed, J; Chadwick, R G

    2009-02-14

    Much recent attention has been given to the erosive potential of carbonated beverages. Some have shown that the risks of developing erosion, if such drinks are consumed once daily and four times daily, are respectively 2.2 and 5.13 times greater than if they are not consumed at all. The addition of ultra-heat treated (UHT) milk to such beverages has been identified by a survey as common practice in Pakistan. It is known that the addition of calcium to orange juice and acidic candies reduces the capacity of these dietary items to produce dental erosion by the law of mass action. While potentially helpful, such a practice at manufacture may affect adversely product stability and flavour, thus compromising market share. As a result an alternative approach is for the consumer to carry out such modification. The addition of milk is one such potential means.Objective To assess the capacity of six brands of carbonated drinks to bring about dental erosion and determine if consumer modification by the addition of milk affected this. In vitro study. For each drink in both manufactured and consumer modified (25 ml of drink with 6.25 ml UHT milk) states, the pH and titratable acidity were measured. These assessments were also made for distilled water dilution of the manufactured drinks in the ratio of 1 part drink to 0.25 parts water. In addition, the effects of a 60 min exposure to the drinks in manufactured and consumer modified states, upon the surface microhardness and profile of human molar buccal tooth substance were determined. The addition of milk significantly increased the mean pH (p <0.001) and decreased the mean titratable acidity (p <0.001). Its addition had significantly more (p <0.001) than a simple dilution effect upon these values. Milk addition significantly lessened (p <0.001) the reductions in surface microhardness of tooth substance when exposed to the drinks except in the case of one beverage. There was, however, no significant effect (p = 0.0732) of its

  3. A study of the additional costs of dispensing workers' compensation prescriptions.

    PubMed

    Schafermeyer, Kenneth W

    2007-03-01

    Although there is a significant amount of additional work involved in dispensing workers' compensation prescriptions, these costs have not been quantified. A study of the additional costs to dispense a workers' compensation prescription is needed to measure actual costs and to help determine the reasonableness of reimbursement for prescriptions dispensed under workers' compensation programs. The purpose of this study was to determine the minimum additional time and costs required to dispense workers' compensation prescriptions in Texas. A convenience sample of 30 store-level pharmacy staff members involved in submitting and processing prescription claims for the Texas Mutual workers' compensation program were interviewed by telephone. Data collected to determine the additional costs of dispensing a workers' compensation prescription included (1) the amount of additional time and personnel costs required to dispense and process an average workers' compensation prescription claim, (2) the difference in time required for a new versus a refilled prescription, (3) overhead costs for processing workers' compensation prescription claims by experienced experts at a central processing facility, (4) carrying costs for workers' compensation accounts receivable, and (5) bad debts due to uncollectible workers' compensation claims. The median of the sample pharmacies' additional costs for dispensing a workers' compensation prescription was estimated to be at least $9.86 greater than for a cash prescription. This study shows that the estimated costs for workers' compensation prescriptions were significantly higher than for cash prescriptions. These costs are probably much more than most employers, workers' compensation payers, and pharmacy managers would expect. It is recommended that pharmacy managers should estimate their own costs and compare these costs to actual reimbursement when considering the reasonableness of workers' compensation prescriptions and whether to accept

  4. Additive and non-additive genetic components of the jack male life history in Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha).

    PubMed

    Forest, Adriana R; Semeniuk, Christina A D; Heath, Daniel D; Pitcher, Trevor E

    2016-08-01

    Chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, exhibit alternative reproductive tactics (ARTs) where males exist in two phenotypes: large "hooknose" males and smaller "jacks" that reach sexual maturity after only 1 year in seawater. The mechanisms that determine "jacking rate"-the rate at which males precociously sexually mature-are known to involve both genetics and differential growth rates, where individuals that become jacks exhibit higher growth earlier in life. The additive genetic components have been studied and it is known that jack sires produce significantly more jack offspring than hooknose sires, and vice versa. The current study was the first to investigate both additive and non-additive genetic components underlying jacking through the use of a full-factorial breeding design using all hooknose sires. The effect of dams and sires descendant from a marker-assisted broodstock program that identified "high performance" and "low performance" lines using growth- and survival-related gene markers was also studied. Finally, the relative growth of jack, hooknose, and female offspring was examined. No significant dam, sire, or interaction effects were observed in this study, and the maternal, additive, and non-additive components underlying jacking were small. Differences in jacking rates in this study were determined by dam performance line, where dams that originated from the low performance line produced significantly more jacks. Jack offspring in this study had a significantly larger body size than both hooknose males and females starting 1 year post-fertilization. This study provides novel information regarding the genetic architecture underlying ARTs in Chinook salmon that could have implications for the aquaculture industry, where jacks are not favoured due to their small body size and poor flesh quality.

  5. An Investigation of the Additive Benefits of Parent Dialogic Reading Techniques in Older Preschool Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Switalski, Sarah O'Neill

    2012-01-01

    This study examined the additive benefit of parent dialogic reading techniques in older, high-risk preschool children using multiple baseline design across participants, a single subject research design, as was as well as pre-test and post-test measures. Five preschoolers age-eligible to begin kindergarten the following school year participated.…

  6. A combined toxicity study of zinc oxide nanoparticles and vitamin C in food additives

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Yanli; Yuan, Lulu; Yao, Chenjie; Ding, Lin; Li, Chenchen; Fang, Jie; Sui, Keke; Liu, Yuanfang; Wu, Minghong

    2014-11-01

    At present, safety evaluation standards for nanofood additives are made based on the toxic effects of a single additive. Since the size, surface properties and chemical nature influence the toxicity of nanomaterials, the toxicity may have dramatically changed when nanomaterials are used as food additives in a complex system. Herein, we investigated the combined toxicity of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) and vitamin C (Vc, ascorbic acid). The results showed that Vc increased the cytotoxicity significantly compared with that of the ZnO only NPs. When the cells were exposed to ZnO NPs at a concentration less than 15 mg L-1, or to Vc at a concentration less than 300 mg L-1, there was no significant cytotoxicity, both in the case of gastric epithelial cell line (GES-1) and neural stem cells (NSCs). However, when 15 mg L-1 of ZnO NPs and 300 mg L-1 of Vc were introduced to cells together, the cell viability decreased sharply indicating significant cytotoxicity. Moreover, the significant increase in toxicity was also shown in the in vivo experiments. The dose of the ZnO NPs and Vc used in the in vivo study was calculated according to the state of food and nutrition enhancer standard. After repeated oral exposure to ZnO NPs plus Vc, the injury of the liver and kidneys in mice has been indicated by the change of these indices. These findings demonstrate that the synergistic toxicity presented in a complex system is essential for the toxicological evaluation and safety assessment of nanofood.At present, safety evaluation standards for nanofood additives are made based on the toxic effects of a single additive. Since the size, surface properties and chemical nature influence the toxicity of nanomaterials, the toxicity may have dramatically changed when nanomaterials are used as food additives in a complex system. Herein, we investigated the combined toxicity of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) and vitamin C (Vc, ascorbic acid). The results showed that Vc increased the

  7. Additional EIPC Study Analysis. Final Report

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

    Hadley, Stanton W; Gotham, Douglas J.; Luciani, Ralph L.

    Between 2010 and 2012 the Eastern Interconnection Planning Collaborative (EIPC) conducted a major long-term resource and transmission study of the Eastern Interconnection (EI). With guidance from a Stakeholder Steering Committee (SSC) that included representatives from the Eastern Interconnection States Planning Council (EISPC) among others, the project was conducted in two phases. Phase 1 involved a long-term capacity expansion analysis that involved creation of eight major futures plus 72 sensitivities. Three scenarios were selected for more extensive transmission- focused evaluation in Phase 2. Five power flow analyses, nine production cost model runs (including six sensitivities), and three capital cost estimations weremore » developed during this second phase. The results from Phase 1 and 2 provided a wealth of data that could be examined further to address energy-related questions. A list of 14 topics was developed for further analysis. This paper brings together the earlier interim reports of the first 13 topics plus one additional topic into a single final report.« less

  8. Using Set Model for Learning Addition of Integers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lestari, Umi Puji; Putri, Ratu Ilma Indra; Hartono, Yusuf

    2015-01-01

    This study aims to investigate how set model can help students' understanding of addition of integers in fourth grade. The study has been carried out to 23 students and a teacher of IVC SD Iba Palembang in January 2015. This study is a design research that also promotes PMRI as the underlying design context and activity. Results showed that the…

  9. A Comparative Study of Listening Comprehension Measures in English as an Additional Language and Native English-Speaking Primary School Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McKendry, Mairead Grainne; Murphy, Victoria A.

    2011-01-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate the suitability of different measures of listening comprehension for Years 2, 3 and 4 children with English as an additional language (EAL). Non-standardised uses of reading comprehension measures are often employed as proxy measures of listening comprehension, i.e. for purposes for which they were not…

  10. SEMIPARAMETRIC ADDITIVE RISKS REGRESSION FOR TWO-STAGE DESIGN SURVIVAL STUDIES

    PubMed Central

    Li, Gang; Wu, Tong Tong

    2011-01-01

    In this article we study a semiparametric additive risks model (McKeague and Sasieni (1994)) for two-stage design survival data where accurate information is available only on second stage subjects, a subset of the first stage study. We derive two-stage estimators by combining data from both stages. Large sample inferences are developed. As a by-product, we also obtain asymptotic properties of the single stage estimators of McKeague and Sasieni (1994) when the semiparametric additive risks model is misspecified. The proposed two-stage estimators are shown to be asymptotically more efficient than the second stage estimators. They also demonstrate smaller bias and variance for finite samples. The developed methods are illustrated using small intestine cancer data from the SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results) Program. PMID:21931467

  11. 14 CFR 27.927 - Additional tests.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Additional tests. 27.927 Section 27.927... STANDARDS: NORMAL CATEGORY ROTORCRAFT Powerplant Rotor Drive System § 27.927 Additional tests. (a) Any additional dynamic, endurance, and operational tests, and vibratory investigations necessary to determine...

  12. 14 CFR 27.927 - Additional tests.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Additional tests. 27.927 Section 27.927... STANDARDS: NORMAL CATEGORY ROTORCRAFT Powerplant Rotor Drive System § 27.927 Additional tests. (a) Any additional dynamic, endurance, and operational tests, and vibratory investigations necessary to determine...

  13. 14 CFR 29.927 - Additional tests.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Additional tests. 29.927 Section 29.927... STANDARDS: TRANSPORT CATEGORY ROTORCRAFT Powerplant Rotor Drive System § 29.927 Additional tests. (a) Any additional dynamic, endurance, and operational tests, and vibratory investigations necessary to determine...

  14. 14 CFR 27.927 - Additional tests.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Additional tests. 27.927 Section 27.927... STANDARDS: NORMAL CATEGORY ROTORCRAFT Powerplant Rotor Drive System § 27.927 Additional tests. (a) Any additional dynamic, endurance, and operational tests, and vibratory investigations necessary to determine...

  15. 14 CFR 29.927 - Additional tests.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Additional tests. 29.927 Section 29.927... STANDARDS: TRANSPORT CATEGORY ROTORCRAFT Powerplant Rotor Drive System § 29.927 Additional tests. (a) Any additional dynamic, endurance, and operational tests, and vibratory investigations necessary to determine...

  16. 14 CFR 29.927 - Additional tests.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Additional tests. 29.927 Section 29.927... STANDARDS: TRANSPORT CATEGORY ROTORCRAFT Powerplant Rotor Drive System § 29.927 Additional tests. (a) Any additional dynamic, endurance, and operational tests, and vibratory investigations necessary to determine...

  17. The Additive Effects of Choice and Control.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Karbowski, Joseph; And Others

    In separate research studies, students who were given a choice of learning materials or who had control over aversive noise, demonstrated higher motivation and better task performance. To investigate the additive effects of choice and control on perception of control, 80 male and female college students participated in a 2 (choice vs. no-choice) X…

  18. The guanidine and maleic acid (1:1) complex. The additional theoretical and experimental studies.

    PubMed

    Drozd, Marek; Dudzic, Damian

    2012-04-01

    On the basis of experimental literature data the theoretical studies for guanidinium and maleic acid complex with using DFT method are performed. In these studies the experimental X-ray data for two different forms of investigated crystal were used. During the geometry optimization process one equilibrium structure was found, only. According to this result the infrared spectrum for one theoretical molecule was calculated. On the basis of potential energy distribution (PED) analysis the clear-cut assignments of observed bands were performed. For the calculated molecule with energy minimum the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) were obtained and graphically illustrated. The energy difference (GAP) between HOMO and LUMO was analyzed. Additionally, the nonlinear properties of this molecule were calculated. The α and β (first and second order) hyperpolarizability values are obtained. On the basis of these results the title crystal was classified as new second order NLO generator. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Financial ties of principal investigators and randomized controlled trial outcomes: cross sectional study.

    PubMed

    Ahn, Rosa; Woodbridge, Alexandra; Abraham, Ann; Saba, Susan; Korenstein, Deborah; Madden, Erin; Boscardin, W John; Keyhani, Salomeh

    2017-01-17

     To examine the association between the presence of individual principal investigators' financial ties to the manufacturer of the study drug and the trial's outcomes after accounting for source of research funding.  Cross sectional study of randomized controlled trials (RCTs).  Studies published in "core clinical" journals, as identified by Medline, between 1 January 2013 and 31 December 2013.  Random sample of RCTs focused on drug efficacy.  Association between financial ties of principal investigators and study outcome.  A total of 190 papers describing 195 studies met inclusion criteria. Financial ties between principal investigators and the pharmaceutical industry were present in 132 (67.7%) studies. Of 397 principal investigators, 231 (58%) had financial ties and 166 (42%) did not. Of all principal investigators, 156 (39%) reported advisor/consultancy payments, 81 (20%) reported speakers' fees, 81 (20%) reported unspecified financial ties, 52 (13%) reported honorariums, 52 (13%) reported employee relationships, 52 (13%) reported travel fees, 41 (10%) reported stock ownership, and 20 (5%) reported having a patent related to the study drug. The prevalence of financial ties of principal investigators was 76% (103/136) among positive studies and 49% (29/59) among negative studies. In unadjusted analyses, the presence of a financial tie was associated with a positive study outcome (odds ratio 3.23, 95% confidence interval 1.7 to 6.1). In the primary multivariate analysis, a financial tie was significantly associated with positive RCT outcome after adjustment for the study funding source (odds ratio 3.57 (1.7 to 7.7). The secondary analysis controlled for additional RCT characteristics such as study phase, sample size, country of first authors, specialty, trial registration, study design, type of analysis, comparator, and outcome measure. These characteristics did not appreciably affect the relation between financial ties and study outcomes (odds ratio 3.37, 1

  20. Comparison Study on Additive Manufacturing (AM) and Powder Metallurgy (PM) AlSi10Mg Alloys

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, B.; Moon, S. K.; Yao, X.; Bi, G.; Shen, J.; Umeda, J.; Kondoh, K.

    2018-02-01

    The microstructural and mechanical properties of AlSi10Mg alloys fabricated by additive manufacturing (AM) and powder metallurgy (PM) routes were investigated and compared. The microstructures were examined by scanning electron microscopy assisted with electron-dispersive spectroscopy. The crystalline features were studied by x-ray diffraction and electron backscatter diffraction. Room-temperature tensile tests and Vickers hardness measurements were performed to characterize the mechanical properties. It was found that the AM alloy had coarser Al grains but much finer Si precipitates compared with the PM alloy. Consequently, the AM alloy showed more than 100% increment in strength and hardness compared with the PM alloy due to the presence of ultrafine forms of Si, while exhibiting moderate ductility.

  1. Increase in transmission loss of single panels by addition of mass inclusions to a poro-elastic layer: Experimental investigation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kidner, M. R. F.; Fuller, C. R.; Gardner, B.

    2006-06-01

    The insertion loss of standard acoustic blankets can be significantly improved at low frequencies by the addition of randomly placed mass inclusions to the poro-elastic layers. The improvement is much greater than that due to the mass effect alone. The mass inclusions act as resonant systems and so increase the structure impedance. This paper reports the results of experimental investigations into this phenomenon. Increases in insertion loss of 15 dB in the 100 Hz third octave band are reported.

  2. Investigating Visitor Profiles as a Valuable Addition to Museum Research

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lewalter, Doris; Phelan, Siëlle; Geyer, Claudia; Specht, Inga; Grüninger, Rahel; Schnotz, Wolfgang

    2015-01-01

    There is a long tradition of museum research assessing visitors' personal background. In this article, we suggest an insightful way to enhance and intensify visitor analyses and adopt a more integrative approach. To this end, we draw attention to Latent Class Analysis (LCA), a classification method that allows us to investigate visitor profiles…

  3. Additive Manufacturing of Dense Hexagonal Boron Nitride Objects

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

    Marquez Rossy, Andres E.; Armstrong, Beth L.; Elliott, Amy M.

    The feasibility of manufacturing hexagonal boron nitride objects via additive manufacturing techniques was investigated. It was demonstrated that it is possible to hot-extrude thermoplastic filaments containing uniformly distributed boron nitride particles with a volume concentration as high as 60% and that these thermoplastic filaments can be used as feedstock for 3D-printing objects using a fused deposition system. Objects 3D-printed by fused deposition were subsequently sintered at high temperature to obtain dense ceramic products. In a parallel study the behavior of hexagonal boron nitride in aqueous solutions was investigated. It was shown that the addition of a cationic dispersant to anmore » azeotrope enabled the formulation of slurries with a volume concentration of boron nitride as high as 33%. Although these slurries exhibited complex rheological behavior, the results from this study are encouraging and provide a pathway for manufacturing hexagonal boron nitride objects via robocasting.« less

  4. Structured functional additive regression in reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces.

    PubMed

    Zhu, Hongxiao; Yao, Fang; Zhang, Hao Helen

    2014-06-01

    Functional additive models (FAMs) provide a flexible yet simple framework for regressions involving functional predictors. The utilization of data-driven basis in an additive rather than linear structure naturally extends the classical functional linear model. However, the critical issue of selecting nonlinear additive components has been less studied. In this work, we propose a new regularization framework for the structure estimation in the context of Reproducing Kernel Hilbert Spaces. The proposed approach takes advantage of the functional principal components which greatly facilitates the implementation and the theoretical analysis. The selection and estimation are achieved by penalized least squares using a penalty which encourages the sparse structure of the additive components. Theoretical properties such as the rate of convergence are investigated. The empirical performance is demonstrated through simulation studies and a real data application.

  5. Additive influence of genetic predisposition and conventional risk factors in the incidence of coronary heart disease: a population-based study in Greece

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    An additive genetic risk score (GRS) for coronary heart disease (CHD) has previously been associated with incident CHD in the population-based Greek European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and nutrition (EPIC) cohort. In this study, we explore GRS-‘environment’ joint actions on CHD for severa...

  6. The Effect of Emphasizing Mathematical Structure in the Acquisition of Whole Number Computation Skills (Addition and Subtraction) By Seven- and Eight-Year Olds: A Clinical Investigation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Uprichard, A. Edward; Collura, Carolyn

    This investigation sought to determine the effect of emphasizing mathematical structure in the acquisition of computational skills by seven- and eight-year-olds. The meaningful development-of-structure approach emphasized closure, commutativity, associativity, and the identity element of addition; the inverse relationship between addition and…

  7. Basophil activation test with food additives in chronic urticaria patients.

    PubMed

    Kang, Min-Gyu; Song, Woo-Jung; Park, Han-Ki; Lim, Kyung-Hwan; Kim, Su-Jung; Lee, Suh-Young; Kim, Sae-Hoon; Cho, Sang-Heon; Min, Kyung-Up; Chang, Yoon-Seok

    2014-01-01

    The role of food additives in chronic urticaria (CU) is still under investigation. In this study, we aimed to explore the association between food additives and CU by using the basophil activation test (BAT). The BAT using 15 common food additives was performed for 15 patients with CU who had a history of recurrent urticarial aggravation following intake of various foods without a definite food-specific IgE. Of the 15 patients studied, two (13.3%) showed positive BAT results for one of the tested food additives. One patient responded to monosodium glutamate, showing 18.7% of CD203c-positive basophils. Another patient showed a positive BAT result to sodium benzoate. Both patients had clinical correlations with the agents, which were partly determined by elimination diets. The present study suggested that at least a small proportion of patients with CU had symptoms associated with food additives. The results may suggest the potential utility of the BAT to identity the role of food additives in CU.

  8. Food additives and preschool children.

    PubMed

    Martyn, Danika M; McNulty, Breige A; Nugent, Anne P; Gibney, Michael J

    2013-02-01

    Food additives have been used throughout history to perform specific functions in foods. A comprehensive framework of legislation is in place within Europe to control the use of additives in the food supply and ensure they pose no risk to human health. Further to this, exposure assessments are regularly carried out to monitor population intakes and verify that intakes are not above acceptable levels (acceptable daily intakes). Young children may have a higher dietary exposure to chemicals than adults due to a combination of rapid growth rates and distinct food intake patterns. For this reason, exposure assessments are particularly important in this age group. The paper will review the use of additives and exposure assessment methods and examine factors that affect dietary exposure by young children. One of the most widely investigated unfavourable health effects associated with food additive intake in preschool-aged children are suggested adverse behavioural effects. Research that has examined this relationship has reported a variety of responses, with many noting an increase in hyperactivity as reported by parents but not when assessed using objective examiners. This review has examined the experimental approaches used in such studies and suggests that efforts are needed to standardise objective methods of measuring behaviour in preschool children. Further to this, a more holistic approach to examining food additive intakes by preschool children is advisable, where overall exposure is considered rather than focusing solely on behavioural effects and possibly examining intakes of food additives other than food colours.

  9. RAMSEYS DRAFT WILDERNESS STUDY AREA AND ADDITION, VIRGINIA.

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Lesure, Frank G.; Mory, Peter C.

    1984-01-01

    Mineral-resource surveys of the Ramseys Draft Wilderness Study Area and adjoining roadless area addition in George Washington National Forest in the western valley and ridge province, Augusta and Highland Counties, Virginia, were done. The surveys outlined three small areas containing anomalous amounts of copper, lead, and zinc related to stratabound red-bed copper mineralization, but these occurrences are not large and are not considered as having mineral-resource potential. The area contains abundant sandstone suitable for construction materials and shale suitable for making brick, tile, and other low-grade ceramic products, but these commodities occur in abundance outside the wilderness study area. Structural conditions are probably favorable for the accumulation of natural gas, but exploratory drilling has not been done sufficiently near the area to evaluate the gas potential.

  10. A study protocol of a randomised controlled trial incorporating a health economic analysis to investigate if additional allied health services for rehabilitation reduce length of stay without compromising patient outcomes.

    PubMed

    Taylor, Nicholas F; Brusco, Natasha K; Watts, Jennifer J; Shields, Nora; Peiris, Casey; Sullivan, Natalie; Kennedy, Genevieve; Teo, Cheng Kwong; Farley, Allison; Lockwood, Kylee; Radia-George, Camilla

    2010-11-12

    Reducing patient length of stay is a high priority for health service providers. Preliminary information suggests additional Saturday rehabilitation services could reduce the time a patient stays in hospital by three days. This large trial will examine if providing additional physiotherapy and occupational therapy services on a Saturday reduces health care costs, and improves the health of hospital inpatients receiving rehabilitation compared to the usual Monday to Friday service. We will also investigate the cost effectiveness and patient outcomes of such a service. A randomised controlled trial will evaluate the effect of providing additional physiotherapy and occupational therapy for rehabilitation. Seven hundred and twelve patients receiving inpatient rehabilitation at two metropolitan sites will be randomly allocated to the intervention group or control group. The control group will receive usual care physiotherapy and occupational therapy from Monday to Friday while the intervention group will receive the same amount of rehabilitation as the control group Monday to Friday plus a full physiotherapy and occupational therapy service on Saturday. The primary outcomes will be patient length of stay, quality of life (EuroQol questionnaire), the Functional Independence Measure (FIM), and health utilization and cost data. Secondary outcomes will assess clinical outcomes relevant to the goals of therapy: the 10 metre walk test, the timed up and go test, the Personal Care Participation Assessment and Resource Tool (PC PART), and the modified motor assessment scale. Blinded assessors will assess outcomes at admission and discharge, and follow up data on quality of life, function and health care costs will be collected at 6 and 12 months after discharge. Between group differences will be analysed with analysis of covariance using baseline measures as the covariate. A health economic analysis will be carried out alongside the randomised controlled trial. This paper

  11. A study protocol of a randomised controlled trial incorporating a health economic analysis to investigate if additional allied health services for rehabilitation reduce length of stay without compromising patient outcomes

    PubMed Central

    2010-01-01

    Background Reducing patient length of stay is a high priority for health service providers. Preliminary information suggests additional Saturday rehabilitation services could reduce the time a patient stays in hospital by three days. This large trial will examine if providing additional physiotherapy and occupational therapy services on a Saturday reduces health care costs, and improves the health of hospital inpatients receiving rehabilitation compared to the usual Monday to Friday service. We will also investigate the cost effectiveness and patient outcomes of such a service. Methods/Design A randomised controlled trial will evaluate the effect of providing additional physiotherapy and occupational therapy for rehabilitation. Seven hundred and twelve patients receiving inpatient rehabilitation at two metropolitan sites will be randomly allocated to the intervention group or control group. The control group will receive usual care physiotherapy and occupational therapy from Monday to Friday while the intervention group will receive the same amount of rehabilitation as the control group Monday to Friday plus a full physiotherapy and occupational therapy service on Saturday. The primary outcomes will be patient length of stay, quality of life (EuroQol questionnaire), the Functional Independence Measure (FIM), and health utilization and cost data. Secondary outcomes will assess clinical outcomes relevant to the goals of therapy: the 10 metre walk test, the timed up and go test, the Personal Care Participation Assessment and Resource Tool (PC PART), and the modified motor assessment scale. Blinded assessors will assess outcomes at admission and discharge, and follow up data on quality of life, function and health care costs will be collected at 6 and 12 months after discharge. Between group differences will be analysed with analysis of covariance using baseline measures as the covariate. A health economic analysis will be carried out alongside the randomised

  12. The dilemma of allergy to food additives.

    PubMed

    Bahna, Sami L; Burkhardt, Joshua G

    2018-01-01

    To provide a brief summary on food additives and to outline a practical approach for evaluating subjects suspected of having reactions to food additives. Information was derived from selected reviews and original articles published in peer-reviewed journals, supplemented by the clinical experience of the authors. Priority was given to studies that used blinded, placebo controlled, oral challenges to confirm adverse reactions to food additives. In addition, selected, appropriately evaluated case reports were included. A large number of food additives are widely used in the food industry. Allergic reactions to additives seem to be rare but are very likely underdiagnosed, primarily due to a low index of suspicion. A wide variety of symptoms to food additives have been reported, but a cause-and-effect relationship has not been well documented in the majority of cases. Reactions to food additives should be suspected in patients who report symptoms related to multiple foods or to a certain food when commercially prepared but not when home made. It is also prudent to investigate food additives in subjects considered to have "idiopathic" reactions. Except for a limited number of natural additives, there is a small role for skin tests or in vitro testing. Oral challenge, in stages, with commonly used additives is the definitive procedure for detecting the offending agent. Once the specific additive is identified, management is strict avoidance, which can be difficult.

  13. A combined toxicity study of zinc oxide nanoparticles and vitamin C in food additives.

    PubMed

    Wang, Yanli; Yuan, Lulu; Yao, Chenjie; Ding, Lin; Li, Chenchen; Fang, Jie; Sui, Keke; Liu, Yuanfang; Wu, Minghong

    2014-12-21

    At present, safety evaluation standards for nanofood additives are made based on the toxic effects of a single additive. Since the size, surface properties and chemical nature influence the toxicity of nanomaterials, the toxicity may have dramatically changed when nanomaterials are used as food additives in a complex system. Herein, we investigated the combined toxicity of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) and vitamin C (Vc, ascorbic acid). The results showed that Vc increased the cytotoxicity significantly compared with that of the ZnO only NPs. When the cells were exposed to ZnO NPs at a concentration less than 15 mg L(-1), or to Vc at a concentration less than 300 mg L(-1), there was no significant cytotoxicity, both in the case of gastric epithelial cell line (GES-1) and neural stem cells (NSCs). However, when 15 mg L(-1) of ZnO NPs and 300 mg L(-1) of Vc were introduced to cells together, the cell viability decreased sharply indicating significant cytotoxicity. Moreover, the significant increase in toxicity was also shown in the in vivo experiments. The dose of the ZnO NPs and Vc used in the in vivo study was calculated according to the state of food and nutrition enhancer standard. After repeated oral exposure to ZnO NPs plus Vc, the injury of the liver and kidneys in mice has been indicated by the change of these indices. These findings demonstrate that the synergistic toxicity presented in a complex system is essential for the toxicological evaluation and safety assessment of nanofood.

  14. A mechanistic investigation on the formation and rearrangement of silaspiropentane: A theoretical study.

    PubMed

    Yildiz, Cem Burak; Azizoglu, Akin

    2016-07-01

    The formation of silaspiropentane from addition of singlet silacyclopropylidene 1 and silacyclopropylidenoid 8 to ethylene has been investigated separately at the B3LYP, X3LYP, WB97XD, and M05-2X theories using the 6-31+G(d,p) basis set. The silacycloproylidenoid addition follows a stepwise route. In contrast, a concerted mechanism occurs for silacyclopropylidene addition. Moreover, the intramolecular rearrangements of silaspiropentane 9 to methylenesilacyclobutane 11 and 2-silaallene + ethylene 12 have been studied extensively. The required energy barrier for the isomerization of 9 to 10 was determined to be 44.0 kcal mol(-1) at the B3LYP/6-31+G(d,p) level. After formation of 10, the rearrangement to methylenesilacyclobutane 12 is highly exergonic by -15.9 kcal mol(-1), which makes this reaction promising. However, the conversion of 9 to 11 is calculated to be quite endergonic, by 26.5 kcal mol(-1).

  15. Responses of ecosystem water use efficiency to spring snow and summer water addition with or without nitrogen addition in a temperate steppe

    PubMed Central

    Zhai, Penghui; Huang, Jianhui; Zhao, Xiang; Dong, Kuanhu

    2018-01-01

    Water use efficiency (WUE) is an important indicator of ecosystem functioning but how ecosystem WUE responds to climate change including precipitation and nitrogen (N) deposition increases is still unknown. To investigate such responses, an experiment with a randomized block design with water (spring snowfall or summer water addition) and nitrogen addition was conducted in a temperate steppe of northern China. We investigated net ecosystem CO2 production (NEP), gross ecosystem production (GEP) and evapotranspiration (ET) to calculate ecosystem WUE (WUEnep = NEP/ET or WUEgep = GEP/ET) under spring snow and summer water addition with or without N addition from 2011 to 2013. The results showed that spring snow addition only had significant effect on ecosystem WUE in 2013 and summer water addition showed positive effect on ecosystem WUE in 2011 and 2013, as their effects on NEP and GEP is stronger than ET. N addition increased ecosystem WUE in 2012 and 2013 both in spring snow addition and summer water addition for its increasing effects on NEP and GEP but no effect on ET. Summer water addition had less but N addition had greater increasing effects on ecosystem WUE as natural precipitation increase indicating that natural precipitation regulates ecosystem WUE responses to water and N addition. Moreover, WUE was tightly related with atmospheric vapor-pressure deficit (VPD), photosynthetic active radiation (PAR), precipitation and soil moisture indicating the regulation of climate drivers on ecosystem WUE. In addition, it also was affected by aboveground net primary production (ANPP). The study suggests that ecosystem WUE responses to water and N addition is determined by the change in carbon process rather than that in water process, which are regulated by climate change in the temperate steppe of northern China. PMID:29529082

  16. Responses of ecosystem water use efficiency to spring snow and summer water addition with or without nitrogen addition in a temperate steppe.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Xiaolin; Zhai, Penghui; Huang, Jianhui; Zhao, Xiang; Dong, Kuanhu

    2018-01-01

    Water use efficiency (WUE) is an important indicator of ecosystem functioning but how ecosystem WUE responds to climate change including precipitation and nitrogen (N) deposition increases is still unknown. To investigate such responses, an experiment with a randomized block design with water (spring snowfall or summer water addition) and nitrogen addition was conducted in a temperate steppe of northern China. We investigated net ecosystem CO2 production (NEP), gross ecosystem production (GEP) and evapotranspiration (ET) to calculate ecosystem WUE (WUEnep = NEP/ET or WUEgep = GEP/ET) under spring snow and summer water addition with or without N addition from 2011 to 2013. The results showed that spring snow addition only had significant effect on ecosystem WUE in 2013 and summer water addition showed positive effect on ecosystem WUE in 2011 and 2013, as their effects on NEP and GEP is stronger than ET. N addition increased ecosystem WUE in 2012 and 2013 both in spring snow addition and summer water addition for its increasing effects on NEP and GEP but no effect on ET. Summer water addition had less but N addition had greater increasing effects on ecosystem WUE as natural precipitation increase indicating that natural precipitation regulates ecosystem WUE responses to water and N addition. Moreover, WUE was tightly related with atmospheric vapor-pressure deficit (VPD), photosynthetic active radiation (PAR), precipitation and soil moisture indicating the regulation of climate drivers on ecosystem WUE. In addition, it also was affected by aboveground net primary production (ANPP). The study suggests that ecosystem WUE responses to water and N addition is determined by the change in carbon process rather than that in water process, which are regulated by climate change in the temperate steppe of northern China.

  17. Influence of additional heat exchanger block on directional solidification system for growing multi-crystalline silicon ingot - A simulation investigation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nagarajan, S. G.; Srinivasan, M.; Aravinth, K.; Ramasamy, P.

    2018-04-01

    Transient simulation has been carried out for analyzing the heat transfer properties of Directional Solidification (DS) furnace. The simulation results revealed that the additional heat exchanger block under the bottom insulation on the DS furnace has enhanced the control of solidification of the silicon melt. Controlled Heat extraction rate during the solidification of silicon melt is requisite for growing good quality ingots which has been achieved by the additional heat exchanger block. As an additional heat exchanger block, the water circulating plate has been placed under the bottom insulation. The heat flux analysis of DS system and the temperature distribution studies of grown ingot confirm that the established additional heat exchanger block on the DS system gives additional benefit to the mc-Si ingot.

  18. Structured functional additive regression in reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces

    PubMed Central

    Zhu, Hongxiao; Yao, Fang; Zhang, Hao Helen

    2013-01-01

    Summary Functional additive models (FAMs) provide a flexible yet simple framework for regressions involving functional predictors. The utilization of data-driven basis in an additive rather than linear structure naturally extends the classical functional linear model. However, the critical issue of selecting nonlinear additive components has been less studied. In this work, we propose a new regularization framework for the structure estimation in the context of Reproducing Kernel Hilbert Spaces. The proposed approach takes advantage of the functional principal components which greatly facilitates the implementation and the theoretical analysis. The selection and estimation are achieved by penalized least squares using a penalty which encourages the sparse structure of the additive components. Theoretical properties such as the rate of convergence are investigated. The empirical performance is demonstrated through simulation studies and a real data application. PMID:25013362

  19. Financial ties of principal investigators and randomized controlled trial outcomes: cross sectional study

    PubMed Central

    Ahn, Rosa; Woodbridge, Alexandra; Abraham, Ann; Saba, Susan; Korenstein, Deborah; Madden, Erin; Boscardin, W John

    2017-01-01

    Objective To examine the association between the presence of individual principal investigators’ financial ties to the manufacturer of the study drug and the trial’s outcomes after accounting for source of research funding. Design Cross sectional study of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Setting Studies published in “core clinical” journals, as identified by Medline, between 1 January 2013 and 31 December 2013. Participants Random sample of RCTs focused on drug efficacy. Main outcome measure Association between financial ties of principal investigators and study outcome. Results A total of 190 papers describing 195 studies met inclusion criteria. Financial ties between principal investigators and the pharmaceutical industry were present in 132 (67.7%) studies. Of 397 principal investigators, 231 (58%) had financial ties and 166 (42%) did not. Of all principal investigators, 156 (39%) reported advisor/consultancy payments, 81 (20%) reported speakers’ fees, 81 (20%) reported unspecified financial ties, 52 (13%) reported honorariums, 52 (13%) reported employee relationships, 52 (13%) reported travel fees, 41 (10%) reported stock ownership, and 20 (5%) reported having a patent related to the study drug. The prevalence of financial ties of principal investigators was 76% (103/136) among positive studies and 49% (29/59) among negative studies. In unadjusted analyses, the presence of a financial tie was associated with a positive study outcome (odds ratio 3.23, 95% confidence interval 1.7 to 6.1). In the primary multivariate analysis, a financial tie was significantly associated with positive RCT outcome after adjustment for the study funding source (odds ratio 3.57 (1.7 to 7.7). The secondary analysis controlled for additional RCT characteristics such as study phase, sample size, country of first authors, specialty, trial registration, study design, type of analysis, comparator, and outcome measure. These characteristics did not appreciably affect the

  20. Framing in criminal investigation

    PubMed Central

    2016-01-01

    Failures in criminal investigation may lead to wrongful convictions. Insight in the criminal investigation process is needed to understand how these investigative failures may rise and how measures can contribute to the prevention of this kind of failures. Some of the main findings of an empirical study of the criminal investigation process in four cases of major investigations are presented here. This criminal investigation process is analyzed as a process of framing, using Goffman's framing (Goffman, 1975) and interaction theories (Goffman, 1990). It shows that in addition to framing, other substantive and social factors affect the criminal investigation. PMID:29046594

  1. Friction-induced nano-structural evolution of graphene as a lubrication additive

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhao, Jun; Mao, Junyuan; Li, Yingru; He, Yongyong; Luo, Jianbin

    2018-03-01

    Graphene has attracted enormous attention in the field of lubrication based on its excellent physical and chemical properties. Although many studies have obtained thermally or chemically- exfoliated graphene and investigated their wide and important application, few studies have reported their physical nano-structural evolution under friction. In this study, we investigated the lubrication properties of graphene additives with different layer numbers and interlayer spacing by exfoliating. The additives with a higher degrees of exfoliation changed to ordering under friction, and had better lubrication properties, while that with a lower degrees exhibited obvious structural defects and high friction. Therefore, the original degrees of exfoliation plays a key role in the structural evolution of graphene and superior lubrication can be achieved through the physical nano-structure changing to ordering, even graphitization. Furthermore, the ordered tribofilm on the frictional interfaces was parallel to the sliding direction, meaning the highly exfoliated graphene indeed reaching slippage between its layers, which wasn't experimentally discovered in previous studies. This work provides a new understanding of the relationship between friction-induced nano-structural evolution and lubrication properties of graphene as a lubrication additive, and has great potential for the structural design of graphene as a lubrication additive.

  2. A comparative study of additive and subtractive manufacturing for dental restorations.

    PubMed

    Bae, Eun-Jeong; Jeong, Il-Do; Kim, Woong-Chul; Kim, Ji-Hwan

    2017-08-01

    Digital systems have recently found widespread application in the fabrication of dental restorations. For the clinical assessment of dental restorations fabricated digitally, it is necessary to evaluate their accuracy. However, studies of the accuracy of inlay restorations fabricated with additive manufacturing are lacking. The purpose of this in vitro study was to evaluate and compare the accuracy of inlay restorations fabricated by using recently introduced additive manufacturing with the accuracy of subtractive methods. The inlay (distal occlusal cavity) shape was fabricated using 3-dimensional image (reference data) software. Specimens were fabricated using 4 different methods (each n=10, total N=40), including 2 additive manufacturing methods, stereolithography apparatus and selective laser sintering; and 2 subtractive methods, wax and zirconia milling. Fabricated specimens were scanned using a dental scanner and then compared by overlapping reference data. The results were statistically analyzed using a 1-way analysis of variance (α=.05). Additionally, the surface morphology of 1 randomly (the first of each specimen) selected specimen from each group was evaluated using a digital microscope. The results of the overlap analysis of the dental restorations indicated that the root mean square (RMS) deviation observed in the restorations fabricated using the additive manufacturing methods were significantly different from those fabricated using the subtractive methods (P<.05). However, no significant differences were found between restorations fabricated using stereolithography apparatus and selective laser sintering, the additive manufacturing methods (P=.466). Similarly, no significant differences were found between wax and zirconia, the subtractive methods (P=.986). The observed RMS values were 106 μm for stereolithography apparatus, 113 μm for selective laser sintering, 116 μm for wax, and 119 μm for zirconia. Microscopic evaluation of the surface

  3. Development of a New Hypersonic Shock Tunnel Facility to Investigate Electromagnetic Energy Addition for Flow Control and Basic Supersonic Combustion

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Toro, P. G. P.; Minucci, M. A. S.; Chanes, J. B.; Pereira, A. L.; Nagamatsu, H. T.

    2006-05-01

    A new 0.6-m. diameter Hypersonic Shock Tunnel is been designed, fabricated and will be installed at the Laboratory of Aerothermodynamics and Hypersonics IEAv-CTA, Brazil. The brand new hypersonic facility, designated as T3, is primarily intended to be used as an important tool in the investigation of supersonic combustion management and of electromagnetic energy addition for flow control. The design of the runnel enables relatively long test times, 2-10 milliseconds, suitable for basic supersonic combustion and energy addition by laser experiments. Free stream Mach numbers ranging from 6 to 25 can be produced and stagnation pressures and temperatures of 200 atm. and 5,500 K, respectively, can be generated. Shadowgraph and schlieren optical techniques will be used for flow visualization and the new facility is expected to be commissioned by the end of 2006.

  4. First-Grade Methods of Single-Digit Addition with Two or More Addends

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Guerrero, Shannon M.; Palomaa, Kimberly

    2012-01-01

    In an attempt to further understand connections between children's proficiency and development with single- and multidigit addition, this study investigated the conceptualizations and solution strategies of 26 first-graders presented with several single-digit, multiple addend addition problems. The changes in students' solution strategies over the…

  5. Is Patch Testing with Food Additives Useful in Children with Atopic Eczema?

    PubMed

    Catli, Gonul; Bostanci, Ilknur; Ozmen, Serap; Dibek Misirlioglu, Emine; Duman, Handan; Ertan, Ulker

    2015-01-01

    Atopy patch testing is a useful way to determine delayed-type hypersensitivity reactions to foods and aeroallergens. Although food additives have been accused of worsening atopic eczema symptoms, according to recent studies the role of food additives in atopic eczema remains unclear. The purpose of our study was to investigate food additive hypersensitivity in a group of children with atopic eczema by using standardized atopy patch testing and to determine the role of food additive hypersensitivity in atopic eczema. Thirty-four children with atopic eczema and 33 healthy children were enrolled in the study. Children who consumed foods containing additives and did not use either antihistamines or local or systemic corticosteroids for at least 7 days prior to admission were enrolled in the study. All children were subjected to atopy patch testing and after 48 and 72 hours their skin reactions were evaluated by using the guidelines. Positive atopy patch test results were significantly higher in the atopic eczema group. Forty-one percent of the atopic eczema group (n = 14) and 15.2% (n = 5) of the control group had positive atopy patch test results with food additives (p = 0.036) (estimated relative risk 1.68, case odds 0.7, control odds 0.17). Carmine hypersensitivity and the consumption of foods containing carmine, such as gumdrops, salami, and sausage, were significantly higher in the children with atopic eczema. This is the first study investigating hypersensitivity to food additives in children with atopic eczema. Our results indicate that carmine may play a role in atopic eczema. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  6. Basophil Activation Test with Food Additives in Chronic Urticaria Patients

    PubMed Central

    Kang, Min-Gyu; Song, Woo-Jung; Park, Han-Ki; Lim, Kyung-Hwan; Kim, Su-Jung; Lee, Suh-Young; Kim, Sae-Hoon; Cho, Sang-Heon; Min, Kyung-Up

    2014-01-01

    The role of food additives in chronic urticaria (CU) is still under investigation. In this study, we aimed to explore the association between food additives and CU by using the basophil activation test (BAT). The BAT using 15 common food additives was performed for 15 patients with CU who had a history of recurrent urticarial aggravation following intake of various foods without a definite food-specific IgE. Of the 15 patients studied, two (13.3%) showed positive BAT results for one of the tested food additives. One patient responded to monosodium glutamate, showing 18.7% of CD203c-positive basophils. Another patient showed a positive BAT result to sodium benzoate. Both patients had clinical correlations with the agents, which were partly determined by elimination diets. The present study suggested that at least a small proportion of patients with CU had symptoms associated with food additives. The results may suggest the potential utility of the BAT to identity the role of food additives in CU. PMID:24527415

  7. Recommended Protocol for Round Robin Studies in Additive Manufacturing

    PubMed Central

    Moylan, Shawn; Brown, Christopher U.; Slotwinski, John

    2016-01-01

    One way to improve confidence and encourage proliferation of additive manufacturing (AM) technologies and parts is by generating more high quality data describing the performance of AM processes and parts. Many in the AM community see round robin studies as a way to generate large data sets while distributing the cost among the participants, thereby reducing the cost to individual users. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has conducted and participated in several of these AM round robin studies. While the results of these studies are interesting and informative, many of the lessons learned in conducting these studies concern the logistics and methods of the study and unique issues presented by AM. Existing standards for conducting interlaboratory studies of measurement methods, along with NIST’s experience, form the basis for recommended protocols for conducting AM round robin studies. The role of round robin studies in AM qualification, some of the limitations of round robin studies, and the potential benefit of less formal collaborative experiments where multiple factors, AM machine being only one, are varied simultaneously are also discussed. PMID:27274602

  8. Recommended Protocol for Round Robin Studies in Additive Manufacturing.

    PubMed

    Moylan, Shawn; Brown, Christopher U; Slotwinski, John

    2016-03-01

    One way to improve confidence and encourage proliferation of additive manufacturing (AM) technologies and parts is by generating more high quality data describing the performance of AM processes and parts. Many in the AM community see round robin studies as a way to generate large data sets while distributing the cost among the participants, thereby reducing the cost to individual users. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has conducted and participated in several of these AM round robin studies. While the results of these studies are interesting and informative, many of the lessons learned in conducting these studies concern the logistics and methods of the study and unique issues presented by AM. Existing standards for conducting interlaboratory studies of measurement methods, along with NIST's experience, form the basis for recommended protocols for conducting AM round robin studies. The role of round robin studies in AM qualification, some of the limitations of round robin studies, and the potential benefit of less formal collaborative experiments where multiple factors, AM machine being only one, are varied simultaneously are also discussed.

  9. A study of vibrating nanotubes with additional adsorbed masses

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Adler, Joan; Adler, Omri

    2017-11-01

    We describe calculations of the electronic density surrounding strained nanotubes. These are then used to estimate the nanotube wall width. This width is an essential parameter for the analysis of the nanotube vibrations. By studying the effect of additional adsorbed molecules on the nanotubes’ vibrations and their frequency changes we can deduce the molecules’ mass. Our calculations show that the strain does not greatly affect the nanotube width, but the vibrations change sufficiently for the mass to be detected.

  10. Additional follow-up telephone counselling and initial smoking relapse: a longitudinal, controlled study.

    PubMed

    Wu, Lei; He, Yao; Jiang, Bin; Zuo, Fang; Liu, Qinghui; Zhang, Li; Zhou, Changxi

    2016-04-20

    Smoking cessation services can help smokers to quit; however, many smoking relapse cases occur over time. Initial relapse prevention should play an important role in achieving the goal of long-term smoking cessation. Several studies have focused on the effect of extended telephone support in relapse prevention, but the conclusions remain conflicting. From October 2008 to August 2013, a longitudinal, controlled study was performed in a large general hospital of Beijing. The smokers who sought treatment at our smoking cessation clinic were non-randomised and divided into 2 groups: face-to-face individual counselling group (FC group), and face-to-face individual counselling plus telephone follow-up counselling group (FCF group). No pharmacotherapy was offered. The timing of initial smoking relapse was compared between FC and FCF groups. Predictors of initial relapse were investigated during the first 180 days, using the Cox proportional hazards model. Of 547 eligible male smokers who volunteered to participate, 457 participants (117 in FC group and 340 in FCF group) achieved at least 24 h abstinence. The majority of the lapse episodes occurred during the first 2 weeks after the quit date. Smokers who did not receive the follow-up telephone counselling (FC group) tended to relapse to smoking earlier than those smokers who received the additional follow-up telephone counselling (FCF group), and the log-rank test was statistically significant (p=0.003). A Cox regression model showed that, in the FCF group, being married, and having a lower Fagerström test score, normal body mass index and doctor-diagnosed tobacco-related chronic diseases, were significantly independent protective predictors of smoking relapse. Within the limitations of this study, it can be concluded that additional follow-up telephone counselling might be an effective strategy in preventing relapse. Further research is still needed to confirm our findings. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group

  11. A laboratory study of the perceived benefit of additional noise attenuation by houses

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Flindell, I. H.

    1983-01-01

    Two Experiments were conducted to investigate the perceived benefit of additional house attenuation against aircraft flyover noise. First, subjects made annoyance judgments in a simulated living room while an operative window with real and dummy storm windows was manipulated in full view of those subjects. Second, subjects made annoyance judgments in an anechoic audiometric test chamber of frequency shaped noise signals having spectra closely matched to those of the aircraft flyover noises reproduced in the first experiment. These stimuli represented the aircraft flyover noises in levels and spectra but without the situational and visual cues present in the simulated living room. Perceptual constancy theory implies that annoyance tends to remain constant despite reductions in noise level caused by additional attenuation of which the subjects are fully aware. This theory was supported when account was taken for a reported annoyance overestimation for certain spectra and for a simulated condition cue overreaction.

  12. 7 CFR 1710.253 - Engineering and cost studies-addition of generation capacity.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 11 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Engineering and cost studies-addition of generation... TO ELECTRIC LOANS AND GUARANTEES Construction Work Plans and Related Studies § 1710.253 Engineering... engineering and cost studies as specified by RUS. The studies shall cover a period from the beginning of the...

  13. 7 CFR 1710.253 - Engineering and cost studies-addition of generation capacity.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 11 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Engineering and cost studies-addition of generation... TO ELECTRIC LOANS AND GUARANTEES Construction Work Plans and Related Studies § 1710.253 Engineering... engineering and cost studies as specified by RUS. The studies shall cover a period from the beginning of the...

  14. 7 CFR 1710.253 - Engineering and cost studies-addition of generation capacity.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 11 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Engineering and cost studies-addition of generation... TO ELECTRIC LOANS AND GUARANTEES Construction Work Plans and Related Studies § 1710.253 Engineering... engineering and cost studies as specified by RUS. The studies shall cover a period from the beginning of the...

  15. 7 CFR 1710.253 - Engineering and cost studies-addition of generation capacity.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 11 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Engineering and cost studies-addition of generation... TO ELECTRIC LOANS AND GUARANTEES Construction Work Plans and Related Studies § 1710.253 Engineering... engineering and cost studies as specified by RUS. The studies shall cover a period from the beginning of the...

  16. 7 CFR 1710.253 - Engineering and cost studies-addition of generation capacity.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 11 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Engineering and cost studies-addition of generation... TO ELECTRIC LOANS AND GUARANTEES Construction Work Plans and Related Studies § 1710.253 Engineering... engineering and cost studies as specified by RUS. The studies shall cover a period from the beginning of the...

  17. Sequential neural processes in abacus mental addition: an EEG and FMRI case study.

    PubMed

    Ku, Yixuan; Hong, Bo; Zhou, Wenjing; Bodner, Mark; Zhou, Yong-Di

    2012-01-01

    Abacus experts are able to mentally calculate multi-digit numbers rapidly. Some behavioral and neuroimaging studies have suggested a visuospatial and visuomotor strategy during abacus mental calculation. However, no study up to now has attempted to dissociate temporally the visuospatial neural process from the visuomotor neural process during abacus mental calculation. In the present study, an abacus expert performed the mental addition tasks (8-digit and 4-digit addends presented in visual or auditory modes) swiftly and accurately. The 100% correct rates in this expert's task performance were significantly higher than those of ordinary subjects performing 1-digit and 2-digit addition tasks. ERPs, EEG source localizations, and fMRI results taken together suggested visuospatial and visuomotor processes were sequentially arranged during the abacus mental addition with visual addends and could be dissociated from each other temporally. The visuospatial transformation of the numbers, in which the superior parietal lobule was most likely involved, might occur first (around 380 ms) after the onset of the stimuli. The visuomotor processing, in which the superior/middle frontal gyri were most likely involved, might occur later (around 440 ms). Meanwhile, fMRI results suggested that neural networks involved in the abacus mental addition with auditory stimuli were similar to those in the visual abacus mental addition. The most prominently activated brain areas in both conditions included the bilateral superior parietal lobules (BA 7) and bilateral middle frontal gyri (BA 6). These results suggest a supra-modal brain network in abacus mental addition, which may develop from normal mental calculation networks.

  18. The impact of tobacco additives on cigarette smoke toxicity: a critical appraisal of tobacco industry studies.

    PubMed

    Paumgartten, Francisco José Roma; Gomes-Carneiro, Maria Regina; Oliveira, Ana Cecilia Amado Xavier de

    2017-09-21

    Cigarette production involves a number of substances and materials other than just tobacco, paper and a filter. Tobacco additives include flavorings, enhancers, humectants, sugars, and ammonium compounds. Although companies maintain that tobacco additives do not enhance smoke toxicity and do not make cigarettes more attractive or addictive, these claims are questioned by independent researchers. This study reviewed the studies on the effects of tobacco additives on smoke chemistry and toxicity. Tobacco additives lead to higher levels of formaldehyde and minor changes in other smoke analytes. Toxicological studies (bacterial mutagenicity and mammalian cytoxicity tests, rat 90 days inhalation studies and bone-marrow cell micronucleus assays) found that tobacco additives did not enhance smoke toxicity. Rodent assays, however, poorly predicted carcinogenicity of tobacco smoke, and were clearly underpowered to disclose small albeit toxicologically relevant differences between test (with tobacco additives) and control (without tobacco additives) cigarettes. This literature review led to the conclusion that the impact of tobacco additives on tobacco smoke harmfulness remains unclear.

  19. Addition-type polyimides from solutions of monomeric reactants

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Delvigs, P.; Serafini, T. T.; Lightsey, G. R.

    1972-01-01

    The monomeric reactants approach was used to fabricate addition-type polyimide/graphite fiber composites with improved mechanical properties and thermal stability characteristics over those of composites derived from addition-type amide acid prepolymers. A screening study of 24 different monomer combinations was performed. The results of a more extensive investigation of a selected number of monomer combinations showed that the combination providing the best thermomechanical properties was 5-norbornene-2,3-dicarboxylic acid monomethyl ester/4,4'-methylenedianiline/3,3'4,4'-benzophenone tetracarboxylic acid dimethyl ester at a molar ratio of 2/3.09/2.09.

  20. Contexts for Column Addition and Subtraction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lopez Fernandez, Jorge M.; Velazquez Estrella, Aileen

    2011-01-01

    In this article, the authors discuss their approach to column addition and subtraction algorithms. Adapting an original idea of Paul Cobb and Erna Yackel's from "A Contextual Investigation of Three-Digit Addition and Subtraction" related to packing and unpacking candy in a candy factory, the authors provided an analogous context by…

  1. 42 CFR 431.713 - Continuing study and investigation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Continuing study and investigation. 431.713 Section... Programs for Licensing Nursing Home Administrators § 431.713 Continuing study and investigation. The agency or board must conduct a continuing study of nursing homes and administrators within the State to...

  2. 42 CFR 431.713 - Continuing study and investigation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Continuing study and investigation. 431.713 Section... Programs for Licensing Nursing Home Administrators § 431.713 Continuing study and investigation. The agency or board must conduct a continuing study of nursing homes and administrators within the State to...

  3. Density Functional Theory Study of the Reaction between d0 Tungsten Alkylidyne Complexes and H2O: Addition versus Hydrolysis.

    PubMed

    Chen, Ping; Zhang, Linxing; Xue, Zi-Ling; Wu, Yun-Dong; Zhang, Xinhao

    2017-06-19

    The reactions of early-transition-metal complexes with H 2 O have been investigated. An understanding of these elementary steps promotes the design of precursors for the preparation of metal oxide materials or supported heterogeneous catalysts. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations have been conducted to investigate two elementary steps of the reactions between tungsten alkylidyne complexes and H 2 O, i.e., the addition of H 2 O to the W≡C bond and ligand hydrolysis. Four tungsten alkylidyne complexes, W(≡CSiMe 3 )(CH 2 SiMe 3 ) 3 (A-1), W(≡CSiMe 3 )(CH 2 t Bu) 3 (B-1), W(≡C t Bu)(CH 2 t Bu) 3 (C-1), and W(≡C t Bu)(O t Bu) 3 (D-1), have been compared. The DFT studies provide an energy profile of the two competing pathways. An additional H 2 O molecule can serve as a proton shuttle, accelerating the H 2 O addition reaction. The effect of atoms at the α and β positions has also been examined. Because the lone-pair electrons of an O atom at the α position can interact with the orbital of the proton, the barrier of the ligand-hydrolysis reaction for D-1 is dramatically reduced. Both the electronic and steric effects of the silyl group at the β position lower the barriers of both the H 2 O addition and ligand-hydrolysis reactions. These new mechanistic findings may lead to the further development of metal complex precursors.

  4. A sensitometric evaluation of a dental radiographic developer additive.

    PubMed

    Price, C

    1982-04-01

    The efficacy of a commercially available developer additive was investigated by a sensitometric method. The effects of the additive on two different manual developing solutions were evaluated immediately after mixing and at intervals of 5, 10, and 15 weeks. An automatic film processor was used to process control radiographs. Under the conditions of this investigation, no advantages were demonstrated following the use of the additive.

  5. TiO2 anode materials for lithium-ion batteries with different morphology and additives

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Xiang; Ng, Yip Hang; Leung, Yu Hang; Liu, Fangzhou; Djurišic, Aleksandra B.; Xie, Mao Hai; Chan, Wai Kin

    2014-03-01

    Electrochemical performances of different TiO2 nanostructures, TiO2/CNT composite and TiO2 with titanium isopropoxide (TTIP) treatment anode were investigated. For different TiO2 nanostructures, we investigated vertically aligned TiO2 nanotubes on Ti foil and TiO2 nanotube-powders fabricated by rapid breakdown anodization technique. The morphology of the prepared samples was characterized by scanning probe microscopy (SEM). The electrochemical lithium storage abilities were studied by galvanostatic method. In addition, carbon nanotubes (CNT) additives and solution treatment process of TiO2 anode were investigated, and the results show that the additives and treatment could enhance the cycling performance of the TiO2 anode on lithium ion batteries.

  6. Learning Integer Addition: Is Later Better?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Aqazade, Mahtob; Bofferding, Laura; Farmer, Sherri

    2017-01-01

    We investigate thirty-three second and fifth-grade students' solution strategies on integer addition problems before and after analyzing contrasting cases with integer addition and participating in a lesson on integers. The students took a pretest, participated in two small group sessions and a short lesson, and took a posttest. Even though the…

  7. Application of Electrical Resistivity Imaging for Engineering Site Investigation. A Case Study on Prospective Hospital Site, Varamin, Iran

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Amini, Amin; Ramazi, Hamidreza

    2016-12-01

    The article addresses the application of electrical resistivity imaging for engineering site investigation in Pishva Hospital, Varamin, Iran. Some aqueduct shafts exist in the study area backfilled by loose materials. The goals of this study are to detect probable aqueduct tunnels and their depth, investigate filling quality in the shafts as well as connection(s) between them. Therefore, three profiles were surveyed by dipoledipole electrode array. Also, to investigate the potentially anomalous areas more accurately, five additional resistivity profiles were measured by a Combined Resistivity Sounding-Profiling array (CRSP). According to the results of 2-D inversion modelling, a main aqueduct tunnel was detected beneath the central part of the site. Finally, the resistivity pattern of the detected aqueduct system passing the investigated area was provided using the obtained results.

  8. An investigation of the efficacy of biological additives for the suppression of pyritic sulphur during simulated froth flotation of coal.

    PubMed

    Stainthorpe, A C

    1989-02-05

    The biological molecule responsible for the suppression of pyritic sulfur in fine coal simulated froth flotation treated with bacteria was identified. Protein was found to be the most effective agent in pyrite suppression of the three cell components (protein, lipid, and carbohydrate) assayed. Coal recovery and ash removal of the flotation process were only slightly reduced by this treatment. Other protein-containing materials were evaluated for their ability to suppress pyrite flotation. Whey was found to be the most cost-effective flotation additive of those assayed. The sulfur content of the whey-treated float was reduced by 84.0% in a synthetically prepared fractionated coal (10.7% sulfur), by a raw whey dosage of 20 microL/g coal. The inorganic sulfur component of a natural high sulfur coal fraction (10.9%) was completely depressed by this whey addition. The effect of particle size and pulp density upon the process were investigated.

  9. Additive-induced aggregate changes of two structurally similar dyes in aqueous solutions: A comparative photophysical study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ghanadzadeh Gilani, A.; Poormohammadi-Ahandani, Z.; Kian, R.

    2018-01-01

    Absorption and emission spectral characteristics of the two structurally similar phenothiazine dyes, azure B and toluidine blue, in aqueous solutions of the two sets of molecular additives (ureas and monosaccharides) were studied as a function of the dye and additive concentrations. The absorption spectra of the dyes were also studied in pure tetramethylurea with an aprotic nature. The spectral data were analyzed using DECOM Program. The dimer structure of the interacting molecules in these dyes was discussed using the exciton model. The urea class of additives was found to act as water structure-breakers over the range of studied concentration. The carbohydrate additives were found to act as water structure-breakers at low concentrations. However, the water structure breaking process may be disfavored by the additive-additive interactions at higher concentrations. It can be concluded that at low additive concentrations, the main driving force for breaking the dye association is water-additive interaction, which disrupts the water hydrogen bonds induced by the additives. However, at the high additive concentrations, the different phenomena including additive-additive and additive-dye interactions can change the structure, strength, and aggregative properties of the dyes. Finally, the urea in water induces noticeably fluorescence quenching in emission spectra of both the dyes.

  10. Additive-induced aggregate changes of two structurally similar dyes in aqueous solutions: A comparative photophysical study.

    PubMed

    Ghanadzadeh Gilani, A; Poormohammadi-Ahandani, Z; Kian, R

    2018-01-15

    Absorption and emission spectral characteristics of the two structurally similar phenothiazine dyes, azure B and toluidine blue, in aqueous solutions of the two sets of molecular additives (ureas and monosaccharides) were studied as a function of the dye and additive concentrations. The absorption spectra of the dyes were also studied in pure tetramethylurea with an aprotic nature. The spectral data were analyzed using DECOM Program. The dimer structure of the interacting molecules in these dyes was discussed using the exciton model. The urea class of additives was found to act as water structure-breakers over the range of studied concentration. The carbohydrate additives were found to act as water structure-breakers at low concentrations. However, the water structure breaking process may be disfavored by the additive-additive interactions at higher concentrations. It can be concluded that at low additive concentrations, the main driving force for breaking the dye association is water-additive interaction, which disrupts the water hydrogen bonds induced by the additives. However, at the high additive concentrations, the different phenomena including additive-additive and additive-dye interactions can change the structure, strength, and aggregative properties of the dyes. Finally, the urea in water induces noticeably fluorescence quenching in emission spectra of both the dyes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. 11 CFR 9008.13 - Additional audits.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 11 Federal Elections 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Additional audits. 9008.13 Section 9008.13... Convention Committees § 9008.13 Additional audits. In accordance with 11 CFR 104.16(c), the Commission... investigation of any committee in any case in which the Commission finds reason to believe that a violation of a...

  12. The fracture and fragmentation behaviour of additively manufactured stainless steel 316L

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Amott, Russell; Harris, Ernest; Winter, Ron; Stirk, Stewart; Chapman, David; Eakins, Daniel

    2015-06-01

    Expanding cylinder experiments using a gas gun technique allow investigations into the ductility of metals and the fracture and fragmentation mechanisms that occur during rapid tensile failure. These experiments allow the radial strain-rate of the expansion to be varied in the range 102 to 104 s-1. Presented here is a comparative study of the fracture and fragmentation behaviour of rapidly expanded stainless steel 316L cylinders manufactured from either wrought bar or by additive manufacturing techniques. The results show that in the strain-rate regime studied, an additively manufactured cylinder failed at a higher strain and produced larger fragment widths compared to cylinders manufactured from wrought bar. In addition, an investigation into the role of deliberate equispaced macroscopic voids introduced into a cylinder wall has been undertaken. Using the unique properties of additive manufacture, elongated voids were introduced to the cylinder wall at an angle of 45° to the cylinder radius, and the resulting fragment patterns will be discussed. A comparison of the expanding cylinder profiles with simulations using CTH will also be presented.

  13. Spectra-temporal patterns underlying mental addition: an ERP and ERD/ERS study.

    PubMed

    Ku, Yixuan; Hong, Bo; Gao, Xiaorong; Gao, Shangkai

    2010-03-12

    Functional neuroimaging data have shown that mental calculation involves fronto-parietal areas that are composed of different subsystems shared with other cognitive functions such as working memory and language. Event-related potential (ERP) analysis has also indicated sequential information changes during the calculation process. However, little is known about the dynamic properties of oscillatory networks in this process. In the present study, we applied both ERP and event-related (de-)synchronization (ERS/ERD) analyses to EEG data recorded from normal human subjects performing tasks for sequential visual/auditory mental addition. Results in the study indicate that the late positive components (LPCs) can be decomposed into two separate parts. The earlier element LPC1 (around 360ms) reflects the computing attribute and is more prominent in calculation tasks. The later element LPC2 (around 590ms) indicates an effect of number size and appears larger only in a more complex 2-digit addition task. The theta ERS and alpha ERD show modality-independent frontal and parietal differential patterns between the mental addition and control groups, and discrepancies are noted in the beta ERD between the 2-digit and 1-digit mental addition groups. The 2-digit addition (both visual and auditory) results in similar beta ERD patterns to the auditory control, which may indicate a reliance on auditory-related resources in mental arithmetic, especially with increasing task difficulty. These results coincide with the theory of simple calculation relying on the visuospatial process and complex calculation depending on the phonological process. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. NASA selects scientific investigations for Earth dynamics studies

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1981-01-01

    Forty two domestic investigators affiliated with U.S. universities, governmental agencies, or private concerns and 14 investigators from France, West Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Spain, Sweden, Australia, New Zealand, Venezuela, and Canada were selected to use precise geodetic data obtained by laser ranging and very long base interferometry in a study of the Earth's tectonic plate movement, crustal deformation, and rotational dynamics. The studies to be made and the principal investigators for each are listed.

  15. [Assessment of the effect of selected mixture of food additives on the protein metabolism--model studies].

    PubMed

    Friedrich, Mariola; Kuchlewska, Magdalena

    2012-01-01

    Contemporarily, food production without food additives is very rare. Increasingly often, however, scientific works report on adverse effects of specified, single food additives on the body. Data is, in turn, lacking on the synergistic effect of a mixture of different food additives on body functions and its main metabolic pathways. The objective of this study, an animal model, was to evaluate if and in what way the compound of chosen and most frequently used and consumed food additives, along with the change of diet composition to processed, purified, influence the selected markers of protein metabolism. The animals were divided into four groups, which were fed with compound of feed pellets: group I and II with basic compound, group III and IV with modified compound in which part of the full grain was replaced by isocalorie wheat flour type 500 and saccharose. Animals from groups I and III received tap water, which was standing for some time, to drink. Animals from groups II and IV received solution of chosen additives to food and next they were given water to drink. The amount of given food additives was evaluated by taking into consideration their consumption by people recalculated to 1 kg of their body mass. The experiment spanned for 7 weeks. It was ascertained that the applied additives caused significant changes in total protein concentration and its fractions: albumin, alpha1-globulin, alpha2-globulin, beta-globulin and gamma-globulin in the blood serum of the animals under research, which can indicate and contribute to disclosure of creation of undesirable food reaction, especially when recommended levels of consumption of those additives are being exceeded. The organism response to the applied additives and accompanying it change of diet was essentially connected to sex of the animals. Undesirable character of changes taking place under the influence of applied additives, was observed both in animals fed with basic feed and modified feed with various

  16. [Failure of a study in forensic psychiatric hospitals : Clinical trial to investigate the additive effect of triptorelin on the efficacy of psychotherapy].

    PubMed

    Briken, Peer; Müller, Jürgen L; Berner, Wolfgang; Bödeker, Rolf-Hasso; Vollmann, Jochen; Kasperk, Christian; Koller, Matthias

    2017-05-01

    A testosterone-lowering medication is relatively commonly used as a form of treatment for sexual offenders with severe paraphilic disorders in German forensic psychiatric hospitals; however, a double-blind, controlled and randomized study, which investigates the efficacy of this medication, is still lacking. This article describes the process from the planning to the rejection of a clinical trial over the period from 2009 to 2015. Despite the careful planning with an interdisciplinary team and giving special consideration to the complex legal situation, the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) rejected the proposed trial in a brief formal letter with reference to the German Drug Law (§ 40 para. 1 p. 3 nr. 4 AMG). The ethics committee of the Hamburg Medical Association considered that clinical research is basically not possible with patients detained in a forensic psychiatric hospital. In the opinion of the authors, the described facts illustrate how legal regulations that should protect vulnerable groups in medical research, in a specific case can lead to the fact that a therapy form relevant to the corresponding patient group cannot be scientifically investigated.

  17. Genotypic variability-based genome-wide association study identifies non-additive loci HLA-C and IL12B for psoriasis.

    PubMed

    Wei, Wen-Hua; Massey, Jonathan; Worthington, Jane; Barton, Anne; Warren, Richard B

    2018-03-01

    Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have identified a number of loci for psoriasis but largely ignored non-additive effects. We report a genotypic variability-based GWAS (vGWAS) that can prioritize non-additive loci without requiring prior knowledge of interaction types or interacting factors in two steps, using a mixed model to partition dichotomous phenotypes into an additive component and non-additive environmental residuals on the liability scale and then the Levene's (Brown-Forsythe) test to assess equality of the residual variances across genotype groups genome widely. The vGWAS identified two genome-wide significant (P < 5.0e-08) non-additive loci HLA-C and IL12B that were also genome-wide significant in an accompanying GWAS in the discovery cohort. Both loci were statistically replicated in vGWAS of an independent cohort with a small sample size. HLA-C and IL12B were reported in moderate gene-gene and/or gene-environment interactions in several occasions. We found a moderate interaction with age-of-onset of psoriasis, which was replicated indirectly. The vGWAS also revealed five suggestive loci (P < 6.76e-05) including FUT2 that was associated with psoriasis with environmental aspects triggered by virus infection and/or metabolic factors. Replication and functional investigation are needed to validate the suggestive vGWAS loci.

  18. The Evolution of Children's Mental Addition.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ashcraft, Mark H.; Hamann, Mary Sue

    Students in grades 1, 4, 7, and 10 were tested in a two-part investigation of simple and complex mental addition (with college students as a reference point). One session involved a normal reaction time task in which children made true/false judgments about a series of addition examples. The other session involved a verbal protocol interview, the…

  19. Investigation on Aging σ-Phase Precipitation Kinetics and Pitting Corrosion of 22 Pct Cr Economical Duplex Stainless Steel with Mn Addition

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Yinhui; Qian, Hao

    2018-05-01

    The influence of Mn addition on σ-phase precipitation kinetics and pitting corrosion of Fe-22Cr-1.9Ni-2.3Mo-0.2N-xMn low nickel type duplex stainless steel was investigated by medium- and high-temperature aging treatments of 600 °C and 800 °C. The microstructure analysis showed that the fine rod-shaped and coarsening dendritelike σ-phase precipitates formed at 600 °C and 800 °C, respectively, and the precipitate growth with the higher temperature was accelerated due to the partition of Mn, but Mn is not a strong σ-phase forming element like Cr, Mo during aging treatment at these two temperatures. At an early aging time of 800 °C, more precipitated nuclei with more Mn addition promote refinement of σ precipitates in later aging time. The kinetic behavior at 600 °C and 800 °C is related to diffusion-controlled growth of σ phase, and the σ-phase nucleation and growth are enhanced with more Mn addition and higher aging temperature due to a faster Mn diffusion rate. The difference in precipitation morphology for two aging temperatures was attributed to the different nucleation modes caused by kinetics parameter n variation. Increasing the aging temperature from 600 °C to 800 °C increased the susceptibility to pitting with higher Mn addition due to faster σ-phase precipitation kinetics.

  20. Investigation of Deposit Formation Mechanisms for Engine In-cylinder Combustion and Exhaust Systems Using Quantitative Analysis and Sustainability Study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ye, Z.; Meng, Q.; Mohamadian, H. P.; Wang, J. T.; Chen, L.; Zhu, L.

    2007-06-01

    The formation of SI engine combustion deposits is a complex phenomenon which depends on various factors of fuel, oil, additives, and engine. The goal of this study is to examine the effects of operating conditions, gasoline, lubricating oil, and additives on deposit formation. Both an experimental investigation and theoretical analysis are conducted on a single cylinder engine. As a result, the impact of deposits on engine performance and exhaust emissions (HC, NO x ) has been indicated. Using samples from a cylinder head and exhaust pipe as well as switching gases via the dual-gas method (N2, O2), the deposit formation mechanism is thoroughly investigated via the thermogravity analysis approach, where the roles of organic, inorganic, and volatile components of fuel, additives, and oil on deposit formation are identified from thermogravity curves. Sustainable feedback control design is then proposed for potential emission control and performance optimization

  1. Use of a Generalized Additive Model to Investigate Key Abiotic Factors Affecting Microcystin Cellular Quotas in Heavy Bloom Areas of Lake Taihu

    PubMed Central

    Tao, Min; Xie, Ping; Chen, Jun; Qin, Boqiang; Zhang, Dawen; Niu, Yuan; Zhang, Meng; Wang, Qing; Wu, Laiyan

    2012-01-01

    Lake Taihu is the third largest freshwater lake in China and is suffering from serious cyanobacterial blooms with the associated drinking water contamination by microcystin (MC) for millions of citizens. So far, most studies on MCs have been limited to two small bays, while systematic research on the whole lake is lacking. To explain the variations in MC concentrations during cyanobacterial bloom, a large-scale survey at 30 sites across the lake was conducted monthly in 2008. The health risks of MC exposure were high, especially in the northern area. Both Microcystis abundance and MC cellular quotas presented positive correlations with MC concentration in the bloom seasons, suggesting that the toxic risks during Microcystis proliferations were affected by variations in both Microcystis density and MC production per Microcystis cell. Use of a powerful predictive modeling tool named generalized additive model (GAM) helped visualize significant effects of abiotic factors related to carbon fixation and proliferation of Microcystis (conductivity, dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), water temperature and pH) on MC cellular quotas from recruitment period of Microcystis to the bloom seasons, suggesting the possible use of these factors, in addition to Microcystis abundance, as warning signs to predict toxic events in the future. The interesting relationship between macrophytes and MC cellular quotas of Microcystis (i.e., high MC cellular quotas in the presence of macrophytes) needs further investigation. PMID:22384128

  2. The fracture and fragmentation behaviour of additively manufactured stainless steel 316L

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Amott, R.; Harris, E. J.; Winter, R. E.; Stirk, S. M.; Chapman, D. J.; Eakins, D. E.

    2017-01-01

    Expanding cylinder experiments using a gas gun technique allow investigations into the ductility of metals and the fracture and fragmentation mechanisms that occur during rapid tensile failure. These experiments allow the radial strain-rate of the expansion to be varied in the range 102 to 104 s-1. Presented here is a comparative study of the fracture and fragmentation behaviour of rapidly expanded stainless steel 316L cylinders manufactured from either a wrought bar or additive manufacturing techniques. The results show that in the strain-rate regime studied, an additively manufactured cylinder failed at a higher strain and produced larger fragment widths when compared to cylinders manufactured from a wrought bar. In addition, an investigation into the role of macroscopic elongated voids that were introduced into the cylinder wall, at an angle of 45° to the cylinder radius, was undertaken. A comparison between experimental and simulated results (using the Eulerian hydrocode CTH) was also completed.

  3. Development of new addition-type composite resins

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kray, R. J.

    1981-01-01

    The most promising of a number of new addition type polyimides and polyaromatic melamine (NCNS) resins for use in high performance composite materials. Three different cure temperature ranges were of interest: 530-560 K (500-550 F), 475-530 K (400-500 F), and 450 K (350 F). Examined were a wide variety of polyimide precursors terminated with 5 norbornene groups and addition polymerized at 560 K similar to PMR-15 and LARC-160 polyimides. In addition, a number of lower curing cinnamal end capped polyimides and a bismaleimide were investigated but were not found promising. A group of NCNS resins were investigated and some were found to be superior to current epoxy resins in moisture resistance, oxidative aging and flame and smoke properties.

  4. Evaluating Drugs and Food Additives for Public Use: A Case Studies Approach.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Merritt, Sheridan V.

    1980-01-01

    Described is a case study used in an introductory college biology course that provides a basis for generating debate on an issue concerning the regulation of controversial food additives and prescription drugs. The case study contained within this article deals with drug screening, specifically with information related to thalidomide. (CS)

  5. Production of lipase and protease from an indigenous Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain and their evaluation as detergent additives: compatibility study with detergent ingredients and washing performance.

    PubMed

    Grbavčić, Sanja; Bezbradica, Dejan; Izrael-Živković, Lidija; Avramović, Nataša; Milosavić, Nenad; Karadžić, Ivanka; Knežević-Jugović, Zorica

    2011-12-01

    An indigenous Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain has been studied for lipase and protease activities for their potential application in detergents. Produced enzymes were investigated in order to assess their compatibility with several surfactants, oxidizing agents and commercial detergents. The crude lipase appeared to retain high activity and stability in the presence of several surfactants and oxidizing agents and it was insusceptible to proteolysis. Lutensol® XP80 and Triton® X-100 strongly activated the lipase for a long period (up to 40 and 30% against the control after 1h) while the protease activity was enhanced by the addition of Triton® WR1339 and Tween® 80. The washing performance of the investigated surfactants was significantly improved with the addition of the crude enzyme preparation. Studies were further undertaken to improve enzymes production. The optimization of fermentation conditions led to an 8-fold increase of lipase production, while the production of protease was enhanced by 60%. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Chemical stabilization of polymers: Implications for dermal exposure to additives.

    PubMed

    Bartsch, N; Girard, M; Schneider, L; Weijgert, V Van De; Wilde, A; Kappenstein, O; Vieth, B; Hutzler, C; Luch, A

    2018-04-16

    Technical benefits of additives in polymers stand in marked contrast to their associated health risks. Here, a multi-analyte method based on gas chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) was developed to quantify polymer additives in complex matrices such as low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and isolated human skin layers after dermal exposure ex vivo. That way both technical aspects and dermal exposure were investigated. The effects of polymer additivation on the material were studied using the example of LDPE. To this end, a tailor-made polymer was applied in aging studies that had been furnished with two different mixtures of phenol- and diarylamine-based antioxidants, plasticizers and processing aids. Upon accelerated thermo-oxidative aging of the material, the formation of LDPE degradation products was monitored with attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transformed infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy. Compared to pure LDPE, a protective effect of added antioxidants could be observed on the integrity of the polymer. Further, thermo-oxidative degradation of the additives and its kinetics were investigated using LDPE or squalane as matrix. The half-lives of additives in both matrices revealed significant differences between the tested additives as well as between LDPE and squalane. For instance, 2-tert-butyl-6-[(3-tert-butyl-2-hydroxy-5-methylphenyl)methyl]-4-methylphenol (Antioxidant 2246) showed a half-life 12 times lower when incorporated in LDPE as compared to squalane. As a model for dermal exposure of consumers, human skin was brought into contact with the tailor-made LDPE containing additives ex vivo in static Franz diffusion cells. The skin was then analyzed for additives and decomposition products. This study proved 10 polymer additives of diverse pysicochemical properties and functionalities to migrate out of the polymer and eventually overcome the intact human skin barrier during contact. Moreover, their individual distribution within

  7. Operando Multi-modal Synchrotron Investigation for Structural and Chemical Evolution of Cupric Sulfide (CuS) Additive in Li-S battery

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

    Sun, Ke; Zhao, Chonghang; Lin, Cheng-Hung

    Conductive metal sulfides are promising multi-functional additives for future lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. These can increase the sulfur cathode’s electrical conductivity to improve the battery’s power capability, as well as contribute to the overall cell-discharge capacity. This multi-functional electrode design showed initial promise; however, complicated interactions at the system level are accompanied by some detrimental side effects. The metal sulfide additives with a chemical conversion as the reaction mechanism, e.g., CuS and FeS 2, can increase the theoretical capacity of the Li-S system. However, these additives may cause undesired parasitic reactions, such as the dissolution of the additive in the electrolyte.more » Studying such complex reactions presents a challenge because it requires experimental methods that can track the chemical and structural evolution of the system during an electrochemical process. To address the fundamental mechanisms in these systems, we employed an operando multimodal x-ray characterization approach to study the structural and chemical evolution of the metal sulfide—utilizing powder diffraction and fluorescence imaging to resolve the former and absorption spectroscopy the latter—during lithiation and de-lithiation of a Li-S battery with CuS as the multi-functional cathode additive. The resulting elucidation of the structural and chemical evolution of the system leads to a new description of the reaction mechanism.« less

  8. Operando Multi-modal Synchrotron Investigation for Structural and Chemical Evolution of Cupric Sulfide (CuS) Additive in Li-S battery

    DOE PAGES

    Sun, Ke; Zhao, Chonghang; Lin, Cheng-Hung; ...

    2017-10-11

    Conductive metal sulfides are promising multi-functional additives for future lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. These can increase the sulfur cathode’s electrical conductivity to improve the battery’s power capability, as well as contribute to the overall cell-discharge capacity. This multi-functional electrode design showed initial promise; however, complicated interactions at the system level are accompanied by some detrimental side effects. The metal sulfide additives with a chemical conversion as the reaction mechanism, e.g., CuS and FeS 2, can increase the theoretical capacity of the Li-S system. However, these additives may cause undesired parasitic reactions, such as the dissolution of the additive in the electrolyte.more » Studying such complex reactions presents a challenge because it requires experimental methods that can track the chemical and structural evolution of the system during an electrochemical process. To address the fundamental mechanisms in these systems, we employed an operando multimodal x-ray characterization approach to study the structural and chemical evolution of the metal sulfide—utilizing powder diffraction and fluorescence imaging to resolve the former and absorption spectroscopy the latter—during lithiation and de-lithiation of a Li-S battery with CuS as the multi-functional cathode additive. The resulting elucidation of the structural and chemical evolution of the system leads to a new description of the reaction mechanism.« less

  9. Tribological study on rapeseed oil with nano-additives in close contact sliding situation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gupta, Rajeev Nayan; Harsha, A. P.; Singh, Sagar

    2018-02-01

    The present work deals with the tribological evaluation of three types of nano-additives, i.e., copper oxide (CuO; ≈ 151.2 nm), cerium oxide (CeO2; ≈ 80 nm) and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE; ≈ 90.4 nm) with rapeseed oil under steel-steel sliding contacts. The nano-additives concentrations in the base oil were 0.1, 0.25 and 0.5% w/v for the lubricant formulation. Further, the rapeseed oil was also epoxidized by a chemical method and the tribological behavior was compared with the base oil (unmodified oil) at similar nano-additives concentrations. The ASTM standards were followed for the study of wear preventive and extreme-pressure analysis of nanolubricants, and it was carried out using four-ball tester. In the antiwear test, CeO2 and PTFE nano-additives have shown the significant reduction in the wear scar diameter at the concentration of 0.1% w/v. In the extreme-pressure test, 0.5% w/v concentration was optimum for oxide nanoparticles; however, PTFE nanoparticles did not show positive effect with both the base oils. Different characterization techniques were employed to confirm the oil modification and for the study of the worn surfaces.

  10. Detergent-dispersant additives based on high-molecular-weight alkylphenols

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

    Kulieva, K.N.; Namazova, I.I.; Ismailova, N.D.

    1988-09-01

    This article describes the synthesis and investigation of Mannich bases produced for alkylphenols, obtained in turn from ethylene oligomers. These oligomers are the still bottoms from distillation products of high-temperature oligomerization of ethylene in the presence of triethylaluminum. Two narrow cuts obtained from the distillation of oligomer fraction were used to study the influence of ethylene oligomer molecular weight on the properties of the additives. The additives were blended in DS-11 oil to evaluate their detergency-dispersancy and other properties. Comparison blends were made with succinimide additives based on the same ethylene oligomers. The Mannich bases give improvements in the oxidationmore » resistance, anticorrosion properties, and detergency-dispersancy of the DS-11 diesel oil.« less

  11. Kaolinite flocculation induced by smectite addition - a transmission X-ray microscopic study.

    PubMed

    Zbik, Marek S; Song, Yen-Fang; Frost, Ray L

    2010-09-01

    The influence of smectite addition on kaolinite suspensions in water was investigated by transmission X-ray microscopy (TXM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Sedimentation test screening was also conducted. Micrographs were processed by the STatistic IMage Analysing (STIMAN) program and structural parameters were calculated. From the results of the sedimentation tests important influences of small smectite additions to about 3wt.% on kaolinite suspension flocculation has been found. In order to determine the reason for this smectite impact on kaolinite suspension, macroscopic behaviour micro-structural examination using Transmission X-ray Microscope (TXM) and SEM has been undertaken. TXM & SEM micrographs of freeze-dried kaolinite-smectite suspensions with up to 20% smectite showed a high degree of orientation of the fabric made of highly oriented particles and greatest density when 3wt.% of smectite was added to the 10wt.% dense kaolinite suspension. In contrast, suspensions containing pure kaolinite do not show such platelet mutual orientation but homogenous network of randomly oriented kaolinite platelets. This suggests that in kaolinite-smectite suspensions, smectite forms highly oriented basic framework into which kaolinite platelets may bond in face to face preferential contacts strengthening structure and allowing them to show plastic behaviour which is cause of platelets orientation. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Addition of immunosuppressive treatment to hemoperfusion is associated with improved survival after paraquat poisoning: a nationwide study.

    PubMed

    Wu, Wen-Pyng; Lai, Ming-Nan; Lin, Ching-Heng; Li, Yu-Fen; Lin, Ching-Yuang; Wu, Ming-Ju

    2014-01-01

    Paraquat poisoning associates very high mortality rate. Early treatment with hemoperfusion is strongly suggested by animal and human studies. Although the survival benefit of additional immunosuppressive treatment (IST) in combination with hemoperfusion is also reported since 1971, the large-scale randomized control trials to confirm the effects of IST is difficult to be executed. Therefore, we designed this nationwide large-scale population-based retrospective cohort study to investigate the outcome of paraquat poisoning with hemoperfusion and the additional effects of IST combined with hemoperfusion. This nationwide retrospective cohort study utilized data retrieved from the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) of Taiwan. A total of 1811 hospitalized patients with a diagnosis of paraquat poisoning who received hemoperfusion between 1997 and 2009 were enrolled. The mean age of all 1811 study subjects was 47.3 years. 70% was male. The overall survival rate was only 26.4%. Respiratory failure and renal failure were diagnosed in 56.2% and 36% patients. The average frequency of hemoperfusion was twice. IST was added in 42.2% patients. IST significantly increases survival rate (from 24.3% to 29.3%, P<0.001). The combined IST with methylprednisolone, cyclophosphamide and dexamethasone associates with the highest survival rate (48%, P<0.001). Moreover, patients younger than 45 years of age in the IST group had the best survival (41.0% vs. 33.7%, p<0.001). Our results support the use of IST with hemoperfusion for paraquat-poisoned patients. The best survival effect of IST is the combination of methylprednisolone, cyclophosphamide and daily dexamethasone, especially in patients with younger age.

  13. Error Patterns in Portuguese Students' Addition and Subtraction Calculation Tasks: Implications for Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Watson, Silvana Maria R.; Lopes, João; Oliveira, Célia; Judge, Sharon

    2018-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this descriptive study is to investigate why some elementary children have difficulties mastering addition and subtraction calculation tasks. Design/methodology/approach: The researchers have examined error types in addition and subtraction calculation made by 697 Portuguese students in elementary grades. Each student…

  14. Investigation on the relationship between solubility of artemisinin and polyvinylpyrroli done addition by using DAOSD approach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Jin; Guo, Ran; He, Anqi; Weng, Shifu; Gao, Xiuxiang; Xu, Yizhuang; Noda, Isao; Wu, Jinguang

    2017-07-01

    In this work, we investigated the influence of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) on the solubility of artemisinin in aqueous solution by using quantitative 1H NMR. Experimental results demonstrate that about 4 times of incremental increase occurs on the solubility of artemisinin upon introducing PVP. In addition, dipole-dipole interaction between the ester group of artemisinin and the amide group of N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP), a model compound of PVP, is characterized by two-dimensional (2D) correlation FTIR spectroscopy with the DAOSD (Double Asynchronous Orthogonal Sample Design) approach developed in our previous work. The observation of cross peaks in a pair of 2D asynchronous spectra suggests that dipole-dipole interaction indeed occurs between the ester group of artemisinin and amide group of NMP. Moreover, the pattern of cross peaks indicates that the carbonyl band of artemisinin undergoes blue-shift while the bandwidth and absorptivity increases via interaction with NMP, and the amide band of NMP undergoes blue-shift while the absorptivity increases via interaction with artemisinin. Dipole-dipole interaction, as one of the strongest intermolecular interaction between artemisinin and excipient, may play an important role in the enhancement of the solubility of artemisinin in aqueous solution.

  15. Microstructural characterization of annealed U-12Zr-4Pd and U-12Zr-4Pd-5Ln: Investigating Pd as a metallic fuel additive

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Benson, Michael T.; He, Lingfeng; King, James A.; Mariani, Robert D.

    2018-04-01

    Palladium is being investigated as a potential additive to metallic fuel to control fuel-cladding chemical interaction (FCCI). A primary cause of FCCI is the lanthanide fission products moving to the fuel periphery and interacting with the cladding. This interaction will lead to wastage of the cladding and, given enough time or burn-up, eventually to a cladding breach. The current study is a scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) characterization of annealed U-12Zr-4Pd and U-12Zr-4Pd-5Ln, where Ln = 53Nd-25Ce-16Pr-6La. The present study shows that Pd preferentially binds the lanthanides over other fuel constituents, which may prevent lanthanide migration and interaction with the cladding during irradiation. The SEM analysis indicates the 1:1 Pd-Ln compound is being formed, while the TEM analysis, due to higher resolution, found the 1:1 compound, as well as Pd-rich compounds Pd2Ln and Pd3Ln2.

  16. Learning a Language and Studying Content in an Additional Language: Student Opinions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ger, Ugur; Bahar, Mustafa

    2018-01-01

    This study aims to understand the opinions of middle school and high school students about language learning and studying other content in an additional language in the school settings where English is used as the medium of instruction to teach more than 50% of the curriculum. For this end, 261 students from three different schools were…

  17. Influence of handling on the effectiveness of antistripping additives.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1980-01-01

    The purpose of this investigation was to determine the influence of the procedures used in handling asphalt-additive blends on the effectiveness of antistripping additives in asphaltic concrete. The additives were blended with the asphalt cements bef...

  18. Conservation studies on ornamental and building stones of north-eastern Sicily. Geomineralogical and porosimetric investigations.

    PubMed

    Cardiano, P; Sergi, S; Triscari, M; Piraino, P

    2001-01-01

    The effectiveness, as preserving agents, of a series of chemical compounds (silanes, siloxanes, epoxides, perfluoropolyethers, acrylates, acrylsilicones) has been tested on lithic materials mainly used in artistic stoneworks of north-eastern Sicily. The selection and classification of the stone types, based on geomineralogical criteria follows a brief excursus about their use as artistic materials. The results of the porosimetric investigations, before and after conservation treatments, are reported. In addition, polarizing mineralogical microscope photos of the studied lithoid materials are presented.

  19. A SEARCH FOR ADDITIONAL PLANETS IN FIVE OF THE EXOPLANETARY SYSTEMS STUDIED BY THE NASA EPOXI MISSION

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

    Ballard, Sarah; Charbonneau, David; Holman, Matthew J.

    We present time series photometry and constraints on additional planets in five of the exoplanetary systems studied by the EPOCh (Extrasolar Planet Observation and Characterization) component of the NASA EPOXI mission: HAT-P-4, TrES-3, TrES-2, WASP-3, and HAT-P-7. We conduct a search of the high-precision time series for photometric transits of additional planets. We find no candidate transits with significance higher than our detection limit. From Monte Carlo tests of the time series using putative periods from 0.5 days to 7 days, we demonstrate the sensitivity to detect Neptune-sized companions around TrES-2, sub-Saturn-sized companions in the HAT-P-4, TrES-3, and WASP-3 systems,more » and Saturn-sized companions around HAT-P-7. We investigate in particular our sensitivity to additional transits in the dynamically favorable 3:2 and 2:1 exterior resonances with the known exoplanets: if we assume coplanar orbits with the known planets, then companions in these resonances with HAT-P-4b, WASP-3b, and HAT-P-7b would be expected to transit, and we can set lower limits on the radii of companions in these systems. In the nearly grazing exoplanetary systems TrES-3 and TrES-2, additional coplanar planets in these resonances are not expected to transit. However, we place lower limits on the radii of companions that would transit if the orbits were misaligned by 2.{sup 0}0 and 1.{sup 0}4 for TrES-3 and TrES-2, respectively.« less

  20. Comparison of Three Instructional Sequences for the Addition and Subtraction Algorithms. Technical Report 273.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wiles, Clyde A.

    The study's purpose was to investigate the differential effects on the achievement of second-grade students that could be attributed to three instructional sequences for the learning of the addition and subtraction algorithms. One sequence presented the addition algorithm first (AS), the second presented the subtraction algorithm first (SA), and…

  1. Additive Manufacturing of Metastable Beta Titanium Alloys

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yannetta, Christopher J.

    Additive manufacturing processes of many alloys are known to develop texture during the deposition process due to the rapid reheating and the directionality of the dissipation of heat. Titanium alloys and with respect to this study beta titanium alloys are especially susceptible to these effects. This work examines Ti-20wt%V and Ti-12wt%Mo deposited under normal additive manufacturing process parameters to examine the texture of these beta-stabilized alloys. Both microstructures contained columnar prior beta grains 1-2 mm in length beginning at the substrate with no visible equiaxed grains. This microstructure remained constant in the vanadium system throughout the build. The microstructure of the alloy containing molybdenum changed from a columnar to an equiaxed structure as the build height increased. Eighteen additional samples of the Ti-Mo system were created under different processing parameters to identify what role laser power and travel speed have on the microstructure. There appears to be a correlation in alpha lath size and power density. The two binary alloys were again deposited under the same conditions with the addition of 0.5wt% boron to investigate the effects an insoluble interstitial alloying element would have on the microstructure. The size of the prior beta grains in these two alloys were reduced with the addition of boron by approximately 50 (V) and 100 (Mo) times.

  2. PMMA denture base material enhancement: a review of fiber, filler, and nanofiller addition

    PubMed Central

    Gad, Mohammed M; Fouda, Shaimaa M; Al-Harbi, Fahad A; Näpänkangas, Ritva; Raustia, Aune

    2017-01-01

    This paper reviews acrylic denture base resin enhancement during the past few decades. Specific attention is given to the effect of fiber, filler, and nanofiller addition on poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) properties. The review is based on scientific reviews, papers, and abstracts, as well as studies concerning the effect of additives, fibers, fillers, and reinforcement materials on PMMA, published between 1974 and 2016. Many studies have reported improvement of PMMA denture base material with the addition of fillers, fibers, nanofiller, and hybrid reinforcement. However, most of the studies were limited to in vitro investigations without bioactivity and clinical implications. Considering the findings of the review, there is no ideal denture base material, but the properties of PMMA could be improved with some modifications, especially with silanized nanoparticle addition and a hybrid reinforcement system. PMID:28553115

  3. Children's Additive Concepts: Promoting Understanding and the Role of Inhibition

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Robinson, Katherine M.; Dube, Adam K.

    2013-01-01

    This study investigated the promotion of children's understanding and acquisition of arithmetic concepts and the effects of inhibitory skills. Children in Grades 3, 4, and 5 solved two sets of three-term addition and subtraction problems (e.g., 3 + 24 - 24, 3 + 24 - 22) and completed an inhibition task. Half of the participants received a…

  4. XRD investigation of the Effect of MgO Additives on ZTA-TiO2 Ceramic Composites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Azhar, Ahmad Zahirani Ahmad; Manshor, Hanisah; Ali, Afifah Mohd

    2018-01-01

    Alumina (Al2O3) based ceramics possess good mechanical properties and suitable for the application of cutting inserts. However, this monolithic ceramics suffer from lack of toughness. Hence, there are some modification were made such as the addition of yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) to the Al2O3 helps in increasing the toughness of the Al2O3 ceramics. Some additives such as MgO and TiO2 were used to further improve the mechanical properties of ZTA. In this study, high purity raw materials which consist of ZTA-TiO2 were mixed with different amount of MgO (0.0 - 1.0 wt %). The mixture of materials was going through wet mixing, compaction and pressureless sintering at 1600°C for one hour. The samples were characterized for phase analysis, microstructure, shrinkage rate, bulk density, Vickers hardness and fracture toughness. Based on the XRD analysis results, the secondary phase (MgAl2O4) was detected in the sample with 0.5 wt% of MgO onwards which leads to grains refinement, thus improve the density and hardness of ZTA-TiO2-MgO ceramics composites.

  5. Studies for understanding effects of additions on the strength of cement concrete

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bucur, R. D.; Barbuta, M.; Konvalina, P.; Serbanoiu, A. A.; Bernas, J.

    2017-09-01

    The paper analyzes the effects of different types of additions introduced in concrete mix on the compressive strength. The current studies show that additions contribute to improve some characteristics of concrete and to reduce the cement dosage, so it can obtain concretes which are cheaper and friendlier with environment. In the experimental mixes were introduced: crushed natural aggregates, slag aggregates, silica fume, fly ash, chopped tire, polystyrene granule, glass fibers and metallic fibers. The experimental values of compressive strengths were compared for two concrete grades (C20/25 and C25/30). The study shown that near the well-known possibilities of improving mechanical strengths of cement concrete by increasing cement dosage and strength, by using crushed aggregates and by reducing the water/cement ratio, there are other methods in which less cement is used by replacing it with different wastes or by adding fiber.

  6. A simulations approach for meta-analysis of genetic association studies based on additive genetic model.

    PubMed

    John, Majnu; Lencz, Todd; Malhotra, Anil K; Correll, Christoph U; Zhang, Jian-Ping

    2018-06-01

    Meta-analysis of genetic association studies is being increasingly used to assess phenotypic differences between genotype groups. When the underlying genetic model is assumed to be dominant or recessive, assessing the phenotype differences based on summary statistics, reported for individual studies in a meta-analysis, is a valid strategy. However, when the genetic model is additive, a similar strategy based on summary statistics will lead to biased results. This fact about the additive model is one of the things that we establish in this paper, using simulations. The main goal of this paper is to present an alternate strategy for the additive model based on simulating data for the individual studies. We show that the alternate strategy is far superior to the strategy based on summary statistics.

  7. Selective Laser Sintering of Porous Silica Enabled by Carbon Additive

    PubMed Central

    Chang, Shuai; Li, Liqun; Lu, Li

    2017-01-01

    The aim of this study is to investigate the possibility of a freeform fabrication of porous ceramic parts through selective laser sintering (SLS). SLS was proposed to manufacture ceramic green parts because this additive manufacturing technique can be used to fabricate three-dimensional objects directly without a mold, and the technique has the capability of generating porous ceramics with controlled porosity. However, ceramic printing has not yet fully achieved its 3D fabrication capabilities without using polymer binder. Except for the limitations of high melting point, brittleness, and low thermal shock resistance from ceramic material properties, the key obstacle lies in the very poor absorptivity of oxide ceramics to fiber laser, which is widely installed in commercial SLS equipment. An alternative solution to overcome the poor laser absorptivity via improving material compositions is presented in this study. The positive effect of carbon additive on the absorptivity of silica powder to fiber laser is discussed. To investigate the capabilities of the SLS process, 3D porous silica structures were successfully prepared and characterized. PMID:29144425

  8. Selective Laser Sintering of Porous Silica Enabled by Carbon Additive.

    PubMed

    Chang, Shuai; Li, Liqun; Lu, Li; Fuh, Jerry Ying Hsi

    2017-11-16

    The aim of this study is to investigate the possibility of a freeform fabrication of porous ceramic parts through selective laser sintering (SLS). SLS was proposed to manufacture ceramic green parts because this additive manufacturing technique can be used to fabricate three-dimensional objects directly without a mold, and the technique has the capability of generating porous ceramics with controlled porosity. However, ceramic printing has not yet fully achieved its 3D fabrication capabilities without using polymer binder. Except for the limitations of high melting point, brittleness, and low thermal shock resistance from ceramic material properties, the key obstacle lies in the very poor absorptivity of oxide ceramics to fiber laser, which is widely installed in commercial SLS equipment. An alternative solution to overcome the poor laser absorptivity via improving material compositions is presented in this study. The positive effect of carbon additive on the absorptivity of silica powder to fiber laser is discussed. To investigate the capabilities of the SLS process, 3D porous silica structures were successfully prepared and characterized.

  9. Addition of Immunosuppressive Treatment to Hemoperfusion Is Associated with Improved Survival after Paraquat Poisoning: A Nationwide Study

    PubMed Central

    Wu, Wen-Pyng; Lai, Ming-Nan; Lin, Ching-Heng; Li, Yu-Fen

    2014-01-01

    Paraquat poisoning associates very high mortality rate. Early treatment with hemoperfusion is strongly suggested by animal and human studies. Although the survival benefit of additional immunosuppressive treatment (IST) in combination with hemoperfusion is also reported since 1971, the large-scale randomized control trials to confirm the effects of IST is difficult to be executed. Therefore, we designed this nationwide large-scale population-based retrospective cohort study to investigate the outcome of paraquat poisoning with hemoperfusion and the additional effects of IST combined with hemoperfusion. This nationwide retrospective cohort study utilized data retrieved from the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) of Taiwan. A total of 1811 hospitalized patients with a diagnosis of paraquat poisoning who received hemoperfusion between 1997 and 2009 were enrolled. The mean age of all 1811 study subjects was 47.3 years. 70% was male. The overall survival rate was only 26.4%. Respiratory failure and renal failure were diagnosed in 56.2% and 36% patients. The average frequency of hemoperfusion was twice. IST was added in 42.2% patients. IST significantly increases survival rate (from 24.3% to 29.3%, P<0.001). The combined IST with methylprednisolone, cyclophosphamide and dexamethasone associates with the highest survival rate (48%, P<0.001). Moreover, patients younger than 45 years of age in the IST group had the best survival (41.0% vs. 33.7%, p<0.001). Our results support the use of IST with hemoperfusion for paraquat-poisoned patients. The best survival effect of IST is the combination of methylprednisolone, cyclophosphamide and daily dexamethasone, especially in patients with younger age. PMID:24475310

  10. An Experimental Evaluation of Hyperactivity and Food Additives. 1977-Phase I.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Harley, J. Preston

    Reported are findings of a study involving 46 families in which the effect of the Feingold (additive free) diet on hyperactivity in preschool and elementary age children was investigated. Eleven sections cover the following project components: introduction (definition of hyperactivity and the B. Feingold hypothesis), methodology, demographic…

  11. 78 FR 68461 - Guidance for Industry: Studies To Evaluate the Utility of Anti-Salmonella Chemical Food Additives...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-11-14

    ...] Guidance for Industry: Studies To Evaluate the Utility of Anti- Salmonella Chemical Food Additives in Feeds... Industry: Studies to Evaluate the Utility of Anti-Salmonella Chemical Food Additives in Feeds,'' and is... of Anti-Salmonella Chemical Food Additives in Feeds (GFI 80) is to help sponsors design efficacy...

  12. Use of lime as antistrip additive for mitigating moisture susceptibility of asphalt mixes containing baghouse fines.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2005-08-31

    This study investigated the effectiveness of hydrated lime as an antistrip additive for mixes : containing excess baghouse fines. Wet process of lime addition was used without marination. One percent : lime was added to asphalt mixes containing 5.5% ...

  13. Experimental investigation of solid by-product as sensible heat storage material: Characterization and corrosion study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ortega-Fernández, Iñigo; Faik, Abdessamad; Mani, Karthik; Rodriguez-Aseguinolaza, Javier; D'Aguanno, Bruno

    2016-05-01

    The experimental investigation of water cooled electrical arc furnace (EAF) slag used as filler material in the storage tank for sensible heat storage application was demonstrated in this study. The physicochemical and thermal properties of the tested slags were characterized by using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microcopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and laser flash analysis, respectively. In addition, the chemical compatibility between slags and molten nitrate salt (60 wt. % NaNO3 and 40 wt. % KNO3) was investigated at 565 °C for 500 hrs. The obtained results were clearly demonstrated that the slags showed a good corrosion resistance in direct contact with molten salt at elevated temperature. The present study was clearly indicated that a low-cost filler material used in the storage tank can significantly reduce the overall required quantities of the relatively higher cost molten salt and consequently reduce the overall cost of the electricity production.

  14. Effects of Bi Addition on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Nanocrystalline Ag Coatings.

    PubMed

    Wang, Yuxin; Cheng, Guang; Tay, See Leng; Guo, Yunxia; Sun, Xin; Gao, Wei

    2017-08-10

    In this study we investigated the effects of Bi addition on the microstructure and mechanical properties of an electrodeposited nanocrystalline Ag coating. Microstructural features were investigated with transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results indicate that the addition of Bi introduced nanometer-scale Ag-Bi solid solution particles and more internal defects to the initial Ag microstructures. The anisotropic elastic-plastic properties of the Ag nanocrystalline coating with and without Bi addition were examined with nanoindentation experiments in conjunction with the recently-developed inverse method. The results indicate that the as-deposited nanocrystalline Ag coating contained high mechanical anisotropy. With the addition of 1 atomic percent (at%) Bi, the anisotropy within Ag-Bi coating was very small, and yield strength of the nanocrystalline Ag-Bi alloy in both longitudinal and transverse directions were improved by over 100% compared to that of Ag. On the other hand, the strain-hardening exponent of Ag-Bi was reduced to 0.055 from the original 0.16 of the Ag coating. Furthermore, the addition of Bi only slightly increased the electrical resistivity of the Ag-Bi coating in comparison to Ag. Results of our study indicate that Bi addition is a promising method for improving the mechanical and physical performances of Ag coating for electrical contacts.

  15. Genetic assessment of additional endophenotypes from the Consortium on the Genetics of Schizophrenia Family Study.

    PubMed

    Greenwood, Tiffany A; Lazzeroni, Laura C; Calkins, Monica E; Freedman, Robert; Green, Michael F; Gur, Raquel E; Gur, Ruben C; Light, Gregory A; Nuechterlein, Keith H; Olincy, Ann; Radant, Allen D; Seidman, Larry J; Siever, Larry J; Silverman, Jeremy M; Stone, William S; Sugar, Catherine A; Swerdlow, Neal R; Tsuang, Debby W; Tsuang, Ming T; Turetsky, Bruce I; Braff, David L

    2016-01-01

    The Consortium on the Genetics of Schizophrenia Family Study (COGS-1) has previously reported our efforts to characterize the genetic architecture of 12 primary endophenotypes for schizophrenia. We now report the characterization of 13 additional measures derived from the same endophenotype test paradigms in the COGS-1 families. Nine of the measures were found to discriminate between schizophrenia patients and controls, were significantly heritable (31 to 62%), and were sufficiently independent of previously assessed endophenotypes, demonstrating utility as additional endophenotypes. Genotyping via a custom array of 1536 SNPs from 94 candidate genes identified associations for CTNNA2, ERBB4, GRID1, GRID2, GRIK3, GRIK4, GRIN2B, NOS1AP, NRG1, and RELN across multiple endophenotypes. An experiment-wide p value of 0.003 suggested that the associations across all SNPs and endophenotypes collectively exceeded chance. Linkage analyses performed using a genome-wide SNP array further identified significant or suggestive linkage for six of the candidate endophenotypes, with several genes of interest located beneath the linkage peaks (e.g., CSMD1, DISC1, DLGAP2, GRIK2, GRIN3A, and SLC6A3). While the partial convergence of the association and linkage likely reflects differences in density of gene coverage provided by the distinct genotyping platforms, it is also likely an indication of the differential contribution of rare and common variants for some genes and methodological differences in detection ability. Still, many of the genes implicated by COGS through endophenotypes have been identified by independent studies of common, rare, and de novo variation in schizophrenia, all converging on a functional genetic network related to glutamatergic neurotransmission that warrants further investigation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. EFFECT OF A WHOLE-CATCHMENT N ADDITION ON STREAM DETRITUS PROCESSING

    EPA Science Inventory

    The Bear Brook Watershed in Maine (BBWM) is a paired catchment study investigating ecosystem effects of N and S deposition. Because of the decade long (NH4)2SO4 addition, the treatment catchment has higher stream NO3 and enriched foliar N concentrations compared to the reference ...

  17. Investigation of Cross-Linked and Additive Containing Polymer Materials for Membranes with Improved Performance in Pervaporation and Gas Separation

    PubMed Central

    Hunger, Katharina; Schmeling, Nadine; Jeazet, Harold B. Tanh; Janiak, Christoph; Staudt, Claudia; Kleinermanns, Karl

    2012-01-01

    Pervaporation and gas separation performances of polymer membranes can be improved by crosslinking or addition of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). Crosslinked copolyimide membranes show higher plasticization resistance and no significant loss in selectivity compared to non-crosslinked membranes when exposed to mixtures of CO2/CH4 or toluene/cyclohexane. Covalently crosslinked membranes reveal better separation performances than ionically crosslinked systems. Covalent interlacing with 3-hydroxypropyldimethylmaleimide as photocrosslinker can be investigated in situ in solution as well as in films, using transient UV/Vis and FTIR spectroscopy. The photocrosslinking yield can be determined from the FTIR-spectra. It is restricted by the stiffness of the copolyimide backbone, which inhibits the photoreaction due to spatial separation of the crosslinker side chains. Mixed-matrix membranes (MMMs) with MOFs as additives (fillers) have increased permeabilities and often also selectivities compared to the pure polymer. Incorporation of MOFs into polysulfone and Matrimid® polymers for MMMs gives defect-free membranes with performances similar to the best polymer membranes for gas mixtures, such as O2/N2 H2/CH4, CO2/CH4, H2/CO2, CH4/N2 and CO2/N2 (preferentially permeating gas is named first). The MOF porosity, its particle size and content in the MMM are factors to influence the permeability and the separation performance of the membranes. PMID:24958427

  18. Materials Characterization of Additively Manufactured Components for Rocket Propulsion

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Carter, Robert; Draper, Susan; Locci, Ivan; Lerch, Bradley; Ellis, David; Senick, Paul; Meyer, Michael; Free, James; Cooper, Ken; Jones, Zachary

    2015-01-01

    To advance Additive Manufacturing (AM) technologies for production of rocket propulsion components the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) is applying state of the art characterization techniques to interrogate microstructure and mechanical properties of AM materials and components at various steps in their processing. The materials being investigated for upper stage rocket engines include titanium, copper, and nickel alloys. Additive manufacturing processes include laser powder bed, electron beam powder bed, and electron beam wire fed processes. Various post build thermal treatments, including Hot Isostatic Pressure (HIP), have been studied to understand their influence on microstructure, mechanical properties, and build density. Micro-computed tomography, electron microscopy, and mechanical testing in relevant temperature environments has been performed to develop relationships between build quality, microstructure, and mechanical performance at temperature. A summary of GRC's Additive Manufacturing roles and experimental findings will be presented.

  19. Material Characterization of Additively Manufactured Components for Rocket Propulsion

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Carter, Robert; Draper, Susan; Locci, Ivan; Lerch, Bradley; Ellis, David; Senick, Paul; Meyer, Michael; Free, James; Cooper, Ken; Jones, Zachary

    2015-01-01

    To advance Additive Manufacturing (AM) technologies for production of rocket propulsion components the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) is applying state of the art characterization techniques to interrogate microstructure and mechanical properties of AM materials and components at various steps in their processing. The materials being investigated for upper stage rocket engines include titanium, copper, and nickel alloys. Additive manufacturing processes include laser powder bed, electron beam powder bed, and electron beam wire fed processes. Various post build thermal treatments, including Hot Isostatic Pressure (HIP), have been studied to understand their influence on microstructure, mechanical properties, and build density. Micro-computed tomography, electron microscopy, and mechanical testing in relevant temperature environments has been performed to develop relationships between build quality, microstructure, and mechanical performance at temperature. A summary of GRCs Additive Manufacturing roles and experimental findings will be presented.

  20. Study on the interaction of the toxic food additive carmoisine with serum albumins: a microcalorimetric investigation.

    PubMed

    Basu, Anirban; Kumar, Gopinatha Suresh

    2014-05-30

    The interaction of the synthetic azo dye and food colorant carmoisine with human and bovine serum albumins was studied by microcalorimetric techniques. A complete thermodynamic profile of the interaction was obtained from isothermal titration calorimetry studies. The equilibrium constant of the complexation process was of the order of 10(6)M(-1) and the binding stoichiometry was found to be 1:1 with both the serum albumins. The binding was driven by negative standard molar enthalpy and positive standard molar entropy contributions. The binding affinity was lower at higher salt concentrations in both cases but the same was dominated by mostly non-electrostatic forces at all salt concentrations. The polyelectrolytic forces contributed only 5-8% of the total standard molar Gibbs energy change. The standard molar enthalpy change enhanced whereas the standard molar entropic contribution decreased with rise in temperature but they compensated each other to keep the standard molar Gibbs energy change almost invariant. The negative standard molar heat capacity values suggested the involvement of a significant hydrophobic contribution in the complexation process. Besides, enthalpy-entropy compensation phenomenon was also observed in both the systems. The thermal stability of the serum proteins was found to be remarkably enhanced on binding to carmoisine. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Theoretical and experimental investigation of design for multioptical-axis freeform progressive addition lenses

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xiang, HuaZhong; Chen, JiaBi; Zhu, TianFen; Wei, YeFei; Fu, DongXiang

    2015-11-01

    A freeform progressive addition lens (PAL) provides a good solution to correct presbyopia and prevent juvenile myopia by distributing pupils' optical powers of distance zone, near zone, and intermediate zone and is more widely adopted in the present optometric study. However, there is still a lack of a single-optical-axis system for the design of a PAL. This paper focuses on the research for an approach for designing a freeform PAL. A multioptical-axis system based on real viewing conditions using the eyes is employed for the representation of the freeform surface. We filled small pupils in the intermediate zone as a progressive corridor and the distance- and near-vision portions were defined as the standard spherical surfaces delimited by quadratic curves. Three freeform PALs with a spherical surface as the front side and a freeform surface as the backside were designed. We demonstrate the fabrication and measurement technologies for the PAL surface using computer numerical control machine tools from Schneider Smart and a Visionix VM-2000 Lens Power Mapper. Surface power and astigmatic values were obtained. Preliminary results showed that the approach for the design and fabrication is helpful to advance the design procedure optimization and mass production of PALs in optometry.

  2. Seniors Falls Investigative Methodology (SFIM): A Systems Approach to the Study of Falls in Seniors

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zecevic, Aleksandra A.; Salmoni, Alan W.; Lewko, John H.; Vandervoort, Anthony A.

    2007-01-01

    An in-depth understanding of human factors and human error is lacking in current research on seniors' falls. Additional knowledge is needed to understand why seniors are falling. The purpose of this article is to describe the adapting of the Integrated Safety Investigation Methodology (ISIM) (used for investigating transportation and industrial…

  3. Nucleation and growth of chimney pores during electron-beam additive manufacturing

    DOE PAGES

    Cordero, Zachary C.; Dinwiddie, Ralph B.; Immel, David; ...

    2016-12-05

    The nucleation and growth of chimney pores during powder-bed, electron-beam additive manufacturing is investigated using in-situ infrared thermography as well as microcomputed tomography of as-printed parts. The pores are found to nucleate at dimples on the part s surface, clearly demonstrating how process parameters can affect surface roughness, which can in turn affect the internal defect structure in an additive manufactured part. Based on the results of this study, several strategies for suppressing the formation of chimney pores are discussed.

  4. Wire-based laser metal deposition for additive manufacturing of TiAl6V4: basic investigations of microstructure and mechanical properties from build up parts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Klocke, Fritz; Arntz, Kristian; Klingbeil, Nils; Schulz, Martin

    2017-02-01

    The wire-based laser metal deposition (LMD-W) is a new technology which enables to produce complex parts made of titanium for the aerospace and automotive industry. For establishing the LMD-W as a new production process it has to be proven that the properties are comparable or superior to conventional produced parts. The mechanical properties were investigated by analysis of microstructure and tensile test. Therefore, specimens were generated using a 4.5 kW diode laser cladding system integrated in a 5-Axis-machining center. The structural mechanical properties are mainly influence by crystal structure and thereby the thermal history of the work piece. Especially the high affinity to oxide, distortion and dual phase microstructure make titanium grade 5 (TiAl6V4) one of the most challenging material for additive manufacturing. By using a proper local multi-nozzle shielding gas concept the negative influence of oxide in the process could be eliminated. The distortion being marginal at a single bead, accumulated to a macroscopic effect on the work piece. The third critical point for additive processing of titanium, the bimodal microstructure, could not be cleared by the laser process alone. All metallurgical probes showed α-martensitic-structure. Therefore, a thermal treatment became a necessary production step in the additive production chain. After the thermal treatment the microstructure as well as the distortion was analyzed and compared with the status before. Although not all technical issues could be solved, the investigation show that LMD-W of titanium grade 5 is a promising alternative to other additive techniques as electronic beam melting or plasma deposition welding.

  5. Investigating light curve modulation via kernel smoothing. II. New additional modes in single-mode OGLE classical Cepheids

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Süveges, Maria; Anderson, Richard I.

    2018-04-01

    Detailed knowledge of the variability of classical Cepheids, in particular their modulations and mode composition, provides crucial insight into stellar structure and pulsation. However, tiny modulations of the dominant radial-mode pulsation were recently found to be very frequent, possibly ubiquitous in Cepheids, which makes secondary modes difficult to detect and analyse, since these modulations can easily mask the potentially weak secondary modes. The aim of this study is to re-investigate the secondary mode content in the sample of OGLE-III and -IV single-mode classical Cepheids using kernel regression with adaptive kernel width for pre-whitening, instead of using a constant-parameter model. This leads to a more precise removal of the modulated dominant pulsation, and enables a more complete survey of secondary modes with frequencies outside a narrow range around the primary. Our analysis reveals that significant secondary modes occur more frequently among first overtone Cepheids than previously thought. The mode composition appears significantly different in the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds, suggesting a possible dependence on chemical composition. In addition to the formerly identified non-radial mode at P2 ≈ 0.6…0.65P1 (0.62-mode), and a cluster of modes with near-primary frequency, we find two more candidate non-radial modes. One is a numerous group of secondary modes with P2 ≈ 1.25P1, which may represent the fundamental of the 0.62-mode, supposed to be the first harmonic of an l ∈ {7, 8, 9} non-radial mode. The other new mode is at P2 ≈ 1.46P1, possibly analogous to a similar, rare mode recently discovered among first overtone RR Lyrae stars.

  6. Parameters and pitfalls to consider in the conduct of food additive research, Carrageenan as a case study.

    PubMed

    Weiner, Myra L

    2016-01-01

    This paper provides guidance on the conduct of new in vivo and in vitro studies on high molecular weight food additives, with carrageenan, the widely used food additive, as a case study. It is important to understand the physical/chemical properties and to verify the identity/purity, molecular weight and homogeneity/stability of the additive in the vehicle for oral delivery. The strong binding of CGN to protein in rodent chow or infant formula results in no gastrointestinal tract exposure to free CGN. It is recommended that doses of high Mw non-caloric, non-nutritive additives not exceed 5% by weight of total solid diet to avoid potential nutritional effects. Addition of some high Mw additives at high concentrations to liquid nutritional supplements increases viscosity and may affect palatability, caloric intake and body weight gain. In in vitro studies, the use of well-characterized, relevant cell types and the appropriate composition of the culture media are necessary for proper conduct and interpretation. CGN is bound to media protein and not freely accessible to cells in vitro. Interpretation of new studies on food additives should consider the interaction of food additives with the vehicle components and the appropriateness of the animal or cell model and dose-response. Copyright © 2015 FMC Corporation. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  7. Experimental study of combustion characteristics of nanoscale metal and metal oxide additives in biofuel (ethanol)

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    An experimental investigation of the combustion behavior of nano-aluminum (n-Al) and nano-aluminum oxide (n-Al2O3) particles stably suspended in biofuel (ethanol) as a secondary energy carrier was conducted. The heat of combustion (HoC) was studied using a modified static bomb calorimeter system. Combustion element composition and surface morphology were evaluated using a SEM/EDS system. N-Al and n-Al2O3 particles of 50- and 36-nm diameters, respectively, were utilized in this investigation. Combustion experiments were performed with volume fractions of 1, 3, 5, 7, and 10% for n-Al, and 0.5, 1, 3, and 5% for n-Al2O3. The results indicate that the amount of heat released from ethanol combustion increases almost linearly with n-Al concentration. N-Al volume fractions of 1 and 3% did not show enhancement in the average volumetric HoC, but higher volume fractions of 5, 7, and 10% increased the volumetric HoC by 5.82, 8.65, and 15.31%, respectively. N-Al2O3 and heavily passivated n-Al additives did not participate in combustion reactively, and there was no contribution from Al2O3 to the HoC in the tests. A combustion model that utilized Chemical Equilibrium with Applications was conducted as well and was shown to be in good agreement with the experimental results. PMID:21711760

  8. "The Dose Makes the Poison": Informing Consumers About the Scientific Risk Assessment of Food Additives.

    PubMed

    Bearth, Angela; Cousin, Marie-Eve; Siegrist, Michael

    2016-01-01

    Intensive risk assessment is required before the approval of food additives. During this process, based on the toxicological principle of "the dose makes the poison,ˮ maximum usage doses are assessed. However, most consumers are not aware of these efforts to ensure the safety of food additives and are therefore sceptical, even though food additives bring certain benefits to consumers. This study investigated the effect of a short video, which explains the scientific risk assessment and regulation of food additives, on consumers' perceptions and acceptance of food additives. The primary goal of this study was to inform consumers and enable them to construct their own risk-benefit assessment and make informed decisions about food additives. The secondary goal was to investigate whether people have different perceptions of food additives of artificial (i.e., aspartame) or natural origin (i.e., steviolglycoside). To attain these research goals, an online experiment was conducted on 185 Swiss consumers. Participants were randomly assigned to either the experimental group, which was shown a video about the scientific risk assessment of food additives, or the control group, which was shown a video about a topic irrelevant to the study. After watching the video, the respondents knew significantly more, expressed more positive thoughts and feelings, had less risk perception, and more acceptance than prior to watching the video. Thus, it appears that informing consumers about complex food safety topics, such as the scientific risk assessment of food additives, is possible, and using a carefully developed information video is a successful strategy for informing consumers. © 2015 Society for Risk Analysis.

  9. The Importance of Additive Reasoning in Children's Mathematical Achievement: A Longitudinal Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ching, Boby Ho-Hong; Nunes, Terezinha

    2017-01-01

    This longitudinal study examines the relative importance of counting ability, additive reasoning, and working memory in children's mathematical achievement (calculation and story problem solving). In Hong Kong, 115 Chinese children aged 6 years old participated in 2 waves of assessments (T1 = first grade and T2 = second grade). Multiple regression…

  10. Pharmacological and Chemical Effects of Cigarette Additives

    PubMed Central

    Rabinoff, Michael; Caskey, Nicholas; Rissling, Anthony; Park, Candice

    2007-01-01

    We investigated tobacco industry documents and other sources for evidence of possible pharmacological and chemical effects of tobacco additives. Our findings indicated that more than 100 of 599 documented cigarette additives have pharmacological actions that camouflage the odor of environmental tobacco smoke emitted from cigarettes, enhance or maintain nicotine delivery, could increase the addictiveness of cigarettes, and mask symptoms and illnesses associated with smoking behaviors. Whether such uses were specifically intended for these agents is unknown. Our results provide a clear rationale for regulatory control of tobacco additives. PMID:17666709

  11. Additional EIPC Study Analysis: Interim Report on Medium Priority Topics

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

    Hadley, Stanton W.; Gotham, Douglas J.

    Between 2010 and 2012 the Eastern Interconnection Planning Collaborative (EIPC) conducted a major long-term resource and transmission study of the Eastern Interconnection (EI). With guidance from a stakeholder steering committee (SSC) that included representatives from the Eastern Interconnection States’ Planning Council (EISPC) among others, the project was conducted in two phases. The first was a 2015–2040 analysis that looked at a broad array of possible future scenarios, while the second focused on a more detailed examination of the grid in 2030. The studies provided a wealth of information on possible future generation, demand, and transmission alternatives. However, at the conclusionmore » there were still unresolved questions and issues. The US Department of Energy, which had sponsored the study, asked Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers and others who worked on the project to conduct an additional study of the data to provide further insights for stakeholders and the industry. This report documents the second part of that follow-on study [an earlier report (Hadley 2013) covered the first part, and a subsequent report will address the last part].« less

  12. Heat addition to a subsonic boundary layer: A preliminary analytical study

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Macha, J. M.; Norton, D. J.

    1971-01-01

    A preliminary analytical study of the effects of heat addition to the subsonic boundary layer flow over a typical airfoil shape is presented. This phenomenon becomes of interest in the space shuttle mission since heat absorbed by the wing structure during re-entry will be rejected to the boundary layer during the subsequent low speed maneuvering and landing phase. A survey of existing literature and analytical solutions for both laminar and turbulent flow indicate that a heated surface generally destabilizes the boundary layer. Specifically, the boundary layer thickness is increased, the skin friction at the surface is decreased and the point of flow separation is moved forward. In addition, limited analytical results predict that the angle of attack at which a heated airfoil will stall is significantly less than the stall angle of an unheated wing. These effects could adversely affect the lift and drag, and thus the maneuvering capabilities of booster and orbiter shuttle vehicles.

  13. Influence of additives on thermoresponsive polymers in aqueous media: a case study of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide).

    PubMed

    Umapathi, Reddicherla; Reddy, P Madhusudhana; Rani, Anjeeta; Venkatesu, Pannuru

    2018-04-18

    Thermoresponsive polymers (TRPs) in different solvent media have been studied over a long period and are important from both scientific and technical points of view. Despite numerous studies on the behavior of TRPs with various additives, the interactions of additives with TRPs are still poorly understood. Moreover, despite the vast available literature regarding the biomolecular interactions between various TRPs and naturally occurring additives, it is not possible to provide a unifying declaration about the behavior of different additives, in particular at the phase transition temperature of the polymer. However, potential reviews that describe the behavior of additives as stimuli upon the phase transition of TRPs are also absent. A lack of sufficient knowledge regarding the responses of TRPs to additives as stimuli has hindered the expansion of the wide spectrum of applications of these polymers. Therefore, it was proposed to review the responses of TRPs in the presence of various additives in aqueous media. In-depth knowledge acquired via a literature survey has drawn our attention towards filling this gap by analyzing the interactions of TRPs with different additives. In this perspective, we have systematically examined the stability, aggregation, and phase transition behaviours of various polymers in the presence of different additives. The perspective on the influence of additives as stimuli on the behavior of TRPs in an aqueous medium will provide new reliable information about intramolecular interactions between interior polymer segments as well as intermolecular interactions between TRPs and additive molecules, which will be helpful for industrialists in the preparation of new polymeric materials for drug-delivery systems.

  14. 42 CFR 431.713 - Continuing study and investigation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... Programs for Licensing Nursing Home Administrators § 431.713 Continuing study and investigation. The agency or board must conduct a continuing study of nursing homes and administrators within the State to...

  15. Metal hydride and pyrophoric fuel additives for dicyclopentadiene based hybrid propellants

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shark, Steven C.

    The purpose of this study is to investigate the use of reactive energetic fuel additives that have the potential to increase the combustion performance of hybrid rocket propellants in terms of solid fuel regression rate and combustion efficiency. Additives that can augment the combustion flame zone in a hybrid rocket motor by means of increased energy feedback to the fuel grain surface are of great interest. Metal hydrides have large volumetric hydrogen densities, which gives these materials high performance potential as fuel additives in terms of specifc impulse. The excess hydrogen and corresponding base metal may also cause an increase in the hybrid rocket solid fuel regression rate. Pyrophoric additives also have potential to increase the solid fuel regression rate by reacting more readily near the burning fuel surface providing rapid energy feedback. An experimental performance evaluation of metal hydride fuel additives for hybrid rocket motor propulsion systems is examined in this study. Hypergolic ignition droplet tests and an accelerated aging study revealed the protection capabilities of Dicyclopentadiene (DCPD) as a fuel binder, and the ability for unaided ignition. Static hybrid rocket motor experiments were conducted using DCPD as the fuel. Sodium borohydride (NabH4) and aluminum hydride (AlH3) were examined as fuel additives. Ninety percent rocket grade hydrogen peroxide (RGHP) was used as the oxidizer. In this study, the sensitivity of solid fuel regression rate and characteristic velocity (C*) efficiency to total fuel grain port mass flux and particle loading is examined. These results were compared to HTPB combustion performance as a baseline. Chamber pressure histories revealed steady motor operation in most tests, with reduced ignition delays when using NabH4 as a fuel additive. The addition of NabH4 and AlH3 produced up to a 47% and 85% increase in regression rate over neat DCPD, respectively. For all test conditions examined C* efficiency ranges

  16. The ten-ecosystem study investigation plan

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kan, E. P.

    1976-01-01

    With the continental United States divided into ten forest and grassland ecosystems, the Ten Ecosystem Study (TES) is designed to investigate the feasibility and applicability of state-of-the-art automatic data processing remote sensing technology to inventory forest, grassland, and water resources by using Land Satellite data. The study will serve as a prelude to a possible future nationwide remote sensing application to inventory forest and rangeland renewable resources. This plan describes project design and phases, the ten ecosystem, data utilization and output, personnel organization, resource requirements, and schedules and milestones.

  17. The Effect of Additional Virtual Reality Training on Balance in Children with Cerebral Palsy after Lower Limb Surgery: A Feasibility Study.

    PubMed

    Meyns, Pieter; Pans, Liene; Plasmans, Kaat; Heyrman, Lieve; Desloovere, Kaat; Molenaers, Guy

    2017-02-01

    Impaired balance is disabling for children with cerebral palsy (CPc), especially for CPc who recently underwent lower limb surgery. Positive results of using virtual reality (VR) in balance rehabilitation have been published in several outpatient populations. We investigated the feasibility of applying additional VR training focused on sitting balance in CP inpatients of a rehabilitation center after lower limb surgery. Additionally, we investigated the rate of enjoyment of VR training compared with conventional physiotherapy. Eleven spastic CPc (4/7 males/females) following rehabilitation after lower limb orthopedic surgery were included (5-18 years). The control group received conventional physiotherapy. The intervention group received additional VR training. Balance was measured using the Trunk Control Measurement Scale every 3 weeks of the rehabilitation period. Enjoyment was analyzed using a 10-point Visual Analog Scale. Providing additional VR training was feasible in terms of recruitment, treatment adherence, and assessment adherence. Both groups improved sitting balance after therapy. The current games were not perceived as more enjoyable than conventional physiotherapy. Including additional VR training to conventional physiotherapy is feasible and might be promising to train sitting balance in CPc after lower limb surgery. Future research should take equal patient allocation and training duration between groups into consideration.

  18. Safety pharmacology investigations in toxicology studies: an industry survey.

    PubMed

    Authier, Simon; Vargas, Hugo M; Curtis, Michael J; Holbrook, Mark; Pugsley, Michael K

    2013-01-01

    The Safety Pharmacology (SP) Society (SPS) conducted an industry survey in 2012 in an attempt to define current industry practices as they relate to inclusion of safety pharmacology (SP) endpoints into Toxicology studies. A total of 361 participants from Asia (9.1%), Europe (19.4%) and North America (71.4%) responded to the survey. The preponderance of respondents were toxicologists (53.2%) followed by safety pharmacologists (27.2%) and scientists involved in the conduct of both disciplines (19.6%). Most participants (58.6%) were from pharmaceutical companies employing more than 500 employees. A majority (68.2%) reported having experience in designing, performing or interpreting the SP component of a study when performed as part of a toxicology study. Some participants (42.0%) had submitted data to a regulatory agency where ICHS7 studies were performed as part of a toxicology study rather than as a standalone study. When comparing species that were used in studies in which SP was added to toxicology studies, canines were the most frequently reported animals used for new chemical entities (NCE) whereas non-human (NH) primates were the most frequent for the assessment of biological agents. The most frequent primary motivator for adding ICHS7 SP endpoints to regulatory toxicology studies was to generate additional data to allow for determination of an integrated risk assessment thereby testing Confidence in Safety (CIS) to better manage and/or mitigate risk. The current ability to add safety pharmacology endpoints into regulatory toxicology studies was used to address a specific concern (by 42.1% of respondents) to allow management of risk more effectively (36.8%) or to generate data that contributes to cessation of the progression of a compound (21.1%). For an NCE, SP measurements in toxicology studies were conducted in addition to standalone SP studies (by 40.6% of respondents) or in addition/instead of standalone safety pharmacology studies (by 39.8% of respondents

  19. 14 CFR 29.927 - Additional tests.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... runs of from 1 to 5 minutes duration each at 60 to 80 percent of maximum continuous speed. (2... Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AIRCRAFT AIRWORTHINESS... additional dynamic, endurance, and operational tests, and vibratory investigations necessary to determine...

  20. Jason 1 Investigation: Altimetric Studies of Ocean Tidal Dynamics

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Egbert, Gary D.

    2004-01-01

    Two papers on tidal dissipation were completed and published. The first of these extended our earlier work, which focused on the dominant M2 constituent, to include 7 additional constituents. In addition to confirming a total deep water dissipation total very close to 1 TW, this study demonstrated significant differences in the distribution of dissipation between diurnal and semi-diurnal constituents. The second paper involved an extensive modeling study of tides in the present day and the last glacial maximum. In this study we showed that accuracy of tidal solutions for the present day Ocean were significantly improved by including a parameterization of internal tide drag over rough topography in the deep ocean. It was also demonstrated that a complete self-consistent treatment of Ocean self attraction and tidal loading was required for accurate solutions.

  1. Effects of Bi Addition on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Nanocrystalline Ag Coatings

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

    Wang, Yuxin; Cheng, Guang; Tay, See Leng

    Here in this study we investigated the effects of Bi addition on the microstructure and mechanical properties of an electrodeposited nanocrystalline Ag coating. Microstructural features were investigated with transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results indicate that the addition of Bi introduced nanometer-scale Ag-Bi solid solution particles and more internal defects to the initial Ag microstructures. The anisotropic elastic-plastic properties of the Ag nanocrystalline coating with and without Bi addition were examined with nanoindentation experiments in conjunction with the recently-developed inverse method. The results indicate that the as-deposited nanocrystalline Ag coating contained high mechanical anisotropy. With the addition of 1 atomicmore » percent (at%) Bi, the anisotropy within Ag-Bi coating was very small, and yield strength of the nanocrystalline Ag-Bi alloy in both longitudinal and transverse directions were improved by over 100% compared to that of Ag. On the other hand, the strain-hardening exponent of Ag-Bi was reduced to 0.055 from the original 0.16 of the Ag coating. Furthermore, the addition of Bi only slightly increased the electrical resistivity of the Ag-Bi coating in comparison to Ag. Lastly, results of our study indicate that Bi addition is a promising method for improving the mechanical and physical performances of Ag coating for electrical contacts.« less

  2. Effects of Bi Addition on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Nanocrystalline Ag Coatings

    DOE PAGES

    Wang, Yuxin; Cheng, Guang; Tay, See Leng; ...

    2017-08-10

    Here in this study we investigated the effects of Bi addition on the microstructure and mechanical properties of an electrodeposited nanocrystalline Ag coating. Microstructural features were investigated with transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results indicate that the addition of Bi introduced nanometer-scale Ag-Bi solid solution particles and more internal defects to the initial Ag microstructures. The anisotropic elastic-plastic properties of the Ag nanocrystalline coating with and without Bi addition were examined with nanoindentation experiments in conjunction with the recently-developed inverse method. The results indicate that the as-deposited nanocrystalline Ag coating contained high mechanical anisotropy. With the addition of 1 atomicmore » percent (at%) Bi, the anisotropy within Ag-Bi coating was very small, and yield strength of the nanocrystalline Ag-Bi alloy in both longitudinal and transverse directions were improved by over 100% compared to that of Ag. On the other hand, the strain-hardening exponent of Ag-Bi was reduced to 0.055 from the original 0.16 of the Ag coating. Furthermore, the addition of Bi only slightly increased the electrical resistivity of the Ag-Bi coating in comparison to Ag. Lastly, results of our study indicate that Bi addition is a promising method for improving the mechanical and physical performances of Ag coating for electrical contacts.« less

  3. FCS Technology Investigation Overview

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Budinger, James; Gilbert, Tricia

    2007-01-01

    This working paper provides an overview of the Future Communication Study (FCS) technology investigation progress. It includes a description of the methodology applied to technology evaluation; evaluation criteria; and technology screening (down select) results. A comparison of screening results with other similar technology screening activities is provided. Additional information included in this working paper is a description of in-depth studies (including characterization of the L-band aeronautical channel; L-band deployment cost assessment; and performance assessments of candidate technologies in the applicable aeronautical channel) that have been conducted to support technology evaluations. The paper concludes with a description on-going activities leading to conclusion of the technology investigation and the development of technology recommendations.

  4. Investigation of Glutaric Anhydride as an Electrolyte Additive for Graphite/LiNi 0.5 Mn 0.3 Co 0.2 O 2 Full Cells

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

    Peebles, Cameron; He, Meinan; Feng, Zhenxing

    The effects of glutaric anhydride (GA) as an electrolyte additive for graphite/LiNi0.5Mn0.3Co0.2O2 full cells operating between 3.0-4.4 V were investigated. Linear scan voltammetry (LSV) revealed that GA preferentially oxidized prior to the carbonate-based electrolyte while Li/graphite half cells revealed that GA can suppress electrolyte decomposition on the graphite electrode giving rise to the bifunctional nature of this additive. The addition of both 0.5 and 1.0 wt% of GA into the carbonate-based electrolyte resulted in superior cycling performance compared to the baseline electrolyte as demonstrated by the slight increase in initial capacities and significant increases in capacity retention over 117 cyclesmore » at C/3. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) showed that while the overall impedance of the GA containing cells was higher than the cells with the baseline electrolyte the change in impedance between post-formation and post-cycling was smallest for the cells containing GA. Additionally, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis confirmed that GA decomposed on the cathode surface leading to an increase in oxygen-containing species, a decrease in LiF species and a simultaneous increase in LixPOyFz species. (C) 2016 The Electrochemical Society. All rights reserved.« less

  5. A kinetic study of struvite precipitation recycling technology with NaOH/Mg(OH)2 addition.

    PubMed

    Yu, Rongtai; Ren, Hongqiang; Wang, Yanru; Ding, Lili; Geng, Jingji; Xu, Ke; Zhang, Yan

    2013-09-01

    Struvite precipitation recycling technology is received wide attention in removal ammonium and phosphate out of wastewater. While past study focused on process efficiency, and less on kinetics. The kinetic study is essential for the design and optimization in the application of struvite precipitation recycling technology. The kinetics of struvite with NaOH/Mg(OH)2 addition were studied by thermogravimetry analysis with three rates (5, 10, 20 °C/min), using Friedman method and Ozawa-Flynn-Wall method, respectively. Degradation process of struvite with NaOH/Mg(OH)2 addition was three steps. The stripping of ammonia from struvite was mainly occurred at the first step. In the first step, the activation energy was about 70 kJ/mol, which has gradually declined as the reaction progress. By model fitting studies, the proper mechanism function for struvite decomposition process with NaOH/Mg(OH)2 addition was revealed. The mechanism function was f(α)=α(α)-(1-α)(n), a Prout-Tompkins nth order (Bna) model. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Direct observation of lubricant additives using tomography techniques

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

    Chen, Yunyun; Sanchez, Carlos; Parkinson, Dilworth Y.

    Lubricants play important roles in daily activities such as driving, walking, and cooking. The current understanding of mechanisms of lubrication, particularly in mechanical systems, has been limited by the lack of capability in direct observation. Here, we report an in situ approach to directly observe the motion of additive particles in grease under the influence of shear. Using the K-edge tomography technique, it is possible to detect particular additives in a grease and observe their distribution through 3D visualization. A commercial grease as a reference was studied with and without an inorganic additive of Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} microparticles. The resultsmore » showed that it was possible to identify these particles and track their movement. Under a shear stress, Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} particles were found to adhere to the edge of calcium complex thickeners commonly used in grease. Due to sliding, the grease formed a film with increased density. This approach enables in-line monitoring of a lubricant and future investigation in mechanisms of lubrication.« less

  7. Indium-mediated asymmetric Barbier-type propargylations: additions to aldehydes and ketones and mechanistic investigation of the organoindium reagents.

    PubMed

    Haddad, Terra D; Hirayama, Lacie C; Buckley, Jannise J; Singaram, Bakthan

    2012-01-20

    We report a simple, efficient, and general method for the indium-mediated enantioselective propargylation of aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes under Barbier-type conditions in a one-pot synthesis affording the corresponding chiral alcohol products in very good yield (up to 90%) and enantiomeric excess (up to 95%). The extension of this methodology to ketones demonstrated the need for electrophilic ketones more reactive than acetophenone as the reaction would not proceed with just acetophenone. Using the Lewis acid indium triflate [In(OTf)(3)] induced regioselective formation of the corresponding homoallenic alcohol product from acetophenone. However, this methodology demonstrated excellent chemoselectivity in formation of only the corresponding secondary homopropargylic alcohol product in the presence of a ketone functionality. Investigation of the organoindium intermediates under our reaction conditions shows the formation of allenylindium species, and we suggest that these species contain an indium(III) center. In addition, we have observed the presence of a shiny, indium(0) nugget throughout the reaction, irrespective of the stoichiometry, indicating disproportionation of indium halide byproduct formed during the reaction.

  8. Aspirin has little additional anti-platelet effect in healthy volunteers receiving prasugrel.

    PubMed

    Leadbeater, P D M; Kirkby, N S; Thomas, S; Dhanji, A-R; Tucker, A T; Milne, G L; Mitchell, J A; Warner, T D

    2011-10-01

    Strong P2Y(12) blockade, as can be achieved with novel anti-platelet agents such as prasugrel, has been shown in vitro to inhibit both ADP and thromboxane A(2) -mediated pathways of platelet aggregation, calling into question the need for the concomitant use of aspirin. The present study investigated the hypothesis that aspirin provides little additional anti-aggregatory effect in a group of healthy volunteers taking prasugrel. STUDY PARTICIPANTS/METHODS: In all, 9 males, aged 18 to 40 years, enrolled into the 21-day study. Prasugrel was loaded at 60 mg on day 1 and maintained at 10 mg until day 21. At day 8, aspirin 75 mg was introduced and the dose increased to 300 mg on day 15. On days 0, 7, 14 and 21, platelet function was assessed by aggregometry, response to treatments was determined by VerifyNow and urine samples were collected for quantification of prostanoid metabolites. At day 7, aggregation responses to a range of platelet agonists were reduced and there was only a small further inhibition of aggregation to TRAP-6, collagen and epinephrine at days 14 and 21, when aspirin was included with prasugrel. Urinary prostanoid metabolites were unaffected by prasugrel, and were reduced by the addition of aspirin, independent of dose. In healthy volunteers, prasugrel produces a strong anti-aggregatory effect, which is little enhanced by the addition of aspirin. The addition of aspirin as a dual-therapy with potent P2Y(12) receptor inhibitors warrants further investigation. © 2011 International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis.

  9. Lewis base catalyzed aldol additions of chiral trichlorosilyl enolates and silyl enol ethers.

    PubMed

    Denmark, Scott E; Fujimori, Shinji; Pham, Son M

    2005-12-23

    [structures: see text] The consequences of double diastereodifferentiation in chiral Lewis base catalyzed aldol additions using chiral enoxysilanes derived from lactate, 3-hydroxyisobutyrate, and 3-hydroxybutyrate have been investigated. Trichlorosilyl enolates derived from the chiral methyl and ethyl ketones were subjected to aldolization in the presence of phosphoramides, and the intrinsic selectivity of these enolates and the external stereoinduction from chiral catalyst were studied. In the reactions with the lactate derived enolate, the strong internal stereoinduction dominated the stereochemical outcome of the aldol addition. For the 3-hydroxyisobutyrate- and 3-hydroxybutyrate derived enolates, the catalyst-controlled diastereoselectivities were observed, and the resident stereogenic centers exerted marginal influence. The corresponding trimethylsilyl enol ethers were employed in SiCl4/bisphosphoramide catalyzed aldol additions, and the effect of double diastereodifferentiation was also investigated. The overall diastereoselection of the process was again controlled by the strong external influence of the catalyst.

  10. Investigating investigators: how presentation order influences participant-investigators' interpretations of eyewitness identification and alibi evidence.

    PubMed

    Dahl, Leora C; Brimacombe, C A Elizabeth; Lindsay, D Stephen

    2009-10-01

    Presentation order of ID and Alibi evidence was manipulated for undergraduate participants who conducted a simulated police investigation. Experiment 1 found a recency effect when an eyewitness rejected the investigator's suspect. Experiment 2 also examined order effects, exploring how participant-investigators evaluated alibi information in addition to eyewitness ID information. When investigators saw the witness identify the suspect but also received a strong alibi for that suspect a recency effect occurred, such that whichever piece of information occurred at the end of the procedure had the strongest impact on investigators. Thus, type of evidence and evidence order both had a dramatic influence on participant-investigators' decisions.

  11. Emission Studies in CI Engine using LPG and Palm Kernel Methyl Ester as Fuels and Di-ethyl Ether as an Additive

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dora, Nagaraju; Jothi, T. J. Sarvoththama

    2018-05-01

    The present study investigates the effectiveness of using di-ethyl ether (DEE) as the fuel additive in engine performance and emissions. Experiments are carried out in a single cylinder four stroke diesel engine at constant speed. Two different fuels namely liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and palm kernel methyl ester (PKME) are used as primary fuels with DEE as the fuel additive. LPG flow rates of 0.6 and 0.8 kg/h are considered, and flow rate of DEE is varied to maintain the constant engine speed. In case of PKME fuel, it is blended with diesel in the latter to the former ratio of 80:20, and DEE is varied in the volumetric proportion of 1 and 2%. Results indicate that for the engine operating in LPG-DEE mode at 0.6 kg/h of LPG, the brake thermal efficiency is lowered by 26%; however, NOx is subsequently reduced by around 30% compared to the engine running with only diesel fuel at 70% load. Similarly, results of PKME blended fuel showed a drastic reduction in the NOx and CO emissions. In these two modes of operation, DEE is observed to be significant fuel additive regarding emissions reduction.

  12. Does the model of additive effect in placebo research still hold true? A narrative review

    PubMed Central

    Berger, Bettina; Weger, Ulrich; Heusser, Peter

    2017-01-01

    Personalised and contextualised care has been turned into a major demand by people involved in healthcare suggesting to move toward person-centred medicine. The assessment of person-centred medicine can be most effectively achieved if treatments are investigated using ‘with versus without’ person-centredness or integrative study designs. However, this assumes that the components of an integrative or person-centred intervention have an additive relationship to produce the total effect. Beecher’s model of additivity assumes an additive relation between placebo and drug effects and is thus presenting an arithmetic summation. So far, no review has been carried out assessing the validity of the additive model, which is to be questioned and more closely investigated in this review. Initial searches for primary studies were undertaken in July 2016 using Pubmed and Google Scholar. In order to find matching publications of similar magnitude for the comparison part of this review, corresponding matches for all included reviews were sought. A total of 22 reviews and 3 clinical and experimental studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The results pointed to the following factors actively questioning the additive model: interactions of various effects, trial design, conditioning, context effects and factors, neurobiological factors, mechanism of action, statistical factors, intervention-specific factors (alcohol, caffeine), side-effects and type of intervention. All but one of the closely assessed publications was questioning the additive model. A closer examination of study design is necessary. An attempt in a more systematic approach geared towards solutions could be a suggestion for future research in this field. PMID:28321318

  13. Does the model of additive effect in placebo research still hold true? A narrative review.

    PubMed

    Boehm, Katja; Berger, Bettina; Weger, Ulrich; Heusser, Peter

    2017-03-01

    Personalised and contextualised care has been turned into a major demand by people involved in healthcare suggesting to move toward person-centred medicine. The assessment of person-centred medicine can be most effectively achieved if treatments are investigated using 'with versus without' person-centredness or integrative study designs. However, this assumes that the components of an integrative or person-centred intervention have an additive relationship to produce the total effect. Beecher's model of additivity assumes an additive relation between placebo and drug effects and is thus presenting an arithmetic summation. So far, no review has been carried out assessing the validity of the additive model, which is to be questioned and more closely investigated in this review. Initial searches for primary studies were undertaken in July 2016 using Pubmed and Google Scholar. In order to find matching publications of similar magnitude for the comparison part of this review, corresponding matches for all included reviews were sought. A total of 22 reviews and 3 clinical and experimental studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The results pointed to the following factors actively questioning the additive model: interactions of various effects, trial design, conditioning, context effects and factors, neurobiological factors, mechanism of action, statistical factors, intervention-specific factors (alcohol, caffeine), side-effects and type of intervention. All but one of the closely assessed publications was questioning the additive model. A closer examination of study design is necessary. An attempt in a more systematic approach geared towards solutions could be a suggestion for future research in this field.

  14. Magnetic Force Microscopy Study of Zr 2 Co 11 -Based Nanocrystalline Materials: Effect of Mo Addition

    DOE PAGES

    Yue, Lanping; Jin, Yunlong; Zhang, Wenyong; ...

    2015-01-01

    Tmore » he addition of Molybdenum was used to modify the nanostructure and enhance coercivity of rare-earth-free Zr 2Co 11-based nanocrystalline permanent magnets. he effect of Mo addition on magnetic domain structures of melt spun nanocrystalline Zr 16Co 84-xMo x( x = 0 , 0.5, 1, 1.5, and 2.0) ribbons has been investigated. It was found that magnetic properties and local domain structures are strongly influenced by Mo doping. he coercivity of the samples increases with the increase in Mo content ( x ≤ 1.5 ). he maximum energy product ( B H ) max increases with increasing x from 0.5 MGOe for x = 0 to a maximum value of 4.2 MGOe for x = 1.5 . he smallest domain size with a relatively short magnetic correlation length of 128 nm and largest root-mean-square phase shift Φ rms value of 0.66° are observed for the x = 1.5 . he optimal Mo addition promotes magnetic domain structure refinement and thus leads to a significant increase in coercivity and energy product in this sample.« less

  15. Magnetic Force Microscopy Study of Zr 2 Co 11 -Based Nanocrystalline Materials: Effect of Mo Addition

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

    Yue, Lanping; Jin, Yunlong; Zhang, Wenyong

    Tmore » he addition of Molybdenum was used to modify the nanostructure and enhance coercivity of rare-earth-free Zr 2Co 11-based nanocrystalline permanent magnets. he effect of Mo addition on magnetic domain structures of melt spun nanocrystalline Zr 16Co 84-xMo x( x = 0 , 0.5, 1, 1.5, and 2.0) ribbons has been investigated. It was found that magnetic properties and local domain structures are strongly influenced by Mo doping. he coercivity of the samples increases with the increase in Mo content ( x ≤ 1.5 ). he maximum energy product ( B H ) max increases with increasing x from 0.5 MGOe for x = 0 to a maximum value of 4.2 MGOe for x = 1.5 . he smallest domain size with a relatively short magnetic correlation length of 128 nm and largest root-mean-square phase shift Φ rms value of 0.66° are observed for the x = 1.5 . he optimal Mo addition promotes magnetic domain structure refinement and thus leads to a significant increase in coercivity and energy product in this sample.« less

  16. Additive influence of genetic predisposition and conventional risk factors in the incidence of coronary heart disease: a population-based study in Greece

    PubMed Central

    Yiannakouris, Nikos; Katsoulis, Michail; Trichopoulou, Antonia; Ordovas, Jose M; Trichopoulos, Dimitrios

    2014-01-01

    Objectives An additive genetic risk score (GRS) for coronary heart disease (CHD) has previously been associated with incident CHD in the population-based Greek European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and nutrition (EPIC) cohort. In this study, we explore GRS-‘environment’ joint actions on CHD for several conventional cardiovascular risk factors (ConvRFs), including smoking, hypertension, type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), body mass index (BMI), physical activity and adherence to the Mediterranean diet. Design A case–control study. Setting The general Greek population of the EPIC study. Participants and outcome measures 477 patients with medically confirmed incident CHD and 1271 controls participated in this study. We estimated the ORs for CHD by dividing participants at higher or lower GRS and, alternatively, at higher or lower ConvRF, and calculated the relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI) as a measure of deviation from additivity. Results The joint presence of higher GRS and higher risk ConvRF was in all instances associated with an increased risk of CHD, compared with the joint presence of lower GRS and lower risk ConvRF. The OR (95% CI) was 1.7 (1.2 to 2.4) for smoking, 2.7 (1.9 to 3.8) for hypertension, 4.1 (2.8 to 6.1) for T2DM, 1.9 (1.4 to 2.5) for lower physical activity, 2.0 (1.3 to 3.2) for high BMI and 1.5 (1.1 to 2.1) for poor adherence to the Mediterranean diet. In all instances, RERI values were fairly small and not statistically significant, suggesting that the GRS and the ConvRFs do not have effects beyond additivity. Conclusions Genetic predisposition to CHD, operationalised through a multilocus GRS, and ConvRFs have essentially additive effects on CHD risk. PMID:24500614

  17. Manipulating crystallization with molecular additives.

    PubMed

    Shtukenberg, Alexander G; Lee, Stephanie S; Kahr, Bart; Ward, Michael D

    2014-01-01

    Given the importance of organic crystals in a wide range of industrial applications, the chemistry, biology, materials science, and chemical engineering communities have focused considerable attention on developing methods to control crystal structure, size, shape, and orientation. Tailored additives have been used to control crystallization to great effect, presumably by selectively binding to particular crystallographic surfaces and sites. However, substantial knowledge gaps still exist in the fundamental mechanisms that govern the formation and growth of organic crystals in both the absence and presence of additives. In this review, we highlight research discoveries that reveal the role of additives, either introduced by design or present adventitiously, on various stages of formation and growth of organic crystals, including nucleation, dislocation spiral growth mechanisms, growth inhibition, and nonclassical crystal morphologies. The insights from these investigations and others of their kind are likely to guide the development of innovative methods to manipulate crystallization for a wide range of materials and applications.

  18. Effect of Exogenous Phytase Addition on Soil Phosphatase Activities: a Fluorescence Spectroscopy Study.

    PubMed

    Yang, Xiao-zhu; Chen, Zhen-hua; Zhang, Yu-lan; Chen, Li-jun

    2015-05-01

    The utilization of organic phosphorus (P) has directly or indirectly improved after exogenous phytase was added to soil. However, the mechanism by which exogenous phytase affected the soil phosphatases (phosphomonoesterase and phosphodiesterase) activities was not clear. The present work was aimed to study red soil, brown soil and cinnamon soil phosphomonoesterase (acid and alkaline) (AcP and AlP) and phosphodiesterase (PD) activities responding to the addition of exogenous phytase (1 g phytase/50 g air dry soil sample) based on the measurements performed via a fluorescence detection method combined with 96 microplates using a TECAN Infinite 200 Multi-Mode Microplate Reader. The results indicated that the acid phosphomonoesterase activity was significantly enhanced in red soil (p≤0. 01), while it was significantly reduced in cinnamon soil; alkaline phosphomonoesterase activity was significantly enhanced in cinnamon soil (p≤ 0. 01), while it was significantly reduced in red soil; phosphodiesterase activity was increased in three soils but it was significantly increased in brown soil (p≤0. 01) after the addition of exogenous phytase. The activities still remained strong after eight days in different soils, which indicated that exogenous phytase addition could be enhance soil phosphatases activities effectively. This effect was not only related to soil properties, such as pH and phosphorus forms, but might also be related to the excreted enzyme amount of the stimulating microorganism. Using fluorescence spectroscopy to study exogenous phytase addition influence on soil phosphatase activities was the first time at home and abroad. Compared with the conventional spectrophotometric method, the fluorescence microplate method is an accurate, fast and simple to use method to determine the relationships among the soil phosphatases activities.

  19. A Longitudinal Field Study Comparing a Multiplicative and an Additive Model of Motivation and Ability. Technical Report No. 11.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barrett, Gerald V.; And Others

    The relative contribution of motivation to ability measures in predicting performance criteria of sales personnel from successive fiscal periods was investigated. In this context, the merits of a multiplicative and additive combination of motivation and ability measures were examined. The relationship between satisfaction and motivation and…

  20. An Experimental Investigation into Additive Manufacturing-Induced Residual Stresses in 316L Stainless Steel

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wu, Amanda S.; Brown, Donald W.; Kumar, Mukul; Gallegos, Gilbert F.; King, Wayne E.

    2014-12-01

    Additive manufacturing (AM) technology provides unique opportunities for producing net-shape geometries at the macroscale through microscale processing. This level of control presents inherent trade-offs necessitating the establishment of quality controls aimed at minimizing undesirable properties, such as porosity and residual stresses. Here, we perform a parametric study into the effects of laser scanning pattern, power, speed, and build direction in powder bed fusion AM on residual stress. In an effort to better understand the factors influencing macroscale residual stresses, a destructive surface residual stress measurement technique (digital image correlation in conjunction with build plate removal and sectioning) has been coupled with a nondestructive volumetric evaluation method ( i.e., neutron diffraction). Good agreement between the two measurement techniques is observed. Furthermore, a reduction in residual stress is obtained by decreasing scan island size, increasing island to wall rotation to 45 deg, and increasing applied energy per unit length (laser power/speed). Neutron diffraction measurements reveal that, while in-plane residual stresses are affected by scan island rotation, axial residual stresses are unchanged. We attribute this in-plane behavior to misalignment between the greatest thermal stresses (scan direction) and largest part dimension.

  1. Additives

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Smalheer, C. V.

    1973-01-01

    The chemistry of lubricant additives is discussed to show what the additives are chemically and what functions they perform in the lubrication of various kinds of equipment. Current theories regarding the mode of action of lubricant additives are presented. The additive groups discussed include the following: (1) detergents and dispersants, (2) corrosion inhibitors, (3) antioxidants, (4) viscosity index improvers, (5) pour point depressants, and (6) antifouling agents.

  2. Immobilization of uranium in contaminated soil by natural apatite addition

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

    Mrdakovic Popic, Jelena; Stojanovic, Mirjana; Milosevic, Sinisa

    2007-07-01

    Available in abstract form only. Full text of publication follows: The goal of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Serbian natural mineral apatite as soil additive for reducing the migration of uranium from contaminated sediments. In laboratory study we investigated the sorption properties of domestic apatite upon different experimental conditions, such as pH, adsorbent mass, reaction period, concentration of P{sub 2}O{sub 5} in apatite, solid/liquid ratio. In second part of study, we did the quantification of uranium in soil samples, taken from uranium mine site 'Kalna', by sequential extraction method. The same procedure was, also, used for uraniummore » determination in contaminated soil samples after apatite addition, in order to determine the changes in U distribution in soil fraction. The obtained results showed the significant level of immobilization (96.7%) upon certain conditions. Increase of %P{sub 2}O{sub 5} in apatite and process of mechano-chemical activation led to increase of immobilization capacity from 17.50% till 91.64%. The best results for uranium binding were obtained at pH 5.5 and reaction period 60 days (98.04%) The sequential extraction showed the presence of uranium (48.2%) in potentially available soil fractions, but with the apatite addition uranium content in these fractions decreased (30.64%), what is considering environmental aspect significant fact. In situ immobilization of radionuclide using inexpensive sequestering agents, such as apatite, is very adequate for big contaminated areas of soil with low level of contamination. This investigation study on natural apatite from deposit 'Lisina' Serbia was the first one of this type in our country. Key words: apatite, uranium, immobilization, soil, contamination. (authors)« less

  3. Remedial investigation/feasibility study for the David Witherspoon, Inc., 901 Site, Knoxville, Tennessee: Volume 1

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

    NONE

    1996-10-01

    This remedial investigation (RI)/feasibility study (FS) supports the selection of remedial actions for the David Witherspoon, Inc. 901 Maryville Pike Site in Knoxville, Tennessee. Operations at the site, used as a recycling center, have resulted in past, present, and potential future releases of hazardous substances in to the environment. This Site is a Tennessee Superfund site. A phased approach was planned to (1) gather existing data from previous investigations managed by the Tenn. Dept. of Environment and Conservation; (2) perform a preliminary RI, including risk assessments, and an FS with existing data to identify areas where remedial action may bemore » necessary; (3) gather additional field data to adequately define the nature and extent of risk-based contaminants that present identifiable threats to human and/or ecological receptors; and (4) develop remedial action alternatives to reduce risks to acceptable levels.« less

  4. An investigation on the effect of second-order additional thickness distributions to the upper surface of an NACA 64-206 airfoil. [using flow equations and a CDC 7600 digital computer

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Merz, A. W.; Hague, D. S.

    1975-01-01

    An investigation was conducted on a CDC 7600 digital computer to determine the effects of additional thickness distributions to the upper surface of an NACA 64-206 airfoil. Additional thickness distributions employed were in the form of two second-order polynomial arcs which have a specified thickness at a given chordwise location. The forward arc disappears at the airfoil leading edge, the aft arc disappears at the airfoil trailing edge. At the juncture of the two arcs, x = x, continuity of slope is maintained. The effect of varying the maximum additional thickness and its chordwise location on airfoil lift coefficient, pitching moment, and pressure distribution was investigated. Results were obtained at a Mach number of 0.2 with an angle-of-attack of 6 degrees on the basic NACA 64-206 airfoil, and all calculations employ the full potential flow equations for two dimensional flow. The relaxation method of Jameson was employed for solution of the potential flow equations.

  5. A density functional theory study of the role of functionalized graphene particles as effective additives in power cable insulation

    PubMed Central

    Song, Shuwei; Zhao, Hong; Zheng, Xiaonan; Zhang, Hui; Wang, Ying; Han, Baozhong

    2018-01-01

    The role of a series of functionalized graphene additives in power cable insulation in suppressing the growth of electrical treeing and preventing the degradation of the polymer matrix has been investigated by density functional theory calculations. Bader charge analysis indicates that pristine, doped or defect graphene could effectively capture hot electrons to block their attack on cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) because of the π–π conjugated unsaturated structures. Further exploration of the electronic properties in the interfacial region between the additives and XLPE shows that N-doped single-vacancy graphene, graphene oxide and B-, N-, Si- or P-doped graphene oxide have relatively strong physical interaction with XLPE to restrict its mobility and rather weak chemical activity to prevent the cleavage of the C–H or C–C bond, suggesting that they are all potential candidates as effective additives. The understanding of the features of functionalized graphene additives in trapping electrons and interfacial interaction will assist in the screening of promising additives as voltage stabilizers in power cables. PMID:29515821

  6. A density functional theory study of the role of functionalized graphene particles as effective additives in power cable insulation.

    PubMed

    Song, Shuwei; Zhao, Hong; Zheng, Xiaonan; Zhang, Hui; Liu, Yang; Wang, Ying; Han, Baozhong

    2018-02-01

    The role of a series of functionalized graphene additives in power cable insulation in suppressing the growth of electrical treeing and preventing the degradation of the polymer matrix has been investigated by density functional theory calculations. Bader charge analysis indicates that pristine, doped or defect graphene could effectively capture hot electrons to block their attack on cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) because of the π-π conjugated unsaturated structures. Further exploration of the electronic properties in the interfacial region between the additives and XLPE shows that N-doped single-vacancy graphene, graphene oxide and B-, N-, Si- or P-doped graphene oxide have relatively strong physical interaction with XLPE to restrict its mobility and rather weak chemical activity to prevent the cleavage of the C-H or C-C bond, suggesting that they are all potential candidates as effective additives. The understanding of the features of functionalized graphene additives in trapping electrons and interfacial interaction will assist in the screening of promising additives as voltage stabilizers in power cables.

  7. Investigation on stabilization of CO2 foam by ionic and nonionic surfactants in presence of different additives for application in enhanced oil recovery

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kumar, Sunil; Mandal, Ajay

    2017-10-01

    Application of foam in upstream petroleum industry specifically in enhanced oil recovery (EOR) has gained significant interest in recent years. In view of this, an attempt has been paid to design the suitable foaming agents (foamer) by evaluating the influence of three surfactants, five nanoparticles and several additives. Experimental investigations have been carried out in order to examine the mechanism of foam generation in presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and polysorbate 80 (Tween 80) as anionic, cationic and nonionic surfactants by using the CO2 as gaseous component. It has been found that ionic surfactants show the higher foam life compared to nonionic surfactant. Out of different nano particles used, namely alumina (Al2O3) zirconium oxide (ZrO2), calcium carbonate (CaCO3), boron nitride (BN) and silica (SiO2), boron nitride shows the maximum improvement of foam stability. The foam stability of surfactant-nanoparticles foam is further increased by addition of different additives viz. polymer, alcohol and alkali. The results show that, the designed foaming solution have nearly 2.5 times higher half-decay time (t1/2) compared to the simple surfactant system. Finally, it has been found that gas injection rate plays an important role in obtaining a uniform and stabilized foam.

  8. Reduction of biogenic amines in sufu by ethanol addition during ripening stage

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The aim of this study was to investigate the contents of biogenic amines (BAs) in different types of sufu samples obtained from different producers, and also the possible effect of addition of ethanol on reducing the levels of BAs during sufu ripening. The levels of BAs in sufu samples were analyze...

  9. The development of a performance-enhancing additive for vapor-compression heat pumps

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

    Grzyll, L.R.; Scaringe, R.P.; Gottschlich, J.M.

    1997-12-31

    This paper describes the testing results of a vapor-compression heat pump operating with HFC-134a refrigerant and a performance-enhancing additive. Preliminary bench-top testing of this additive, when added to polyolester (POE) lubricant and HFC-134a refrigerant, showed surprising enhancements to system COP. To further investigate this finding, the authors designed and fabricated a vapor-compression heat pump test stand for the 3--5 ton range. The authors investigated the effect of different concentrations of this additive on various system performance parameters such as cooling capacity, compressor power requirement, pressure ratio, compressor pressure difference, compressor isentropic efficiency, refrigerant flow rate, and heat exchanger performance. Themore » authors investigated various heat source and heat sink conditions to simulate air-conditioning and heat pump operating conditions. To investigate the effect of this additive on compressor lubrication and life, the authors performed compressor life tests (with scroll and reciprocating compressors), and had lubrication wear tests performed with various concentrations of the additive in the POE lubricant.« less

  10. Food additives.

    PubMed

    Berglund, F

    1978-01-01

    The use of additives to food fulfils many purposes, as shown by the index issued by the Codex Committee on Food Additives: Acids, bases and salts; Preservatives, Antioxidants and antioxidant synergists; Anticaking agents; Colours; Emulfifiers; Thickening agents; Flour-treatment agents; Extraction solvents; Carrier solvents; Flavours (synthetic); Flavour enhancers; Non-nutritive sweeteners; Processing aids; Enzyme preparations. Many additives occur naturally in foods, but this does not exclude toxicity at higher levels. Some food additives are nutrients, or even essential nutritents, e.g. NaCl. Examples are known of food additives causing toxicity in man even when used according to regulations, e.g. cobalt in beer. In other instances, poisoning has been due to carry-over, e.g. by nitrate in cheese whey - when used for artificial feed for infants. Poisonings also occur as the result of the permitted substance being added at too high levels, by accident or carelessness, e.g. nitrite in fish. Finally, there are examples of hypersensitivity to food additives, e.g. to tartrazine and other food colours. The toxicological evaluation, based on animal feeding studies, may be complicated by impurities, e.g. orthotoluene-sulfonamide in saccharin; by transformation or disappearance of the additive in food processing in storage, e.g. bisulfite in raisins; by reaction products with food constituents, e.g. formation of ethylurethane from diethyl pyrocarbonate; by metabolic transformation products, e.g. formation in the gut of cyclohexylamine from cyclamate. Metabolic end products may differ in experimental animals and in man: guanylic acid and inosinic acid are metabolized to allantoin in the rat but to uric acid in man. The magnitude of the safety margin in man of the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) is not identical to the "safety factor" used when calculating the ADI. The symptoms of Chinese Restaurant Syndrome, although not hazardous, furthermore illustrate that the whole ADI

  11. A study on the applications of AI in finishing of additive manufacturing parts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fathima Patham, K.

    2017-06-01

    Artificial intelligent and computer simulation are the technological powerful tools for solving complex problems in the manufacturing industries. Additive Manufacturing is one of the powerful manufacturing techniques that provide design flexibilities to the products. The products with complex shapes are directly manufactured without the need of any machining and tooling using Additive Manufacturing. However, the main drawback of the components produced using the Additive Manufacturing processes is the quality of the surfaces. This study aims to minimize the defects caused during Additive Manufacturing with the aid of Artificial Intelligence. The developed AI system has three layers, each layer is trying to eliminate or minimize the production errors. The first layer of the AI system optimizes the digitization of the 3D CAD model of the product and hence reduces the stair case errors. The second layer of the AI system optimizes the 3D printing machine parameters in order to eliminate the warping effect. The third layer of AI system helps to choose the surface finishing technique suitable for the printed component based on the Degree of Complexity of the product and the material. The efficiency of the developed AI system was examined on the functional parts such as gears.

  12. Use of retailer fidelity card schemes in the assessment of food additive intake: Sunset Yellow a case study.

    PubMed

    Sardi, M; Haldemann, Y; Nordmann, H; Bottex, B; Safford, B; Smith, B; Tennant, D; Howlett, J; Jasti, P R

    2010-11-01

    The feasibility of using a retailer fidelity card scheme to estimate food additive intake was investigated using the Swiss retailer MIGROS's Cumulus Card and the example of the food colour Sunset Yellow (E 110). Information held within the card scheme was used to identify a sample of households purchasing foods containing Sunset Yellow over a 15 day period. A sample of 1204 households was selected for interview, of which 830 households were retained in the study following interview. Interviews were conducted to establish household structure, patterns of consumption by different individuals within the household, and the proportion of foods containing Sunset Yellow habitually purchased at the retailer and/or consumed outside the home. Information provided by the retailer on levels of Sunset Yellow in the foods was combined with the information obtained at interview to calculate the per-capita intake of Sunset Yellow by members of participating households. More than 99% of consumers (n = 1902) of foods containing Sunset Yellow were estimated to consume less than 1 mg Sunset Yellow kg(-1) body weight day(-1). The method proved to be a simple and resource-efficient approach to estimate food additive intake on the basis of actual consumer behaviour and thus reports results more closely related to the actual consumption of foods by individuals.

  13. The effect of hydrophilicity of graphene oxide as additive towards performance of polysulfone membrane

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jamalludin, Mohd Riduan; Harun, Zawati; Zakaria, M. S.; Rahim, Wan Mohd Faizal Wan Abd; Khor, C. Y.; Rosli, M. U.; Ishak, Muhammad Ikman; Nawi, M. A. M.; Shahrin, Suhaimi

    2017-09-01

    This study investigates the effect of hydrophilicity of graphene oxide as additive towards properties and performance on polysulfone (PSf) membrane. A polysulfone (PSf) membrane containing graphene oxide (GO) with different content was prepared via phase inversion technique. Characterization on the fabricated membrane were water contact angle measurement, porosity and mean pore size. The effects of PSf/GO were further investigated in terms of permeation test, rejection test and antifouling test. Based on the result obtained, PSf membrane incorporating with GO additive shows better capability to permeate more water compared to unfilled PSf membrane. The PSf/GO membrane were able to increase the permeate rate rapidly with the highest value is given by sample 4 (consist of 0.7 g of GO) at 571.78 J/m2h. Furthermore, water contact angle confirmed the hydrophilicity of this membrane at 62°. The transmembrane fouling activity showed that GO embedded in PSf membrane has improved tremendously. In addition, this study revealed that 0.7g of GO had the highest permeation test, rejection test and antifouling test.

  14. Studies on metal hydride electrodes containing no binder additives

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rogulski, Z.; Dłubak, J.; Karwowska, M.; Krebs, M.; Pytlik, E.; Schmalz, M.; Gumkowska, A.; Czerwiński, A.

    Electrochemical properties of hydrogen storage alloys (AB 5 type: LaMm-Ni 4.1Al 0.3Mn 0.4Co 0.45) were studied in 6 M KOHaq using Limited Volume Electrode (LVE) method. Working electrodes were prepared by pressing alloy powder (without binding and conducting additives) into a metal net wire serving as a support and as a current collector. Cyclic voltammetry curves reveal well defined hydrogen sorption and desorption peaks which are separated from other faradic processes, such as surface oxidation. Voltammograms of LVE resemble the curves obtained by various authors for single particle metal alloy electrodes. Hydrogen diffusion coefficient calculated at room temperature for LV electrodes and for 100% state of charge reaches a constant value of ca. 3.3 × 10 -9 and 2.1 × 10 -10 cm 2 s -1, for chronoamperometric and chronopotentiometric measurements, respectively. A comparison of the electrodes with average alloy particle sizes of ca. 50 and 4 μm allows us to conclude that at room temperature hydrogen storage capability of AB 5 alloy studied is independent on the alloy particle size. On the other hand, reduction of the particle size increases alloy capacity at temperatures below -10 °C and reduces time of electrochemical activation of the electrode.

  15. Investigating the addition of SiO₂-CaO-ZnO-Na₂O-TiO₂ bioactive glass to hydroxyapatite: Characterization, mechanical properties and bioactivity.

    PubMed

    Yatongchai, Chokchai; Placek, Lana M; Curran, Declan J; Towler, Mark R; Wren, Anthony W

    2015-11-01

    Hydroxyapatite (Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2) is widely investigated as an implantable material for hard tissue restoration due to its osteoconductive properties. However, hydroxyapatite in bulk form is limited as its mechanical properties are insufficient for load-bearing orthopedic applications. Attempts have been made to improve the mechanical properties of hydroxyapatite, by incorporating ceramic fillers, but the resultant composite materials require high sintering temperatures to facilitate densification, leading to the decomposition of hydroxyapatite into tricalcium phosphate, tetra-calcium phosphate and CaO phases. One method of improving the properties of hydroxyapatite is to incorporate bioactive glass particles as a second phase. These typically have lower softening points which could possibly facilitate sintering at lower temperatures. In this work, a bioactive glass (SiO2-CaO-ZnO-Na2O-TiO2) is incorporated (10, 20 and 30 wt%) into hydroxyapatite as a reinforcing phase. X-ray diffraction confirmed that no additional phases (other than hydroxyapatite) were formed at a sintering temperature of 560 ℃ with up to 30 wt% glass addition. The addition of the glass phase increased the % crystallinity and the relative density of the composites. The biaxial flexural strength increased to 36 MPa with glass addition, and there was no significant change in hardness as a function of maturation. The pH of the incubation media increased to pH 10 or 11 through glass addition, and ion release profiles determined that Si, Na and P were released from the composites. Calcium phosphate precipitation was encouraged in simulated body fluid with the incorporation of the bioactive glass phase, and cell culture testing in MC-3T3 osteoblasts determined that the composite materials did not significantly reduce cell viability. © The Author(s) 2015.

  16. Ceramics with Different Additives

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Juanjuan; Feng, Lajun; Lei, Ali; Zhao, Kang; Yan, Aijun

    2014-09-01

    Li2CO3, MgCO3, BaCO3, and Bi2O3 dopants were introduced into CaCu3Ti4O12 (CCTO) ceramics in order to improve the dielectric properties. The CCTO ceramics were prepared by conventional solid-state reaction method. The phase structure, microstructure, and dielectric behavior were carefully investigated. The pure structure without any impurity phases can be confirmed by the x-ray diffraction patterns. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analysis illuminated that the grains of Ca0.90Li0.20Cu3Ti4O12 ceramics were greater than that of pure CCTO. It was important for the properties of the CCTO ceramics to study the additives in complex impedance spectroscopy. It was found that the Ca0.90Li0.20Cu3Ti4O12 ceramics had the higher permittivity (>45000), the lower dielectric loss (<0.025) than those of CCTO at 1 kHz at room temperature and good temperature stability from -30 to 75 °C.

  17. Sensitization to Food Additives in Patients with Allergy: A Study Based on Skin Test and Open Oral Challenge.

    PubMed

    Moghtaderi, Mozhgan; Hejrati, Zinatosadat; Dehghani, Zahra; Dehghani, Faranak; Kolahi, Niloofar

    2016-06-01

    There has been a great increase in the consumption of various food additives in recent years. The purpose of this study was to identify the incidence of sensitization to food additives by using skin prick test in patients with allergy and to determine the concordance rate between positive skin tests and oral challenge in hypersensitivity to additives. This cross-sectional study included 125 (female 71, male 54) patients aged 2-76 years with allergy and 100 healthy individuals. Skin tests were performed in both patient and control groups with 25 fresh food additives. Among patients with allergy, 22.4% showed positive skin test at least to one of the applied materials. Skin test was negative to all tested food additives in control group. Oral food challenge was done in 28 patients with positive skin test, in whom 9 patients showed reaction to culprit (Concordance rate=32.1%). The present study suggested that about one-third of allergic patients with positive reaction to food additives showed positive oral challenge; it may be considered the potential utility of skin test to identify the role of food additives in patients with allergy.

  18. Addition of platinum and silver nanoparticles to toughen dental porcelain.

    PubMed

    Fujieda, Tokushi; Uno, Mitsunori; Ishigami, Hajime; Kurachi, Masakazu; Wakamatsu, Nobukazu; Doi, Yutaka

    2012-01-01

    Several studies have investigated toughening porcelain that is layered over a frame or a core. The introduction of residual compressive stress to the surface of porcelain has been shown to be effective to strengthen it. In the present study, nanoparticles of precious metals of silver and platinum (rather than non-precious metals) were used to evaluate if they could increase the fracture resistance of porcelain. The addition of silver and platinum nanoparticles was found to improve the mechanical properties of porcelain since it increased both the Young's modulus and the fracture toughness of commercial porcelain.

  19. S-SIMS and MetA-SIMS study of organic additives in thin polymer coatings

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Adriaensen, L.; Vangaever, F.; Lenaerts, J.; Gijbels, R.

    2006-07-01

    In the present study a methodology for TOF-S-SIMS measurements is developed to gain information on the distribution of molecules on and in polymer coatings (thickness ˜100 μm). Experiments were carried out on model systems consisting of one or more additive-containing polyvinylbutyral coatings. Several organic additives were selected: carbocyanine dyes, basonyl blue and the pharmaceutical risperidone. The additives have been measured as pure compounds on a Si substrate to obtain good reference spectra. After optimisation of the sample preparation method, the coatings were embedded in epoxy resin and stored in an oven (60 °C) for 24 h. Cross-sections were made by means of a microtome. S-SIMS spectra were taken on the prepared cross-sections before and after Au was deposited on the sample surface. Compared to the untreated samples, the Au covered samples give rise to more intense secondary ion signals. Generally, signals of the intact cations were more intense than those of the fragment ions. Apart from mass spectra, images of the additive distribution in the coatings could also be acquired by recording structural ion signals. It was possible to make secondary ion images of the additive molecule ions with a (sub)-micrometer lateral resolution.

  20. Laser doppler imaging as additional monitoring after digital replanting: A prospective study.

    PubMed

    Schmid, Marc; Seyed Jafari, S Morteza; Haug, Luzian; Surke, Carsten; Hunger, Robert E; Van De Ville, Dimitri; Juon Personeni, Bettina; Shafighi, Maziar; Voegelin, Esther

    2018-03-14

    Despite various exisiting monitoring methods, there is still a need for new technologies to improve the quality of post-operative evaluation of digital replantation. The purpose of the study is using a laser Doppler imaging device (Easy-LDI) as an additional tool to assess perfusion. In this method, the changes in the frequency of the laser ligth provide information regarding perfusion of the monitored tissue. This study included seven patients (10 fingers; age of patients: 21-57 years) who suffered from a total (n = 6) or subtotal amputation (n = 4) due to accidents. In addition to hourly standard monitoring with clinical evaluation and skin thermometry, revascularized fingers were hourly monitored with Easy LDI for 48 h. LDI measurement values ranged between 0.8 and 223 (mean 90.62 ± 21.42) arbitrary perfusion units (APU). The mean LDI values before and after revascularization were 7.1 ± 2.85 and 65.30 ± 30.83 APU, respectively. For the successful revascularized fingers (8 of 10 fingers) values from 19 to 223 APU (mean 98.52 ± 15.48) were demonstrated. All of the replants survived, but due to venous occlusion two digits required revision 12 and 35 h after revascularization, respectively. In the two cases, Easy-LDI also showed a constant and slow decline of the perfusion values. Furthermore, Pearson normalized correlation coefficient showed a positive significant correlation between temperatures of the replants and LDI-values (P < .001, r = +0.392) and a negative significant correlation between Δtemperature and LDI-values (P < .001, r = -0.474). The LDI-device might be a promising additional monitoring technique in detection of perfusion disturbance in monitoring digital replantations. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  1. Improvement of aquaponic performance through micro- and macro-nutrient addition.

    PubMed

    Ru, Dongyun; Liu, Jikai; Hu, Zhen; Zou, Yina; Jiang, Liping; Cheng, Xiaodian; Lv, Zhenting

    2017-07-01

    Aquaponics is one of the "zero waste" industry in the twenty-first century, and is considered to be one of the major trends for the future development of agriculture. However, the low nitrogen utilization efficiency (NUE) restricted its widely application. To date, many attempts have been conducted to improve its NUE. In the present study, effect of micro- and macro-nutrient addition on performance of tilapia-pak choi aquaponics was investigated. Results showed that the addition of micro- and macro-nutrients improved the growth of plant directly and facilitated fish physiology indirectly, which subsequently increased NUE of aquaponics from 40.42 to 50.64%. In addition, remarkable lower total phosphorus concentration was obtained in aquaponics with micro- and macro-nutrient addition, which was attributed to the formation of struvite. Most of the added micro-nutrients were enriched in plant root, while macro-nutrients mainly existed in water. Moreover, no enrichment of micro- and macro-nutrients in aquaponic products (i.e., fish and plant leaves) was observed, indicating that it had no influence on food safety. The findings here reported manifest that appropriate addition of micro- and macro-nutrients to aquaponics is necessary, and would improve its economic feasibility.

  2. Investigating the Experiences of Childhood Cancer Patients and Parents Participating in Optional Nontherapeutic Clinical Research Studies in the UK

    PubMed Central

    Errington, Julie; Malik, Ghada; Evans, Julie; Baston, Jenny; Parry, Annie; Price, Lisa; Johnstone, Hina; Peters, Selena; Oram, Victoria; Howe, Karen; Whiteley, Emma; Tunnacliffe, Jane

    2016-01-01

    Background While the majority of childhood cancer clinical trials are treatment related, additional optional research investigations may be carried out that do not directly impact on treatment. It is essential that these studies are conducted ethically and that the experiences of families participating in these studies are as positive as possible. Methods A questionnaire study was carried out to investigate the key factors that influence why families choose to participate in optional nontherapeutic research studies, the level of understanding of the trials involved, and the experiences of participation. Results A total of 100 participants from six UK centers were studied; 77 parents, 10 patients >16 years, and 13 patients aged 8–15 years. Ninety‐seven percent of parents and 90% of patients felt that information provided prior to study consent was of the right length, with 52% of parents and 65% of patients fully understanding the information provided. Seventy‐four percent of parents participated in research studies in order to “do something important”, while 74% of patients participated “to help medical staff”. Encouragingly, <5% of participants felt that their clinical care would be negatively affected if they did not participate. Positive aspects of participation included a perception of increased attention from medical staff. Negative aspects included spending longer periods in hospital and the requirement for additional blood samples. Ninety‐six percent of parents and 87% of patients would participate in future studies. Conclusions The study provides an insight into the views of childhood cancer patients and their parents participating in nontherapeutic clinical research studies. Overwhelmingly, the findings suggest that participation is seen as a positive experience. PMID:26928983

  3. Investigating the Experiences of Childhood Cancer Patients and Parents Participating in Optional Nontherapeutic Clinical Research Studies in the UK.

    PubMed

    Errington, Julie; Malik, Ghada; Evans, Julie; Baston, Jenny; Parry, Annie; Price, Lisa; Johnstone, Hina; Peters, Selena; Oram, Victoria; Howe, Karen; Whiteley, Emma; Tunnacliffe, Jane; Veal, Gareth J

    2016-07-01

    While the majority of childhood cancer clinical trials are treatment related, additional optional research investigations may be carried out that do not directly impact on treatment. It is essential that these studies are conducted ethically and that the experiences of families participating in these studies are as positive as possible. A questionnaire study was carried out to investigate the key factors that influence why families choose to participate in optional nontherapeutic research studies, the level of understanding of the trials involved, and the experiences of participation. A total of 100 participants from six UK centers were studied; 77 parents, 10 patients >16 years, and 13 patients aged 8-15 years. Ninety-seven percent of parents and 90% of patients felt that information provided prior to study consent was of the right length, with 52% of parents and 65% of patients fully understanding the information provided. Seventy-four percent of parents participated in research studies in order to "do something important", while 74% of patients participated "to help medical staff". Encouragingly, <5% of participants felt that their clinical care would be negatively affected if they did not participate. Positive aspects of participation included a perception of increased attention from medical staff. Negative aspects included spending longer periods in hospital and the requirement for additional blood samples. Ninety-six percent of parents and 87% of patients would participate in future studies. The study provides an insight into the views of childhood cancer patients and their parents participating in nontherapeutic clinical research studies. Overwhelmingly, the findings suggest that participation is seen as a positive experience. © 2016 The Authors. Pediatric Blood & Cancer, published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  4. Dinuclear Tricyclic Transition State Model for Carbonyl Addition of Organotitanium Reagents: DFT Study on the Activity and Enantioselectivity of BINOLate Titanium Catalysts.

    PubMed

    Harada, Toshiro

    2018-06-08

    In the presence of a catalytic amount of chiral BINOL derivatives (or BINOLs), a mixture of various organometallic compounds with Ti(O i Pr) 4 undergoes enantioselective addition to aldehydes and ketones. Although the catalyst and reacting nucleophile of the reaction have been elucidated to be ( BINOLate)Ti 2 (O i Pr) 6 and RTi(O i Pr) 3 , respectively, little is known about the properties of short-lived intermediates and transition structures. In this work, the mechanism of this reaction is investigated with the aid of DFT (M06) calculations. The study provides support for the following mechanistic understandings: (i) The direct racemic reaction proceeds through a pathway involving initial aggregation of RTi(O i Pr) 3 with Ti(O i Pr) 4 followed by carbonyl addition of the resulting dinuclear aggregate. (ii) The enantioselective reaction takes place through a pathway involving initial ligand exchange of RTi(O i Pr) 3 with ( BINOLate)Ti 2 (O i Pr) 6 followed by the addition of the resulting chiral dinuclear titanium species via a chiral BINOLate-chelated, tricyclic transition structure. (iii) The enantioselective pathway is favorable not because BINOLate ligands accelerate the carbonyl addition but because the ligands stabilize the chiral dinuclear species against deaggregation through a chelating bridge. (iv) The chiral transition structure serves as a model accounting for the re-face addition generally observed in the reaction of aldehydes with ( R)- BINOLs.

  5. Microstructural Study Of Zinc Hot Dip Galvanized Coatings with Titanium Additions In The Zinc Melt

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Konidaris, S.; Pistofidis, N.; Vourlias, G.; Pavlidou, E.; Stergiou, A.; Stergioudis, G.; Polychroniadis, E. K.

    2007-04-01

    Zinc hot-dip galvanizing is a method for protecting iron and steel against corrosion. Galvanizing with pure Zn or Zn with additions like Ni, Al, Pb and Bi has been extensively studied, but there is a lack of scientific information about other additions. The present work examines the effect of a 0.5 wt% Ti addition in the Zn melt. The samples were exposed to accelerated corrosion in a salt spray chamber (SSC). The microstructure and chemical composition of the coatings were determined by Optical Microscopy, XRD and SEM associated with an EDS Analyzer. The results indicate that the coatings have a typical morphology, while Zn-Ti phases were also detected.

  6. Reducing of internal resistance lithium ion battery using glucose addition

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

    Salim, Andri Pratama; Hafidlullah, Noor; Purwanto, Agus, E-mail: aguspurw@gmail.com

    There are two indicators of battery performance, i.e : capacity and the internal resistance of battery. In this research, the affect of glucose addition to decrease the internal resistance of lithium battery was investigated. The ratio of glucose addition were varied at weight ratio 1%, 3%, and 5% and one mixtures without glucose addition. Lithium ferri phosphate (LiFePO{sub 4}), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), acetylene black (AB) and glucose were materials that used in this study. Both of mixtures were mixed in the vacuum mixer until became homogeneous. The slurry was coated on an aluminium foil sheet and the coated thickness wasmore » 200 µm. The performance of battery lithium was examined by Eight Channel Battery Analyzer and the Internal resistance was examined by Internal Resistance of Battery Meter. The result from all analyzer were showed that the internal resistance reduced as well as the battery capacity. The best internal resistance value is owned by mixtures with 3wt% ratio glucose addition. It has an internal resistance value about 64 miliohm.« less

  7. Reducing of internal resistance lithium ion battery using glucose addition

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Salim, Andri Pratama; Hafidlullah, Noor; Purwanto, Agus

    2016-02-01

    There are two indicators of battery performance, i.e : capacity and the internal resistance of battery. In this research, the affect of glucose addition to decrease the internal resistance of lithium battery was investigated. The ratio of glucose addition were varied at weight ratio 1%, 3%, and 5% and one mixtures without glucose addition. Lithium ferri phosphate (LiFePO4), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), acetylene black (AB) and glucose were materials that used in this study. Both of mixtures were mixed in the vacuum mixer until became homogeneous. The slurry was coated on an aluminium foil sheet and the coated thickness was 200 µm. The performance of battery lithium was examined by Eight Channel Battery Analyzer and the Internal resistance was examined by Internal Resistance of Battery Meter. The result from all analyzer were showed that the internal resistance reduced as well as the battery capacity. The best internal resistance value is owned by mixtures with 3wt% ratio glucose addition. It has an internal resistance value about 64 miliohm.

  8. Effect of antistripping additives on the compaction of bituminous concrete.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1981-01-01

    The objective of this investigation was to determine the effect of antistripping additives on the compaction of bituminous concrete. To do this, the densities obtained on test sections with and without additive were compared. Comparisons of nuclear d...

  9. Studies on effect of additives on protein profile, microstructure and quality characteristics of pasta.

    PubMed

    Purnima, C; Ramasarma, P R; Prabhasankar, P

    2012-02-01

    Wheat storage proteins play a vital role in pasta making quality. In the present study, SDS-PAGE, Gel filtration chromatography and Scanning electron microscopy techniques were employed to understand the changes in the wheat protein fractions and their interactions with additives namely Sodium Steroyl Lactate (SSL), Glycerol Monostearate (GMS) and Hydroxy Propyl Methyl Cellulose (HPMC) during processing of pasta. SDS-PAGE studies indicated changes in High Molecular Weight Glutenin (HMW) fractions during drying stages of pasta preparation and in cooked pasta samples. In uncooked pasta, gel filtration patterns showed four peaks corresponding to different storage proteins whereas in the case of cooked pasta, these peaks were merged into three peaks. Pasta quality characteristics studies indicated that pasta with HPMC was found to have minimum percentage of cooking loss (5.6%), increased cooked weight (82 g), firmness (2.97 N) and high overall quality score (27) than GMS, SSL and control. Microstructure studies confirm the beneficial effect of HPMC. The present study indicated that HPMC is better additive for pasta manufacture followed by GMS. This could be due to interaction of HPMC with starch and protein matrix is different from that of GMS and SSL.

  10. [Elastography as an additional tool in breast sonography. Technical principles and clinical applications].

    PubMed

    Rjosk-Dendorfer, D; Reichelt, A; Clevert, D-A

    2014-03-01

    In recent years the use of elastography in addition to sonography has become a routine clinical tool for the characterization of breast masses. Whereas free hand compression elastography results in qualitative imaging of tissue stiffness due to induced compression, shear wave elastography displays quantitative information of tissue displacement. Recent studies have investigated the use of elastography in addition to sonography and improvement of specificity in differentiating benign from malignant breast masses could be shown. Therefore, additional use of elastography could help to reduce the number of unnecessary biopsies in benign breast lesions especially in category IV lesions of the ultrasound breast imaging reporting data system (US-BI-RADS).

  11. Additive manufactured x-ray optics for astronomy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Atkins, Carolyn; Feldman, Charlotte; Brooks, David; Watson, Stephen; Cochrane, William; Roulet, Melanie; Doel, Peter; Willingale, Richard; Hugot, Emmanuel

    2017-08-01

    Additive manufacturing, more commonly known as 3D printing, has become a commercially established technology for rapid prototyping and the fabrication of bespoke intricate parts. Optical components, such as mirrors and lenses, are now being fabricated via additive manufacturing, where the printed substrate is polished in a post-processing step. One application of additively manufactured optics could be within the astronomical X-ray community, where there is a growing need to demonstrate thin, lightweight, high precision optics for a beyond Chandra style mission. This paper will follow a proof-of-concept investigation, sponsored by the UK Space Agency's National Space Technology Programme, into the feasibility of applying additive manufacturing in the production of thin, lightweight, precision X-ray optics for astronomy. One of the benefits of additive manufacturing is the ability to construct intricate lightweighting, which can be optimised to minimise weight while ensuring rigidity. This concept of optimised lightweighting will be applied to a series of polished additively manufactured test samples and experimental data from these samples, including an assessment of the optical quality and the magnitude of any print-through, will be presented. In addition, the finite element analysis optimisations of the lightweighting development will be discussed.

  12. Surface texture measurement for additive manufacturing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Triantaphyllou, Andrew; Giusca, Claudiu L.; Macaulay, Gavin D.; Roerig, Felix; Hoebel, Matthias; Leach, Richard K.; Tomita, Ben; Milne, Katherine A.

    2015-06-01

    The surface texture of additively manufactured metallic surfaces made by powder bed methods is affected by a number of factors, including the powder’s particle size distribution, the effect of the heat source, the thickness of the printed layers, the angle of the surface relative to the horizontal build bed and the effect of any post processing/finishing. The aim of the research reported here is to understand the way these surfaces should be measured in order to characterise them. In published research to date, the surface texture is generally reported as an Ra value, measured across the lay. The appropriateness of this method for such surfaces is investigated here. A preliminary investigation was carried out on two additive manufacturing processes—selective laser melting (SLM) and electron beam melting (EBM)—focusing on the effect of build angle and post processing. The surfaces were measured using both tactile and optical methods and a range of profile and areal parameters were reported. Test coupons were manufactured at four angles relative to the horizontal plane of the powder bed using both SLM and EBM. The effect of lay—caused by the layered nature of the manufacturing process—was investigated, as was the required sample area for optical measurements. The surfaces were also measured before and after grit blasting.

  13. An investigation of the effects of a nonprofit agency's investigations on quality of care in nursing homes.

    PubMed

    Lorentz, Madeline; Finnegan, Brittany

    2013-01-01

    This study examined whether an agency's investigation of complaints in 40 nursing homes is positively correlated with the quality of nursing home care. A quantitative methodology design using quantitative and qualitative data was used to assess the relationship between Agency X's investigation of consumers' nursing home complaints and the quality of nursing home care. Results showed fewer violations after the agency's interventions, indicating improvement in the nursing care. Analysis showed on average 0.14 fewer violations. This decrease is statistically significant (p = .015), indicating that this agency's intervention improved nursing home care. Additional studies are needed to further explore the quality of care given in nursing homes. Nurses may propose to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to establish a new innovative system for ensuring high quality nursing home care by requiring the establishment of outside agencies, such as Agency X, to monitor care in addition to the annual surveys conducted by the Department of Health and Human Services. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  14. POEM: Identifying Joint Additive Effects on Regulatory Circuits.

    PubMed

    Botzman, Maya; Nachshon, Aharon; Brodt, Avital; Gat-Viks, Irit

    2016-01-01

    Expression Quantitative Trait Locus (eQTL) mapping tackles the problem of identifying variation in DNA sequence that have an effect on the transcriptional regulatory network. Major computational efforts are aimed at characterizing the joint effects of several eQTLs acting in concert to govern the expression of the same genes. Yet, progress toward a comprehensive prediction of such joint effects is limited. For example, existing eQTL methods commonly discover interacting loci affecting the expression levels of a module of co-regulated genes. Such "modularization" approaches, however, are focused on epistatic relations and thus have limited utility for the case of additive (non-epistatic) effects. Here we present POEM (Pairwise effect On Expression Modules), a methodology for identifying pairwise eQTL effects on gene modules. POEM is specifically designed to achieve high performance in the case of additive joint effects. We applied POEM to transcription profiles measured in bone marrow-derived dendritic cells across a population of genotyped mice. Our study reveals widespread additive, trans-acting pairwise effects on gene modules, characterizes their organizational principles, and highlights high-order interconnections between modules within the immune signaling network. These analyses elucidate the central role of additive pairwise effect in regulatory circuits, and provide computational tools for future investigations into the interplay between eQTLs. The software described in this article is available at csgi.tau.ac.il/POEM/.

  15. [Randomized, controlled clinical trials with observational follow-up investigations for evaluating efficacy of antihyperglycaemic treatment. I. Main results of the studies].

    PubMed

    Jermendy, György

    2018-04-01

    The effect of antihyperglycaemic (antidiabetic) treatment on the late diabetic complications is one of the most important research areas in clinical diabetology. The relationship between glycaemic control and late micro- and macrovascular complications was highlighted by the results of the DCCT (Diabetes Control and Complications Trial) with type 1 and by the UKPDS (United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study) with type 2 diabetic patients. In these studies, observational follow-up investigations were also performed after the close-out of the randomized phase of the trial. In addition to these landmark studies, other randomized, controlled efficacy trials were also performed with observational follow-up investigations resulting in the development of the concept of metabolic memory or metabolic legacy. In this article, the main results of the studies are summarized. Orv Hetil. 2018; 159(15): 575-582.

  16. Investigation of Sustainable Energy Policy: Nairobi Case Study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shengyuan, Y.; Habiyaremye, J. F. L.; Yingying, W.

    2017-07-01

    A plan for actively achieving green energy obligation is a strategic tool for policies that point forward the diminution of the fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) in conformity with the Paris environment-friendly accords (COP21) and updates of other ecosystem agreements. To achieve the concrete implementation of the sustainable energy strategy (SES) and to accomplish its objectives, an investigation is a critical factor. SES investigation has to consider both the advancement of each particular action and its wide-ranging green effect, which necessitates multiple levels of improvement. In this study, a consolidated eco strategy for evaluating, monitoring and handling the SES via investigation and execution process is established. The city of Nairobi was used as one of the geographical positions to test the effectiveness of this approach and to investigate its robust and weak points. Specifically, benefit-cost analysis, reliability, peer review and general level of participation were renowned as vital tools for attaining a functional SES investigation and for then drafting successful energy guidelines. Some suggestions were put forward to highlight the research and execution methods and to draw a road map of how SES can be strategically placed into practice.

  17. Use of hydrated lime as an antistripping additive : installation report.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1983-01-01

    The purpose of this investigation is to evaluate the effectiveness of hydrated lime as an antistripping additive in several test sections. The two sections installed in 1982 contain S-5 surface mixes with (1) hydrated lime, (2) a chemical additive, a...

  18. Watching MOOCs Together: Investigating Co-Located MOOC Study Groups

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Li, Nan; Verma, Himanshu; Skevi, Afroditi; Zufferey, Guillaume; Blom, Jan; Dillenbourg, Pierre

    2014-01-01

    Research suggests that massive open online course (MOOC) students prefer to study in groups, and that social facilitation within the study groups may render the learning of difficult concepts a pleasing experience. We report on a longitudinal study that investigates how co-located study groups watch and study MOOC videos together. The study was…

  19. Addition of sulphonylurea to metformin does not relevantly change body weight: a prospective observational cohort study (ZODIAC-39).

    PubMed

    Schrijnders, Dennis; Wever, Raiza; Kleefstra, Nanne; Houweling, Sebastiaan T; van Hateren, Kornelis J J; de Bock, Geertruida H; Bilo, Henk J G; Groenier, Klaas H; Landman, Gijs W D

    2016-10-01

    To investigate changes in body weight trajectories after the addition of individual sulphonylureas (SUs) to metformin in patients with type 2 diabetes. We conducted a retrospective observational cohort study, in a primary care setting in the Netherlands. Patients aged ≥18 years with type 2 diabetes who were included in the ZODIAC cohort between 1998 and 2012 and who received metformin monotherapy at inclusion (n = 29 195), and had used metformin as monotherapy for at least 1 year before receiving dual therapy through the addition of an SU for at least 1 year were eligible for inclusion. The primary outcome was within-drug yearly change in body weight after receiving add-on therapy with individual SUs during 5 years of follow-up. The secondary outcome was within-drug yearly change in glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c). Annual changes in weight and HbA1c were estimated with linear mixed models, adjusted for age, gender and diabetes duration. A total of 2958 patients were included. No significant weight changes were observed within and between any of the individual SUs after treatment intensification (p = 0.24). In addition, no significant difference in weight between the add-on therapy combinations was observed (p = 0.26). The average HbA1c the year before intensification was 7.2% (55 mmol/mol) and dropped below 7.0% (53 mmol/mol) the year after. In patients with type 2 diabetes treated in primary care, strict glycaemic control can be maintained with SUs used as add-on therapy to metformin, without the offset of relevant weight changes. © 2016 The Authors. Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  20. The importance of taxonomic resolution for additive beta diversity as revealed through DNA barcoding.

    PubMed

    Bringloe, Trevor T; Cottenie, Karl; Martin, Gillian K; Adamowicz, Sarah J

    2016-12-01

    Additive diversity partitioning (α, β, and γ) is commonly used to study the distribution of species-level diversity across spatial scales. Here, we first investigate whether published studies of additive diversity partitioning show signs of difficulty attaining species-level resolution due to inherent limitations with morphological identifications. Second, we present a DNA barcoding approach to delineate specimens of stream caddisfly larvae (order Trichoptera) and consider the importance of taxonomic resolution on classical (additive) measures of beta (β) diversity. Caddisfly larvae were sampled using a hierarchical spatial design in two regions (subarctic Churchill, Manitoba, Canada; temperate Pennsylvania, USA) and then additively partitioned according to Barcode Index Numbers (molecular clusters that serve as a proxy for species), genus, and family levels; diversity components were expressed as proportional species turnover. We screened 114 articles of additive diversity partitioning and found that a third reported difficulties with achieving species-level identifications, with a clear taxonomic tendency towards challenges identifying invertebrate taxa. Regarding our own study, caddisfly BINs appeared to show greater subregional turnover (e.g., proportional additive β) compared to genus or family levels. Diversity component studies failing to achieve species resolution due to morphological identifications may therefore be underestimating diversity turnover at larger spatial scales.

  1. Additive Partial Least Squares for efficient modelling of independent variance sources demonstrated on practical case studies.

    PubMed

    Luoma, Pekka; Natschläger, Thomas; Malli, Birgit; Pawliczek, Marcin; Brandstetter, Markus

    2018-05-12

    A model recalibration method based on additive Partial Least Squares (PLS) regression is generalized for multi-adjustment scenarios of independent variance sources (referred to as additive PLS - aPLS). aPLS allows for effortless model readjustment under changing measurement conditions and the combination of independent variance sources with the initial model by means of additive modelling. We demonstrate these distinguishing features on two NIR spectroscopic case-studies. In case study 1 aPLS was used as a readjustment method for an emerging offset. The achieved RMS error of prediction (1.91 a.u.) was of similar level as before the offset occurred (2.11 a.u.). In case-study 2 a calibration combining different variance sources was conducted. The achieved performance was of sufficient level with an absolute error being better than 0.8% of the mean concentration, therefore being able to compensate negative effects of two independent variance sources. The presented results show the applicability of the aPLS approach. The main advantages of the method are that the original model stays unadjusted and that the modelling is conducted on concrete changes in the spectra thus supporting efficient (in most cases straightforward) modelling. Additionally, the method is put into context of existing machine learning algorithms. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. An observational study of patient satisfaction with fesoterodine in the treatment of overactive bladder: effects of additional educational material.

    PubMed

    Schneider, T; Arumi, D; Crook, T J; Sun, F; Michel, M C

    2014-09-01

    To compare the effects of additional educational material on treatment satisfaction of overactive bladder (OAB) patients treated with a muscarinic receptor antagonist. In an observational study of OAB patients being treated by their physician with fesoterodine for 4 months (FAKTEN study), sites were randomised to providing standard treatment or additional educational material including the SAGA tool. Patient satisfaction was assessed by three validated patient-reported outcomes including the Treatment Satisfaction Question. Because of premature discontinuation of the study, descriptive statistical analysis was performed. A total of 431 and 342 patients received standard treatment or additional educational material, respectively. At study end, 76.1% [95% CI = 71.3, 80.4] of patients with standard care and 79.6% [95% CI = 74.4, 84.1] with additional SAGA tool were satisfied with treatment (primary end-point). Comparable outcomes with and without the additional educational material were also found in various patient subgroups, at the 1-month time point, and for the other patient-reported outcomes. A notable exception was the subgroup of treatment-naïve patients in which the percentage of satisfied patients was 77.2% vs. 89.5% with standard treatment and additional SAGA tool, respectively (post hoc analysis). In an observational study, most overactive bladder patients were satisfied with fesoterodine treatment. Because of the small sample size, the study does not support or refute the hypothesis that adding the SAGA tool will improve patient satisfaction with treatment. The potential effect of additional educational material in treatment-naïve patients warrants further dedicated studies. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  3. Ecological investigations: vegetation studies, preliminary findings

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

    Olgeirson, E.R.; Martin, R.B.

    1978-09-01

    The objective of the vegetation studies conducted on the research site is to produce a descriptive data base that can be applied to determinations of carrying capacity of the site and surrounding area. Additional information obtained about parameters that influence vegetation growth and maintenance of soil nutrients, and moisture and temperature regimes help define dynamic relationships that must be understood to effect successful revegetation and habitat rehabilitation. The descriptive vegetation baseline also provides a point of departure for design of future monitoring programs, and predictive models and strategies to be used in dealing with impact mitigation; in turn, monitoring programsmore » and predictive modeling form the bases for making distinctions between natural trends and man-induced perturbations.« less

  4. The 2016 HIGh Heels: Health effects And psychosexual BenefITS (HIGH HABITS) study: systematic review of reviews and additional primary studies.

    PubMed

    Barnish, Max; Morgan, Heather May; Barnish, Jean

    2017-08-01

    High-heeled shoes (high heels) are frequently worn by many women and form an important part of female gender identity. Issues of explicit and implicit compulsion to wear high heels have been noted. Previous studies and reviews have provided evidence that high heels are detrimental to health. However, the evidence base remains fragmented and no review has covered both the epidemiological and biomechanical literature. In addition, no review has considered the psychosexual benefits that offer essential context in understanding the public health challenge of high heels. We searched seven major bibliographic databases up to November 2016, in addition to supplementary searches. We initially identified all review articles of any design that assessed either the psychosexual benefits or negative musculoskeletal health effects of high heels, the latter looking at both the epidemiological and biomechanical perspectives. We additionally considered additional primary studies on areas that had not been reviewed before or in which a marked lack of evidence had been noted. Data were extracted onto standardised forms. Proportionate second review was conducted. A total of 506 unique records were identified, 27 full-text publications were screened and 20 publications (7 reviews and 13 additional studies) were included in our evidence synthesis. The most up-to-date epidemiological review provides clear evidence of an association between high heel wear and hallux valgus, musculoskeletal pain and first-party injury. The body of biomechanical reviews provides clear evidence of changes indicative of increased risk of these outcomes, as well as osteoarthritis, which is not yet evidenced by epidemiological studies. There were no reviews on psychosexual benefits, but all five identified original studies provided evidence of increased attractiveness and/or an impact on men's behaviour associated with high heel wear. With regard to second-party injury, evidence is limited to one descriptive

  5. Review on effect of chemical, thermal, additive treatment on mechanical properties of basalt fiber and their composites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jain, Naman; Singh, Vinay Kumar; Chauhan, Sakshi

    2017-12-01

    Basalt fiber is emerging out the new reinforcing material for composites. To overcome some of the disadvantages of fibers such as poor bonding to polymers, low thermal stability and high moisture absorption fiber characteristics are modified with chemical, thermal and additive treatments. Chemical treatment corrosive resistance to alkali and acid were investigated which were used to clean and modify the surface of fiber for higher bonding with resins. To improve the thermal stability and reduce moisture uptake thermal treatment such as plasma and non thermal plasma were used which increased the surface roughness and change the chemical composition of surface of basalt fiber. Additive treatment is used to improve the mechanical properties of fibers, in basalt fiber additive treatment was done with SiO2 additive because of its chemical composition which contains major content of SiO2. In present investigation review on the effect of different treatment such as chemical, thermal and additive were studied. Effect of these treatment on chemical composition of the surface of basalt fiber and corrosion to acidic and alkali solution were studied with their effect on mechanical properties of basalt fiber and their composite.

  6. Mineral resources of the Whipple Mountains and Whipple Mountains Addition Wilderness Study Areas, San Bernardino County, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Marsh, Sherman P.; Raines, Gary L.; Diggles, Michael F.; Howard, Keith A.; Simpson, Robert W.; Hoover, Donald B.; Ridenour, James; Moyle, Phillip R.; Willett, Spencee L.

    1988-01-01

    At the request of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, approximately 85,100 acres of the Whipple Mountains Wilderness Study Area (CDCA-312) and 1,380 acres of the Whipple Mountains Addition Wilderness Study Area (AZ-050-010) were evaluated for identified mineral resources (known) and mineral resource potential (undiscovered). In this report, the Whipple Mountains and Whipple Mountains Addition Wilderness Study Areas are referred to as simply "the study area." Most of the mines and prospects with identified resources in the Whipple Mountains Wilderness Study Area are within areas designated as having mineral resource potential. The area in and around the Turk Silver mine and the Lucky Green group and the area near the northwest boundary of the study area have high mineral resource potential for copper, lead, zinc, gold, and silver. An area along the west boundary of the study area has moderate resource potential for copper lead, zinc, gold, and silver. An area in the east adjacent to the Whipple Mountains Addition Wilderness Study Area has moderate resource potential for copper, gold, and silver resources. One area on the north boundary and one on the southeast boundary of the study area have low mineral resource potential for copper, lead, zinc, gold, and silver. Two areas, one on the north boundary and one inside the east boundary of the study area, have moderate resource potential for manganese. A small area inside the south boundary of the study area has high resource potential for decorative building stone, and the entire study area has low resource potential for sand and gravel and other rock products suitable for construction. Two areas in the eastern part of the study area have low resource potential for uranium. There is no resource potential for oil and gas or geothermal resources in the Whipple Mountains Wilderness Study Area. Sites within the Whipple Mountains Wilderness Study Area with identified resources of copper, gold, silver, manganese and (or

  7. Effect of electronegative additives on physical properties and chemical activity of gas discharge plasma

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kuznetsov, D. L.; Filatov, I. E.; Uvarin, V. V.

    2018-01-01

    Effect of electronegative additives (oxygen O2, sulfur dioxide SO2, carbon disulfide CS2, and carbon tetrachloride CCl4) on physical properties and chemical activity of plasma formed by pulsed corona discharge and by non-self-sustained discharge supported by pulsed electron beam in atmospheric pressure gas mixtures was investigated. It is shown that a decrease in discharge current depends on a sort of the additive and on its concentration. The reason is the difference in rate constants of electron attachment processes for the above molecules. In experiments on volatile organic compounds (VOCs) conversion in air by streamer corona it is obtained that an addition of CCl4 both decreases the discharge current amplitude and increases the VOCs conversion degree. An installation for investigation of electron attachment processes and for study of toxic impurities conversion in plasma formed by non-self-sustained discharge initiated by pulsed nanosecond electron beam is created.

  8. Study of corrosion behavior on the addition of sodium citrate in nickel electroplating on SPCC steel using EIS

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Riastuti, R.; Ramadini, C.; Siallagan, S. T.; Rifki, A.; Herdino, F.

    2018-04-01

    The addition of sodium citrate to nickel electroplating process as additive is useful for refining the grain size of nickel deposit. The refining of grain size in nickel deposit as coating layer can improve surface performance, one of which corrosion resistance. This paper aims to investigate the effect of sodium citrate addition as grain refiner to promote corrosion resistance on SPCC steel. This experiment used Watt’s Bath solution of NiSO4 300 g/L, NiCl4 45 g/L, H3BO3 60 g/L, wetting agent 0.2 cc/L. Sodium citrate was added in composition of 45g/L and 60g/L. Nickel were deposited by direct current using current density on 6 A/dm2 at the acidity level of 5 for 30 minutes by keeping the operating temperature stable at 50°C. The grain size of nickel deposit was observed through Optical Microscope and Atomic Force Microscope (AFM). The corrosion behavior of SPCC was observed by linear polarization and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) methods using 3% NaCl solution. Based on the research, the addition of sodium citrate as grain refiner will increasing corrosion resistance on SPCC steel from 0.35 to 0.05 mm/year.

  9. A synchrotron study of microstructure gradient in laser additively formed epitaxial Ni-based superalloy

    DOE PAGES

    Xue, Jiawei; Zhang, Anfeng; Li, Yao; ...

    2015-10-08

    Laser additive forming is considered to be one of the promising techniques to repair single crystal Ni-based superalloy parts to extend their life and reduce the cost. Preservation of the single crystalline nature and prevention of thermal mechanical failure are two of the most essential issues for the application of this technique. Here we employ synchrotron X-ray microdiffraction to evaluate the quality in terms of crystal orientation and defect distribution of a Ni-based superalloy DZ125L directly formed by a laser additive process rooted from a single crystalline substrate of the same material. We show that a disorientation gradient caused bymore » a high density of geometrically necessary dislocations and resultant subgrains exists in the interfacial region between the epitaxial and stray grains. This creates a potential relationship of stray grain formation and defect accumulation. In conclusion, the observation offers new directions on the study of performance control and reliability of the laser additive manufactured superalloys.« less

  10. A synchrotron study of microstructure gradient in laser additively formed epitaxial Ni-based superalloy.

    PubMed

    Xue, Jiawei; Zhang, Anfeng; Li, Yao; Qian, Dan; Wan, Jingchun; Qi, Baolu; Tamura, Nobumichi; Song, Zhongxiao; Chen, Kai

    2015-10-08

    Laser additive forming is considered to be one of the promising techniques to repair single crystal Ni-based superalloy parts to extend their life and reduce the cost. Preservation of the single crystalline nature and prevention of thermal mechanical failure are two of the most essential issues for the application of this technique. Here we employ synchrotron X-ray microdiffraction to evaluate the quality in terms of crystal orientation and defect distribution of a Ni-based superalloy DZ125L directly formed by a laser additive process rooted from a single crystalline substrate of the same material. We show that a disorientation gradient caused by a high density of geometrically necessary dislocations and resultant subgrains exists in the interfacial region between the epitaxial and stray grains. This creates a potential relationship of stray grain formation and defect accumulation. The observation offers new directions on the study of performance control and reliability of the laser additive manufactured superalloys.

  11. A synchrotron study of microstructure gradient in laser additively formed epitaxial Ni-based superalloy

    PubMed Central

    Xue, Jiawei; Zhang, Anfeng; Li, Yao; Qian, Dan; Wan, Jingchun; Qi, Baolu; Tamura, Nobumichi; Song, Zhongxiao; Chen, Kai

    2015-01-01

    Laser additive forming is considered to be one of the promising techniques to repair single crystal Ni-based superalloy parts to extend their life and reduce the cost. Preservation of the single crystalline nature and prevention of thermal mechanical failure are two of the most essential issues for the application of this technique. Here we employ synchrotron X-ray microdiffraction to evaluate the quality in terms of crystal orientation and defect distribution of a Ni-based superalloy DZ125L directly formed by a laser additive process rooted from a single crystalline substrate of the same material. We show that a disorientation gradient caused by a high density of geometrically necessary dislocations and resultant subgrains exists in the interfacial region between the epitaxial and stray grains. This creates a potential relationship of stray grain formation and defect accumulation. The observation offers new directions on the study of performance control and reliability of the laser additive manufactured superalloys. PMID:26446425

  12. An investigation on the effect of second-order additional thickness distributions to the upper surface of an NACA 64 sub 1-212 airfoil. [using flow equations and a CDC 7600 digital computer

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hague, D. S.; Merz, A. W.

    1975-01-01

    An investigation was conducted on a CDC 7600 digital computer to determine the effects of additional thickness distributions to the upper surface of an NACA 64 sub 1 - 212 airfoil. Additional thickness distributions employed were in the form of two second-order polynomial arcs which have a specified thickness at a given chordwise location. The forward arc disappears at the airfoil leading edge, the aft arc disappears at the airfoil trailing edge. At the juncture of the two arcs, x = x, continuity of slope is maintained. The effect of varying the maximum additional thickness and its chordwise location on airfoil lift coefficient, pitching moment, and pressure distribution was investigated. Results were obtained at a Mach number of 0.2 with an angle-of-attack of 6 degrees on the basic NACA 64 sub 1 - 212 airfoil, and all calculations employ the full potential flow equations for two dimensional flow. The relaxation method of Jameson was employed for solution of the potential flow equations.

  13. Performance of an Additional Task During Level 2 Automated Driving: An On-Road Study Comparing Drivers With and Without Experience With Partial Automation.

    PubMed

    Solís-Marcos, Ignacio; Ahlström, Christer; Kircher, Katja

    2018-05-01

    To investigate the influence of prior experience with Level 2 automation on additional task performance during manual and Level 2 partially automated driving. Level 2 automation is now on the market, but its effects on driver behavior remain unclear. Based on previous studies, we could expect an increase in drivers' engagement in secondary tasks during Level 2 automated driving, but it is yet unknown how drivers will integrate all the ongoing demands in such situations. Twenty-one drivers (12 without, 9 with Level 2 automation experience) drove on a highway manually and with Level 2 automation (exemplified by Volvo Pilot Assist generation 2; PA2) while performing an additional task. In half of the conditions, the task could be interrupted (self-paced), and in the other half, it could not (system-paced). Drivers' visual attention, additional task performance, and other compensatory strategies were analyzed. Driving with PA2 led to decreased scores in the additional task and more visual attention to the dashboard. In the self-paced condition, all drivers looked more to the task and perceived a lower mental demand. The drivers experienced with PA2 used the system and the task more than the novice group and performed more overtakings. The additional task interfered more with Level 2 automation than with manual driving. The drivers, particularly the automation novice drivers, used some compensatory strategies. Automation designers need to consider these potential effects in the development of future automated systems.

  14. The Use of ICT in Kindergarten for Teaching Addition Based on Realistic Mathematics Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zaranis, Nicholas

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to investigate if information and communications technology (ICT) helps improve kindergarten students' basic mathematical achievement regarding addition. Our research compares the level of mathematical competence of the students taught using our ICT oriented learning method which specifically takes advantage of…

  15. 29 CFR 24.104 - Investigation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... paragraph sets forth the procedures applicable to investigations under the Safe Drinking Water Act; Federal... protected activity. (e) Investigation under the Energy Reorganization Act. In addition to the investigative... only to investigations under the Energy Reorganization Act. (1) A complaint of alleged violation will...

  16. Wear Resistance of Austempered Ductile Iron with Nanosized Additives

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kaleicheva, J. K.; Mishev, V.

    2018-01-01

    The wear resistance, microstructure and mechanical properties of austempered ductile iron (ADI) with nanosized additives of cubic boron nitride cBN are investigated. Samples of ductile iron are put under austhempering at the following conditions: heating at 900°С, 1 h and isothermal retention at 280оС, 2 h and 380°С, 2 h with the aim to achieve a lower bainitic structure and an upper bainitic structure. The experimental wear testing of austempered ductile irons is performed in friction conditions of a fixed abrasive by a cinematic scheme „pin - disc” using an accelerated testing method and device. The microstructure of the ADI is investigated by metallographic and X-Ray analyses. The Vickers hardness testing and impact strength examination are carried out. The influence of the nanosized additives of cBN on the wear resistance, microstructure, impact strength and hardness of the ADI is investigated.

  17. POEM: Identifying Joint Additive Effects on Regulatory Circuits

    PubMed Central

    Botzman, Maya; Nachshon, Aharon; Brodt, Avital; Gat-Viks, Irit

    2016-01-01

    Motivation: Expression Quantitative Trait Locus (eQTL) mapping tackles the problem of identifying variation in DNA sequence that have an effect on the transcriptional regulatory network. Major computational efforts are aimed at characterizing the joint effects of several eQTLs acting in concert to govern the expression of the same genes. Yet, progress toward a comprehensive prediction of such joint effects is limited. For example, existing eQTL methods commonly discover interacting loci affecting the expression levels of a module of co-regulated genes. Such “modularization” approaches, however, are focused on epistatic relations and thus have limited utility for the case of additive (non-epistatic) effects. Results: Here we present POEM (Pairwise effect On Expression Modules), a methodology for identifying pairwise eQTL effects on gene modules. POEM is specifically designed to achieve high performance in the case of additive joint effects. We applied POEM to transcription profiles measured in bone marrow-derived dendritic cells across a population of genotyped mice. Our study reveals widespread additive, trans-acting pairwise effects on gene modules, characterizes their organizational principles, and highlights high-order interconnections between modules within the immune signaling network. These analyses elucidate the central role of additive pairwise effect in regulatory circuits, and provide computational tools for future investigations into the interplay between eQTLs. Availability: The software described in this article is available at csgi.tau.ac.il/POEM/. PMID:27148351

  18. Reducing Communication in Algebraic Multigrid Using Additive Variants

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

    Vassilevski, Panayot S.; Yang, Ulrike Meier

    Algebraic multigrid (AMG) has proven to be an effective scalable solver on many high performance computers. However, its increasing communication complexity on coarser levels has shown to seriously impact its performance on computers with high communication cost. Moreover, additive AMG variants provide not only increased parallelism as well as decreased numbers of messages per cycle but also generally exhibit slower convergence. Here we present various new additive variants with convergence rates that are significantly improved compared to the classical additive algebraic multigrid method and investigate their potential for decreased communication, and improved communication-computation overlap, features that are essential for goodmore » performance on future exascale architectures.« less

  19. Reducing Communication in Algebraic Multigrid Using Additive Variants

    DOE PAGES

    Vassilevski, Panayot S.; Yang, Ulrike Meier

    2014-02-12

    Algebraic multigrid (AMG) has proven to be an effective scalable solver on many high performance computers. However, its increasing communication complexity on coarser levels has shown to seriously impact its performance on computers with high communication cost. Moreover, additive AMG variants provide not only increased parallelism as well as decreased numbers of messages per cycle but also generally exhibit slower convergence. Here we present various new additive variants with convergence rates that are significantly improved compared to the classical additive algebraic multigrid method and investigate their potential for decreased communication, and improved communication-computation overlap, features that are essential for goodmore » performance on future exascale architectures.« less

  20. Effect of additive on Zeta potential and particle size of nickel nanoparticles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sharma, Vikash; Tarachand, Chotia, Chandrabhan; Okram, G. S.

    2017-05-01

    Nickel nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared by thermal decomposition method using Oleylamine (OLY) as a solvent and Trioctylphosphine (TOP) as a surfactant. We have investigated the effect of pH and addition of Ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) on the stability and particle size of Ni NPs using zeta potential and particle size analyser. Coating of the surfactants on the surface of Ni NPs was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Autotitration study of zeta potential of these NPs in ethanol by dynamic light scattering (DLS) at different pH values confirmed an isoelectric point (IEP) at pH = 3.64 in ethanol and pH = 3.04 after addition of EDTA in ethanol. It was observed that addition of EDTA in nanosuspension enhances stability of Ni-NPs significantly.

  1. Nucleophilic Addition of Reactive Dyes on Amidoximated Acrylic Fabrics

    PubMed Central

    El-Shishtawy, Reda M.; El-Zawahry, Manal M.; Abdelghaffar, Fatma; Ahmed, Nahed S. E.

    2014-01-01

    Seven reactive dyes judiciously selected based on chemical structures and fixation mechanisms were applied at 2% owf of shade on amidoximated acrylic fabrics. Amidoximated acrylic fabric has been obtained by a viable amidoximation process. The dyeability of these fabrics was evaluated with respect to the dye exhaustion, fixation, and colour strength under different conditions of temperature and dyeing time. Nucleophilic addition type reactive dyes show higher colour data compared to nucleophilic substitution ones. FTIR studies further implicate the binding of reactive dyes on these fabrics. A tentative mechanism is proposed to rationalize the high fixation yield obtained using nucleophilic addition type reactive dyes. Also, the levelling and fastness properties were evaluated for all dyes used. Excellent to good fastness and levelling properties were obtained for all samples irrespective of the dye used. The result of investigation offers a new method for a viable reactive dyeing of amidoximated acrylic fabrics. PMID:25258720

  2. Teachers' Practices of Inquiry When Teaching Investigations: A Case Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dudu, Washington T.; Vhurumuku, Elaosi

    2012-01-01

    Teacher practices are essential for supporting learners in scientific inquiry practices of framing research questions, designing and conducting investigations, collecting data, and drawing conclusions. This study examines instructional practices of two Grade 11 Physical Science teachers engaged in teaching practical investigations. Data were…

  3. Properties of wood-plastic composites: effect of inorganic additives

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bakraji, Elias Hanna; Salman, Numan

    2003-01-01

    Wood-plastic composites from Syrian tree species (white poplar, cypress tree, and white willow) were prepared using gamma-ray irradiation. Dry wood was impregnated with acrylamide or butylmethacrylate at various methanol compositions as the swelling solvent. Effect of inorganic additives and co-additives such as lithium nitrate (LiNO 3), copper sulfate (CuSO 4) and sulfuric acid (H 2SO 4), used at a very low concentration (1%), on the polymer loading (PL) and the compression strength (CS) was also investigated. It has been found that all the additives and co-additives, except Cu 2+, increase the PL values and only Li + has a positive effect on CS.

  4. Hydration of Portland cement with additions of calcium sulfoaluminates

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

    Le Saout, Gwenn, E-mail: gwenn.le-saout@mines-ales.fr; Lothenbach, Barbara; Hori, Akihiro

    2013-01-15

    The effect of mineral additions based on calcium aluminates on the hydration mechanism of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) was investigated using isothermal calorimetry, thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, solid state nuclear magnetic resonance and pore solution analysis. Results show that the addition of a calcium sulfoaluminate cement (CSA) to the OPC does not affect the hydration mechanism of alite but controls the aluminate dissolution. In the second blend investigated, a rapid setting cement, the amorphous calcium aluminate reacts very fast to ettringite. The release of aluminum ions strongly retards the hydration of alite but the C-S-H has amore » similar composition as in OPC with no additional Al to Si substitution. As in CSA-OPC, the aluminate hydration is controlled by the availability of sulfates. The coupling of thermodynamic modeling with the kinetic equations predicts the amount of hydrates and pore solution compositions as a function of time and validates the model in these systems.« less

  5. Ultimate strength performance of tankers associated with industry corrosion addition practices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Do Kyun; Kim, Han Byul; Zhang, Xiaoming; Li, Chen Guang; Paik, Jeom Kee

    2014-09-01

    In the ship and offshore structure design, age-related problems such as corrosion damage, local denting, and fatigue damage are important factors to be considered in building a reliable structure as they have a significant influence on the residual structural capacity. In shipping, corrosion addition methods are widely adopted in structural design to prevent structural capacity degradation. The present study focuses on the historical trend of corrosion addition rules for ship structural design and investigates their effects on the ultimate strength performance such as hull girder and stiffened panel of double hull oil tankers. Three types of rules based on corrosion addition models, namely historic corrosion rules (pre-CSR), Common Structural Rules (CSR), and harmonised Common Structural Rules (CSRH) are considered and compared with two other corrosion models namely UGS model, suggested by the Union of Greek Shipowners (UGS), and Time-Dependent Corrosion Wastage Model (TDCWM). To identify the general trend in the effects of corrosion damage on the ultimate longitudinal strength performance, the corrosion addition rules are applied to four representative sizes of double hull oil tankers namely Panamax, Aframax, Suezmax, and VLCC. The results are helpful in understanding the trend of corrosion additions for tanker structures

  6. Rust preventive oil additives based on microbial fats

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

    Salenko, V.I.; Fedorov, V.V.; Kazantsev, Yu.E.

    1983-03-01

    This article investigates the composition and lubricating properties of microbial fats obtained from microorganisms grown on various hydrocarbon substrates (n-paraffins, alcohols, natural gas, petroleum distillates, etc.). Focuses on the protective functions of the 4 main fractions (unsaponifiables, free fatty acids, glycerides, and phospholipids) which comprise the microbial fat from a yeast grown on purified liquid n-paraffins. Concludes that neutralized microbial fats can be used as preservative additives; that the principal components of the microbial fats have the properties necessary for oil-soluble corrosion inhibitors; that the phospholipids of the microbial fat can fulfill the functions of not only preservative additives, butmore » also highly effective operational/ preservative additives; and that fats of microbial origin can be used in the development of multipurpose polyfunctional additives.« less

  7. Summary of Previous Chamber or Controlled Anthrax Studies and Recommendations for Possible Additional Studies

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

    Piepel, Gregory F.; Amidan, Brett G.; Morrow, Jayne B.

    2010-12-29

    This report and an associated Excel file(a) summarizes the investigations and results of previous chamber and controlled studies(b) to characterize the performance of methods for collecting, storing and/or transporting, extracting, and analyzing samples from surfaces contaminated by Bacillus anthracis (BA) or related simulants. This report and the Excel are the joint work of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for the Department of Homeland Security, Science and Technology Directorate. The report was originally released as PNNL-SA-69338, Rev. 0 in November 2009 with limited distribution, but was subsequently cleared for release withmore » unlimited distribution in this Rev. 1. Only minor changes were made to Rev. 0 to yield Rev. 1. A more substantial update (including summarizing data from other studies and more condensed summary tables of data) is underway« less

  8. The use of hydrated lime as an antistripping additive : final report.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1987-01-01

    The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the performance of six test sections of asphalt concrete that contained no additive, hydrated lime, and a chemical additive. Tests were also conducted on pavement samples taken periodically to determi...

  9. Regulation of docosahexaenoic acid production by Schizochytrium sp.: effect of nitrogen addition.

    PubMed

    Ren, Lu-Jing; Sun, Li-Na; Zhuang, Xiao-Yan; Qu, Liang; Ji, Xiao-Jun; Huang, He

    2014-05-01

    Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) percentage in total fatty acids (TFAs) is an important index in DHA microbial production. In this study, the change of DHA percentage in response to fermentation stages and the strategies to increase DHA percentage were investigated. Two kinds of conventional nitrogen sources, monosodium glutamate (MSG) and ammonium sulfate (AS), were tested to regulate DHA synthesis. Results showed that MSG addition could accelerate the substrate consumption rate but inhibit lipid accumulation, while AS addition could increase DHA percentage in TFAs effectively but extend fermentation period slightly. Finally, the AS addition strategy was successfully applied in 7,000-L fermentor and DHA percentage in TFAs and DHA yield reached 46.06 % and 18.48 g/L, which was 19.54 and 17.41 % higher than that of no-addition strategy. This would provide guidance for the large-scale production of the other similar polyunsaturated fatty acid, and give insight into the nitrogen metabolism in oil-producing microorganisms.

  10. DNA damage in human germ cell exposed to the some food additives in vitro.

    PubMed

    Pandir, Dilek

    2016-08-01

    The use of food additives has increased enormously in modern food technology but they have adverse effects in human healthy. The aim of this study was to investigate the DNA damage of some food additives such as citric acid (CA), benzoic acid (BA), brilliant blue (BB) and sunset yellow (SY) which were investigated in human male germ cells using comet assay. The sperm cells were incubated with different concentrations of these food additives (50, 100, 200 and 500 μg/mL) for 1 h at 32 °C. The results showed for CA, BA, BB and SY a dose dependent increase in tail DNA%, tail length and tail moment in human sperm when compared to control group. When control values were compared in the studied parameters in the treatment concentrations, SY was found to exhibit the highest level of DNA damage followed by BB > BA > CA. However, none of the food additives affected the tail DNA%, tail length and tail moment at 50 and 100 μg/mL. At 200 μg/mL of SY, the tail DNA% and tail length of sperm were 95.80 ± 0.28 and 42.56 ± 4.66, for BB the values were 95.06 ± 2.30 and 39.56 ± 3.78, whereas for BA the values were 89.05 ± 2.78 and 31.50 ± 0.71, for CA the values were 88.59 ± 6.45 and 13.59 ± 2.74, respectively. However, only the highest concentration of the used food additives significantly affected the studied parameters of sperm DNA. The present results indicate that SY and BB are more harmful than BA and CA to human sperm in vitro.

  11. Additive Manufactured Superconducting Cavities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Holland, Eric; Rosen, Yaniv; Woolleet, Nathan; Materise, Nicholas; Voisin, Thomas; Wang, Morris; Mireles, Jorge; Carosi, Gianpaolo; Dubois, Jonathan

    Superconducting radio frequency cavities provide an ultra-low dissipative environment, which has enabled fundamental investigations in quantum mechanics, materials properties, and the search for new particles in and beyond the standard model. However, resonator designs are constrained by limitations in conventional machining techniques. For example, current through a seam is a limiting factor in performance for many waveguide cavities. Development of highly reproducible methods for metallic parts through additive manufacturing, referred to colloquially as 3D printing\\x9D, opens the possibility for novel cavity designs which cannot be implemented through conventional methods. We present preliminary investigations of superconducting cavities made through a selective laser melting process, which compacts a granular powder via a high-power laser according to a digitally defined geometry. Initial work suggests that assuming a loss model and numerically optimizing a geometry to minimize dissipation results in modest improvements in device performance. Furthermore, a subset of titanium alloys, particularly, a titanium, aluminum, vanadium alloy (Ti - 6Al - 4V) exhibits properties indicative of a high kinetic inductance material. This work is supported by LDRD 16-SI-004.

  12. Non-autoclaved aerated concrete with mineral additives

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Il'ina, L. V.; Rakov, M. A.

    2016-01-01

    We investigated the effect of joint grinding of Portland cement clinker, silica and carbonate components and mineral additives to specific surface of 280 - 300 m2/kg on the properties (strength, average density and thermal conductivity) of non-autoclaved aerated concrete, and the porosity of the hardened cement paste produced from Portland cement clinker with mineral additives. The joint grinding of the Portland cement clinker with silica and carbonate components and mineral additives reduces the energy consumption of non-autoclaved aerated concrete production. The efficiency of mineral additives (diopside, wollastonite) is due to the closeness the composition, the type of chemical bonds, physical and chemical characteristics (specific enthalpy of formation, specific entropy) to anhydrous clinker minerals and their hydration products. Considering the influence of these additions on hydration of clinker minerals and formation of hardened cement paste structure, dispersed wollastonite and diopside should be used as mineral additives. The hardness and, consequently, the elastic modulus of diopside are higher than that of hardened cement paste. As a result, there is a redistribution of stresses in the hardened cement paste interporous partitions and hardening, both the partitions and aerated concrete on the whole. The mineral additives introduction allowed to obtain the non-autoclaved aerated concrete with average density 580 kg/m3, compressive strength of 3.3 MPa and thermal conductivity of 0.131 W/(m.°C).

  13. The effect of tailor-made additives on crystal growth of methyl paraben: Experiments and modelling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cai, Zhihui; Liu, Yong; Song, Yang; Guan, Guoqiang; Jiang, Yanbin

    2017-03-01

    In this study, methyl paraben (MP) was selected as the model component, and acetaminophen (APAP), p-methyl acetanilide (PMAA) and acetanilide (ACET), which share the similar molecular structure as MP, were selected as the three tailor-made additives to study the effect of tailor-made additives on the crystal growth of MP. HPLC results indicated that the MP crystals induced by the three additives contained MP only. Photographs of the single crystals prepared indicated that the morphology of the MP crystals was greatly changed by the additives, but PXRD and single crystal diffraction results illustrated that the MP crystals were the same polymorph only with different crystal habits, and no new crystal form was found compared with other references. To investigate the effect of the additives on the crystal growth, the interaction between additives and facets was discussed in detail using the DFT methods and MD simulations. The results showed that APAP, PMAA and ACET would be selectively adsorbed on the growth surfaces of the crystal facets, which induced the change in MP crystal habits.

  14. Simultaneous masking additivity for short Gaussian-shaped tones: spectral effects.

    PubMed

    Laback, Bernhard; Necciari, Thibaud; Balazs, Peter; Savel, Sophie; Ystad, Sølvi

    2013-08-01

    Laback et al. [(2011). J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 129, 888-897] investigated the additivity of nonsimultaneous masking using short Gaussian-shaped tones as maskers and target. The present study involved Gaussian stimuli to measure the additivity of simultaneous masking for combinations of up to four spectrally separated maskers. According to most basilar membrane measurements, the maskers should be processed linearly at the characteristic frequency (CF) of the target. Assuming also compression of the target, all masker combinations should produce excess masking (exceeding linear additivity). The results for a pair of maskers flanking the target indeed showed excess masking. The amount of excess masking could be predicted by a model assuming summation of masker-evoked excitations in intensity units at the target CF and compression of the target, using compressive input/output functions derived from the nonsimultaneous masking study. However, the combinations of lower-frequency maskers showed much less excess masking than predicted by the model. This cannot easily be attributed to factors like off-frequency listening, combination tone perception, or between-masker suppression. It was better predicted, however, by assuming weighted intensity summation of masker excitations. The optimum weights for the lower-frequency maskers were smaller than one, consistent with partial masker compression as indicated by recent psychoacoustic data.

  15. Improvement of organics removal by bio-ceramic filtration of raw water with addition of phosphorus.

    PubMed

    Sang, Junqiang; Zhang, Xihui; Li, Lingzhi; Wang, Zhansheng

    2003-11-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of phosphorus addition on biological pretreatment of raw water. Experiments were conducted in pilot-scale bio-ceramic filters with raw water from a reservoir located in Beijing, China. The results demonstrated that phosphorus was the limiting nutrient for bacterial growth in the raw water investigated in this study. The measured values of bacterial regrowth potential (BRP) and biodegradable dissolved organic carbon (BDOC) of the raw water increased by 50-65% and 30-40% with addition of 50 microg of PO4(3-)-PL(-1), respectively. Addition of 25 microg of PO4(3-)-PL(-1) to the influent of bio-ceramic filter enhanced the percent removal of organics by 4.6, 5.7 and 15 percentage points in terms of COD(Mn), TOC and BDOC, respectively. Biomass in terms of phospholipid content increased by 13-22% and oxygen uptake rate (OUR) increased by 35-45%. The ratio of C:P for bacteria growth was 100:1.6 for the raw water used in this study. Since change of phosphorus concentrations can influence the performance of biological pretreatment and the biological stability of drinking water, this study is of substantial significance for waterworks in China. The role of phosphorus in biological processes of drinking water should deserve more attention.

  16. Tribological properties of graphene oxide and carbon spheres as lubricating additives

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Song, Haojie; Wang, Zhiqiang; Yang, Jin

    2016-10-01

    The purpose of this paper was to investigate the tribological properties of carbon materials with various morphologies [i.e., graphene oxide (GO) and carbon spheres (CSs)] utilized as lubricating additives on a ball-plate tribotester. The morphology and spectroscopy characterization of GO and CSs were investigated by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, and thermogravimetric analysis. Friction and wear properties of the sunflower seed oil filled with GO and CSs were investigated by using a MS-T3000 ball-on-disk apparatus. Results show that the sunflower seed oil containing 0.3 wt% GO nanosheets exhibited a substantial diminution in friction and wear compared with the 3.0 wt% CSs as sunflower seed oil additives. Formation of low-shear strength tribofilms containing GO and its self-lubricating behavior was the key factor in reduction of the friction and prevention from wear and deformation. In addition, friction mechanism of CSs was also discussed.

  17. Investigation of Thermophysical Parameters Properties for Enhancing Overpressure Mechanism Estimation. Case Study: Miri Area, West Baram Delta

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Adha, Kurniawan; Yusoff, Wan Ismail Wan; Almanna Lubis, Luluan

    2017-10-01

    Determining the pore pressure data and overpressure zone is a compulsory part of oil and gas exploration in which the data can enhance the safety with profit and preventing the drilling hazards. Investigation of thermophysical parameters such as temperature and thermal conductivity can enhance the pore pressure estimation for overpressure mechanism determination. Since those parameters are dependent on rock properties, it may reflect the changes on the column of thermophysical parameters when there is abnormally in pore pressure. The study was conducted in “MRI 1” well offshore Sarawak, where a new approach method designed to determine the overpressure generation. The study was insisted the contribution of thermophysical parameters for supporting the velocity analysis method, petrophysical analysis were done in these studies. Four thermal facies were identified along the well. The overpressure developed below the thermal facies 4, where the pressure reached 38 Mpa and temperature was increasing significantly. The velocity and the thermal conductivity cross plots shows a linear relationship since the both parameters mainly are the function of the rock compaction. When the rock more compact, the particles were brought closer into contact and making the sound wave going faster while the thermal conductivity were increasing. In addition, the increment of temperature and high heat flow indicated the presence of fluid expansion mechanism. Since the shale sonic velocity and density analysis were the common methods in overpressure mechanism and pore pressure estimation. As the addition parameters for determining overpressure zone, the presence of thermophysical analysis was enhancing the current method, where the current method was the single function of velocity analysis. The presence of thermophysical analysis will improve the understanding in overpressure mechanism determination as the new input parameters. Thus, integrated of thermophysical technique and velocity

  18. 3D model of filler melting with micro-beam plasma arc based on additive manufacturing technology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Weilin; Yang, Tao; Yang, Ruixin

    2017-07-01

    Additive manufacturing technology is a systematic process based on discrete-accumulation principle, which is derived by the dimension of parts. Aiming at the dimension mathematical model and slicing problems in additive manufacturing process, the constitutive relations between micro-beam plasma welding parameters and the dimension of part were investigated. The slicing algorithm and slicing were also studied based on the dimension characteristics. By using the direct slicing algorithm according to the geometric characteristics of model, a hollow thin-wall spherical part was fabricated by 3D additive manufacturing technology using micro-beam plasma.

  19. Investigation of Inquiry-based Science Pedagogy among Middle Level Science Teachers: A Qualitative Study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Weiland, Sunny Minelli

    related to research question #2) What are preferred instructional strategies for implementation in middle level science classrooms? and topical sub-question #2) How do middle level science teachers structure instruction. The theme that emerged was needs of students. Analysis of the data revealed one theme related to research question #3) How do middle level science teachers perceive the relationship between science instruction and student learning? and topical sub-question #3) How do middle level science teachers view their role in relation to student learning? This theme is meaning making. Analysis of the data related to meaning making revealed two sub-themes of application and relationships. It is clear that middle level science teachers have a vision for inquiry-based science instruction, but implementation is inhibited by a variety of factors including curricular programming that is very broad and lacks depth, the scheduling of time and resources for science, and the absence of a clear model of inquiry-based instruction. In addition, only one participant referenced students investigating their own authentic questions and no participants reflected on the importance of students using evidence in their explanations of scientific phenomenon. Additionally, participants continually reflected on the needs of their students informing instructional practices, and it is wondered if there is a clear understanding among middle level teachers of how students learn science. Real world applications were recognized as important within science learning and the researcher questions whether teachers of science have adequate opportunities to explore real world application of science concepts throughout their careers in order to foster connections within the classroom. These findings support the need for strong, job-embedded professional development, the cultivation of learning communities dedicated to the investigation and implementation of inquiry-based science, the focusing of

  20. Food additives

    PubMed Central

    Spencer, Michael

    1974-01-01

    Food additives are discussed from the food technology point of view. The reasons for their use are summarized: (1) to protect food from chemical and microbiological attack; (2) to even out seasonal supplies; (3) to improve their eating quality; (4) to improve their nutritional value. The various types of food additives are considered, e.g. colours, flavours, emulsifiers, bread and flour additives, preservatives, and nutritional additives. The paper concludes with consideration of those circumstances in which the use of additives is (a) justified and (b) unjustified. PMID:4467857

  1. Laser polishing of additive manufactured Ti alloys

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ma, C. P.; Guan, Y. C.; Zhou, W.

    2017-06-01

    Laser-based additive manufacturing has attracted much attention as a promising 3D printing method for metallic components in recent years. However, surface roughness of additive manufactured components has been considered as a challenge to achieve high performance. In this work, we demonstrate the capability of fiber laser in polishing rough surface of additive manufactured Ti-based alloys as Ti-6Al-4V and TC11. Both as-received surface and laser-polished surfaces as well as cross-section subsurfaces were analyzed carefully by White-Light Interference, Confocal Microscope, Focus Ion Beam, Scanning Electron Microscopy, Energy Dispersive Spectrometer, and X-ray Diffraction. Results revealed that as-received Ti-based alloys with surface roughness more than 5 μm could be reduce to less than 1 μm through laser polishing process. Moreover, microstructure, microhardness and wear resistance of laser-polished zone was investigated in order to examine the thermal effect of laser polishing processing on the substrate of additive manufactured Ti alloys. This proof-of-concept process has the potential to effectively improve the surface roughness of additive manufactured metallic alloy by local polishing method without damage to the substrate.

  2. Mechanical and Fatigue Properties of Additively Manufactured Metallic Materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yadollahi, Aref

    This study aims to investigate the mechanical and fatigue behavior of additively manufactured metallic materials. Several challenges associated with different metal additive manufacturing (AM) techniques (i.e. laser-powder bed fusion and direct laser deposition) have been addressed experimentally and numerically. Experiments have been carried out to study the effects of process inter-layer time interval--i.e. either building the samples one-at-a-time or multi-at-a-time (in-parallel)--on the microstructural features and mechanical properties of 316L stainless steel samples, fabricated via a direct laser deposition (DLD). Next, the effect of building orientation--i.e. the orientation in which AM parts are built--on microstructure, tensile, and fatigue behaviors of 17-4 PH stainless steel, fabricated via a laser-powder bed fusion (L-PBF) method was investigated. Afterwards, the effect of surface finishing--here, as-built versus machined--on uniaxial fatigue behavior and failure mechanisms of Inconel 718 fabricated via a laser-powder bed fusion technique was sought. The numerical studies, as part of this dissertation, aimed to model the mechanical behavior of AM materials, under monotonic and cyclic loading, based on the observations and findings from the experiments. Despite significant research efforts for optimizing process parameters, achieving a homogenous, defect-free AM product--immediately after fabrication--has not yet been fully demonstrated. Thus, one solution for ensuring the adoption of AM materials for application should center on predicting the variations in mechanical behavior of AM parts based on their resultant microstructure. In this regard, an internal state variable (ISV) plasticity-damage model was employed to quantify the damage evolution in DLD 316L SS, under tensile loading, using the microstructural features associated with the manufacturing process. Finally, fatigue behavior of AM parts has been modeled based on the crack-growth concept

  3. The influence of bioaugmentation and biosurfactant addition on bioremediation efficiency of diesel-oil contaminated soil: feasibility during field studies.

    PubMed

    Szulc, Alicja; Ambrożewicz, Damian; Sydow, Mateusz; Ławniczak, Łukasz; Piotrowska-Cyplik, Agnieszka; Marecik, Roman; Chrzanowski, Łukasz

    2014-01-01

    The study focused on assessing the influence of bioaugmentation and addition of rhamnolipids on diesel oil biodegradation efficiency during field studies. Initial laboratory studies (measurement of emitted CO2 and dehydrogenase activity) were carried out in order to select the consortium for bioaugmentation as well as to evaluate the most appropriate concentration of rhamnolipids. The selected consortium consisted of following bacterial taxa: Aeromonas hydrophila, Alcaligenes xylosoxidans, Gordonia sp., Pseudomonas fluorescens, Pseudomonas putida, Rhodococcus equi, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Xanthomonas sp. It was established that the application of rhamnolipids at 150 mg/kg of soil was most appropriate in terms of dehydrogenase activity. Based on the obtained results, four treatment methods were designed and tested during 365 days of field studies: I) natural attenuation; II) addition of rhamnolipids; III) bioaugmentation; IV) bioaugmentation and addition of rhamnolipids. It was observed that bioaugmentation contributed to the highest diesel oil biodegradation efficiency, whereas the addition of rhamnolipids did not notably influence the treatment process. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. A regularized variable selection procedure in additive hazards model with stratified case-cohort design.

    PubMed

    Ni, Ai; Cai, Jianwen

    2018-07-01

    Case-cohort designs are commonly used in large epidemiological studies to reduce the cost associated with covariate measurement. In many such studies the number of covariates is very large. An efficient variable selection method is needed for case-cohort studies where the covariates are only observed in a subset of the sample. Current literature on this topic has been focused on the proportional hazards model. However, in many studies the additive hazards model is preferred over the proportional hazards model either because the proportional hazards assumption is violated or the additive hazards model provides more relevent information to the research question. Motivated by one such study, the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study, we investigate the properties of a regularized variable selection procedure in stratified case-cohort design under an additive hazards model with a diverging number of parameters. We establish the consistency and asymptotic normality of the penalized estimator and prove its oracle property. Simulation studies are conducted to assess the finite sample performance of the proposed method with a modified cross-validation tuning parameter selection methods. We apply the variable selection procedure to the ARIC study to demonstrate its practical use.

  5. Investigating Science Collaboratively: A Case Study of Group Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zinicola, Debra A.

    2009-01-01

    Discussions of one urban middle school group of students who were investigating scientific phenomena were analyzed; this study was conducted to discern if and how peer interaction contributes to learning. Through a social constructivist lens, case study methodology, we examined conceptual change among group members. Data about science talk was…

  6. Comparative study of transient hydraulic tomography with varying parameterizations and zonations: Laboratory sandbox investigation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Luo, Ning; Zhao, Zhanfeng; Illman, Walter A.; Berg, Steven J.

    2017-11-01

    Transient hydraulic tomography (THT) is a robust method of aquifer characterization to estimate the spatial distributions (or tomograms) of both hydraulic conductivity (K) and specific storage (Ss). However, the highly-parameterized nature of the geostatistical inversion approach renders it computationally intensive for large-scale investigations. In addition, geostatistics-based THT may produce overly smooth tomograms when head data used to constrain the inversion is limited. Therefore, alternative model conceptualizations for THT need to be examined. To investigate this, we simultaneously calibrated different groundwater models with varying parameterizations and zonations using two cases of different pumping and monitoring data densities from a laboratory sandbox. Specifically, one effective parameter model, four geology-based zonation models with varying accuracy and resolution, and five geostatistical models with different prior information are calibrated. Model performance is quantitatively assessed by examining the calibration and validation results. Our study reveals that highly parameterized geostatistical models perform the best among the models compared, while the zonation model with excellent knowledge of stratigraphy also yields comparable results. When few pumping tests with sparse monitoring intervals are available, the incorporation of accurate or simplified geological information into geostatistical models reveals more details in heterogeneity and yields more robust validation results. However, results deteriorate when inaccurate geological information are incorporated. Finally, our study reveals that transient inversions are necessary to obtain reliable K and Ss estimates for making accurate predictions of transient drawdown events.

  7. Remedial investigation/feasibility study of the Clinch River/Poplar Creek operable unit. Volume 1, main text

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

    NONE

    This document is the combined Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS) Report for the Clinch River/Poplar Creek Operable Unit (CR/PC OU), an off-site OU associated with environmental restoration activities at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR). As a result of past, present, and potential future releases of hazardous substances into the environment, the ORR was placed on the National Priorities List in December 1989 (54 FR 48184). Sites on this list must be investigated for possible remedial action, as required by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA, 42 U.S.C. 9601, et seq.). This report documentsmore » the findings of the remedial investigation of this OU and the feasibility of potential remedial action alternatives. These studies are authorized by Sect. 117 of CERCLA and were conducted in accordance with the requirements of the National Contingency Plan (40 CFR Part 300). DOE, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) have entered into a Federal Facility Agreement (FFA), as authorized by Sect. 120 of CERCLA and Sects. 3008(h) and 6001 of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) (42 U.S.C. 6901, et seq.). The purpose of this agreement is to ensure a coordinated and effective response for all environmental restoration activities occurring at the ORR. In addition to other responsibilities, the FFA parties mutually define the OU boundaries, set remediation priorities, establish remedial investigation priorities and strategies, and identify and select remedial actions. A copy of this FFA is available from the DOE Information Resource Center in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.« less

  8. 77 FR 67655 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Food Additive...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-11-13

    ...] Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Food Additive Petitions and Investigational Food Additive Exemptions; Extension AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS... solicits comments on food additive petitions regarding animal food. DATES: Submit electronic or written...

  9. Situational judgment test as an additional tool in a medical admission test: an observational investigation.

    PubMed

    Luschin-Ebengreuth, Marion; Dimai, Hans P; Ithaler, Daniel; Neges, Heide M; Reibnegger, Gilbert

    2015-03-14

    In the framework of medical university admission procedures the assessment of non-cognitive abilities is increasingly demanded. As tool for assessing personal qualities or the ability to handle theoretical social constructs in complex situations, the Situational Judgment Test (SJT), among other measurement instruments, is discussed in the literature. This study focuses on the development and the results of the SJT as part of the admission test for the study of human medicine and dentistry at one medical university in Austria. Observational investigation focusing on the results of the SJT. 4741 applicants were included in the study. To yield comparable results for the different test parts, "relative scores" for each test part were calculated. Performance differences between women and men in the various test parts are analyzed using effect sizes based on comparison of mean values (Cohen's d). The associations between the relative scores achieved in the various test parts were assessed by computing pairwise linear correlation coefficients between all test parts and visualized by bivariate scatterplots. Among successful candidates, men consistently outperform women. Men perform better in physics and mathematics. Women perform better in the SJT part. The least discriminatory test part was the SJT. A strong correlation between biology and chemistry and moderate correlations between the other test parts except SJT is obvious. The relative scores are not symmetrically distributed. The cognitive loading of the performed SJTs points to the low correlation between the SJTs and cognitive abilities. Adding the SJT part into the admission test, in order to cover more than only knowledge and understanding of natural sciences among the applicants has been quite successful.

  10. Additive manufacturing of glass for optical applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Luo, Junjie; Gilbert, Luke J.; Bristow, Douglas A.; Landers, Robert G.; Goldstein, Jonathan T.; Urbas, Augustine M.; Kinzel, Edward C.

    2016-04-01

    Glasses including fused quartz have significant scientific and engineering applications including optics, communications, electronics, and hermetic seals. This paper investigates a filament fed process for Additive Manufacturing (AM) of fused quartz. Additive manufacturing has several potential benefits including increased design freedom, faster prototyping, and lower processing costs for small production volumes. However, current research in AM of glasses is limited and has focused on non-optical applications. Fused quartz is studied here because of its desirability for high-quality optics due to its high transmissivity and thermal stability. Fused quartz also has a higher working temperature than soda lime glass which poses a challenge for AM. In this work, fused quartz filaments are fed into a CO2 laser generated melt pool, smoothly depositing material onto the work piece. Single tracks are printed to explore the effects that different process parameters have on the morphology of printed fused quartz. A spectrometer is used to measure the thermal radiation incandescently emitted from the melt pool. Thin-walls are printed to study the effects of layer-to-layer height. Finally, a 3D fused quartz cube is printed using the newly acquired layer height and polished on each surface. The transmittance and index homogeneity of the polished cube are both measured. These results show that the filament fed process has the potential to print fused quartz with optical transparency and of index of refraction uniformity approaching bulk processed glass.

  11. Voice measures of workload in the advanced flight deck: Additional studies

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Schneider, Sid J.; Alpert, Murray

    1989-01-01

    These studies investigated acoustical analysis of the voice as a measure of workload in individual operators. In the first study, voice samples were recorded from a single operator during high, medium, and low workload conditions. Mean amplitude, frequency, syllable duration, and emphasis all tended to increase as workload increased. In the second study, NASA test pilots performed a laboratory task, and used a flight simulator under differing work conditions. For two of the pilots, high workload in the simulator brought about greater amplitude, peak duration, and stress. In both the laboratory and simulator tasks, high workload tended to be associated with more statistically significant drop-offs in the acoustical measures than were lower workload levels. There was a great deal of intra-subject variability in the acoustical measures. The results suggested that in individual operators, increased workload might be revealed by high initial amplitude and frequency, followed by rapid drop-offs over time.

  12. A pilot study investigating the association between sleep and cognitive function among adolescents.

    PubMed

    Ahmad, Shafiq; Bashir, Shahid

    2017-08-01

    To investigate the relationship between sleep and cognitive function among adolescent subjects in Riyadh. The sample consisted of 98 (44% female) subjects aged 10-16 years. Each participant filled in a well-structured pre-coded questionnaire regarding demographic data, including a sleep questionnaire; cognitive function was assessed using the Cambridge Neuropsychological Automated Battery (CANTAB). The cognitive function outcome variables were response times in the attention-switching task (AST) and the percentage of correct answers in the pattern recognition memory (PRM) task. There were significant differences in measures of AST-latency (p=0.005), AST-congruent (p=0.012), and AST-incongruent (p=0.009), while no significant difference was found in the PRM task score (p=0.336) within gender groups. There was a significant correlation between sleep and AST switching cost (0.277, p=0.006) and sleep and AST latency (0.188, p=0.063) across the group. This study showed that gender differences in cognitive function were significant in the group of adolescents. Additionally, this study shows that insufficient sleep can impair attention and accuracy in adolescents. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Lithium-Ion Electrolytes Containing Phosphorous-Based, Flame-Retardant Additives

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Smart, Marshall C.; Smith, Kiah A.; Bugga, Ratnakumar V.; Prakash, G. K. Surya

    2010-01-01

    Future NASA missions aimed at exploring Mars, the Moon, and the outer planets require rechargeable batteries that can operate over a wide temperature range (-60 to +60 C) to satisfy the requirements of various applications. In addition, many of these applications will require improved safety, due to their use by humans. Currently, the state-of-the-art lithium-ion (Li-ion) system has been demonstrated to operate over a wide range of temperatures (-40 to +40 C); however, abuse conditions can often lead to cell rupture and fire. The nature of the electrolyte can greatly affect the propensity of the cell/battery to catch fire, given the flammability of the organic solvents used within. Li-ion electrolytes have been developed that contain a flame-retardant additive in conjunction with fluorinated co-solvents to provide a safe system with a wide operating temperature range. Previous work incorporated fluorinated esters into multi-component electrolyte formulations, which were demonstrated to cover a temperature range from 60 to +60 C. This work was described in Fluoroester Co-Solvents for Low-Temperature Li+ Cells (NPO-44626), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 33, No. 9 (September 2009), p. 37; and Optimized Li-Ion Electrolytes Con tain ing Fluorinated Ester Co-Solvents (NPO-45824), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 34, No. 3 (March 2010), p. 48. Other previous work improved the safety characteristics of the electrolytes by adding flame-retardant additives such as triphenyl phosphate (TPhPh), tri-butyl phosphate (TBuPh), triethyl phosphate (TEtPh), and bis(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl) methyl phosphonate (TFMPo). The current work involves further investigation of other types of flame-retardant additives, including tris(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl) phosphate, tris(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl) phosphite, triphenylphosphite, diethyl ethylphosphonate, and diethyl phenylphosphonate added to an electrolyte composition intended for wide operating temperatures. In general, many of the formulations investigated in this

  14. Septic tank additive impacts on microbial populations.

    PubMed

    Pradhan, S; Hoover, M T; Clark, G H; Gumpertz, M; Wollum, A G; Cobb, C; Strock, J

    2008-01-01

    Environmental health specialists, other onsite wastewater professionals, scientists, and homeowners have questioned the effectiveness of septic tank additives. This paper describes an independent, third-party, field scale, research study of the effects of three liquid bacterial septic tank additives and a control (no additive) on septic tank microbial populations. Microbial populations were measured quarterly in a field study for 12 months in 48 full-size, functioning septic tanks. Bacterial populations in the 48 septic tanks were statistically analyzed with a mixed linear model. Additive effects were assessed for three septic tank maintenance levels (low, intermediate, and high). Dunnett's t-test for tank bacteria (alpha = .05) indicated that none of the treatments were significantly different, overall, from the control at the statistical level tested. In addition, the additives had no significant effects on septic tank bacterial populations at any of the septic tank maintenance levels. Additional controlled, field-based research iswarranted, however, to address additional additives and experimental conditions.

  15. Potential uncertainty reduction in model-averaged benchmark dose estimates informed by an additional dose study.

    PubMed

    Shao, Kan; Small, Mitchell J

    2011-10-01

    A methodology is presented for assessing the information value of an additional dosage experiment in existing bioassay studies. The analysis demonstrates the potential reduction in the uncertainty of toxicity metrics derived from expanded studies, providing insights for future studies. Bayesian methods are used to fit alternative dose-response models using Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) simulation for parameter estimation and Bayesian model averaging (BMA) is used to compare and combine the alternative models. BMA predictions for benchmark dose (BMD) are developed, with uncertainty in these predictions used to derive the lower bound BMDL. The MCMC and BMA results provide a basis for a subsequent Monte Carlo analysis that backcasts the dosage where an additional test group would have been most beneficial in reducing the uncertainty in the BMD prediction, along with the magnitude of the expected uncertainty reduction. Uncertainty reductions are measured in terms of reduced interval widths of predicted BMD values and increases in BMDL values that occur as a result of this reduced uncertainty. The methodology is illustrated using two existing data sets for TCDD carcinogenicity, fitted with two alternative dose-response models (logistic and quantal-linear). The example shows that an additional dose at a relatively high value would have been most effective for reducing the uncertainty in BMA BMD estimates, with predicted reductions in the widths of uncertainty intervals of approximately 30%, and expected increases in BMDL values of 5-10%. The results demonstrate that dose selection for studies that subsequently inform dose-response models can benefit from consideration of how these models will be fit, combined, and interpreted. © 2011 Society for Risk Analysis.

  16. [Is surgical education associated with additional costs? A controlled economic study on the German DRG System for primary TKA].

    PubMed

    Göbel, P; Piesche, K; Randau, T; Wimmer, M D; Wirtz, D C; Gravius, S

    2013-04-01

    Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is one of the most common procedures in orthopaedic surgery, the cost of surgical training has as yet not been quantified. In a pilot study, we investigated the economic impact of surgical training under DRG system influences, analysing the cost-proceeds structure in surgical training for orthopaedic residents. Consecutive TKAs were performed by the most educated surgeon (Group A) having implanted ≥ 1000 TKAs, another attending (Group B) with ≥ 200 TKAs and a resident (Group C) having assisted in 25 TKAs (n = 30 patients per Group A-C). All patients were embedded in a standardised clinical pathway. By analysing the costs parameters such as numbers of blood transfusions, the operating time and the length of stay in the hospital we investigated the health care-related costs matched to the DRG-based financial refunding. Data were analysed after undergoing a analysis of variance followed by a post-hoc Scheffé procedure. On the one hand the resident generated additional costs of 1111,7 ± 97 € in comparison to the Group A surgeon and 1729,8 ± 152 € compared to the attending Group B (p > 0,05), these were generated by longer stay in hospital, longer operation time and higher need of resources. On the other hand there were significantly higher proceeds of the Group C in comparison to the attending Group B and also to Group A: 474,78 ± 82 € vs. A and 150,54 ± 52 € vs. Group B (p < 0,05). This was generated both by a higher patient clinical level of complexity (PCCL) and increased complication rates resulting in a consecutively augmented profit by grouping these patients to a more lucrative DRG. Overall the deficit per patient treated by the resident is 637 ± 77 € vs. Group A and 1579,3 ± 137 € vs. Group B (p > 0,05). The German DRG matrix results in higher profits accounted to the learning surgeon by increased PCCL relevant status and grouping the case to a more profitable DRG. Hereby, the additional costs are only partly

  17. Recommendations from the Investigational New Drug/Investigational Device Exemption Task Force of the clInical and Translational Science Award Consortium: developing and implementing a sponsor-investigators training program.

    PubMed

    Holbein, M E Blair; Berglund, Jelena Petrovic; O'Reilly, Erin K; Hartman, Karen; Speicher, Lisa A; Adamo, Joan E; O'Riordan, Gerri; Brown, Jennifer Swanton; Schuff, Kathryn G

    2014-06-01

    The objective of this study was to provide recommendations for provision of training for sponsor and investigators at Academic Health Centers. A subgroup of the Investigational New Drug/Investigational Device Exemption (IND/IDE) Task Force of the Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) program Regulatory Knowledge Key Function Committee was assembled to specifically address how clinical investigators who hold an IND/IDE and thus assume the role of sponsor-investigators are adequately trained to meet the additional regulatory requirements of this role. The participants who developed the recommendations were representatives of institutions with IND/IDE support programs. Through an informal survey, the task force determined that a variety and mix of models are used to provide support for IND/IDE holders within CTSA institutions. In addition, a CTSA consortium-wide resources survey was used. The participants worked from the models and survey results to develop consensus recommendations to address institutional support, training content, and implementation. The CTSA IND/IDE Task Force recommendations are as follows: (1) Institutions should assess the scope of Food and Drug Administration-regulated research, perform a needs analysis, and provide resources to implement a suitable training program; (2) The model of training program should be tailored to each institution; (3) The training should specifically address the unique role of sponsor-investigators, and the effectiveness of training should be evaluated regularly by methods that fit the model adopted by the institution; and (4) Institutional leadership should mandate sponsor-investigator training and effectively communicate the necessity and availability of training.

  18. A Meta-Analysis of Cross Sectional Studies Investigating Language in Maltreated Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lum, Jarrad A. G.; Powell, Martine; Timms, Lydia; Snow, Pamela

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: In this review article, meta-analysis was used to summarize research investigating language skills in maltreated children. Method: A systematic search of published studies was undertaken. Studies were included in the meta-analysis if they investigated language skills in groups comprising maltreated and nonmaltreated children. Studies were…

  19. Survival and prognosis: investigation of Crataegus extract WS 1442 in congestive heart failure (SPICE)--rationale, study design and study protocol.

    PubMed

    Holubarsch, C J; Colucci, W S; Meinertz, T; Gaus, W; Tendera, M

    2000-12-01

    SPICE is the first, international, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study to investigate the influence of the herbal drug Crataegus Special Extract WS 1442 (hawthorn leaves with flowers) on mortality of patients suffering from congestive heart failure. In vitro and experimental animal studies have suggested the following pharmacological modes of action of standardized Crataegus extracts: (1) cAMP-independent positive inotropy; (2) peripheral and coronary vasodilation; (3) protection against ischemia-induced ventricular arrhythmias; (4) antioxidative properties; and (5) anti-inflammatory effects. In this randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, international trial (approximately 120 investigational centers in seven European countries), up to 2300 patients with congestive heart failure, New York Heart Association class II and III and markedly impaired left ventricular function, will be enrolled and treated over a period of 24 months. During this time patients receive either two film-coated tablets of 450 mg of the Special Extract WS 1442 standardized to 84.3 mg of oligomeric procyanidines or matched placebo per day in addition to standard therapy for congestive heart failure, such as diuretics, digoxin or digitoxin, beta-adrenoceptor blockers and angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors. The primary outcome variable is the combined endpoint of cardiac death, non-lethal myocardial infarction, and hospitalization due to progression of heart failure. Secondary outcome variables are total mortality, exercise duration, echocardiographic parameters, quality of life as well as pharmacoeconomic parameters. The first patient was included in October 1998. The trial is expected to be completed at the end of 2002.

  20. Additive Capacity of [6]-Shogaol and Epicatechin To Trap Methylglyoxal.

    PubMed

    Huang, Qiju; Wang, Pei; Zhu, Yingdong; Lv, Lishuang; Sang, Shengmin

    2017-09-27

    Methylglyoxal (MGO), a reactive dicarbonyl species, is thought to contribute to the development of long-term pathological diabetes as a direct toxin or as an active precursor of advanced glycation end products (AGEs). Trapping MGO by dietary phenols to inhibit the MGO induced AGE formation is an approach for alleviating diabetic complications. The present study investigated whether dietary compounds with different structures and active sites have the additive capacity to trap MGO. Ginger phenolic constituent [6]-shogaol and tea flavonoid (-)-epicatechin were selected and tested under simulated physiological conditions, showing that they additively trapped about 41% MGO at a concentration of 10 μM within 24 h. Furthermore, whether [6]-shogaol and epicatechin can retain their MGO trapping efficacy in vivo or a biotransformation limits their MGO trapping capacity remain virtually unknown. An acute mouse study was carried out by giving a single dose of [6]-shogaol, epicatechin, and the combination of both ([6]-shogaol + epicatechin) through oral gavage. A mono-MGO adduct of [6]-shogaol was identified from [6]-shogaol and [6]-shogaol + epicatechin treated mice, and mono- and di-MGO adducts of epicatechin and its metabolite, 3'-O-methyl epicatichin, were detected in urine samples collected from epicatechin and [6]-shogaol + epicatechin treated mice. To our knowledge, this is the first study demonstrating the additive MGO trapping efficacy of [6]-shogaol and epicatechin and that [6]-shogaol and epicatechin retained their MGO trapping capacity in mice.

  1. The effect of additional physiotherapy to hospital inpatients outside of regular business hours: a systematic review.

    PubMed

    Brusco, Natasha K; Paratz, Jennifer

    2006-12-01

    Provision of out of regular business hours (OBH) physiotherapy to hospital inpatients is widespread in the hospital setting. This systematic review evaluated the effect of additional OBH physiotherapy services on patient length of stay (LOS), pulmonary complications, discharge destination, discharge mobility status, quality of life, cost saving, adverse events, and mortality compared with physiotherapy only within regular business hours. A literature search was completed on databases with citation tracking using key words. Two reviewers completed data extraction and quality assessment independently by using modified scales for historical cohorts and case control studies as well as the PEDro scale for randomized controlled trials and quasi-randomised controlled trials. This search identified nine articles of low to medium quality. Four reported a significant reduction in LOS associated with additional OBH physiotherapy, with two articles reporting overall significance and two reporting only for specific subgroups. Two studies reported significant reduction in pulmonary complications for two different patient groups in an intensive care unit (ICU) with additional OBH physiotherapy. Three studies accounted for discharge destination and/or discharge mobility status with no significant difference reported. Quality of life, adverse events, and mortality were not reported in any studies. Cost savings were considered in three studies, with two reporting a cost saving. This systematic review was unable to conclude that the provision of additional OBH physiotherapy made significant improvement to patient outcomes for all subgroups of inpatients. One study in critical care reported that overnight physiotherapy decreased LOS and reduced pulmonary complications of patients in the ICU. However, the studies in the area of orthopaedics, neurology, postcardiac surgery, and rheumatology, which all considered additional daytime weekend physiotherapy intervention, did not provide

  2. Studies of levels of biogenic amines in meat samples in relation to the content of additives.

    PubMed

    Jastrzębska, Aneta; Kowalska, Sylwia; Szłyk, Edward

    2016-01-01

    The impact of meat additives on the concentration of biogenic amines and the quality of meat was studied. Fresh white and red meat samples were fortified with the following food additives: citric and lactic acids, disodium diphosphate, sodium nitrite, sodium metabisulphite, potassium sorbate, sodium chloride, ascorbic acid, α-tocopherol, propyl 3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoate (propyl gallate) and butylated hydroxyanisole. The content of spermine, spermidine, putrescine, cadaverine, histamine, tyramine, tryptamine and 2-phenylethylamine was determined by capillary isotachophoretic methods in meat samples (fresh and fortified) during four days of storage at 4°C. The results were applied to estimate the impact of the tested additives on the formation of biogenic amines in white and red meat. For all tested meats, sodium nitrite, sodium chloride and disodium diphosphate showed the best inhibition. However, cadaverine and putrescine were characterised by the biggest changes in concentration during the storage time of all the additives. Based on the presented data for the content of biogenic amines in meat samples analysed as a function of storage time and additives, we suggest that cadaverine and putrescine have a significant impact on meat quality.

  3. Outbreak investigations--a perspective.

    PubMed Central

    Reingold, A. L.

    1998-01-01

    Outbreak investigations, an important and challenging component of epidemiology and public health, can help identify the source of ongoing outbreaks and prevent additional cases. Even when an outbreak is over, a thorough epidemiologic and environmental investigation often can increase our knowledge of a given disease and prevent future outbreaks. Finally, outbreak investigations provide epidemiologic training and foster cooperation between the clinical and public health communities. PMID:9452395

  4. Parametrically Guided Generalized Additive Models with Application to Mergers and Acquisitions Data.

    PubMed

    Fan, Jianqing; Maity, Arnab; Wang, Yihui; Wu, Yichao

    2013-01-01

    Generalized nonparametric additive models present a flexible way to evaluate the effects of several covariates on a general outcome of interest via a link function. In this modeling framework, one assumes that the effect of each of the covariates is nonparametric and additive. However, in practice, often there is prior information available about the shape of the regression functions, possibly from pilot studies or exploratory analysis. In this paper, we consider such situations and propose an estimation procedure where the prior information is used as a parametric guide to fit the additive model. Specifically, we first posit a parametric family for each of the regression functions using the prior information (parametric guides). After removing these parametric trends, we then estimate the remainder of the nonparametric functions using a nonparametric generalized additive model, and form the final estimates by adding back the parametric trend. We investigate the asymptotic properties of the estimates and show that when a good guide is chosen, the asymptotic variance of the estimates can be reduced significantly while keeping the asymptotic variance same as the unguided estimator. We observe the performance of our method via a simulation study and demonstrate our method by applying to a real data set on mergers and acquisitions.

  5. Parametrically Guided Generalized Additive Models with Application to Mergers and Acquisitions Data

    PubMed Central

    Fan, Jianqing; Maity, Arnab; Wang, Yihui; Wu, Yichao

    2012-01-01

    Generalized nonparametric additive models present a flexible way to evaluate the effects of several covariates on a general outcome of interest via a link function. In this modeling framework, one assumes that the effect of each of the covariates is nonparametric and additive. However, in practice, often there is prior information available about the shape of the regression functions, possibly from pilot studies or exploratory analysis. In this paper, we consider such situations and propose an estimation procedure where the prior information is used as a parametric guide to fit the additive model. Specifically, we first posit a parametric family for each of the regression functions using the prior information (parametric guides). After removing these parametric trends, we then estimate the remainder of the nonparametric functions using a nonparametric generalized additive model, and form the final estimates by adding back the parametric trend. We investigate the asymptotic properties of the estimates and show that when a good guide is chosen, the asymptotic variance of the estimates can be reduced significantly while keeping the asymptotic variance same as the unguided estimator. We observe the performance of our method via a simulation study and demonstrate our method by applying to a real data set on mergers and acquisitions. PMID:23645976

  6. Polymeric Additives For Graphite/Epoxy Composites

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kourtides, D. A.; Nir, Z.

    1990-01-01

    Report describes experimental studies of properties of several graphite/epoxy composites containing polymeric additives as flexibilizing or toughening agents. Emphasizes effects of brominated polymeric additives (BPA's) with or without carboxy-terminated butadiene acrylonitrile rubber. Reviews effects of individual and combined additives on fracture toughnesses, environmental stabilities, hot/wet strengths, thermomechanical behaviors, and other mechanical properties of composites.

  7. Studying the issues in the additive manufacturing of dental implants by Electron Beam MeltingRTM (EBM)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jamshidinia, Mahdi

    The ability of additive manufacturing (AM) processes to produce complex geometries is resulting in their rapid acceptance by a number of industries. This unique capability could be used for the optimization of the design of functional components that could find an application in different industries such as aerospace, automotive, energy, medical, and implants. However, there are still some challenges confronting this technology such as surface finish, residual stress, dimensional tolerance, processing speed, and anisotropy in microstructure and mechanical properties. Any of the mentioned issues could be influenced by the thermal history of a 3D printed component during the layer-by-layer manufacturing. Therefore, an understanding of the thermal cycling during the AM process is essential. In recent years, significant advances have been achieved in the design, manufacturing, and materials used for dental implants. However, there are still some differences between the natural tooth and a dental implant that might decrease patient satisfaction. One of the differences between the natural tooth and a dental implant is in its modulus of elasticity, which could result in an issue known as bone atrophy. The second important difference between a dental implant and a natural tooth is the fact that a natural tooth is surrounded by a periodontal ligament that allows the tooth to move in three directions. However, the periodontal ligament is destroyed during the extraction of a natural tooth. In the absence of the periodontal ligament, the biting force is directly transferred to the jawbone, resulting in discomfort for the patient. Also, the implant cannot be incorporated with the surrounding natural tooth and form a bridge. In this study, the application of a lattice structure for the manufacturing of a biocompatible dental implant is investigated. Three different lattice structures with different unit cell sizes were experimentally and numerically analyzed. The mechanical

  8. Single Crystal Fibers of Yttria-Stabilized Cubic Zirconia with Ternary Oxide Additions

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ritzert, F. J.; Yun, H. M.; Miner, R. V.

    1997-01-01

    Single crystal fibers of yttria (Y2O3)-stabilized cubic zirconia, (ZrO2) with ternary oxide additions were grown using the laser float zone fiber processing technique. Ternary additions to the ZrO2-Y2O3 binary system were studied aimed at increasing strength while maintaining the high coefficient of thermal expansion of the binary system. Statistical methods aided in identifying the most promising ternary oxide candidate (Ta2O5, Sc2O3, and HfO2) and optimum composition. The yttria, range investigated was 14 to 24 mol % and the ternary oxide component ranged from 1 to 5 mol %. Hafnium oxide was the most promising ternary oxide component based on 816 C tensile strength results and ease of fabrication. The optimum composition for development was 81 ZrO2-14 Y203-5 HfO2 based upon the same elevated temperature strength tests. Preliminary results indicate process improvements could improve the fiber performance. We also investigated the effect of crystal orientation on strength.

  9. QSAR prediction of additive and non-additive mixture toxicities of antibiotics and pesticide.

    PubMed

    Qin, Li-Tang; Chen, Yu-Han; Zhang, Xin; Mo, Ling-Yun; Zeng, Hong-Hu; Liang, Yan-Peng

    2018-05-01

    Antibiotics and pesticides may exist as a mixture in real environment. The combined effect of mixture can either be additive or non-additive (synergism and antagonism). However, no effective predictive approach exists on predicting the synergistic and antagonistic toxicities of mixtures. In this study, we developed a quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) model for the toxicities (half effect concentration, EC 50 ) of 45 binary and multi-component mixtures composed of two antibiotics and four pesticides. The acute toxicities of single compound and mixtures toward Aliivibrio fischeri were tested. A genetic algorithm was used to obtain the optimized model with three theoretical descriptors. Various internal and external validation techniques indicated that the coefficient of determination of 0.9366 and root mean square error of 0.1345 for the QSAR model predicted that 45 mixture toxicities presented additive, synergistic, and antagonistic effects. Compared with the traditional concentration additive and independent action models, the QSAR model exhibited an advantage in predicting mixture toxicity. Thus, the presented approach may be able to fill the gaps in predicting non-additive toxicities of binary and multi-component mixtures. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Mapping quantitative trait loci with additive effects and additive x additive epistatic interactions for biomass yield, grain yield, and straw yield using a doubled haploid population of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).

    PubMed

    Li, Z K; Jiang, X L; Peng, T; Shi, C L; Han, S X; Tian, B; Zhu, Z L; Tian, J C

    2014-02-28

    Biomass yield is one of the most important traits for wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)-breeding programs. Increasing the yield of the aerial parts of wheat varieties will be an integral component of future wheat improvement; however, little is known regarding the genetic control of aerial part yield. A doubled haploid population, comprising 168 lines derived from a cross between two winter wheat cultivars, 'Huapei 3' (HP3) and 'Yumai 57' (YM57), was investigated. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) for total biomass yield, grain yield, and straw yield were determined for additive effects and additive x additive epistatic interactions using the QTLNetwork 2.0 software based on the mixed-linear model. Thirteen QTL were determined to have significant additive effects for the three yield traits, of which six also exhibited epistatic effects. Eleven significant additive x additive interactions were detected, of which seven occurred between QTL showing epistatic effects only, two occurred between QTL showing epistatic effects and additive effects, and two occurred between QTL with additive effects. These QTL explained 1.20 to 10.87% of the total phenotypic variation. The QTL with an allele originating from YM57 on chromosome 4B and another QTL contributed by HP3 alleles on chromosome 4D were simultaneously detected on the same or adjacent chromosome intervals for the three traits in two environments. Most of the repeatedly detected QTL across environments were not significant (P > 0.05). These results have implications for selection strategies in wheat biomass yield and for increasing the yield of the aerial part of wheat.

  11. Additive manufacturing of transparent fused quartz

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Luo, Junjie; Hostetler, John M.; Gilbert, Luke; Goldstein, Jonathan T.; Urbas, Augustine M.; Bristow, Douglas A.; Landers, Robert G.; Kinzel, Edward C.

    2018-04-01

    This paper investigates a filament-fed process for additive manufacturing (AM) of fused quartz. Glasses such as fused quartz have significant scientific and engineering applications, which include optics, communications, electronics, and hermetic seals. AM has several attractive benefits such as increased design freedom, faster prototyping, and lower processing costs for small production volumes. However, current research into glass AM has focused primarily on nonoptical applications. Fused quartz is studied here because of its desirability for use in high-quality optics due to its high transmissivity and thermal stability. Fused quartz filaments are fed into a CO2 laser-generated molten region, smoothly depositing material onto the workpiece. Spectroscopy and pyrometry are used to measure the thermal radiation incandescently emitted from the molten region. The effects of the laser power and scan speed are determined by measuring the morphology of single tracks. Thin walls are printed to study the effects of layer-to-layer height. This information is used to deposit solid pieces including a cylindrical-convex shape capable of focusing visible light. The transmittance and index homogeneity of the printed fused quartz are measured. These results show that the filament-fed process has the potential to print transmissive optics.

  12. Fatigue crack propagation in additively manufactured porous biomaterials.

    PubMed

    Hedayati, R; Amin Yavari, S; Zadpoor, A A

    2017-07-01

    Additively manufactured porous titanium implants, in addition to preserving the excellent biocompatible properties of titanium, have very small stiffness values comparable to those of natural bones. Although usually loaded in compression, biomedical implants can also be under tensional, shear, and bending loads which leads to crack initiation and propagation in their critical points. In this study, the static and fatigue crack propagation in additively manufactured porous biomaterials with porosities between 66% and 84% is investigated using compact-tension (CT) samples. The samples were made using selective laser melting from Ti-6Al-4V and were loaded in tension (in static study) and tension-tension (in fatigue study) loadings. The results showed that displacement accumulation diagram obtained for different CT samples under cyclic loading had several similarities with the corresponding diagrams obtained for cylindrical samples under compression-compression cyclic loadings (in particular, it showed a two-stage behavior). For a load level equaling 50% of the yield load, both the CT specimens studied here and the cylindrical samples we had tested under compression-compression cyclic loading elsewhere exhibited similar fatigue lives of around 10 4 cycles. The test results also showed that for the same load level of 0.5F y , the lower density porous structures demonstrate relatively longer lives than the higher-density ones. This is because the high bending stresses in high-density porous structures gives rise to local Mode-I crack opening in the rough external surface of the struts which leads to quicker formation and propagation of the cracks. Under both the static and cyclic loading, all the samples showed crack pathways which were not parallel to but made 45 ° angles with respect to the notch direction. This is due to the fact that in the rhombic dodecahedron unit cell, the weakest struts are located in 45 ° direction with respect to the notch direction

  13. Comparison of carbon onions and carbon blacks as conductive additives for carbon supercapacitors in organic electrolytes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jäckel, N.; Weingarth, D.; Zeiger, M.; Aslan, M.; Grobelsek, I.; Presser, V.

    2014-12-01

    This study investigates carbon onions (∼400 m2 g-1) as a conductive additive for supercapacitor electrodes of activated carbon and compares their performance with carbon black with high or low internal surface area. We provide a study of the electrical conductivity and electrochemical behavior between 2.5 and 20 mass% addition of each of these three additives to activated carbon. Structural characterization shows that the density of the resulting film electrodes depends on the degree of agglomeration and the amount of additive. Addition of low surface area carbon black (∼80 m2 g-1) enhances the power handling of carbon electrodes but significantly lowers the specific capacitance even when adding small amounts of carbon black. A much lower decrease in specific capacitance is observed for carbon onions and the best values are seen for carbon black with a high surface area (∼1390 m2 g-1). The overall performance benefits from the addition of any of the studied additives only at either high scan rates and/or electrolytes with high ion mobility. Normalization to the volume shows a severe decrease in volumetric capacitance and only at high current densities nearing 10 A g-1 we can see an improvement of the electrode capacitance.

  14. Reducing nitrogen loss and phytotoxicity during beer vinasse composting with biochar addition.

    PubMed

    Wang, Xueqin; Zhao, Yue; Wang, Huan; Zhao, Xinyu; Cui, Hongyang; Wei, Zimin

    2017-03-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of composting of beer vinasse generated from brewing industry, the effect of biochar amendment on beer vinasse composting was also evaluated based on the changes of different physicochemical parameters, phytotoxicity and final compost quality. Four different treatments were performed of beer vinasse with biochar addition at 0, 5%, 10%, 15% (w/w dry basis). The final product obtained from beer vinasse composting was phytotoxicity-free (GI: 120.8%), mature (C/N: 19.88, NH 4 + -N: 295.0mg/kg, DOC: 9.76g/kg) and nutrient-rich (especially for P: 1.92%) compost except high N loss (60.76%), which had the potential to be as soil amendment or fertilizer. Biochar addition contributed to decomposition of DOC indicating higher microbial activity and attain phytotoxicity-free standard rapidly. N loss significantly reduced by 27% with biochar at 15% addition. And 15% biochar addition ensured all parameters, which was involved in composts quality, to attain the mature standard. Therefore, it was suggested that biochar addition at 15% was optimal. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Can ligand addition to soil enhance Cd phytoextraction? A mechanistic model study.

    PubMed

    Lin, Zhongbing; Schneider, André; Nguyen, Christophe; Sterckeman, Thibault

    2014-11-01

    Phytoextraction is a potential method for cleaning Cd-polluted soils. Ligand addition to soil is expected to enhance Cd phytoextraction. However, experimental results show that this addition has contradictory effects on plant Cd uptake. A mechanistic model simulating the reaction kinetics (adsorption on solid phase, complexation in solution), transport (convection, diffusion) and root absorption (symplastic, apoplastic) of Cd and its complexes in soil was developed. This was used to calculate plant Cd uptake with and without ligand addition in a great number of combinations of soil, ligand and plant characteristics, varying the parameters within defined domains. Ligand addition generally strongly reduced hydrated Cd (Cd(2+)) concentration in soil solution through Cd complexation. Dissociation of Cd complex ([Formula: see text]) could not compensate for this reduction, which greatly lowered Cd(2+) symplastic uptake by roots. The apoplastic uptake of [Formula: see text] was not sufficient to compensate for the decrease in symplastic uptake. This explained why in the majority of the cases, ligand addition resulted in the reduction of the simulated Cd phytoextraction. A few results showed an enhanced phytoextraction in very particular conditions (strong plant transpiration with high apoplastic Cd uptake capacity), but this enhancement was very limited, making chelant-enhanced phytoextraction poorly efficient for Cd.

  16. Additive Manufacturing in Production: A Study Case Applying Technical Requirements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ituarte, Iñigo Flores; Coatanea, Eric; Salmi, Mika; Tuomi, Jukka; Partanen, Jouni

    Additive manufacturing (AM) is expanding the manufacturing capabilities. However, quality of AM produced parts is dependent on a number of machine, geometry and process parameters. The variability of these parameters affects the manufacturing drastically and therefore standardized processes and harmonized methodologies need to be developed to characterize the technology for end use applications and enable the technology for manufacturing. This research proposes a composite methodology integrating Taguchi Design of Experiments, multi-objective optimization and statistical process control, to optimize the manufacturing process and fulfil multiple requirements imposed to an arbitrary geometry. The proposed methodology aims to characterize AM technology depending upon manufacturing process variables as well as to perform a comparative assessment of three AM technologies (Selective Laser Sintering, Laser Stereolithography and Polyjet). Results indicate that only one machine, laser-based Stereolithography, was feasible to fulfil simultaneously macro and micro level geometrical requirements but mechanical properties were not at required level. Future research will study a single AM system at the time to characterize AM machine technical capabilities and stimulate pre-normative initiatives of the technology for end use applications.

  17. Small angle neutron scattering study of sodium dodecyl sulfate micellar growth driven by addition of a hydrotropic salt.

    PubMed

    Hassan, P A; Fritz, Gerhard; Kaler, Eric W

    2003-01-01

    The structures of aggregates formed in aqueous solutions of an anionic surfactant, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), with the addition of a cationic hydrotropic salt, p-toluidine hydrochloride (PTHC), have been investigated by small angle neutron scattering (SANS). The SANS spectra exhibit a pronounced peak at low salt concentration, indicating the presence of repulsive intermicellar interactions. Model-independent real space information about the structure is obtained from a generalized indirect Fourier transformation (GIFT) technique in combination with a suitable model for the interparticle structure factor. The interparticle interaction is captured using the rescaled mean spherical approximation (RMSA) closure relation and a Yukawa form of the interaction potential. Further quantification of the geometrical parameters of the micelles was achieved by a complete fit of the SANS data using a prolate ellipsoidal form factor and the RMSA structure factor. The present study shows that PTHC induces a decrease in the fractional charge of the micelles due to adsorption at the micellar surface and consequent growth of the SDS micelles from nearly globular to rodlike as the concentration of PTHC increases.

  18. Effect of dietary copper addition on lipid metabolism in rabbits

    PubMed Central

    Lei, Liu; Xiaoyi, Sui; Fuchang, Li

    2017-01-01

    ABSTRACT The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of copper supplementation on lipid metabolism in rabbits. Our study showed dietary copper addition (5-45 mg/kg) increased body mass gain, but decreased fat and liver weights compared with those in the control group (P < 0.05). Copper (45 mg/kg) addition significantly increased the skeletal muscle weight, but inhibited cytoplasmic lipid accumulation in liver, skeletal muscle and adipose tissue (P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, dietary copper addition (45 mg/kg) significantly increased plasma triglyceride levels but decreased very low density lipoprotein levels (P < 0.05). Copper treatment significantly increased gene expression of carnitine palmitoyltransferase (CPT) 1, CPT2 and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) a in liver (P < 0.05). In skeletal muscle, CPT1, CPT2, fatty acid transport protein, fatty acid-binding protein, and PPARa mRNA as well as phosphorylated AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) levels were significantly up-regulated by copper treatment (P < 0.05). Rabbits receiving copper supplementation had higher CPT1, CPT2, PPARa and hormone-sensitive lipase mRNA levels in adipose tissue (P < 0.05). In conclusion, copper promoted skeletal muscle growth and reduced fat accretion. PPARa signaling in liver, skeletal muscle and adipose tissues and AMPK signaling in skeletal muscle tissue were involved in the regulation of lipid metabolism by copper. PMID:28747869

  19. Investigating Secondary School Students' Unmediated Peer Assessment Skills

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tsivitanidou, Olia E.; Zacharia, Zacharias C.; Hovardas, Tasos

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate secondary school students' unmediated peer assessment skills. Specifically, 36 seventh graders, without receiving any kind of support, were anonymously assigned to reciprocally assess their peers' science web-portfolios. Additionally, students' attitudes towards and intentions about the use of…

  20. Radiation-induced hydroxyl addition to purine molecules: EPR and ENDOR study of hypoxanthine hydrochloride monohydrate single crystals.

    PubMed

    Tokdemir, Sibel; Nelson, William H

    2005-06-01

    Three radical species were detected in an EPR/ENDOR study of X-irradiated hypoxanthine.HCl.H2O single crystals at room temperature: RI was identified as the product of net H addition to C8, RII was identified as the product of net H addition to C2, and RIII was identified as the product of OH addition to C8. The observed set of radicals was the same for room-temperature irradiation as for irradiation at 10 K followed by warming the crystals to room temperature; however, the C2 H-addition and C8 OH-addition radicals were not detectable after storage of the crystals for about 2 months at room temperature. Use of selectively deuterated crystals permitted unique assignment of the observed hyperfine couplings, and results of density functional theory calculations on each of the radical structures were consistent with the experimental results. Comparison of these experimental results with others from previous crystal-based systems and model system computations provides insight into the mechanisms by which the biologically important purine C8 hydroxyl addition products are formed. The evidence from solid systems supports the mechanism of net water addition to one-electron oxidized purine bases and demonstrates the importance of a facial approach between the reactants.

  1. Stoichiometry and kinetics of the anaerobic ammonium oxidation (Anammox) with trace hydrazine addition.

    PubMed

    Yao, Zongbao; Lu, Peili; Zhang, Daijun; Wan, Xinyu; Li, Yulian; Peng, Shuchan

    2015-12-01

    Purpose of this study is to investigate the stoichiometry and kinetics of anaerobic ammonium oxidation (Anammox) with trace hydrazine addition. The stoichiometry was established based on the electron balance of Anammox process with trace N2H4 addition. The stoichiometric coefficients were determined by the proton consumption and the changes in substrates and products. It was found that trace N2H4 addition can increase the yield of Anammox bacteria (AnAOB) and reduce NO3(-) yield, which enhances the Anammox. Subsequently, kinetic model of Anammox with trace N2H4 addition was developed, and the parameters of the anaerobic degradation model of N2H4 were obtained for the first time. The maximum specific substrate utilization rate, half-saturation constant and inhibition constant of N2H4 were 25.09mgN/g VSS/d, 10.42mgN/L and 1393.88mgN/L, respectively. These kinetic parameters might provide important information for the engineering applications of Anammox with trace N2H4 addition. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Special accident investigation studies : the role of alcohol/drug involvement

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1972-10-01

    The NHTSA is sponsoring special accident investigation studies on the alcohol/drug involvement problem in the cities of Albuquerque, Baltimore, and Boston. These studies are in coordination with-ongoing ASAP projects in each of the three cities. The ...

  3. Study of abrasive resistance of foundries models obtained with use of additive technology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ol'khovik, Evgeniy

    2017-10-01

    A problem of determination of resistance of the foundry models and patterns from ABS (PLA) plastic, obtained by the method of 3D printing with using FDM additive technology, to abrasive wear and resistance in the environment of foundry sand mould is considered in the present study. The description of a technique and equipment for tests of castings models and patterns for wear is provided in the article. The manufacturing techniques of models with the use of the 3D printer (additive technology) are described. The scheme with vibration load was applied to samples tests. For the most qualitative research of influence of sandy mix on plastic, models in real conditions of abrasive wear have been organized. The results also examined the application of acrylic paintwork to the plastic model and a two-component coating. The practical offers and recommendation on production of master models with the use of FDM technology allowing one to reach indicators of durability, exceeding 2000 cycles of moulding in foundry sand mix, are described.

  4. Effects of additional team-based learning on students' clinical reasoning skills: a pilot study.

    PubMed

    Jost, Meike; Brüstle, Peter; Giesler, Marianne; Rijntjes, Michel; Brich, Jochen

    2017-07-14

    In the field of Neurology good clinical reasoning skills are essential for successful diagnosing and treatment. Team-based learning (TBL), an active learning and small group instructional strategy, is a promising method for fostering these skills. The aim of this pilot study was to examine the effects of a supplementary TBL-class on students' clinical decision-making skills. Fourth- and fifth-year medical students participated in this pilot study (static-group comparison design). The non-treatment group (n = 15) did not receive any additional training beyond regular teaching in the neurology course. The treatment group (n = 11) took part in a supplementary TBL-class optimized for teaching clinical reasoning in addition to the regular teaching in the neurology course. Clinical decision making skills were assessed using a key-feature problem examination. Factual and conceptual knowledge was assessed by a multiple-choice question examination. The TBL-group performed significantly better than the non-TBL-group (p = 0.026) in the key-feature problem examination. No significant differences between the results of the multiple-choice question examination of both groups were found. In this pilot study participants of a supplementary TBL-class significantly improved clinical decision-making skills, indicating that TBL may be an appropriate method for teaching clinical decision making in neurology. Further research is needed for replication in larger groups and other clinical fields.

  5. Model studies of hydrogen atom addition and abstraction processes involving ortho-, meta-, and para-benzynes.

    PubMed

    Clark, A E; Davidson, E R

    2001-10-31

    H-atom addition and abstraction processes involving ortho-, meta-, and para-benzyne have been investigated by multiconfigurational self-consistent field methods. The H(A) + H(B)...H(C) reaction (where r(BC) is adjusted to mimic the appropriate singlet-triplet energy gap) is shown to effectively model H-atom addition to benzyne. The doublet multiconfiguration wave functions are shown to mix the "singlet" and "triplet" valence bond structures of H(B)...H(C) along the reaction coordinate; however, the extent of mixing is dependent on the singlet-triplet energy gap (DeltaE(ST)) of the H(B)...H(C) diradical. Early in the reaction, the ground-state wave function is essentially the "singlet" VB function, yet it gains significant "triplet" VB character along the reaction coordinate that allows H(A)-H(B) bond formation. Conversely, the wave function of the first excited state is predominantly the "triplet" VB configuration early in the reaction coordinate, but gains "singlet" VB character when the H-atom is close to a radical center. As a result, the potential energy surface (PES) for H-atom addition to triplet H(B)...H(C) diradical is repulsive! The H3 model predicts, in agreement with the actual calculations on benzyne, that the singlet diradical electrons are not coupled strongly enough to give rise to an activation barrier associated with C-H bond formation. Moreover, this model predicts that the PES for H-atom addition to triplet benzyne will be characterized by a repulsive curve early in the reaction coordinate, followed by a potential avoided crossing with the (pi)1(sigma*)1 state of the phenyl radical. In contrast to H-atom addition, large activation barriers characterize the abstraction process in both the singlet ground state and first triplet state. In the ground state, this barrier results from the weakly avoided crossing of the dominant VB configurations in the ground-state singlet (S0) and first excited singlet (S1) because of the large energy gap between S0

  6. 76 FR 70152 - Pilot Program for Early Feasibility Study Investigational Device Exemption Applications

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-11-10

    ...] Pilot Program for Early Feasibility Study Investigational Device Exemption Applications AGENCY: Food and... feasibility study investigational device exemption (IDE) applications. The pilot program will conform to the... Feasibility Medical Device Clinical Studies, Including Certain First in Human (FIH) Studies.'' Under the pilot...

  7. Apheresis and intravenous immunoglobulins used in addition to conventional therapy to treat high-risk pregnant antiphospholipid antibody syndrome patients. A prospective study.

    PubMed

    Ruffatti, Amelia; Favaro, Maria; Hoxha, Ariela; Zambon, Alessandra; Marson, Piero; Del Ross, Teresa; Calligaro, Antonia; Tonello, Marta; Nardelli, Giovanni B

    2016-06-01

    Pregnant women with triple antibody positive antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) who have had thrombosis or a history of early, severe pregnancy complications are generally considered at high risk of pregnancy loss. The objectives of this study were to investigate the efficacy and safety of a relatively new treatment protocol used in addition to conventional therapy in high-risk pregnant patients affected with primary APS. The study's two inclusion criteria were: (1) the presence of triple antiphospholipid positivity, (2) previous thrombosis and/or a history of one or more early, severe pregnancy complications. Eighteen pregnancies occurring between 2002 and 2015 in 14 APS patients, (mean age 34.8±3.6 SD) were monitored. All 14 (100%) patients had triple antiphospholipid positivity. In addition, six of them (42.8%) had a history of thrombosis, four (28.6%) had one or more previous early and severe pregnancy complications, and four (30.8%) met both clinical study criteria. The study protocol included weekly plasmapheresis or immunoadsorption and fortnightly 1g/kg intravenous immunoglobulins. Seventeen of the pregnancies (94.4%) produced live neonates, all born between the 26th and 37th weeks of gestation (mean 33.1±3.5 SD). One female (5.5%), born prematurely at 24 weeks, died of sepsis a week after birth. There were two cases (11.1%) of severe pregnancy complications. No treatment side effects were registered. Given the high live birth rate and the safety associated to it, the study protocol described here could be taken into consideration by medical teams treating high-risk APS pregnant patients. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. An investigation of the biochemical properties of tetrazines as potential coating additives.

    PubMed

    Jaiswal, Swarna; Varma, P C Rajath; O'Neill, Luke; Duffy, Brendan; McHale, Patrick

    2013-05-01

    1,2,4,5-Tetrazine and its 3,6-disubstituted derivatives are currently used for a range of industrial and medical applications as they exhibit particular coordination chemistries, characterised by electron and charge transfer phenomena. The aim of the present work is to synthesise two tetrazine derivatives, namely 3,6-dihydrazino-1,2,4,5-tetrazine (DHDTZ) and 1,2,4,5-tetrazine dicarboxylic acid (DCTZ), and determine their antibacterial, antioxidant and anticorrosion characteristics as additives in a sol-gel coating on SS316L steel. The structure of the tetrazines was confirmed by NMR and FTIR while the surface morphology of bacterial cells in their presence was observed by AFM. Their ability to inhibit corrosion on 316L stainless steel was electrochemically determined using a potentiodynamic scanning (PDS) technique. The corrosion inhibition results showed that the acidic DCTZ provided the best corrosion protection. The concentration-dependent antioxidant capacity of the tetrazines was confirmed by both DPPH radical scavenging activity and FRAP assays, showing higher activity for DHDTZ than DCTZ. Furthermore, a DHDTZ doped sol-gel solution was prepared and curing parameter (temperature and time) was optimised for coating on microtitre wells and stainless steel panel. The antibacterial activity of the coated surfaces against Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853 and the biofilm forming bacteria Staphylococcus epidermidis CSF 41498 was determined. DHDTZ showed significantly higher antibacterial activities with MIC as low as 31 ppm compared to 250 ppm for DCTZ. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Thermomechanical Processing of Structural Steels with Dilute Niobium Additions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cui, Z.; Patel, J.; Palmiere, E. J.

    The recrystallisation behaviour of medium carbon steels with dilute Nb addition was investigated by means of plane strain compression tests and the observation of prior austenite microstructures during different deformation conditions. It was found that complete suppression of recrystallisation did not occur in the deformation temperature range investigated. At lower deformation temperatures, partial recrystallisation occurred in the higher Nb sample. This gives the potential to obtain a full suppression of recrystallisation at lower deformation temperatures.

  10. Investigation on the eco-toxicity of lake sediments with the addition of drinking water treatment residuals.

    PubMed

    Yuan, Nannan; Wang, Changhui; Pei, Yuansheng

    2016-08-01

    Drinking water treatment residuals (WTRs) have a potential to realize eutrophication control objectives by reducing the internal phosphorus (P) load of lake sediments. Information regarding the ecological risk of dewatered WTR reuse in aquatic environments is generally lacking, however. In this study, we analyzed the eco-toxicity of leachates from sediments with or without dewatered WTRs toward algae Chlorella vulgaris via algal growth inhibition testing with algal cell density, chlorophyll content, malondialdehyde content, antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase activity, and subcellular structure indices. The results suggested that leachates from sediments unanimously inhibited algal growth, with or without the addition of different WTR doses (10% or 50% of the sediment in dry weight) at different pH values (8-9), as well as from sediments treated for different durations (10 or 180days). The inhibition was primarily the result of P deficiency in the leachates owing to WTR P adsorption, however, our results suggest that the dewatered WTRs were considered as a favorable potential material for internal P loading control in lake restoration projects, as it shows acceptably low risk toward aquatic plants. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  11. In vitro properties of concentrated canine platelets stored in two additive solutions: a comparative study.

    PubMed

    Hlavac, N; Lasta, C S; Dalmolin, M L; Lacerda, L A; de Korte, D; Marcondes, N A; Terra, S R; Fernandes, F B; González, F H D

    2017-11-15

    Platelet transfusion therapy poses many challenges in veterinary clinical practice. Lack of readily available blood donors, short shelf-life, and inability to administer a sufficient number of platelets to meet a dog's transfusion need are the major difficulties encountered. Platelet additive solutions are already in use at American and European human blood banks, showing to be a realistic alternative. This study compares the in vitro platelet function in plasma, Composol, or SSP+ during storage for 13 days. Platelet rich plasma-platelet concentrate with 35% plasma and 65% platelet additive solutions (Composol or SSP+) and a control group (100% plasma) were prepared. Swirling, platelet count, blood gases, metabolic variables, platelet activation markers, and apoptosis markers were analyzed on days 1, 5, 9 and 13. Swirling was well preserved and pH was acceptable (> 6.2) during storage for all platelet additive solutions units until day 9. SSP + units showed more stable pH and metabolic variables until day 13. Platelets in plasma showed higher glucose consumption than in Composol or in SSP+. The platelet additive solutions units showed better platelet metabolism maintenance, reduced glucose consumption and lactate production. The apoptotic markers were still low for 9 days in platelet concentrates with platelet additive solutions, suggesting the possibility to extend the shelf life with the use of SSP+ or Composol. Our findings suggest that the uses of Composol and SSP+ in canine platelet concentrates are potential alternatives in veterinary blood banks.

  12. Study of mandible reconstruction using a fibula flap with application of additive manufacturing technology.

    PubMed

    Tsai, Ming-June; Wu, Ching-Tsai

    2014-05-06

    This study aimed to establish surgical guiding techniques for completing mandible lesion resection and reconstruction of the mandible defect area with fibula sections in one surgery by applying additive manufacturing technology, which can reduce the surgical duration and enhance the surgical accuracy and success rate. A computer assisted mandible reconstruction planning (CAMRP) program was used to calculate the optimal cutting length and number of fibula pieces and design the fixtures for mandible cutting, registration, and arrangement of the fibula segments. The mandible cutting and registering fixtures were then generated using an additive manufacturing system. The CAMRP calculated the optimal fibula cutting length and number of segments based on the location and length of the defective portion of the mandible. The mandible cutting jig was generated according to the boundary surface of the lesion resection on the mandible STL model. The fibular cutting fixture was based on the length of each segment, and the registered fixture was used to quickly arrange the fibula pieces into the shape of the defect area. In this study, the mandibular lesion was reconstructed using registered fibular sections in one step, and the method is very easy to perform. The application of additive manufacturing technology provided customized models and the cutting fixtures and registered fixtures, which can improve the efficiency of clinical application. This study showed that the cutting fixture helped to rapidly complete lesion resection and fibula cutting, and the registered fixture enabled arrangement of the fibula pieces and allowed completion of the mandible reconstruction in a timely manner. Our method can overcome the disadvantages of traditional surgery, which requires a long and different course of treatment and is liable to cause error. With the help of optimal cutting planning by the CAMRP and the 3D printed mandible resection jig and fibula cutting fixture, this all

  13. Investigating Engineering Practice Is Valuable for Mathematics Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goold, Eileen

    2015-01-01

    While engineering mathematics curricula often prescribe a fixed body of mathematical knowledge, this study takes a different approach; second-year engineering students are additionally required to investigate and document an aspect of mathematics used in engineering practice. A qualitative approach is used to evaluate the impact that students'…

  14. Serum Potassium and Glucose Regulation in the ADDITION-Leicester Screening Study

    PubMed Central

    Carter, Patrice; Bodicoat, Danielle H.; Quinn, Lauren M.; Zaccardi, Francesco; Webb, David R.; Khunti, Kamlesh; Davies, Melanie J.

    2015-01-01

    Introduction. Previous observational studies have shown conflicting results between plasma K+ concentrations and risk of type 2 diabetes. To help clarify the evidence we aimed to determine whether an association existed between serum K+ and glucose regulation within a UK multiethnic population. Methods. Participants were recruited as part of the ADDITION Leicester study, a population based screening study. Individuals from primary care between the age of 40 and 75 years if White European or 25 and 75 years if South Asian or Afro Caribbean were recruited. Tests for associations between baseline characteristics and K+ quartiles were conducted using linear regression models. Results. Data showed individuals in the lowest K+ quartile had significantly greater 2-hour glucose levels (0.53 mmol/L, 95% CI: 0.36 to 0.70, P ≤ 0.001) than those in the highest K+ quartile. This estimation did not change with adjustment for potential confounders. Conversely, participants in the lowest K+ quartile had a 0.14% lower HbA1c (95% CI −0.19 to −0.10: P ≤ 0.001) compared to those in the highest K+ quartile. Conclusion. This cross-sectional analysis demonstrated that lower K+ was associated with greater 2 hr glucose. The data supports the possibility that K+ may influence glucose regulation and further research is warranted. PMID:25883988

  15. Analysis of Problems Posed by Sixth-Grade Middle School Students for the Addition of Fractions in Terms of Semantic Structures

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kar, Tugrul

    2015-01-01

    This study aimed to investigate how the semantic structures of problems posed by sixth-grade middle school students for the addition of fractions affect their problem-posing performance. The students were presented with symbolic operations involving the addition of fractions and asked to pose two different problems related to daily-life situations…

  16. Investigating Children's Abilities to Count and Make Quantitative Comparisons

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lee, Joohi; Md-Yunus, Sham'ah

    2016-01-01

    This study was designed to investigate children's abilities to count and make quantitative comparisons. In addition, this study utilized reasoning questions (i.e., how did you know?). Thirty-four preschoolers, mean age 4.5 years old, participated in the study. According to the results, 89% of the children (n = 30) were able to do rote counting and…

  17. Investigation of the practical aspects of an additional 0.1 mm copper x-ray spectral filter for cine acquisition mode imaging in a clinical care setting.

    PubMed

    Fetterly, Kenneth A

    2010-11-01

    Minimizing the x-ray radiation dose is an important aspect of patient safety during interventional fluoroscopy procedures. This work investigates the practical aspects of an additional 0.1 mm Cu x-ray beam spectral filter applied to cine acquisition mode imaging on patient dose and image quality. Measurements were acquired using clinical interventional imaging systems. Acquisition images of Solid Water phantoms (15-40 cm) were acquired using x-ray beams with the x-ray tube inherent filtration and using an additional 0.1 mm Cu x-ray beam spectral filter. The skin entrance air kerma (dose) rate was measured and the signal difference to noise ratio (SDNR) of an iodine target embedded into the phantom was calculated to assess image quality. X-ray beam parameters were recorded and analyzed and a primary x-ray beam simulation was performed to assess additional x-ray tube burden attributable to the Cu filter. For all phantom thicknesses, the 0.1 mm Cu filter resulted in a 40% reduction in the entrance air kerma rate to the phantoms and a 9% reduction in the SDNR of the iodine phantom. The expected additional tube load required by the 0.1 mm Cu filter ranged from 11% for a 120 kVp x-ray beam to 43% for a 60 kVp beam. For these clinical systems, use of the 0.1 mm Cu filter resulted in a favorable compromise between reduced skin dose rate and image quality and increased x-ray tube burden.

  18. Improving the environmental and performance characteristics of vehicles by introducing the surfactant additive into gasoline.

    PubMed

    Magaril, Elena; Magaril, Romen

    2016-09-01

    The operation of modern vehicles requires the introduction of package of fuel additives to ensure the required level of operating characteristics, some of which cannot be achieved by current oil refining methods. The use of additives allows flexibility of impact on the properties of the fuel at minimal cost, increasing the efficiency and environmental safety of vehicles. Among the wide assortment of additives available on the world market, many are surfactants. It has been shown that the introduction of some surfactants into gasoline concurrently reduces losses from gasoline evaporation, improves the mixture formation during injection of gasoline into the engine and improves detergent and anticorrosive properties. The surfactant gasoline additive that provides significant improvement in the quality of gasoline used and environmental and operating characteristics of vehicles has been developed and thoroughly investigated. The results of studies confirming the efficiency of the gasoline additive application are herein presented.

  19. 77 FR 13343 - Pilot Program for Early Feasibility Study Investigational Device Exemption Applications...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-03-06

    ...] Pilot Program for Early Feasibility Study Investigational Device Exemption Applications; Termination of... acceptance of nominations for the Early Feasibility Study Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) Applications... technologies to participate in a pilot program for early feasibility study IDE applications. FDA is also...

  20. Mechanical properties of additively manufactured octagonal honeycombs.

    PubMed

    Hedayati, R; Sadighi, M; Mohammadi-Aghdam, M; Zadpoor, A A

    2016-12-01

    Honeycomb structures have found numerous applications as structural and biomedical materials due to their favourable properties such as low weight, high stiffness, and porosity. Application of additive manufacturing and 3D printing techniques allows for manufacturing of honeycombs with arbitrary shape and wall thickness, opening the way for optimizing the mechanical and physical properties for specific applications. In this study, the mechanical properties of honeycomb structures with a new geometry, called octagonal honeycomb, were investigated using analytical, numerical, and experimental approaches. An additive manufacturing technique, namely fused deposition modelling, was used to fabricate the honeycomb from polylactic acid (PLA). The honeycombs structures were then mechanically tested under compression and the mechanical properties of the structures were determined. In addition, the Euler-Bernoulli and Timoshenko beam theories were used for deriving analytical relationships for elastic modulus, yield stress, Poisson's ratio, and buckling stress of this new design of honeycomb structures. Finite element models were also created to analyse the mechanical behaviour of the honeycombs computationally. The analytical solutions obtained using Timoshenko beam theory were close to computational results in terms of elastic modulus, Poisson's ratio and yield stress, especially for relative densities smaller than 25%. The analytical solutions based on the Timoshenko analytical solution and the computational results were in good agreement with experimental observations. Finally, the elastic properties of the proposed honeycomb structure were compared to those of other honeycomb structures such as square, triangular, hexagonal, mixed, diamond, and Kagome. The octagonal honeycomb showed yield stress and elastic modulus values very close to those of regular hexagonal honeycombs and lower than the other considered honeycombs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights

  1. Dissimilar welding of nickel-based Alloy 690 to SUS 304L with Ti addition

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, H. T.; Jeng, S. L.; Yen, C. H.; Kuo, T. Y.

    2004-10-01

    This study investigates the effects of Ti addition on the weldability, microstructure and mechanical properties of a dissimilar weldment of Alloy 690 and SUS 304L. Shielding metal arc welding (SMAW) is employed to butt-weld two plates with three welding layers, where each layer is deposited in a single pass. To investigate the effects of Ti addition, the flux coatings of the electrodes used in the welding process are modified by varying additions of either a Ti-Fe compound or a Ti powder. The results indicate that the microstructure of the fusion zone (FZ) is primarily dendritic. With increasing Ti content, it is noted that the microstructure changes from a columnar dendritic to an equiaxed dendritic, in which the primary dendrite arm spacing (PDAS) becomes shorter. Furthermore, it is observed that the amount of Al-Ti oxide phase increases in the inter-dendritic region, while the amount of Nb-rich phase decreases. Moreover, the average hardness of the FZ increases slightly. The results indicate that Ti addition prompts a significant increase in the elongation of the weldment (i.e. 36.5%, Ti: 0.41 wt%), although the tensile strength remains relatively unchanged. However, at an increased Ti content of 0.91 wt%, an obvious reduction in the tensile strength is noted, which can be attributed to a general reduction in the weldability of the joint.

  2. An Investigation of the Outward Bound Final Expedition

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bobilya, Andrew J.; Kalisch, Ken; Daniel, Brad

    2011-01-01

    Research of wilderness programs indicates a clear need for additional investigation of specific program components and their influence on participant outcomes. This study examines one component of the Outward Bound wilderness program--the Final Expedition. The Final Expedition is a student-led wilderness expedition and is also referred to as an…

  3. Investigating the chemical changes of chlorogenic acids during coffee brewing: conjugate addition of water to the olefinic moiety of chlorogenic acids and their quinides.

    PubMed

    Matei, Marius Febi; Jaiswal, Rakesh; Kuhnert, Nikolai

    2012-12-12

    Coffee is one of the most popular and consumed beverages in the world and is associated with a series of benefits for human health. In this study we focus on the reactivity of chlorogenic acids, the most abundant secondary metabolites in coffee, during the coffee brewing process. We report on the hydroxylation of the chlorogenic acid cinnamoyl substituent by conjugate addition of water to form 3-hydroxydihydrocaffeic acid derivatives using a series of model compounds including monocaffeoyl and dicaffeoylquinic acids and quinic acid lactones. The regiochemistry of conjugate addition was established based on targeted tandem MS experiments. Following conjugate addition of water a reversible water elimination yielding cis-cinnamoyl derivatives accompanied by acyl migration products was observed in model systems. We also report the formation of all of these derivatives during the coffee brewing process.

  4. Vacuum pyrolysis of waste tires with basic additives.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Xinghua; Wang, Tiejun; Ma, Longlong; Chang, Jie

    2008-11-01

    Granules of waste tires were pyrolyzed under vacuum (3.5-10 kPa) conditions, and the effects of temperature and basic additives (Na2CO3, NaOH) on the properties of pyrolysis were thoroughly investigated. It was obvious that with or without basic additives, pyrolysis oil yield increased gradually to a maximum and subsequently decreased with a temperature increase from 450 degrees C to 600 degrees C, irrespective of the addition of basic additives to the reactor. The addition of NaOH facilitated pyrolysis dramatically, as a maximal pyrolysis oil yield of about 48 wt% was achieved at 550 degrees C without the addition of basic additives, while a maximal pyrolysis oil yield of about 50 wt% was achieved at 480 degrees C by adding 3 wt% (w/w, powder/waste tire granules) of NaOH powder. The composition analysis of pyrolytic naphtha (i.b.p. (initial boiling point) approximately 205 degrees C) distilled from pyrolysis oil showed that more dl-limonene was obtained with basic additives and the maximal content of dl-limonene in pyrolysis oil was 12.39 wt%, which is a valuable and widely-used fine chemical. However, no improvement in pyrolysis was observed with Na2CO3 addition. Pyrolysis gas was mainly composed of H2, CO, CH4, CO2, C2H4 and C2H6. Pyrolytic char had a surface area comparable to commercial carbon black, but its proportion of ash (above 11.5 wt%) was much higher.

  5. A randomised feasibility study to investigate the impact of education and the addition of prompts on the sedentary behaviour of office workers.

    PubMed

    O'Dolan, Catriona; Grant, Margaret; Lawrence, Maggie; Dall, Philippa

    2018-01-01

    -cost way of prompting office workers to break up their sedentary behaviour, although further research is needed to determine whether this has an additional impact on sedentary behaviour, to education alone. The role of cultural norms, and promoting self-efficacy, should be considered in the design of future interventions. This study was registered retrospectively as a clinical trial on ClinicalTrials.gov (ID no. NCT02609282) on 23 March 2015.

  6. Integrated data management for clinical studies: automatic transformation of data models with semantic annotations for principal investigators, data managers and statisticians.

    PubMed

    Dugas, Martin; Dugas-Breit, Susanne

    2014-01-01

    Design, execution and analysis of clinical studies involves several stakeholders with different professional backgrounds. Typically, principle investigators are familiar with standard office tools, data managers apply electronic data capture (EDC) systems and statisticians work with statistics software. Case report forms (CRFs) specify the data model of study subjects, evolve over time and consist of hundreds to thousands of data items per study. To avoid erroneous manual transformation work, a converting tool for different representations of study data models was designed. It can convert between office format, EDC and statistics format. In addition, it supports semantic annotations, which enable precise definitions for data items. A reference implementation is available as open source package ODMconverter at http://cran.r-project.org.

  7. Investigation of the Secondary School Students' Images of Scientists

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Akgün, Abuzer

    2016-01-01

    The overall purpose of this study is to explore secondary school students' images of scientists. In addition to this comprehensive purpose, it is also investigated that if these students' current images of scientists and those in which they see themselves as a scientist in the near future are consistent or not. The study was designed in line with…

  8. The Effect of Copper Addition on the Properties of Sn-0.7Cu Solder Paste

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Said, R. M.; Mohamad Johari, F. H.; Salleh, M. A. A. Mohd; Sandu, A. V.

    2018-03-01

    The effect of copper addition on the properties of Sn-Cu based solder paste were investigate through this study. The Sn-0.7Cu solder paste doped with different concentration of Cu were prepared using solder paste mixture. The bulk solder microstructure of assolidified solder paste was studied. Besides that, intermetallic compound (IMC) formation on Cu substrate and hardness of all solder paste also being investigated. Results shows that increasing Cu concentration cause formation of large Cu6Sn5 IMC at bulk solder and the size of the IMC grew larger at high temperature. In addition, β-Sn area reduce when Cu concentration was high. The IMC morphology for all solder paste almost remain unchanged. However, there are large Cu6Sn5 IMC form near the interfacial IMC in Sn-Cu solder paste with high amount of Cu (Sn-10Cu). The hardness value was decrease when processing temperature at 250 °C due to present of small void in the microstructure while hardness of solder material increased at high temperature.

  9. Use of a flow-cell system to investigate virucidal dimethylmethylene blue phototreatment in two RBC additive solutions.

    PubMed

    Wagner, Stephen; Skripchenko, Andrey; Thompson-Montgomery, Dedeene

    2002-09-01

    Limited photoinactivation kinetics, use of low-volume 30 percent Hct RBCs, and hemolysis have restricted the practicality of the use of dimethylmethylene blue (DMMB) and light for RBC decontamination. A flow-cell system was developed to rapidly treat larger volumes of oxygenated 45 percent Hct RBCs with high-intensity red light. CPD-whole blood was WBC reduced, RBCs were diluted in additive solutions (either Adsol or Erythrosol), and suspensions were subsequently oxygenated by gas overlay. Intracellular or extracellular VSV and DMMB were sequentially added. VSV-infected RBC suspensions (45% Hct) were passed through 1-mm-thick flow cells and illuminated. Samples were titered for VSV, stored for up to 42 days, and assayed for Hb, supernatant potassium, ATP, and MCV. The use of oxygenated RBCs resulted in rapid and reproducible photoinactivaton of > or = 6.6 log extracellular and approximately 4.0 log intracellular VSV independent of additive solution. Phototreated Adsol RBCs exhibited more than 10 times greater hemolysis and 30 percent greater MCV during storage than identically treated Erythrosol RBCs. Phototreatment caused RBC potassium leakage from RBCs in both additive solutions. ATP levels were better preserved in Erythrosol than Adsol RBCs. A rapid, reproducible, and robust method for photoinactivating model virus in RBC suspensions was developed. Despite improved hemolysis and ATP levels in Erythrosol-phototreated RBCs, storage properties were not maintained for 42 days.

  10. Solubility Testing of Sucrose Esters of Fatty Acids in International Food Additive Specifications.

    PubMed

    Nagai, Yukino; Kawano, Satoko; Motoda, Kenichiro; Tomida, Masaaki; Tatebe, Chiye; Sato, Kyoko; Akiyama, Hiroshi

    2017-03-01

    We investigated the solubility of 10 samples of sucrose esters of fatty acids (SEFA) products that are commercially available worldwide as food additives (emulsifiers). Although one sample dissolved transparently in both water and ethanol, other samples produced white turbidity and/or precipitates and did not meet the solubility criterion established by the Joint Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA). When the sample solutions were heated, the solubility in both water and ethanol increased. All of the samples dissolved transparently in ethanol, and dispersed and became white without producing precipitates in water. The present study suggests that the current solubility criterion of the JECFA SEFA specifications needs to be revised.

  11. Framing in criminal investigation: How police officers (re)construct a crime.

    PubMed

    Salet, Renze

    2017-06-01

    Failures in criminal investigation may lead to wrongful convictions. Insight in the criminal investigation process is needed to understand how these investigative failures may rise and how measures can contribute to the prevention of this kind of failures. Some of the main findings of an empirical study of the criminal investigation process in four cases of major investigations are presented here. This criminal investigation process is analyzed as a process of framing, using Goffman's framing (Goffman, 1975) and interaction theories (Goffman, 1990). It shows that in addition to framing, other substantive and social factors affect the criminal investigation.

  12. Additive Manufacturing of Porous Metal

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

    Dehoff, Ryan R.; Kirka, Michael M.

    2017-06-01

    Currently, helium is obtained through separation from natural gas. The current industrial process incurs significant costs and requires large energy resources to successfully achieve separation. Through utilizing Additive Manufacturing (AM) technologies it is possible to reduce both of these burdens when refining helium gas. The ability to engineer porosity levels within Inconel 718 discs for controlled separation of helium from natural gas was investigated. Arrays of samples fabricated using the electron beam melting process were analyzed for their relative porosity density. Based upon the measurements, full scale discs were fabricated, and subsequently tested to determine their effectiveness in separating heliummore » from liquefied natural gas.« less

  13. Electrochemical performance evaluations and safety investigations of pentafluoro(phenoxy)cyclotriphosphazene as a flame retardant electrolyte additive for application in lithium ion battery systems using a newly designed apparatus for improved self-extinguishing time measurements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dagger, Tim; Lürenbaum, Constantin; Schappacher, Falko M.; Winter, Martin

    2017-02-01

    A modified self-extinguishing time (SET) device which enhances the reproducibility of the results is presented. Pentafluoro(phenoxy)cyclotriphosphazene (FPPN) is investigated as flame retardant electrolyte additive for lithium ion batteries (LIBs) in terms of thermal stability and electrochemical performance. SET measurements and adiabatic reaction calorimetry are applied to determine the flammability and the reactivity of a standard LIB electrolyte containing 5% FPPN. The results reveal that the additive-containing electrolyte is nonflammable for 10 s whereas the commercially available reference electrolyte inflames instantaneously after 1 s of ignition. The onset temperature of the safety enhanced electrolyte is delayed by ≈ 21 °C. Compatibility tests in half cells show that the electrolyte is reductively stable while the cyclic voltammogram indicates oxidative decomposition during the first cycle. Cycling experiments in full cells show improved cycling performance and rate capability, which can be attributed to cathode passivation during the first cycle. Post-mortem analysis of the electrolyte by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry confirms the presence of the additive in high amounts after 501 cycles which ensures enhanced safety of the electrolyte. The investigations present FPPN as stable electrolyte additive that improves the intrinsic safety of the electrolyte and its cycling performance at the same time.

  14. Comparative meta-analysis and experimental kinetic investigation of column and batch bottle microcosm treatability studies informing in situ groundwater remedial design.

    PubMed

    Driver, Erin M; Roberts, Jeff; Dollar, Peter; Charles, Maurissa; Hurst, Paul; Halden, Rolf U

    2017-02-05

    A systematic comparison was performed between batch bottle and continuous-flow column microcosms (BMs and CMs, respectively) commonly used for in situ groundwater remedial design. Review of recent literature (2000-2014) showed a preference for reporting batch kinetics, even when corresponding column data were available. Additionally, CMs produced higher observed rate constants, exceeding those of BMs by a factor of 6.1±1.1 standard error. In a subsequent laboratory investigation, 12 equivalent microcosm pairs were constructed from fractured bedrock and perchloroethylene (PCE) impacted groundwater. First-order PCE transformation kinetics of CMs were 8.0±4.8 times faster than BMs (rates: 1.23±0.87 vs. 0.16±0.05d -1 , respectively). Additionally, CMs transformed 16.1±8.0-times more mass than BMs owing to continuous-feed operation. CMs are concluded to yield more reliable kinetic estimates because of much higher data density stemming from long-term, steady-state conditions. Since information from BMs and CMs is valuable and complementary, treatability studies should report kinetic data from both when available. This first systematic investigation of BMs and CMs highlights the need for a more unified framework for data use and reporting in treatability studies informing decision-making for field-scale groundwater remediation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Characterizations of additive manufactured porous titanium implants.

    PubMed

    Basalah, Ahmad; Shanjani, Yaser; Esmaeili, Shahrzad; Toyserkani, Ehsan

    2012-10-01

    This article describes physical, chemical, and mechanical characterizations of porous titanium implants made by an additive manufacturing method to gain insight into the correlation of process parameters and final physical properties of implants used in orthopedics. For the manufacturing chain, the powder metallurgy technology was combined with the additive manufacturing to fabricate the porous structure from the pure tanium powder. A 3D printing machine was employed in this study to produce porous bar samples. A number of physical parameters such as titanium powder size, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) amount, sintering temperature and time were investigated to control the mechanical properties and porosity of the structures. The produced samples were characterized through porosity and shrinkage measurements, mechanical compression test and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results showed a level of porosity in the samples in the range of 31-43%, which is within the range of the porosity of the cancelluous bone and approaches the range of the porosity of the cortical bone. The results of the mechanical test showed that the compressive strength is in the wide range of 56-509 MPa implying the effect of the process parameters on the mechanical strengths. This technique of manufacturing of Ti porous structures demonstrated a low level of shrinkage with the shrinkage percentage ranging from 1.5 to 5%. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  16. Additional perspectives on chronic kidney disease of unknown aetiology (CKDu) in Sri Lanka--lessons learned from the WHO CKDu population prevalence study.

    PubMed

    Redmon, Jennifer Hoponick; Elledge, Myles F; Womack, Donna S; Wickremashinghe, Rajitha; Wanigasuriya, Kamani P; Peiris-John, Roshini J; Lunyera, Joseph; Smith, Kristin; Raymer, James H; Levine, Keith E

    2014-07-28

    The recent emergence of an apparently new form of chronic kidney disease of unknown aetiology (CKDu) has become a serious public health crisis in Sri Lanka. CKDu is slowly progressive, irreversible, and asymptomatic until late stages, and is not attributable to hypertension, diabetes, or other known aetiologies. In response to the scope and severity of the emerging CKDu health crisis, the Sri Lanka Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization initiated a collaborative research project from 2009 through 2012 to investigate CKDu prevalence and aetiology. The objective of this paper is to discuss the recently published findings of this investigation and present additional considerations and recommendations that may enhance subsequent investigations designed to identify and understand CKDu risk factors in Sri Lanka or other countries.

  17. Effect of primary-zone equivalence ratio and hydrogen addition on exhaust emission in a hydrocarbon-fueled combustor

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Norgren, C. T.; Ingebo, R. D.

    1974-01-01

    The effects of reducing the primary-zone equivalence ratio on the exhaust emission levels of oxides of nitrogen, carbon monoxide, and unburned hydrocarbons in experimental hydrocarbon-fueled combustor segments at simulated supersonic cruise and idle conditions were investigated. In addition, the effects of the injection of hydrogen fuel (up to 4 percent of the total weight of fuel) on the stability of the hydrocarbon flame and exhaust emissions were studied and compared with results obtained without hydrogen addition.

  18. Resilient modulus characteristics of soil subgrade with geopolymer additive in peat

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zain, Nasuhi; Hadiwardoyo, Sigit Pranowo; Rahayu, Wiwik

    2017-06-01

    Resilient modulus characteristics of peat soil are generally very low with high potential of deformation and low bearing capacity. The efforts to improve the peat subgrade resilient modulus characteristics is required, one among them is by adding the geopolymer additive. Geopolymer was made as an alternative to replace portland cement binder in the concrete mix in order to promote environmentally friendly, low shrinkage value, low creep value, and fire resistant material. The use of geopolymer to improve the mechanical properties of peat as a road construction subgrade, hence it becomes important to identify the effect of geopolymer addition on the resilient modulus characteristics of peat soil. This study investigated the addition of 0% - 20% geopolymer content on peat soil derived from Ogan Komering Ilir, South Sumatera Province. Resilient modulus measurement was performed by using cyclic triaxial test to determine the resilience modulus model as a function of deviator stresses and radial stresses. The test results showed that an increase in radial stresses did not necessarily lead to an increase in modulus resilient, and on the contrary, an increase in deviator stresses led to a decrease in modulus resilient. The addition of geopolymer in peat soil provided an insignificant effect on the increase of resilient modulus value.

  19. Heat conduction in double-walled carbon nanotubes with intertube additional carbon atoms.

    PubMed

    Cui, Liu; Feng, Yanhui; Tan, Peng; Zhang, Xinxin

    2015-07-07

    Heat conduction of double-walled carbon nanotubes (DWCNTs) with intertube additional carbon atoms was investigated for the first time using a molecular dynamics method. By analyzing the phonon vibrational density of states (VDOS), we revealed that the intertube additional atoms weak the heat conduction along the tube axis. Moreover, the phonon participation ratio (PR) demonstrates that the heat transfer in DWCNTs is dominated by low frequency modes. The added atoms cause the mode weight factor (MWF) of the outer tube to decrease and that of the inner tube to increase, which implies a lower thermal conductivity. The effects of temperature, tube length, and the number and distribution of added atoms were studied. Furthermore, an orthogonal array testing strategy was designed to identify the most important structural factor. It is indicated that the tendencies of thermal conductivity of DWCNTs with added atoms change with temperature and length are similar to bare ones. In addition, thermal conductivity decreases with the increasing number of added atoms, more evidently for atom addition concentrated at some cross-sections rather than uniform addition along the tube length. Simultaneously, the number of added atoms at each cross-section has a considerably more remarkable impact, compared to the tube length and the density of chosen cross-sections to add atoms.

  20. Comparative study of imide-based Li salts as electrolyte additives for Li-ion batteries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sharova, Varvara; Moretti, Arianna; Diemant, Thomas; Varzi, Alberto; Behm, R. Jürgen; Passerini, Stefano

    2018-01-01

    Herein, we report the results of a detailed study on the use of different Li imide salts (LiTFSI, LiFSI, and LiFTFSI) as electrolyte additives for lithium-ion batteries. The introduction of lithium imide salts in the electrolyte is shown to considerably improve the first cycle coulombic efficiency and the long-term cycling stability of graphite/LiFePO4 cells. Using LiTFSI, a capacity fading of only ∼2% occurred over 600 cycles while the control cell with the state-of-the-art additive (VC) lost ∼20% of the initial capacity at 20 °C. The results of the XPS and impedance spectroscopy measurements of graphite electrodes show that, after the formation cycle, the SEI obtained in the presence of imide salts is thinner, contains more LiF and is less resistive than that obtained using VC. Despite the beneficial effect of the imide salts on the lithium-ion cell performance, a slightly reduced thermal stability of the SEI is observed.

  1. Aminocarminic acid in E120-labelled food additives and beverages.

    PubMed

    Sabatino, Leonardo; Scordino, Monica; Gargano, Maria; Lazzaro, Francesco; Borzì, Marco A; Traulo, Pasqualino; Gagliano, Giacomo

    2012-01-01

    An analytical method was developed for investigating aminocarminic acid occurrence in E120-labelled red-coloured-beverages and in E120 additives, with the aim of controlling the purity of the carmine additive in countries where the use of aminocarminic acid is forbidden. The carminic acid and the aminocarminic acid were separated by high-performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array-tandem mass spectrography (HPLC-PDA-MS/MS). The method was statistically validated. The regression lines, ranging from 10 to 100 mg/L, showed r(2 )> 0.9996. Recoveries from 97% to 101% were obtained for the fortification level of 50 mg/L; the relative standard deviations did not exceed 3%. The LODs were below 2 mg/L, whereas the LOQs did not exceed 4 mg/L. The method was successfully applied to 27 samples of commercial E120-labelled red-coloured beverages and E120 additives, collected in Italy during quality control investigations conducted by the Ministry. The results demonstrated that more than 50% of the samples contained aminocarminic acid, evidencing the alarming illicit use of this semi-synthetic carmine acid derivative.

  2. Hydroxylamine addition impact to Nitrosomonas europaea activity in the presence of monochloramine.

    PubMed

    Wahman, David G; Speitel, Gerald E

    2015-01-01

    In drinking water, monochloramine may promote ammonia–oxidizing bacteria (AOB) growth because of concurrent ammonia presence. AOB use (i) ammonia monooxygenase for biological ammonia oxidation to hydroxylamine and (ii) hydroxylamine oxidoreductase for biological hydroxylamine oxidation to nitrite. In addition, monochloramine and hydroxylamine abiotically react, providing AOB a potential benefit by removing the disinfectant (monochloramine) and releasing growth substrate (ammonia). Alternatively and because biological hydroxylamine oxidation supplies the electrons (reductant) required for biological ammonia oxidation, the monochloramine/hydroxylamine abiotic reaction represents a possible inactivation mechanism by consuming hydroxylamine and inhibiting reductant generation. To investigate the abiotic monochloramine and hydroxylamine reaction's impact on AOB activity, the current study used batch experiments with Nitrosomonas europaea (AOB pure culture), ammonia, monochloramine, and hydroxylamine addition. To decipher whether hydroxylamine addition benefitted N. europaea activity by (i) removing monochloramine and releasing free ammonia or (ii) providing an additional effect (possibly the aforementioned reductant source), a previously developed cometabolism model was coupled with an abiotic monochloramine and hydroxylamine model for data interpretation. N. europaea maintained ammonia oxidizing activity when hydroxylamine was added before complete ammonia oxidation cessation. The impact could not be accounted for by monochloramine removal and free ammonia release alone and was concentration dependent for both monochloramine and hydroxylamine. In addition, a preferential negative impact occurred for ammonia versus hydroxylamine oxidation. These results suggest an additional benefit of exogenous hydroxylamine addition beyond monochloramine removal and free ammonia release, possibly providing reductant generation.

  3. Heme Derived from Corynebacterium glutamicum: A Potential Iron Additive for Swine and an Electron Carrier Additive for Lactic Acid Bacterial Culture.

    PubMed

    Choi, Su-In; Park, Jihoon; Kim, Pil

    2017-03-28

    To investigate the potential applications of bacterial heme, aminolevulinic acid synthase (HemA) was expressed in a Corynebacterium glutamicum HA strain that had been adaptively evolved against oxidative stress. The red pigment from the constructed strain was extracted and it exhibited the typical heme absorbance at 408 nm from the spectrum. To investigate the potential of this strain as an iron additive for swine, a prototype feed additive was manufactured in pilot scale by culturing the strain in a 5 ton fermenter followed by spray-drying the biomass with flour as an excipient (biomass: flour = 1:10 (w/w)). The 10% prototype additive along with regular feed was supplied to a pig, resulting in a 1.1 kg greater increase in weight gain with no diarrhea in 3 weeks as compared with that in a control pig that was fed an additive containing only flour. To verify if C. glutamicum -synthesized heme is a potential electron carrier, lactic acid bacteria were cultured under aerobic conditions with the extracted heme. The biomasses of the aerobically grown Lactococcus lactis , Lactobacillus rhamosus , and Lactobacillus casei were 97%, 15%, and 4% greater, respectively, than those under fermentative growth conditions. As a potential preservative, cultures of the four strains of lactic acid bacteria were stored at 4°C with the extracted heme and living lactic acid bacterial cells were counted. There were more L. lactis and L. plantarum live cells when stored with heme, whereas L. rhamosus and L. casei showed no significant differences in live-cell numbers. The potential uses of the heme from C. glutamicum are further discussed.

  4. Study of the Effect of Trace Mg Additions on Carbides in Die Steel H13

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Ji; Li, Jing; Wang, Liang-liang; Zhu, Qin-tian

    2016-09-01

    Carbides in annealed steel H13 without magnesium and with a micro-addition of magnesium (0.0010%) are studied. Trace amounts of magnesium strengthen carbide segregation and reduce their size. Carbides phases M7C3, M6 C, and M(C, N) are detected in steel H13, and this agrees with results of thermodynamic calculations.

  5. Investigating Sexual Abuse: Findings of a 15-Year Longitudinal Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McCormack, Bob; Kavanagh, Denise; Caffrey, Shay; Power, Anne

    2005-01-01

    Background: There is a lack of longitudinal large-scale studies of sexual abuse in intellectual disability services. Such studies offer opportunities to examine patterns in disclosure, investigation and outcomes, and to report on incidence and trends. Methods: All allegations of sexual abuse (n = 250) involving service users as victims or…

  6. Investigation of Outbreaks Complicated by Universal Exposure

    PubMed Central

    Bousema, Teun; Oliver, Isabel

    2012-01-01

    Outbreaks in which most or all persons were exposed to the same suspected source of infection, so-called universal exposure, are common. They represent a challenge for public health specialists because conducting analytical studies in such investigations is complicated by the absence of a nonexposed group. We describe different strategies that can support investigations of outbreaks with universal exposure. The value of descriptive epidemiology, extensive environmental investigation, and the hypothesis-generation phase cannot be overemphasized. An exposure that seems universal may in fact not be universal when additional aspects of the exposure are taken into account. Each exposure has unique characteristics that may not be captured when investigators rely on the tools readily at hand, such as standard questionnaires. We therefore encourage field epidemiologists to be creative and consider the use of alternative data sources or original techniques in their investigations of outbreaks with universal exposure. PMID:23092616

  7. Neuroscience Investigations: An Overview of Studies Conducted

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Reschke, Millard F.

    1999-01-01

    The neural processes that mediate human spatial orientation and adaptive changes occurring in response to the sensory rearrangement encountered during orbital flight are primarily studied through second and third order responses. In the Extended Duration Orbiter Medical Project (EDOMP) neuroscience investigations, the following were measured: (1) eye movements during acquisition of either static or moving visual targets, (2) postural and locomotor responses provoked by unexpected movement of the support surface, changes in the interaction of visual, proprioceptive, and vestibular information, changes in the major postural muscles via descending pathways, or changes in locomotor pathways, and (3) verbal reports of perceived self-orientation and self-motion which enhance and complement conclusions drawn from the analysis of oculomotor, postural, and locomotor responses. In spaceflight operations, spatial orientation can be defined as situational awareness, where crew member perception of attitude, position, or motion of the spacecraft or other objects in three-dimensional space, including orientation of one's own body, is congruent with actual physical events. Perception of spatial orientation is determined by integrating information from several sensory modalities. This involves higher levels of processing within the central nervous system that control eye movements, locomotion, and stable posture. Spaceflight operational problems occur when responses to the incorrectly perceived spatial orientation are compensatory in nature. Neuroscience investigations were conducted in conjunction with U. S. Space Shuttle flights to evaluate possible changes in the ability of an astronaut to land the Shuttle or effectively perform an emergency post-landing egress following microgravity adaptation during space flights of variable length. While the results of various sensory motor and spatial orientation tests could have an impact on future space flights, our knowledge of

  8. The Effect of Additives on the Early Stages of Growth of Calcite Single Crystals

    PubMed Central

    Freeman, Colin L.; Gong, Xiuqing; Levenstein, Mark A.; Wang, Yunwei; Kulak, Alexander; Anduix‐Canto, Clara; Lee, Phillip A.; Li, Shunbo; Chen, Li; Christenson, Hugo K.

    2017-01-01

    Abstract As crystallization processes are often rapid, it can be difficult to monitor their growth mechanisms. In this study, we made use of the fact that crystallization proceeds more slowly in small volumes than in bulk solution to investigate the effects of the soluble additives Mg2+ and poly(styrene sulfonate) (PSS) on the early stages of growth of calcite crystals. Using a “Crystal Hotel” microfluidic device to provide well‐defined, nanoliter volumes, we observed that calcite crystals form via an amorphous precursor phase. Surprisingly, the first calcite crystals formed are perfect rhombohedra, and the soluble additives have no influence on the morphology until the crystals reach sizes of 0.1–0.5 μm for Mg2+ and 1–2 μm for PSS. The crystals then continue to grow to develop morphologies characteristic of these additives. These results can be rationalized by considering additive binding to kink sites, which is consistent with crystal growth by a classical mechanism. PMID:28767197

  9. Misconception on Addition and Subtraction of Fraction at Primary School Students in Fifth-Grade

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Trivena, V.; Ningsih, A. R.; Jupri, A.

    2017-09-01

    This study aims to investigate the mastery concept of the student in mathematics learning especially in addition and subtraction of fraction at primary school level. By using qualitative research method, the data were collected from 23 grade five students (10-11-year-old). Instruments included a test, that is accompanied by Certainty Response Index (CRI) and interview with students and teacher. The result of the test has been obtained, then processed by analyzing the student’s answers for each item and then grouped by the CRI categories that combined with the results of the interview with students and teacher. The results showed that student’s mastery-concept on additional and subtraction dominated by category ‘misconception’. So, we can say that mastery-concept on addition and subtraction of fraction at fifth-grade students is still low. Finally, the impact can make most of primary student think that learning addition and subtraction of fraction in mathematics is difficult.

  10. Study of mandible reconstruction using a fibula flap with application of additive manufacturing technology

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background This study aimed to establish surgical guiding techniques for completing mandible lesion resection and reconstruction of the mandible defect area with fibula sections in one surgery by applying additive manufacturing technology, which can reduce the surgical duration and enhance the surgical accuracy and success rate. Methods A computer assisted mandible reconstruction planning (CAMRP) program was used to calculate the optimal cutting length and number of fibula pieces and design the fixtures for mandible cutting, registration, and arrangement of the fibula segments. The mandible cutting and registering fixtures were then generated using an additive manufacturing system. The CAMRP calculated the optimal fibula cutting length and number of segments based on the location and length of the defective portion of the mandible. The mandible cutting jig was generated according to the boundary surface of the lesion resection on the mandible STL model. The fibular cutting fixture was based on the length of each segment, and the registered fixture was used to quickly arrange the fibula pieces into the shape of the defect area. In this study, the mandibular lesion was reconstructed using registered fibular sections in one step, and the method is very easy to perform. Results and conclusion The application of additive manufacturing technology provided customized models and the cutting fixtures and registered fixtures, which can improve the efficiency of clinical application. This study showed that the cutting fixture helped to rapidly complete lesion resection and fibula cutting, and the registered fixture enabled arrangement of the fibula pieces and allowed completion of the mandible reconstruction in a timely manner. Our method can overcome the disadvantages of traditional surgery, which requires a long and different course of treatment and is liable to cause error. With the help of optimal cutting planning by the CAMRP and the 3D printed mandible resection jig and

  11. Investigation of Human Nail Microstructure with Ultrasound

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Maeva, A. R.; Bakulin, E. Y.; Denisova, L. A.; Maev, R. Gr.

    Investigation of a human fingernail and the extraction of the data on its microstructure and elastic properties is important in three main aspects. First of all, various diseases of the nail can be differentiated more precisely; second of all, it is possible to non-invasively track during time the effects of a cosmetic product upon the nail; third of all, because various processes in the organism have a strong influence upon the nail plate growth, the monitoring of the nail morphology and its mechanical properties may be used as additional information for the diagnosis of a number of medical disorders, such as systemic sclerosis, psoriasis, chronic hand eczema, anemia etc. The aim of the present study was to carry out a detailed ultrasound investigation in the high-frequency range (25-50 MHz) of a human nail including micro-anatomical structure imaging and ultrasound velocity evaluation, using B-scans obtained with a scanning acoustic microscope. On the images, exact topology of the nail, nail matrix and the underlying bone have been revealed. Additionally, a certain type of inclined internal layering along the nails of some individuals has been found, which was not reported in previous ultrasonic studies of the nail.

  12. Piloting the addition of contingency management to best practice counselling as an adjunct treatment for rural and remote disordered gamblers: study protocol

    PubMed Central

    Christensen, Darren R; Witcher, Chad S G; Leighton, Trent; Hudson-Breen, Rebecca; Ofori-Dei, Samuel

    2018-01-01

    Introduction Problematic gambling is a significant Canadian public health concern that causes harm to the gambler, their families, and society. However, a significant minority of gambling treatment seekers drop out prior to the issue being resolved; those with higher impulsivity scores have the highest drop-out rates. Consequently, retention is a major concern for treatment providers. The aim of this study is to investigate the efficacy of internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and internet-delivered CBT and contingency management (CM+) as treatments for gambling disorder in rural Albertan populations. Contingency management (CM) is a successful treatment approach for substance dependence that uses small incentives to reinforce abstinence. This approach may be suitable for the treatment of gambling disorder. Furthermore, internet-delivered CM may hold particular promise in rural contexts, as these communities typically struggle to access traditional clinic-based counselling opportunities. Methods and analysis 54 adults with gambling disorder will be randomised into one of two conditions: CM and CBT (CM+) or CBT alone (CBT). Gambling will be assessed at intake, every treatment session, post-treatment, and follow-up. The primary outcome measures are treatment attendance, gambling abstinence, gambling, gambling symptomatology, and gambling urge. In addition, qualitative interviews assessing study experiences will be conducted with the supervising counsellor, graduate student counsellors, study affiliates, and a subset of treatment seekers. This is the first study to use CM as a treatment for gambling disorder in rural and remote populations. Ethics and dissemination This study was approved by the University of Lethbridge’s Human Subject Research Committee (#2016–080). The investigators plan to publish the results from this study in academic peer-reviewed journals. Summary information will be provided to the funder. Trial registration number NCT

  13. Piloting the addition of contingency management to best practice counselling as an adjunct treatment for rural and remote disordered gamblers: study protocol.

    PubMed

    Christensen, Darren R; Witcher, Chad S G; Leighton, Trent; Hudson-Breen, Rebecca; Ofori-Dei, Samuel

    2018-04-03

    Problematic gambling is a significant Canadian public health concern that causes harm to the gambler, their families, and society. However, a significant minority of gambling treatment seekers drop out prior to the issue being resolved; those with higher impulsivity scores have the highest drop-out rates. Consequently, retention is a major concern for treatment providers. The aim of this study is to investigate the efficacy of internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and internet-delivered CBT and contingency management (CM+) as treatments for gambling disorder in rural Albertan populations. Contingency management (CM) is a successful treatment approach for substance dependence that uses small incentives to reinforce abstinence. This approach may be suitable for the treatment of gambling disorder. Furthermore, internet-delivered CM may hold particular promise in rural contexts, as these communities typically struggle to access traditional clinic-based counselling opportunities. 54 adults with gambling disorder will be randomised into one of two conditions: CM and CBT (CM+) or CBT alone (CBT). Gambling will be assessed at intake, every treatment session, post-treatment, and follow-up. The primary outcome measures are treatment attendance, gambling abstinence, gambling, gambling symptomatology, and gambling urge. In addition, qualitative interviews assessing study experiences will be conducted with the supervising counsellor, graduate student counsellors, study affiliates, and a subset of treatment seekers. This is the first study to use CM as a treatment for gambling disorder in rural and remote populations. This study was approved by the University of Lethbridge's Human Subject Research Committee (#2016-080). The investigators plan to publish the results from this study in academic peer-reviewed journals. Summary information will be provided to the funder. NCT02953899; Pre-results. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in

  14. Investigating the Use of Coherence Analysis on Mandibular Electromyograms to Investigate Neural Control of Early Oromandibular Behaviours: A Pilot Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Steeve, Roger W.; Price, Christiana M.

    2010-01-01

    An empirical method for investigating differences in neural control of jaw movement across oromandibular behaviours is to compute the coherence function for electromyographic signals obtained from mandibular muscle groups. This procedure has been used with adults but not extended to children. This pilot study investigated if coherence analysis…

  15. The effect of Tricresyl-Phosphate (TCP) as an additive on wear of Iron (Fe)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ghose, Hiren M.; Ferrante, John; Honecy, Frank C.

    1987-01-01

    The effect of tricresyl phosphate (TCP) as an antiwear additive in lubricant trimethyol propane triheptanoate (TMPTH) was investigated. The objective was to examine step loading wear by use of surface analysis, wetting, and chemical bonding changes in the lubricant. The investigation consisted of steploading wear studies by a pin or disk tribometer, the effects on wear related to wetting by contact angle and surface tension measurements of various liquid systems, the chemical bonding changes between lubricant and TCP chromatographic analysis, and by determining the reaction between the TCP and metal surfaces through wear scar analysis by Auger emission spectroscopy (AES). The steploading curve for the base fluid alone shows rapid increase of wear rate with load. The steploading curve for the base fluid in presence of 4.25 percent by volume TCP under dry air purge has shown a great reduction of wear rate with all loads studied. It has also been found that the addition of 4.25 percent by volume TCP plus 0.33 percent by volume water to the base lubricant under N2 purge also greatly reduces the wear rate with all loads studied. AES surface analysis reveals a phosphate type wear resistant film, which greatly increases load-bearing capacity, formed on the iron disk. Preliminary chromatographic studies suggest that this film forms either because of ester oxidation or TCP degradation. Wetting studies show direct correlation between the spreading coefficient and the wear rate.

  16. The Job Demands-Resources Model: An Analysis of Additive and Joint Effects of Demands and Resources

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hu, Qiao; Schaufeli, Wilmar B.; Taris, Toon W.

    2011-01-01

    The present study investigated the additive, synergistic, and moderating effects of job demands and job resources on well-being (burnout and work engagement) and organizational outcomes, as specified by the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model. A survey was conducted among two Chinese samples: 625 blue collar workers and 761 health professionals. A…

  17. Usefulness of addition of Orvus ES paste and sodium lauryl sulfate to frozen feline semen.

    PubMed

    Mizutani, Tatsuji; Sumigama, Shiho; Nagakubo, Keiichi; Shimizu, Noriko; Oba, Hiromichi; Hori, Tatsuya; Tsutsui, Toshihiko

    2010-01-01

    It has been shown that addition of the surfactant Orvus ES paste (OEP) and its main component sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) to boar or dog semen before freezing improves post-thaw sperm motility and protects acrosome caps. In this study, we investigated the usefulness of the addition of OEP (0, 1, 2 and 4%) or SLS (0, 1, 2, 3 and 4 mg/ml) to cat ejaculates before freezing and their concentrations. Among the OEP addition groups, the 1% OEP group showed higher sperm motility than the other groups. Among the SLS addition groups, the 3 mg/ml SLS group showed slightly higher sperm motility and viability than the other groups. Comparison between the 1% OEP and 3 mg/ml SLS addition groups suggested a higher percentage of sperm with an acrosome cap in the 1% OEP group. The other sperm properties did not significantly differ between the 2 groups. These results indicate that addition of 1% OEP or 3 mg/ml SLS is effective for freezing of cat ejaculated semen.

  18. Extreme Pressure Synergistic Mechanism of Bismuth Naphthenate and Sulfurized Isobutene Additives

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, Xin; Hu, Jianqiang; Yang, Shizhao; Xie, Feng; Guo, Li

    A four-ball tester was used to evaluate the tribological performances of bismuth naphthenate (BiNap), sulfurized isobutene (VSB), and their combinations. The results show that the antiwear properties of BiNap and VSB are not very visible, but they possess good extreme pressure (EP) properties, particularly sulfur containing bismuth additives. Synergistic EP properties of BiNap with various sulfur-containing additives were investigated. The results indicate that BiNap exhibits good EP synergism with sulfur-containing additives. The surface analytical tools, such as X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (XPS) scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), were used to investigate the topography, composition contents, and depth profile of some typical elements on the rubbing surface. Smooth topography of wear scar further confirms that the additive showed good EP capacities, and XPS and EDX analyzes indicate that tribochemical mixed protective films composed of bismuth, bismuth oxides, sulfides, and sulfates are formed on the rubbing surface, which improves the tribological properties of lubricants. In particular, a large number of bismuth atoms and bismuth sulfides play an important role in improving the EP properties of oils.

  19. Recent developments in biochar utilization as an additive in organic solid waste composting: A review.

    PubMed

    Xiao, Ran; Awasthi, Mukesh Kumar; Li, Ronghua; Park, Jonghwan; Pensky, Scott M; Wang, Quan; Wang, Jim J; Zhang, Zengqiang

    2017-12-01

    In recent years, considerable studies have been devoted to investigating the effect of biochar application on organic solid waste composting. This review provides an up-to-date overview of biochar amendment on composting processes and compost quality. Biochar production, characteristics, and its application coupled with the basic concepts of composting are briefly introduced before detailing the effects of biochar addition on composting. According to recent studies, biochar has exhibited great potential for enhancing composting. It is evident that biochar addition in composting can: (1) improve compost mixture physicochemical properties, (2) enhance microbial activities and promote organic matter decomposition, (3) reduce ammonia (NH 3 ) and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and (4) upgrade compost quality by increasing the total/available nutrient content, enhancing maturity, and decreasing phytotoxicity. Despite that, further research is needed to explore the mechanism of biochar addition on composting and to evaluate the agricultural and environmental performances of co-composted biochar compost. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Incorporating additional targets into learning trials for individuals with autism spectrum disorder.

    PubMed

    Nottingham, Casey L; Vladescu, Jason C; Kodak, Tiffany M

    2015-01-01

    Recently, researchers have investigated the effectiveness and efficiency of presenting secondary targets during learning trials for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This instructional method may be more efficient than typical methods used with learners with ASD, because learners may acquire secondary targets without additional instruction. This review will discuss the recent literature on providing secondary targets during teaching trials for individuals with ASD, identify common aspects and results among these studies, and identify areas for future research. © Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

  1. The effects of workplace psychosocial factors on whether Japanese dual-earner couples with preschool children have additional children: a prospective study

    PubMed Central

    EGUCHI, Hisashi; SHIMAZU, Akihito; FUJIWARA, Takeo; IWATA, Noboru; SHIMADA, Kyoko; TAKAHASHI, Masaya; TOKITA, Masahito; WATAI, Izumi; KAWAKAMI, Norito

    2016-01-01

    This study explored the effect of workplace psychosocial factors (job demand, job control, and workplace social support) on dual-earner couples in Japan having additional children, using a prospective study design. We conducted a 2-year prospective cohort study with 103 dual-earner couples with preschool children in Japan, as part of the Tokyo Work–Family Interface Study II. We used multivariable logistic regression analyses to evaluate the prospective association of job strain (categorized into low-strain job, active job, passive job, and strain job groups) and workplace social support (high and low) with couples having additional children during the follow-up period, adjusting for age, for men and women separately. Men in the active job group (i.e., with high job demands and high job control) had a significantly higher odds ratio (OR) of having additional children during the follow-up period, after controlling for age (OR 9.07, 95% confidence interval: 1.27–64.85). No significant association between any workplace psychosocial factor and having additional children was confirmed among women. Having an active job may have a positive influence on having additional children among men in dual-earner couples. PMID:27760893

  2. The effects of workplace psychosocial factors on whether Japanese dual-earner couples with preschool children have additional children: a prospective study.

    PubMed

    Eguchi, Hisashi; Shimazu, Akihito; Fujiwara, Takeo; Iwata, Noboru; Shimada, Kyoko; Takahashi, Masaya; Tokita, Masahito; Watai, Izumi; Kawakami, Norito

    2016-12-07

    This study explored the effect of workplace psychosocial factors (job demand, job control, and workplace social support) on dual-earner couples in Japan having additional children, using a prospective study design. We conducted a 2-year prospective cohort study with 103 dual-earner couples with preschool children in Japan, as part of the Tokyo Work-Family Interface Study II. We used multivariable logistic regression analyses to evaluate the prospective association of job strain (categorized into low-strain job, active job, passive job, and strain job groups) and workplace social support (high and low) with couples having additional children during the follow-up period, adjusting for age, for men and women separately. Men in the active job group (i.e., with high job demands and high job control) had a significantly higher odds ratio (OR) of having additional children during the follow-up period, after controlling for age (OR 9.07, 95% confidence interval: 1.27-64.85). No significant association between any workplace psychosocial factor and having additional children was confirmed among women. Having an active job may have a positive influence on having additional children among men in dual-earner couples.

  3. Indications of Transformation Products from Hydraulic Fracturing Additives in Shale-Gas Wastewater.

    PubMed

    Hoelzer, Kathrin; Sumner, Andrew J; Karatum, Osman; Nelson, Robert K; Drollette, Brian D; O'Connor, Megan P; D'Ambro, Emma L; Getzinger, Gordon J; Ferguson, P Lee; Reddy, Christopher M; Elsner, Martin; Plata, Desiree L

    2016-08-02

    Unconventional natural gas development (UNGD) generates large volumes of wastewater, the detailed composition of which must be known for adequate risk assessment and treatment. In particular, transformation products of geogenic compounds and disclosed additives have not been described. This study investigated six Fayetteville Shale wastewater samples for organic composition using a suite of one- and two-dimensional gas chromatographic techniques to capture a broad distribution of chemical structures. Following the application of strict compound-identification-confidence criteria, we classified compounds according to their putative origin. Samples displayed distinct chemical distributions composed of typical geogenic substances (hydrocarbons and hopane biomarkers), disclosed UNGD additives (e.g., hydrocarbons, phthalates such as diisobutyl phthalate, and radical initiators such as azobis(isobutyronitrile)), and undisclosed compounds (e.g., halogenated hydrocarbons, such as 2-bromohexane or 4-bromoheptane). Undisclosed chloromethyl alkanoates (chloromethyl propanoate, pentanoate, and octanoate) were identified as potential delayed acids (i.e., those that release acidic moieties only after hydrolytic cleavage, the rate of which could be potentially controlled), suggesting they were deliberately introduced to react in the subsurface. In contrast, the identification of halogenated methanes and acetones suggested that those compounds were formed as unintended byproducts. Our study highlights the possibility that UNGD operations generate transformation products and underscores the value of disclosing additives injected into the subsurface.

  4. Toxicogenomics concepts and applications to study hepatic effects of food additives and chemicals

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

    Stierum, Rob; Heijne, Wilbert; Kienhuis, Anne

    2005-09-01

    Transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics are genomics technologies with great potential in toxicological sciences. Toxicogenomics involves the integration of conventional toxicological examinations with gene, protein or metabolite expression profiles. An overview together with selected examples of the possibilities of genomics in toxicology is given. The expectations raised by toxicogenomics are earlier and more sensitive detection of toxicity. Furthermore, toxicogenomics will provide a better understanding of the mechanism of toxicity and may facilitate the prediction of toxicity of unknown compounds. Mechanism-based markers of toxicity can be discovered and improved interspecies and in vitro-in vivo extrapolations will drive model developments in toxicology. Toxicologicalmore » assessment of chemical mixtures will benefit from the new molecular biological tools. In our laboratory, toxicogenomics is predominantly applied for elucidation of mechanisms of action and discovery of novel pathway-supported mechanism-based markers of liver toxicity. In addition, we aim to integrate transcriptome, proteome and metabolome data, supported by bioinformatics to develop a systems biology approach for toxicology. Transcriptomics and proteomics studies on bromobenzene-mediated hepatotoxicity in the rat are discussed. Finally, an example is shown in which gene expression profiling together with conventional biochemistry led to the discovery of novel markers for the hepatic effects of the food additives butylated hydroxytoluene, curcumin, propyl gallate and thiabendazole.« less

  5. Effect of Additives on Green Sand Molding Properties using Design of Experiments and Taguchi's Quality Loss Function - An Experimental Study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Desai, Bhagyashree; Mokashi, Pavani; Anand, R. L.; Burli, S. B.; Khandal, S. V.

    2016-09-01

    The experimental study aims to underseek the effect of various additives on the green sand molding properties as a particular combination of additives could yield desired sand properties. The input parameters (factors) selected were water and powder (Fly ash, Coconut shell and Tamarind) in three levels. Experiments were planned using design of experiments (DOE). On the basis of plans, experiments were conducted to understand the behavior of sand mould properties such as compression strength, shear strength, permeability number with various additives. From the experimental results it could be concluded that the factors have significant effect on the sand properties as P-value found to be less than 0.05 for all the cases studied. The optimization based on quality loss function was also performed. The study revealed that the quality loss associated with the tamarind powder was lesser compared to other additives selected for the study. The optimization based on quality loss function and the parametric analysis using ANOVA suggested that the tamarind powder of 8 gm per Kg of molding sand and moisture content of 7% yield better properties to obtain sound castings.

  6. SU-F-T-361: Dose Enhancement Due to Nanoparticle Addition in Skin Radiotherapy: A Monte Carlo Study Using Kilovoltage Photon Beams

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

    Zheng, X; Chow, J

    Purpose: This study investigated the dose enhancement due to addition of nanoparticles with different types and concentrations in skin radiotherapy using kilovoltage photon beams. Methods: An inhomogeneous water phantom (15×15×10 cm{sup 3}) having the skin target layer (0.5–5 mm), added with different concentrations (3–40 mg/ml) of nanoparticles (Au, Pt, I, Ag and Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}), was irradiated by the 105 and 220 kVp photon beams produced by a Gulmay D3225 Orthovoltage unit. The circular cone of 5-cm diameter and source-to-surface distance of 20 cm were used. Doses in the skin target layer with and without adding the nanoparticles were calculatedmore » using Monte Carlo simulation (the EGSnrc code) through the macroscopic approach. Dose enhancement ratio (DER), defined as the ratio of dose at the target with nanoparticle addition to the dose without addition, was calculated for each type and concentration of nanoparticle in different target thickness. Results: For Au nanoparticle, DER dependence on target thickness for the 220 kVp photon beams was not significant. However, DER for Au nanoparticle was found decreasing with an increase of target thickness when the nanoparticle concentration was increased from 18 to 40 mg/ml using the 105 kVp photon beams. For nanoparticle concentration of 40 mg/ml, DER variation with target thickness was not significant for the 220 kVp photon beams, but DEF was found decreasing with the target thickness when lower energy of photon beam (105 kVp) was used. DEF was found increasing with an increase of nanoparticle concentration. The higher the DEF increasing rate, the higher the atomic number of the nanoparticle except I and Ag for the same target thickness. Conclusion: It is concluded that nanoparticle addition can result in dose enhancement in kilovoltage skin radiotherapy. Moreover, the DER is related to the photon beam energy, target thickness, atomic number and concentration of nanoparticles.« less

  7. Near surface IP investigations: Four case studies

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

    Hearst, R.B.; Morris, W.A.; Clark, M.A.

    1995-12-31

    The use of the Induced Polarisation (IP) method of geophysical surveying for near surface site investigations is gaining acceptance within the geophysical community. In this study the IP method is evaluated as a tool for the delineation of ground water resources; contamination plume detection in a lateritic horizon; and acid mine drainage leak detection from decommissioned mine tailings. A time domain IP system was selected for this study primarily for the flexibility in the selection and setting of receiver time windows and diagnostic characteristics attributed to submitting the data to Cole-Cole analysis. Analysis of the acquired data in conjunction withmore » available borehole and geological information illustrates the effectiveness and usefulness of the survey method for solving near surface problems. In all of the locations tested, it was found that with a properly designed IP survey it was possible to resolve the target and/or related structures.« less

  8. Investigation, study and practice of optoelectronic MOOCs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shi, Jianhua; Liu, Wei; Lei, Bing; Yao, Tianfu; Fu, Sihua

    2017-08-01

    MOOC(Massive Open Online Course) is a new teaching model that has been springing up since 2012. The typical characters are short teaching video, massive learners, flexible place and time to study, etc. Although MOOC is very popular now, opto-electronic MOOCs are not much enough to meet the need of online learners. In this paper, the phylogeny, the current situation and the characters of MOOC were described, the most famous MOOCs' websites, such as Udacity, Coursera, edX, Chinese College MOOC, xuetangx, were introduced, the opto-electronic MOOCs come from these famous MOOCs' website were investigated extensively and studied deeply, the "Application of Opto-electronic Technology MOOC" which was established by our group is introduced, and some conclusions are obtained. These conclusions can give some suggestions to the online learners who are interested in opto-electronic and the teachers who are teaching the opto-electronic curriculums. The preparation of "Opto-electronic Technology MOOC" is described in short.

  9. Alleged Health Effects of Electric or Magnetic Fields: Additional Misconceptions in the Literature

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1993-01-01

    investigation of mortality in men who were clarification of a few points. I did not mention the animal employed in an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) test ...and employment ing the alleged link between EMFs and cancer is based on an in the EMP test program" questionable. In addition, there is examination of...control studies can result in an overes- would be published close to the time when mine citing it timate of relative risk [Diamond and Lilienfeld

  10. Is there a role of food additives in recurrent aphthous stomatitis? A prospective study with patch testing.

    PubMed

    Gülseren, Duygu; Hapa, Asli; Ersoy-Evans, Sibel; Elçin, Gonca; Karaduman, Ayşen

    2017-03-01

    Recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) is a common disease of the oral mucosa with an unknown etiology. This study aimed to determine if food additives play a role in the etiology of RAS as well as to determine if patch testing can be used to detect which allergens cause RAS. This prospective study included 24 patients with RAS and 22 healthy controls. All the participants underwent patch testing for 23 food additives. In total, 21 (87.5%) RAS patients and 3 (13.6%) controls had positive patch test reactions to ≥1 allergens; the difference in the patch test positivity rate between groups was significant (P < 0.05). The most common allergen that elicited positive patch test results in the patient group was cochineal red (n = 15 [62.5%]), followed by azorubine (n = 11 [45.8%]) and amaranth (n = 6 [25%]). The present findings show that food additives might play a role in the etiology of RAS and that patch testing could be a method for determining the etiology of RAS. © 2016 The International Society of Dermatology.

  11. 29 CFR 24.104 - Investigation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... PROVISIONS OF SIX ENVIRONMENTAL STATUTES AND SECTION 211 OF THE ENERGY REORGANIZATION ACT OF 1974, AS AMENDED... paragraph sets forth the procedures applicable to investigations under the Safe Drinking Water Act; Federal... Energy Reorganization Act. In addition to the investigative procedures set forth in §§ 24.104(a), (b), (c...

  12. 29 CFR 24.104 - Investigation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... PROVISIONS OF SIX ENVIRONMENTAL STATUTES AND SECTION 211 OF THE ENERGY REORGANIZATION ACT OF 1974, AS AMENDED... paragraph sets forth the procedures applicable to investigations under the Safe Drinking Water Act; Federal... Energy Reorganization Act. In addition to the investigative procedures set forth in §§ 24.104(a), (b), (c...

  13. 29 CFR 24.104 - Investigation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... PROVISIONS OF SIX ENVIRONMENTAL STATUTES AND SECTION 211 OF THE ENERGY REORGANIZATION ACT OF 1974, AS AMENDED... paragraph sets forth the procedures applicable to investigations under the Safe Drinking Water Act; Federal... Energy Reorganization Act. In addition to the investigative procedures set forth in §§ 24.104(a), (b), (c...

  14. 29 CFR 24.104 - Investigation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... PROVISIONS OF SIX ENVIRONMENTAL STATUTES AND SECTION 211 OF THE ENERGY REORGANIZATION ACT OF 1974, AS AMENDED... paragraph sets forth the procedures applicable to investigations under the Safe Drinking Water Act; Federal... Energy Reorganization Act. In addition to the investigative procedures set forth in §§ 24.104(a), (b), (c...

  15. Hand eczema and occupational contact allergies in healthcare workers with a focus on rubber additives.

    PubMed

    Hamnerius, Nils; Svedman, Cecilia; Bergendorff, Ola; Björk, Jonas; Bruze, Magnus; Engfeldt, Malin; Pontén, Ann

    2018-06-20

    Hand eczema (HE) in healthcare workers (HCWs) is common. Besides wet work, healthcare work also implies exposure to contact allergens. To assess HE and contact allergy related to occupational exposures in HCWs. In a cross-sectional study, 311 HCWs with HE within the preceding 12 months and a control group of 114 HCWs without HE were investigated with the baseline series and a special patch test series based on substances found in the gloves, soaps, alcoholic hand disinfectants and hand creams provided at the hospitals. Contact allergy to rubber additives was significantly more common in HCWs with HE (6%) than in HCWs without HE (1%, P = .02). The corresponding percentages for fragrances were 11% and 3%, respectively (P = .004). Occupational HE was found in 193 of 311 (62%) HCWs. Of these, 22 of 193 (11%) had occupational allergic contact dermatitis, including 17 with glove-related rubber contact allergy. Contact allergy to diphenylguanidine was as common as contact allergy to thiurams. Occupational contact allergy to rubber additives was significantly associated with sick-leave related to HE. Contact allergy to rubber additives in medical gloves is the most common cause of occupational allergic contact dermatitis in HCWs. Aimed patch testing with relevant rubber additives is mandatory when HE in HCWs is investigated. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  16. Geometrical accuracy of metallic objects produced with additive or subtractive manufacturing: A comparative in vitro study.

    PubMed

    Braian, Michael; Jönsson, David; Kevci, Mir; Wennerberg, Ann

    2018-07-01

    To evaluate the accuracy and precision of objects produced by additive manufacturing systems (AM) for use in dentistry and to compare with subtractive manufacturing systems (SM). Ten specimens of two geometrical objects were produced by five different AM machines and one SM machine. Object A mimics an inlay-shaped object, while object B imitates a four-unit bridge model. All the objects were sorted into different measurement dimensions (x, y, z), linear distances, angles and corner radius. None of the additive manufacturing or subtractive manufacturing groups presented a perfect match to the CAD file with regard to all parameters included in the present study. Considering linear measurements, the precision for subtractive manufacturing group was consistent in all axes for object A, presenting results of <0.050mm. The additive manufacturing groups had consistent precision in the x-axis and y-axis but not in the z-axis. With regard to corner radius measurements, the SM group had the best overall accuracy and precision for both objects A and B when compared to the AM groups. Within the limitations of this in vitro study, the conclusion can be made that subtractive manufacturing presented overall precision on all measurements below 0.050mm. The AM machines also presented fairly good precision, <0.150mm, on all axes except for the z-axis. Knowledge regarding accuracy and precision for different production techniques utilized in dentistry is of great clinical importance. The dental community has moved from casting to milling and additive techniques are now being implemented. Thus all these production techniques need to be tested, compared and validated. Copyright © 2018 The Academy of Dental Materials. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Pre-fermentation addition of grape tannin increases the varietal thiols content in wine.

    PubMed

    Larcher, Roberto; Tonidandel, Loris; Román Villegas, Tomás; Nardin, Tiziana; Fedrizzi, Bruno; Nicolini, Giorgio

    2015-01-01

    The recent finding that grape tannin may contain significant amount of S-glutathionylated (GSH-3MH) and S-cysteinylated (Cys-3MH) precursors of the varietal thiols 3-mercapto-1-hexanol and 3-mercaptohexyl acetate, characteristic of Sauvignon blanc wines, offers new opportunities for enhancing the tropical aroma in fermented beverages. In this study this new hypothesis was investigated: Müller Thurgau (17 samples) and Sauvignon blanc (15 samples) grapes were fermented with and without addition of a selected grape tannin. As expected, the tannin-added juices were higher in precursors, and they produced wines with increased free thiols. Preliminary informal sensory tests confirmed that in particular the Sauvignon wines produced with the tannin addition were often richer with increased "fruity/green" notes than the corresponding reference wines. This outcome confirms that grape tannin addition prior to fermentation can fortify the level of these compounds. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Assessing the microstructural and rheological changes induced by food additives on potato puree.

    PubMed

    Dankar, Iman; Haddarah, Amira; El Omar, Fawaz; Sepulcre, Francesc; Pujolà, Montserrat

    2018-02-01

    The effects of agar, alginate, lecithin and glycerol on the rheological properties of commercial potato puree were investigated and interpreted in terms of starch microstructural changes, and the applicability of the Cox-Merz rule was evaluated. Each additive was applied separately at two concentrations (0.5 and 1%). Microscopic observations revealed more swollen starch aggregations in lecithin and glycerol compared with those of potato puree and agar, consequently affecting the rheological properties of potato puree. All samples exhibited shear thinning non-Newtonian behaviour. Rheological measurements were strongly concentration dependent. At 0.5% concentration, additives exerted decreases in all the rheological properties of potato puree in the order of glycerol>alginate>lecithin>agar, while at 1% concentration, the order changed to glycerol>lecithin>alginate, whereas 1% agar behaved differently, increasing all rheological values. This study also showed that agar and alginate in addition to potato puree could be valuable and advantageous for further technological processes, such as 3D printing. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. A study of internal structure in components made by additive manufacturing process using 3 D X-ray tomography

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

    Raguvarun, K., E-mail: prajagopal@iitm.ac.in; Balasubramaniam, Krishnan, E-mail: prajagopal@iitm.ac.in; Rajagopal, Prabhu, E-mail: prajagopal@iitm.ac.in

    Additive manufacturing methods are gaining increasing popularity for rapidly and efficiently manufacturing parts and components in the industrial context, as well as for domestic applications. However, except when used for prototyping or rapid visualization of components, industries are concerned with the load carrying capacity and strength achievable by additive manufactured parts. In this paper, the wire-arc additive manufacturing (AM) process based on gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) has been examined for the internal structure and constitution of components generated by the process. High-resolution 3D X-ray tomography is used to gain cut-views through wedge-shaped parts created using this GTAW additive manufacturingmore » process with titanium alloy materials. In this work, two different control conditions for the GTAW process are considered. The studies reveal clusters of porosities, located in periodic spatial intervals along the sample cross-section. Such internal defects can have a detrimental effect on the strength of the resulting AM components, as shown in destructive testing studies. Closer examination of this phenomenon shows that defect clusters are preferentially located at GTAW traversal path intervals. These results highlight the strong need for enhanced control of process parameters in ensuring components with minimal defects and higher strength.« less

  20. A study of internal structure in components made by additive manufacturing process using 3 D X-ray tomography

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Raguvarun, K.; Balasubramaniam, Krishnan; Rajagopal, Prabhu; Palanisamy, Suresh; Nagarajah, Romesh; Hoye, Nicholas; Curiri, Dominic; Kapoor, Ajay

    2015-03-01

    Additive manufacturing methods are gaining increasing popularity for rapidly and efficiently manufacturing parts and components in the industrial context, as well as for domestic applications. However, except when used for prototyping or rapid visualization of components, industries are concerned with the load carrying capacity and strength achievable by additive manufactured parts. In this paper, the wire-arc additive manufacturing (AM) process based on gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) has been examined for the internal structure and constitution of components generated by the process. High-resolution 3D X-ray tomography is used to gain cut-views through wedge-shaped parts created using this GTAW additive manufacturing process with titanium alloy materials. In this work, two different control conditions for the GTAW process are considered. The studies reveal clusters of porosities, located in periodic spatial intervals along the sample cross-section. Such internal defects can have a detrimental effect on the strength of the resulting AM components, as shown in destructive testing studies. Closer examination of this phenomenon shows that defect clusters are preferentially located at GTAW traversal path intervals. These results highlight the strong need for enhanced control of process parameters in ensuring components with minimal defects and higher strength.

  1. Additive manufacturing.

    PubMed

    Mumith, A; Thomas, M; Shah, Z; Coathup, M; Blunn, G

    2018-04-01

    Increasing innovation in rapid prototyping (RP) and additive manufacturing (AM), also known as 3D printing, is bringing about major changes in translational surgical research. This review describes the current position in the use of additive manufacturing in orthopaedic surgery. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2018;100-B:455-60.

  2. Consolidation of silicon nitride without additives. [for gas turbine engine efficiency increase

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sikora, P. F.; Yeh, H. C.

    1976-01-01

    The use of ceramics for gas turbine engine construction might make it possible to increase engine efficiency by raising operational temperatures to values beyond those which can be tolerated by metallic alloys. The most promising ceramics being investigated in this connection are Si3N4 and SiC. A description is presented of a study which had the objective to produce dense Si3N4. The two most common methods of consolidating Si3N4 currently being used include hot pressing and reaction sintering. The feasibility was explored of producing a sound, dense Si3N4 body without additives by means of conventional gas hot isostatic pressing techniques and an uncommon hydraulic hot isostatic pressing technique. It was found that Si3N4 can be densified without additions to a density which exceeds 95% of the theoretical value

  3. Investigating investigators: examining witnesses' influence on investigators.

    PubMed

    Dahl, Leora C; Lindsay, D Stephen; Brimacombe, C A Elizabeth

    2006-12-01

    This research examined the influence of eyewitness identification decisions on participants in the role of police investigators. Undergraduate "investigators" interviewed confederate "witnesses" and then searched a computer database of potential suspects. The database included information on each suspect's physical description, prior criminal record, alibi, and fingerprints. Participants selected a suspect and estimated the probability that the suspect was guilty. Investigators subsequently administered a photo lineup to the witness and re-estimated the suspect's guilt. If the witness identified the suspect probability estimates increased dramatically. If the witness identified an innocent lineup member or rejected the lineup, investigators' probability estimates dropped significantly, even when pre-lineup objective evidence (e.g., fingerprints) was strong. Performance of participants acting as witnesses in two baseline studies was at chance. Therefore, participant-investigators greatly overestimated the amount of information gain provided by eyewitness identifications.

  4. Indium-mediated asymmetric barbier-type allylations: additions to aldehydes and ketones and mechanistic investigation of the organoindium reagents.

    PubMed

    Haddad, Terra D; Hirayama, Lacie C; Singaram, Bakthan

    2010-02-05

    We report a simple, efficient, and general method for the indium-mediated enantioselective allylation of aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes and ketones under Barbier-type conditions in a one-pot synthesis affording the corresponding chiral alcohol products in very good yield (up to 99%) and enantiomeric excess (up to 93%). Our method is able to tolerate various functional groups, such as esters, nitriles, and phenols. Additionally, more substituted allyl bromides, such as crotyl and cinnamyl bromide, can be used providing moderate enantioselectivity (72% and 56%, respectively) and excellent diastereoselectivity when employing cinnamyl bromide (>95/5 anti/syn). However, the distereoselectivity when using crotyl bromide was poor and other functionalized allyl bromides under our method afforded low enantioselectivities for the alcohol products. In these types of indium-mediated additions, solvent plays a major role in determining the nature of the organoindium intermediate and we observed the susceptibility of some allylindium intermediates to hydrolysis in protic solvents. Under our reaction conditions using a polar aprotic solvent, we suggest that an allylindium(III) species is the active allylating intermediate. In addition, we have observed the presence of a shiny, indium(0) nugget throughout the reaction, irrespective of the stoichiometry, indicating disproportionation of indium halide byproduct formed during the reaction.

  5. The teratology testing of food additives.

    PubMed

    Barrow, Paul C; Spézia, François

    2013-01-01

    The developmental and reproductive toxicity testing (including teratogenicity) of new foods and food additives is performed worldwide according to the guidelines given in the FDA Redbook. These studies are not required for substances that are generally recognized as safe, according to the FDA inventory. The anticipated cumulated human exposure level above which developmental or reproduction studies are required depends on the structure-alert category. For food additives of concern, both developmental (prenatal) and reproduction (multigeneration) studies are required. The developmental studies are performed in two species, usually the rat and the rabbit. The reproduction study is generally performed in the rat. The two rat studies are preferably combined into a single experimental design, if possible. The test methods described in the FDA Redbook are similar to those specified by the OECD for the reproductive toxicity testing of chemicals.

  6. Additional Language Teaching within the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme: A Comparative Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lebreton, Marlène

    2014-01-01

    The International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme supports the learning of languages and cultures, but the role of the additional language within this programme is often unclear. There remains a great variability in schools regarding the frequency of lessons and the way that the additional language is taught within the Primary Years…

  7. Air-Pollution and Cardiometabolic Diseases (AIRCMD): A Prospective Study Investigating the Impact of Air Pollution Exposure and Propensity for Type II Diabetes

    PubMed Central

    Sun, Zhichao; Mukherjee, Bhramar; Brook, Robert D.; Gatts, Geoffrey A.; Yang, Fumo; Fan, Zhongjie; Brook, Jeffrey R.; Sun, Qinghua; Rajagopalan, Sanjay

    2015-01-01

    There is a paucity of prospective cohort studies investigating the impact of environmental factors on the development of cardiometabolic (CM) disorders like Type II diabetes (T2DM). The objective of the Air-Pollution and Cardiometabolic Diseases (AIRCMD) study is to investigate the impact of personal level air pollution measures [personal black carbon (BC)/sulfate measures] and ambient fine particulate matter [(PM2.5)/NO2] levels on propensity to Type II diabetes in Beijing, China. Subjects with metabolic syndrome will undergo 4 repeated study visits within each season over a 1-year period following an initial screening visit. At each study visit, subjects will be monitored for sub-acute exposure to personal and ambient measures of air-pollution exposure and will undergo a series of functional CM outcomes. The primary endpoints include independent associations between integrated 5-day mean exposure to PM2.5 and BC and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) measures, 24-hour mean diastolic and mean arterial pressure and endothelial-dependent vasodilatation. The secondary endpoints will explore the mechanistic explanation for a causal relationship between exposures and propensity for Type II diabetes and will include additional functional outcomes such as arterial compliance, heart rate variability and plasma adipokines. The novel aspects of the study include the launch of infrastructure for future translational investigations in highly polluted urbanized environments and the creation of novel methodologies for linking personalized exposure measurements with functional CM outcomes. We believe that AIRCMD will allow for unprecedented new investigations into the association between environmental risk factors and CM disorders. PMID:23182147

  8. Influence of additive L-phenylalanine on stabilization of metastable α-form of L-glutamic acid in cooling crystallization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Quang, Khuu Chau; Nhan, Le Thi Hong; Huyen, Trinh Thi Thanh; Tuan, Nguyen Anh

    2017-09-01

    The influence of additive amino acid L-phenylalanine on stabilization of metastable α-form of L-glutamic acid was investigated in cooling crystallization. The present study found that the additive L-phenylalanine could be used to stabilize the pure metastable α-form in L-glutamic acid crystallization, where the additive concentration of 0.05-0.1 (g/L) was sufficient to stabilize the 100% wt metastable α-form in solid product at L-glutamic acid concentration of 30-45 (g/L). Additionally, the present results indicated that the adsorption of additive L-phenylalanine on the (001) surface of α-form was more favorable than that of the β-form molecular, so the nucleation sites of stable β-form was occupied by additive molecular, which resulted in inhibition of nucleation and growth of β-form, allowing stabilization of metastable α-form.

  9. Co-occurring nonnative woody shrubs have additive and non-additive soil legacies.

    PubMed

    Kuebbing, Sara E; Patterson, Courtney M; Classen, Aimée T; Simberloff, Daniel

    2016-09-01

    of the nonnative L. sinense relative to this native herbaceous community, and could provide an explanation of why native species abundance is frequently depressed in these communities. Additionally, the difference between native and nonnative performance demonstrates that invasive impact studies focusing on the impact only of single species can be insufficient for determining the impact of co-occurring invasive plant species. © 2016 by the Ecological Society of America.

  10. Additive technology of soluble mold tooling for embedded devices in composite structures: A study on manufactured tolerances

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Roy, Madhuparna

    Composite textiles have found widespread use and advantages in various industries and applications. The constant demand for high quality products and services requires companies to minimize their manufacturing costs, and delivery time in order to compete in general and niche marketplaces. Advanced manufacturing methods aim to provide economical methods of mold production. Creation of molding and tooling options for advanced composites encompasses a large portion of the fabrication time, making it a costly process and restraining factor. This research discusses a preliminary investigation into the use of soluble polymer compounds and additive manufacturing to fabricate soluble molds. These molds suffer from dimensional errors due to several factors, which have also been characterized. The basic soluble mold of a composite is 3D printed to meet the desired dimensions and geometry of holistic structures or spliced components. The time taken to dissolve the mold depends on the rate of agitation of the solvent. This process is steered towards enabling the implantation of optoelectronic devices within the composite to provide sensing capability for structural health monitoring. The shape deviation of the 3D printed mold is also studied and compared to its original dimensions to optimize the dimensional quality to produce dimensionally accurate parts. Mechanical tests were performed on compact tension (CT) resin samples prepared from these 3D printed molds and revealed crack propagation towards an embedded intact optical fiber.

  11. First principles investigation of nitrogenated holey graphene

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, Cui-Yan; Dong, Hai-Kuan; Shi, Li-Bin

    2018-04-01

    The zero band gap problem limits the application of graphene in the field of electronic devices. Opening the band gap of graphene has become a research issue. Nitrogenated holey graphene (NHG) has attracted much attention because of its semiconducting properties. However, the stacking orders and defect properties have not been investigated. In this letter, the structural and stacking properties of NHG are first investigated. We obtain the most stable stacking structure. Then, the band structures for bulk and multilayer NHG are studied. Impact of the strain on the band gaps and bond characteristics is discussed. In addition, we investigate formation mechanism of native defects of carbon vacancy (VC), carbon interstitial (Ci), nitrogen vacancy (VN), and nitrogen interstitial (Ni) in bulk NHG. Formation energies and transition levels of these native defects are assessed.

  12. Experimental investigation of grain boundaries misorientations and nano twinning induced strengthening on addition of silicon carbide in pulse electrodeposited nickel tungsten composite coating

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

    Rahman, O.S. Asiq; Wasekar, Nitin P.; Sundararajan, G.

    Nanoindentation was performed on silicon carbide (SiC) reinforced pulse electrodeposited nickel-tungsten (Ni-W) composite coating. Addition of 5 vol.% of SiC in Ni-W coating increased the hardness from 10.31 ± 0.65 GPa to 14.32 ± 0.63 GPa and elastic modulus from 119.74 ± 3.15 GPa to 139.26 ± 2.09 GPa. Increased hardness and elastic modulus directly translates to the improved strengthening in the coating. An experimental investigation of strengthening mechanism was carried out in Ni-W-5 vol.% SiC alloy. Two simultaneous phenomena viz. grain refinement and increased internal strain was observed, which increased the dislocation density from 5.51 × 10{sup 18} m{supmore » −2} to 1.346 × 10{sup 19} m{sup −2} on reinforcement of 5 vol.% of SiC in Ni-W coating. Increased dislocation density promoted the formation of grain boundary misorientations and nano twinning. Low angle grain boundary, high angle grain boundary and nano twinning were identified using high resolution transmission electron microscope (HR-TEM) image and their role in strengthening mechanism was discussed in details. - Highlights: • SiC reinforced pulse electrodeposition Ni-W coating was deposited on steel. • Nanoindentation showed the increased mechanical properties on addition of SiC. • Grain refinement and increased internal strain was observed in Ni-W-SiC coating. • Dislocation density increased on reinforcement of SiC in Ni-W coating. • Increased dislocation density triggered grain boundary misorientation and twinning.« less

  13. Numerical investigation of the mechanical properties of the additive manufactured bone scaffolds fabricated by FDM: The effect of layer penetration and post-heating.

    PubMed

    Naghieh, S; Karamooz Ravari, M R; Badrossamay, M; Foroozmehr, E; Kadkhodaei, M

    2016-06-01

    In recent years, thanks to additive manufacturing technology, researchers have gone towards the optimization of bone scaffolds for the bone reconstruction. Bone scaffolds should have appropriate biological as well as mechanical properties in order to play a decisive role in bone healing. Since the fabrication of scaffolds is time consuming and expensive, numerical methods are often utilized to simulate their mechanical properties in order to find a nearly optimum one. Finite element analysis is one of the most common numerical methods that is used in this regard. In this paper, a parametric finite element model is developed to assess the effects of layers penetration׳s effect on inter-layer adhesion, which is reflected on the mechanical properties of bone scaffolds. To be able to validate this model, some compression test specimens as well as bone scaffolds are fabricated with biocompatible and biodegradable poly lactic acid using fused deposition modeling. All these specimens are tested in compression and their elastic modulus is obtained. Using the material parameters of the compression test specimens, the finite element analysis of the bone scaffold is performed. The obtained elastic modulus is compared with experiment indicating a good agreement. Accordingly, the proposed finite element model is able to predict the mechanical behavior of fabricated bone scaffolds accurately. In addition, the effect of post-heating of bone scaffolds on their elastic modulus is investigated. The results demonstrate that the numerically predicted elastic modulus of scaffold is closer to experimental outcomes in comparison with as-built samples. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Additional road markings as an indication of speed limits: results of a field experiment and a driving simulator study.

    PubMed

    Daniels, Stijn; Vanrie, Jan; Dreesen, An; Brijs, Tom

    2010-05-01

    Although speed limits are indicated by road signs, road users are not always aware, while driving, of the actual speed limit on a given road segment. The Roads and Traffic Agency developed additional road markings in order to support driver decisions on speed on 70 km/h roads in Flanders-Belgium. In this paper the results are presented of two evaluation studies, both a field study and a simulator study, on the effects of the additional road markings on speed behaviour. The results of the field study showed no substantial effect of the markings on speed behaviour. Neither did the simulator study, with slightly different stimuli. Nevertheless an effect on lateral position was noticed in the simulator study, showing at least some effect of the markings. The role of conspicuity of design elements and expectations towards traffic environments is discussed. Both studies illustrate well some strengths and weaknesses of observational field studies compared to experimental simulator studies. Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. The Parkinsons Registry Investigation of Diagnosis and Etiology (PRIDE) Study

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-04-01

    Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects (CPHS) through the State of California Health and Human Services Agency on 20-June-2011 as a minimal... pesticides , solvents or traumatic brain injury increase PD risk. This study takes advantage of the population-based PD registry in Santa Clara County...related morbidity and mortality are greater in persons exposed to pesticides , solvents, PCBs, and air pollutants. In addition, we will conduct a case

  16. Final Results of a Randomized Phase 2 Trial Investigating the Addition of Cetuximab to Induction Chemotherapy and Accelerated or Hyperfractionated Chemoradiation for Locoregionally Advanced Head and Neck Cancer

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

    Seiwert, Tanguy Y., E-mail: tseiwert@medicine.bsd.uchicago.edu; Melotek, James M.; Blair, Elizabeth A.

    Purpose: The role of cetuximab in the treatment of locoregionally advanced head and neck squamous cell cancer (LA-HNSCC) remains poorly defined. In this phase 2 randomized study, we investigated the addition of cetuximab to both induction chemotherapy (IC) and hyperfractionated or accelerated chemoradiation. Methods and Materials: Patients with LA-HNSCC were randomized to receive 2 cycles of weekly IC (cetuximab, paclitaxel, carboplatin) and either Cetux-FHX (concurrent cetuximab, 5-fluorouracil, hydroxyurea, and 1.5 Gy twice-daily radiation therapy every other week to 75 Gy) or Cetux-PX (cetuximab, cisplatin, and accelerated radiation therapy with delayed concomitant boost to 72 Gy in 42 fractions). The primary endpoint was progression-freemore » survival (PFS), with superiority compared with historical control achieved if either arm had 2-year PFS ≥70%. Results: 110 patients were randomly assigned to either Cetux-FHX (n=57) or Cetux-PX (n=53). The overall response rate to IC was 91%. Severe toxicity on IC was limited to rash (23% grade ≥3) and myelosuppression (38% grade ≥3 neutropenia). The 2-year rates of PFS for both Cetux-FHX (82.5%) and Cetux-PX (84.9%) were significantly higher than for historical control (P<.001). The 2-year overall survival (OS) was 91.2% for Cetux-FHX and 94.3% for Cetux-PX. With a median follow-up time of 72 months, there were no significant differences in PFS (P=.35) or OS (P=.15) between the treatment arms. The late outcomes for the entire cohort included 5-year PFS, OS, locoregional failure, and distant metastasis rates of 74.1%, 80.3%, 15.7%, and 7.4%, respectively. The 5-year PFS and OS were 84.4% and 91.3%, respectively, among human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive patients and 65.9% and 72.5%, respectively, among HPV-negative patients. Conclusions: The addition of cetuximab to IC and chemoradiation was tolerable and produced long-term control of LA-HNSCC, particularly among poor-prognosis HPV-negative patients. Further

  17. Allergic and immunologic reactions to food additives.

    PubMed

    Gultekin, Fatih; Doguc, Duygu Kumbul

    2013-08-01

    For centuries, food additives have been used for flavouring, colouring and extension of the useful shelf life of food, as well as the promotion of food safety. During the last 20 years, the studies implicating the additives contained in foods and medicine as a causative factor of allergic reactions have been proliferated considerably. In this review, we aimed to overview all of the food additives which were approved to consume in EU and find out how common and serious allergic reactions come into existence following the consuming of food additives.

  18. Interactive effects between N addition and disturbance on boreal forest ecosystem structure and function

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nordin, Annika; Strengbom, Joachim; From, Fredrik

    2014-05-01

    In management of boreal forests, nitrogen (N) enrichment from atmospheric deposition or from forest fertilization can appear in combination with land-use related disturbances, i.e. tree harvesting by clear-felling. Long-term interactive effects between N enrichment and disturbance on boreal forest ecosystem structure and function are, however, poorly known. We investigated effects of N enrichment by forest fertilization done > 25 years ago on forest understory species composition in old-growth (undisturbed) forests, and in forests clear-felled 10 years ago (disturbed). In clear-felled forests we also investigated effects of the previous N addition on growth of tree saplings. The results show that the N enrichment effect on the understory species composition was strongly dependent on the disturbance caused by clear-felling. In undisturbed forests, there were small or no effects on understory species composition from N addition. In contrast, effects were large in forests first exposed to N addition and subsequently disturbed by clear-felling. Effects of N addition differed among functional groups of plants. Abundance of graminoids increased (+232%) and abundance of dwarf shrubs decreased (-44%) following disturbance in N fertilized forests. For vascular plants, the two perturbations had contrasting effects on α-(within forests) and β-diversity (among forests): in disturbed forests, N addition reduced, or had no effect on α-diversity, while β-diversity increased. For bryophytes, negative effects of disturbance on α-diversity were smaller in N fertilized forests than in forests not fertilized, while neither N addition nor disturbance had any effects on β-diversity. Moreover, sapling growth in forests clear-felled 10 years ago was significantly higher in previously N fertilized forests than in forests not fertilized. Our study show that effects of N addition on plant communities may appear small, short-lived, or even absent until exposed to a disturbance. This

  19. Statistical inference for the additive hazards model under outcome-dependent sampling.

    PubMed

    Yu, Jichang; Liu, Yanyan; Sandler, Dale P; Zhou, Haibo

    2015-09-01

    Cost-effective study design and proper inference procedures for data from such designs are always of particular interests to study investigators. In this article, we propose a biased sampling scheme, an outcome-dependent sampling (ODS) design for survival data with right censoring under the additive hazards model. We develop a weighted pseudo-score estimator for the regression parameters for the proposed design and derive the asymptotic properties of the proposed estimator. We also provide some suggestions for using the proposed method by evaluating the relative efficiency of the proposed method against simple random sampling design and derive the optimal allocation of the subsamples for the proposed design. Simulation studies show that the proposed ODS design is more powerful than other existing designs and the proposed estimator is more efficient than other estimators. We apply our method to analyze a cancer study conducted at NIEHS, the Cancer Incidence and Mortality of Uranium Miners Study, to study the risk of radon exposure to cancer.

  20. Statistical inference for the additive hazards model under outcome-dependent sampling

    PubMed Central

    Yu, Jichang; Liu, Yanyan; Sandler, Dale P.; Zhou, Haibo

    2015-01-01

    Cost-effective study design and proper inference procedures for data from such designs are always of particular interests to study investigators. In this article, we propose a biased sampling scheme, an outcome-dependent sampling (ODS) design for survival data with right censoring under the additive hazards model. We develop a weighted pseudo-score estimator for the regression parameters for the proposed design and derive the asymptotic properties of the proposed estimator. We also provide some suggestions for using the proposed method by evaluating the relative efficiency of the proposed method against simple random sampling design and derive the optimal allocation of the subsamples for the proposed design. Simulation studies show that the proposed ODS design is more powerful than other existing designs and the proposed estimator is more efficient than other estimators. We apply our method to analyze a cancer study conducted at NIEHS, the Cancer Incidence and Mortality of Uranium Miners Study, to study the risk of radon exposure to cancer. PMID:26379363

  1. Reduction of carcinogenic 4(5)-methylimidazole in a caramel model system: influence of food additives.

    PubMed

    Seo, Seulgi; Ka, Mi-Hyun; Lee, Kwang-Geun

    2014-07-09

    The effect of various food additives on the formation of carcinogenic 4(5)-methylimidazole (4-MI) in a caramel model system was investigated. The relationship between the levels of 4-MI and various pyrazines was studied. When glucose and ammonium hydroxide were heated, the amount of 4-MI was 556 ± 1.3 μg/mL, which increased to 583 ± 2.6 μg/mL by the addition of 0.1 M of sodium sulfite. When various food additives, such as 0.1 M of iron sulfate, magnesium sulfate, zinc sulfate, tryptophan, and cysteine were added, the amount of 4-MI was reduced to 110 ± 0.7, 483 ± 2.0, 460 ± 2.0, 409 ± 4.4, and 397 ± 1.7 μg/mL, respectively. The greatest reduction, 80%, occurred with the addition of iron sulfate. Among the 12 pyrazines, 2-ethyl-6-methylpyrazine with 4-MI showed the highest correlation (r = -0.8239).

  2. Congruence of Additive and Non-Additive Effects on Gene Expression Estimated from Pedigree and SNP Data

    PubMed Central

    Powell, Joseph E.; Henders, Anjali K.; McRae, Allan F.; Kim, Jinhee; Hemani, Gibran; Martin, Nicholas G.; Dermitzakis, Emmanouil T.; Gibson, Greg

    2013-01-01

    There is increasing evidence that heritable variation in gene expression underlies genetic variation in susceptibility to disease. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of the similarity between relatives for transcript variation is warranted—in particular, dissection of phenotypic variation into additive and non-additive genetic factors and shared environmental effects. We conducted a gene expression study in blood samples of 862 individuals from 312 nuclear families containing MZ or DZ twin pairs using both pedigree and genotype information. From a pedigree analysis we show that the vast majority of genetic variation across 17,994 probes is additive, although non-additive genetic variation is identified for 960 transcripts. For 180 of the 960 transcripts with non-additive genetic variation, we identify expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) with dominance effects in a sample of 339 unrelated individuals and replicate 31% of these associations in an independent sample of 139 unrelated individuals. Over-dominance was detected and replicated for a trans association between rs12313805 and ETV6, located 4MB apart on chromosome 12. Surprisingly, only 17 probes exhibit significant levels of common environmental effects, suggesting that environmental and lifestyle factors common to a family do not affect expression variation for most transcripts, at least those measured in blood. Consistent with the genetic architecture of common diseases, gene expression is predominantly additive, but a minority of transcripts display non-additive effects. PMID:23696747

  3. Congruence of additive and non-additive effects on gene expression estimated from pedigree and SNP data.

    PubMed

    Powell, Joseph E; Henders, Anjali K; McRae, Allan F; Kim, Jinhee; Hemani, Gibran; Martin, Nicholas G; Dermitzakis, Emmanouil T; Gibson, Greg; Montgomery, Grant W; Visscher, Peter M

    2013-05-01

    There is increasing evidence that heritable variation in gene expression underlies genetic variation in susceptibility to disease. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of the similarity between relatives for transcript variation is warranted--in particular, dissection of phenotypic variation into additive and non-additive genetic factors and shared environmental effects. We conducted a gene expression study in blood samples of 862 individuals from 312 nuclear families containing MZ or DZ twin pairs using both pedigree and genotype information. From a pedigree analysis we show that the vast majority of genetic variation across 17,994 probes is additive, although non-additive genetic variation is identified for 960 transcripts. For 180 of the 960 transcripts with non-additive genetic variation, we identify expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) with dominance effects in a sample of 339 unrelated individuals and replicate 31% of these associations in an independent sample of 139 unrelated individuals. Over-dominance was detected and replicated for a trans association between rs12313805 and ETV6, located 4MB apart on chromosome 12. Surprisingly, only 17 probes exhibit significant levels of common environmental effects, suggesting that environmental and lifestyle factors common to a family do not affect expression variation for most transcripts, at least those measured in blood. Consistent with the genetic architecture of common diseases, gene expression is predominantly additive, but a minority of transcripts display non-additive effects.

  4. Evaluation of additive effects of hydrolyzed jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis) esters and glycerol: a preliminary study.

    PubMed

    Meyer, Jaimi; Marshall, Brooke; Gacula, Maximo; Rheins, Lawrence

    2008-12-01

    Glycerol has long served the topical prescriptive and personal care industry as a versatile and functional active and inactive ingredient. In skin care products, it acts primarily as an emollient, softening the skin through robust humectant hydration action. Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters K-20W (K-20W) have been shown to increase skin hydration and improve sensory skin "feel" when included in a variety of skin, hair, and nail care cosmetic/personal care formulations. The addition of glycerol and hydrolyzed jojoba esters provides a substantial long-acting 24 h (moisturizing) skin hydration effect for topical products. A small pilot study was conducted to support the "proof of concept" that an enhanced, additive role exists between these two ingredients resulting in a long-term (24 h) skin moisturization effect. Topical treatments were applied to the skin (lower leg) of subjects, and evaluations were made at baseline and 8- to 24-h post-application. Skin hydration data were obtained via bio-instrumental transepidermal water loss (TEWL) measurements and expert clinical skin grading, including standardized digital clinical photography. Clinical skin grading evaluations and TEWL measurements found that significantly lower evaporative (P < 0.05) TEWL values occurred in the topical formulations containing 3.75% glycerol and 1.25% K-20W (hydrolyzed jojoba esters) than with glycerol alone in a standard base skin care lotion at 8 and 24 h posttreatment. This preliminary data "proof of concept" supports the position that glycerol and hydrolyzed jojoba esters work in tandem to enhance skin moisturization for at least 24 h. This unique moisturizing potential may prove valuable in the future development of cosmetic and over-the-counter/prescriptive topical products, including new medicaments containing botanicals. This fact is further reinforced with the recent greater commercial use and demand for defined safe botanicals in cosmetic as well as pharmaceutical topical formulations

  5. Investigating socio-cognitive processes in deception: a quantitative meta-analysis of neuroimaging studies.

    PubMed

    Lisofsky, Nina; Kazzer, Philipp; Heekeren, Hauke R; Prehn, Kristin

    2014-08-01

    Recent neuroimaging studies have found a broad network of brain regions involved in deception, including the prefrontal cortex, insula, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and inferior parietal lobule (IPL). Although deception can be conceptualized as the attempt to deliberately cause another person to accept a false belief, research to date has mainly focused on executive control processes when participants are instructed to lie under certain conditions. Recently, more ecologically valid and interactive experimental paradigms have been used in which subjects were also requested to take the perspective of another person, read his or her intentions, and make a self-determined decision to deceive that person and break a moral rule. To investigate the influence of these socio-cognitive processes on the neural network of deception, we performed a quantitative meta-analysis combining the data from 416 participants across 22 fMRI and two PET studies. Based on the description of the experimental paradigm, studies were divided in social interactive and non-interactive deception studies. Increased activation in the dorsal ACC, the right temporo-parietal junction (TPJ)/angular gyrus, and the bilateral temporal pole (TP) was found to be greater in social interactive than in non-interactive deception. These results demonstrate the important role of perspective taking, theory of mind, and moral reasoning processes in deception as well as conflict processing. In addition to the role of executive control processes determined by previous meta-analyses, our findings show the importance of these socio-cognitive processes in deception and give new insight into the function and interpretation of the brain regions involved. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Applicability of the DPPH assay for evaluating the antioxidant capacity of food additives - inter-laboratory evaluation study -.

    PubMed

    Shimamura, Tomoko; Sumikura, Yoshihiro; Yamazaki, Takeshi; Tada, Atsuko; Kashiwagi, Takehiro; Ishikawa, Hiroya; Matsui, Toshiro; Sugimoto, Naoki; Akiyama, Hiroshi; Ukeda, Hiroyuki

    2014-01-01

    An inter-laboratory evaluation study was conducted in order to evaluate the antioxidant capacity of food additives by using a 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. Four antioxidants used as existing food additives (i.e., tea extract, grape seed extract, enju extract, and d-α-tocopherol) and 6-hydroxy-2,5,7,8-tetramethylchroman-2-carboxylic acid (Trolox) were used as analytical samples, and 14 laboratories participated in this study. The repeatability relative standard deviation (RSD(r)) of the IC50 of Trolox, four antioxidants, and the Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) were 1.8-2.2%, 2.2-2.9%, and 2.1-2.5%, respectively. Thus, the proposed DPPH assay showed good performance within the same laboratory. The reproducibility relative standard deviation (RSD(R)) of IC50 of Trolox, four antioxidants, and TEAC were 4.0-7.9%, 6.0-11%, and 3.7-9.3%, respectively. The RSD(R)/RSD(r) values of TEAC were lower than, or nearly equal to, those of IC50 of the four antioxidants, suggesting that the use of TEAC was effective for reducing the variance among the laboratories. These results showed that the proposed DPPH assay could be used as a standard method to evaluate the antioxidant capacity of food additives.

  7. Hybrid Nanoparticles as Oil Lubricant Additives for Friction and Wear Reduction

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

    Zhao, Bin; Dai, Sheng; Qu, Jun

    A new class of organic-inorganic/metallic hybrid nanoparticles (NPs), including oil-soluble polymer brush-grafted metal oxide NPs and organic-modified metallic NPs, was developed and used as oil lubricant additives for friction and wear reduction to improve engine energy efficiency. The tribological properties of these hybrid NPs in polyalphaolefin (PAO) base oil were investigated by high contact stress ball-on-flat reciprocating sliding tribological tests at 100 oC. Using surface-initiated “living”/controlled radical polymerization from initiator- or chain transfer agent-functionalized metal oxide (silica and titania) NPs, we synthesized a series of hairy NPs and systematically studied the effects of molecular weight and chemical composition of graftedmore » polymer brushes on oil dispersibility, stability, and lubrication properties of hairy NPs in PAO. In addition, several types of organic-modified metallic NPs, including silver and palladium NPs, were synthesized by using thiol compounds and ionic liquids (ILs) as ligands. Significant reductions in friction (up to 40%) and wear volume (up to 90%) were achieved by using PAO mixed with hairy NPs or organic-modified metal NPs compared to PAO base oil. Moreover, a positive effect on lubricating performance was observed when oil-soluble hairy silica NPs and an IL were used simultaneously as additives for PAO for friction reduction. The lubrication mechanisms of these hybrid NPs were elucidated by both experimental and simulation studies.« less

  8. Robust Tests for Additive Gene-Environment Interaction in Case-Control Studies Using Gene-Environment Independence.

    PubMed

    Liu, Gang; Mukherjee, Bhramar; Lee, Seunggeun; Lee, Alice W; Wu, Anna H; Bandera, Elisa V; Jensen, Allan; Rossing, Mary Anne; Moysich, Kirsten B; Chang-Claude, Jenny; Doherty, Jennifer A; Gentry-Maharaj, Aleksandra; Kiemeney, Lambertus; Gayther, Simon A; Modugno, Francesmary; Massuger, Leon; Goode, Ellen L; Fridley, Brooke L; Terry, Kathryn L; Cramer, Daniel W; Ramus, Susan J; Anton-Culver, Hoda; Ziogas, Argyrios; Tyrer, Jonathan P; Schildkraut, Joellen M; Kjaer, Susanne K; Webb, Penelope M; Ness, Roberta B; Menon, Usha; Berchuck, Andrew; Pharoah, Paul D; Risch, Harvey; Pearce, Celeste Leigh

    2018-02-01

    There have been recent proposals advocating the use of additive gene-environment interaction instead of the widely used multiplicative scale, as a more relevant public health measure. Using gene-environment independence enhances statistical power for testing multiplicative interaction in case-control studies. However, under departure from this assumption, substantial bias in the estimates and inflated type I error in the corresponding tests can occur. In this paper, we extend the empirical Bayes (EB) approach previously developed for multiplicative interaction, which trades off between bias and efficiency in a data-adaptive way, to the additive scale. An EB estimator of the relative excess risk due to interaction is derived, and the corresponding Wald test is proposed with a general regression setting under a retrospective likelihood framework. We study the impact of gene-environment association on the resultant test with case-control data. Our simulation studies suggest that the EB approach uses the gene-environment independence assumption in a data-adaptive way and provides a gain in power compared with the standard logistic regression analysis and better control of type I error when compared with the analysis assuming gene-environment independence. We illustrate the methods with data from the Ovarian Cancer Association Consortium. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  9. Does case misclassification threaten the validity of studies investigating the relationship between neck manipulation and vertebral artery dissection stroke? No.

    PubMed

    Murphy, Donald R; Schneider, Michael J; Perle, Stephen M; Bise, Christopher G; Timko, Michael; Haas, Mitchell

    2016-01-01

    The purported relationship between cervical manipulative therapy (CMT) and stroke related to vertebral artery dissection (VAD) has been debated for several decades. A large number of publications, from case reports to case-control studies, have investigated this relationship. A recent article suggested that case misclassification in the case-control studies on this topic resulted in biased odds ratios in those studies. Given its rarity, the best epidemiologic research design for investigating the relationship between CMT and VAD is the case-control study. The addition of a case-crossover aspect further strengthens the scientific rigor of such studies by reducing bias. The most recent studies investigating the relationship between CMT and VAD indicate that the relationship is not causal. In fact, a comparable relationship between vertebral artery-related stroke and visits to a primary care physician has been observed. The statistical association between visits to chiropractors and VAD can best be explained as resulting from a patient with early manifestation of VAD (neck pain with or without headache) seeking the services of a chiropractor for relief of this pain. Sometime after the visit the patient experiences VAD-related stroke that would have occurred regardless of the care received. This explanation has been challenged by a recent article putting forth the argument that case misclassification is likely to have biased the odds ratios of the case-control studies that have investigated the association between CMT and vertebral artery related stroke. The challenge particularly focused on one of the case-control studies, which had concluded that the association between CMT and vertebral artery related stroke was not causal. It was suggested by the authors of the recent article that misclassification led to an underestimation of risk. We argue that the information presented in that article does not support the authors' claim for a variety of reasons, including the

  10. In-situ acoustic signature monitoring in additive manufacturing processes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Koester, Lucas W.; Taheri, Hossein; Bigelow, Timothy A.; Bond, Leonard J.; Faierson, Eric J.

    2018-04-01

    Additive manufacturing is a rapidly maturing process for the production of complex metallic, ceramic, polymeric, and composite components. The processes used are numerous, and with the complex geometries involved this can make quality control and standardization of the process and inspection difficult. Acoustic emission measurements have been used previously to monitor a number of processes including machining and welding. The authors have identified acoustic signature measurement as a potential means of monitoring metal additive manufacturing processes using process noise characteristics and those discrete acoustic emission events characteristic of defect growth, including cracks and delamination. Results of acoustic monitoring for a metal additive manufacturing process (directed energy deposition) are reported. The work investigated correlations between acoustic emissions and process noise with variations in machine state and deposition parameters, and provided proof of concept data that such correlations do exist.

  11. Polysulfide and bio-based EP additive performance in vegetable vs. paraffinic base oils

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Twist compression test (TCT) and 4-ball extreme pressure (EP) methods were used to investigate commercial polysulfide (PS) and bio-based polyester (PE) EP additives in paraffinic (150N) and refined soybean (SOY) base oils of similar viscosity. Binary blends of EP additive and base oil were investiga...

  12. 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.

  13. Whistleblower Protection: DOD Has Improved Oversight for Reprisal Investigations, but Can Take Additional Actions to Standardize Process and Reporting

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-09-07

    investigations and overseeing investigations conducted by the military services —took steps to better track and analyze timeliness data by developing a guide...recommendation by reporting timeliness information to Congress biannually. DODIG has strengthened its oversight of military service reprisal...conducted by someone outside the military service chain of command. In response, DODIG directed the service IGs to certify investigators

  14. Theoretical study of the oxidation mechanisms of naphthalene initiated by hydroxyl radicals: the O2 addition reaction pathways.

    PubMed

    Shiroudi, A; Deleuze, M S; Canneaux, S

    2015-05-28

    Atmospheric oxidation of the naphthalene-OH adduct [C10H8OH]˙ (R1) by molecular oxygen in its triplet electronic ground state has been studied using density functional theory along with the B3LYP, ωB97XD, UM05-2x and UM06-2x exchange-correlation functionals. From a thermodynamic viewpoint, the most favourable process is O2 addition at the C2 position in syn mode, followed by O2 addition at the C2 position in anti mode, O2 addition at the C4 position in syn mode, and O2 addition at the C4 position in anti mode, as the second, third and fourth most favourable processes. The syn modes of addition at these positions are thermodynamically favoured over the anti ones by the formation of an intramolecular hydrogen bond between the hydroxyl and peroxy substituents. Analysis of the computed structures, bond orders and free energy profiles demonstrate that the reaction steps involved in the oxidation of the naphthalene-OH adduct by O2 satisfy Hammond's principle. Kinetic rate constants and branching ratios under atmospheric pressure and in the fall-off regime have been supplied, using transition state and RRKM theories. By comparison with experiment, these data confirm the relevance of a two-step reaction mechanism. Whatever the addition mode, O2 addition in C4 position is kinetically favoured over O2 addition in C2 position, in contrast with the expectations drawn from thermodynamics and reaction energies. Under a kinetic control of the reaction, and in line with the computed reaction energy barriers, the most efficient process is O2 addition at the C4 position in syn mode, followed by O2 addition at the C2 position in syn mode, O2 addition at the C4 position in anti mode, and O2 addition at the C2 position in anti mode as the second, third and fourth most rapid processes. The computed branching ratios also indicate that the regioselectivity of the reaction decreases with increasing temperatures and decreasing pressures.

  15. Boosting structured additive quantile regression for longitudinal childhood obesity data.

    PubMed

    Fenske, Nora; Fahrmeir, Ludwig; Hothorn, Torsten; Rzehak, Peter; Höhle, Michael

    2013-07-25

    Childhood obesity and the investigation of its risk factors has become an important public health issue. Our work is based on and motivated by a German longitudinal study including 2,226 children with up to ten measurements on their body mass index (BMI) and risk factors from birth to the age of 10 years. We introduce boosting of structured additive quantile regression as a novel distribution-free approach for longitudinal quantile regression. The quantile-specific predictors of our model include conventional linear population effects, smooth nonlinear functional effects, varying-coefficient terms, and individual-specific effects, such as intercepts and slopes. Estimation is based on boosting, a computer intensive inference method for highly complex models. We propose a component-wise functional gradient descent boosting algorithm that allows for penalized estimation of the large variety of different effects, particularly leading to individual-specific effects shrunken toward zero. This concept allows us to flexibly estimate the nonlinear age curves of upper quantiles of the BMI distribution, both on population and on individual-specific level, adjusted for further risk factors and to detect age-varying effects of categorical risk factors. Our model approach can be regarded as the quantile regression analog of Gaussian additive mixed models (or structured additive mean regression models), and we compare both model classes with respect to our obesity data.

  16. Additional perspectives on chronic kidney disease of unknown aetiology (CKDu) in Sri Lanka – lessons learned from the WHO CKDu population prevalence study

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    The recent emergence of an apparently new form of chronic kidney disease of unknown aetiology (CKDu) has become a serious public health crisis in Sri Lanka. CKDu is slowly progressive, irreversible, and asymptomatic until late stages, and is not attributable to hypertension, diabetes, or other known aetiologies. In response to the scope and severity of the emerging CKDu health crisis, the Sri Lanka Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization initiated a collaborative research project from 2009 through 2012 to investigate CKDu prevalence and aetiology. The objective of this paper is to discuss the recently published findings of this investigation and present additional considerations and recommendations that may enhance subsequent investigations designed to identify and understand CKDu risk factors in Sri Lanka or other countries. PMID:25069485

  17. 49 CFR 604.32 - Investigation of complaint.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ..., based on the pleadings, there appears to be a reasonable basis for investigation, FTA shall investigate... or pleadings of the parties, as supplemented by any informal investigation FTA considers necessary and by additional information furnished by the parties at FTA request. Each party shall file documents...

  18. 32 CFR 636.12 - Traffic accident investigation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 32 National Defense 4 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Traffic accident investigation. 636.12 Section... ENFORCEMENT AND CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS MOTOR VEHICLE TRAFFIC SUPERVISION (SPECIFIC INSTALLATIONS) Fort Stewart, Georgia § 636.12 Traffic accident investigation. In addition to the requirements in § 634.28 of...

  19. Decomposition of the fluoroethylene carbonate additive and the glue effect of lithium fluoride products for the solid electrolyte interphase: an ab initio study.

    PubMed

    Okuno, Yukihiro; Ushirogata, Keisuke; Sodeyama, Keitaro; Tateyama, Yoshitaka

    2016-03-28

    Additives in the electrolyte solution of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have a large impact on the performance of the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) that forms on the anode and is a key to the stability and durability of LIBs. We theoretically investigated effects of fluoroethylene carbonate (FEC), a representative additive, that has recently attracted considerable attention for the enhancement of cycling stability of silicon electrodes and the improvement of reversibility of sodium-ion batteries. First, we intensively examined the reductive decompositions by ring-opening, hydrogen fluoride (HF) elimination to form a vinylene carbonate (VC) additive and intermolecular chemical reactions of FEC in the ethylene carbonate (EC) electrolyte, by using density functional theory (DFT) based molecular dynamics and the blue-moon ensemble technique for the free energy profile. The results show that the most plausible product of the FEC reductive decomposition is lithium fluoride (LiF), and that the reactivity of FEC to anion radicals is found to be inert compared to the VC additive. We also investigated the effects of the generated LiF on the SEI by using two model systems; (1) LiF molecules distributed in a model aggregate of organic SEI film components (SFCs) and (2) a LiF aggregate interfaced with the SFC aggregate. DFT calculations of the former system show that F atoms form strong bindings with the Li atoms of multiple organic SFC molecules and play as a joint connecting them. In the latter interface system, the LiF aggregate adsorbs the organic SFCs through the F-Li bindings. These results suggest that LiF moieties play the role of glue in the organic SFC within the SEI film. We also examined the interface structure between a LiF aggregate and a lithiated silicon anode, and found that they are strongly bound. This strong binding is likely to be related to the effectiveness of the FEC additive in the electrolyte for the silicon anode.

  20. Behavior Modification of Studying Through Study Skills Advice and Self-Control Procedures

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Richards, C. Steven

    1975-01-01

    Investigates the efficacy of two behavioral self-control procedures as additions to the typical treatment for college students' study behavior--study skills advice. Predicted self-monitoring would be an effective treatment addition to study skills advice and study skills advice would be superior to the control groups. Results supported…

  1. SENIORLAB: a prospective observational study investigating laboratory parameters and their reference intervals in the elderly.

    PubMed

    Risch, Martin; Nydegger, Urs; Risch, Lorenz

    2017-01-01

    In clinical practice, laboratory results are often important for making diagnostic, therapeutic, and prognostic decisions. Interpreting individual results relies on accurate reference intervals and decision limits. Despite the considerable amount of resources in clinical medicine spent on elderly patients, accurate reference intervals for the elderly are rarely available. The SENIORLAB study set out to determine reference intervals in the elderly by investigating a large variety of laboratory parameters in clinical chemistry, hematology, and immunology. The SENIORLAB study is an observational, prospective cohort study. Subjectively healthy residents of Switzerland aged 60 years and older were included for baseline examination (n = 1467), where anthropometric measurements were taken, medical history was reviewed, and a fasting blood sample was drawn under optimal preanalytical conditions. More than 110 laboratory parameters were measured, and a biobank was set up. The study participants are followed up every 3 to 5 years for quality of life, morbidity, and mortality. The primary aim is to evaluate different laboratory parameters at age-related reference intervals. The secondary aims of this study include the following: identify associations between different parameters, identify diagnostic characteristics to diagnose different circumstances, identify the prevalence of occult disease in subjectively healthy individuals, and identify the prognostic factors for the investigated outcomes, including mortality. To obtain better grounds to justify clinical decisions, specific reference intervals for laboratory parameters of the elderly are needed. Reference intervals are obtained from healthy individuals. A major obstacle when obtaining reference intervals in the elderly is the definition of health in seniors because individuals without any medical condition and any medication are rare in older adulthood. Reference intervals obtained from such individuals cannot be

  2. Cautions on the Use of Investigative Case Studies in Meta-Evaluation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smith, Nick L.

    1990-01-01

    A meta-analysis combining expert evaluation with naturalistic case study methods indicates that such investigations must use special methods to render evaluative judgments of worth. It is demonstrated that descriptive, interpretive, and evaluative aspects of such a study must be combined to yield justifiable conclusions. (TJH)

  3. Combustion Performance of a Staged Hybrid Rocket with Boron addition

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, D.; Lee, C.

    2018-04-01

    In this paper, the effect of boron on overall system specific impulse was investigated. Additionally, a series of combustion tests was carried out to analyze and evaluate the effect of boron addition on O/F variation and radial temperature profiles. To maintain the hybrid rocket engine advantages, upper limit of boron contents in solid fuel was set to be 10 wt%. The results also suggested that, when adding boron to solid fuel, it helped to provide more uniform radial temperature distribution and also to increase specific impulse by 3.2%.

  4. Voices from the Classroom: Experiences of Teachers of Deaf Students with Additional Disabilities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Musyoka, Millicent Malinda; Gentry, Mary Anne; Bartlett, James Joseph

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this research is to investigate experiences of K-12 classroom teachers of deaf students with additional disabilities. Today, more deaf and hard of hearing students are identified as having additional disabilities (Bruce, DiNatale & Ford, 2008; Ewing, 2011; Gallaudet Research Institute, 2011; Jones, Jones & Ewing, 2006;…

  5. HALOE Science Investigation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Benner, D. Chris

    1998-01-01

    This cooperative agreement has investigated a number of spectroscopic problems of interest to the Halogen Occultation Experiment (HALOE). The types of studies performed are in two parts, namely, those that involve the testing and characterization of correlation spectrometers and those that provide basic molecular spectroscopic information. In addition, some solar studies were performed with the calibration data returned by HALOE from orbit. In order to accomplish this a software package was written as part of this cooperative agreement. The HALOE spectroscopic instrument package was used in various tests of the HALOE flight instrument. These included the spectral response test, the early stages of the gas response test and various spectral response tests of the detectors and optical elements of the instruments. Considerable effort was also expended upon the proper laboratory setup for many of the prelaunch tests of the HALOE flight instrument, including the spectral response test and the gas response test. These tests provided the calibration and the assurance that the calibration was performed correctly.

  6. Literacy in the Early Years and English as an Additional Language: The Case of a British International School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Englezou, Eliana; Fragkouli, Elpiniki

    2014-01-01

    The study upon which this article is based investigates teachers' literacy development methods used in nursery and reception classrooms of a British international school, and focuses specifically on children having English as an additional language (EAL). Findings from teaching observations and from interviews with teachers present the techniques…

  7. The influence of precursor addition order on the porosity of sol-gel bioactive glasses.

    PubMed

    Fernando, Delihta; Colon, Pierre; Cresswell, Mark; Journet, Catherine; Pradelle-Plasse, Nelly; Jackson, Phil; Grosgogeat, Brigitte; Attik, Nina

    2018-06-16

    The superior textural properties of sol-gel derived bioactive glasses compared to conventional melt quench glasses accounts for their accelerated bioactivity in vitro. Several studies have explored ways to improve the surface properties of sol-gel glasses in order to maximise their efficiency for bone and tooth regeneration. In this study, we investigated the effect of order of network modifying precursor addition on the textural properties of sol-gel derived bioactive glasses. The effect of precursor addition order on the glass characteristics was assessed by switching the order of network modifying precursor (calcium acetate monohydrate and sodium acetate anhydrous) addition for a fixed composition of bioactive glass (75SiO 2 :5CaO:10Na 2 O:10P 2 O 5 ). The results of this study showed that the order of precursor addition does influence the porosity of these glasses. For the glasses of a fixed composition and preparation conditions we achieved a doubling of surface area, a 1.5 times increase in pore volume and a 1.2 times decrease in pore size just by the mixing the network modifying precursors and adding them together in the sol-gel preparation. This simple and straightforward route adaptation to the preparation of bioactive glasses would allow us to enhance the textural properties of existing and novel composition of bioactive glasses and thus accelerate their bioactivity. Copyright © 2018 The Academy of Dental Materials. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Investigating Prospective Social Studies Teachers? Perceptions of European Union through Metaphor Analysis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Akgün, Ismail Hakan

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to investigate metaphors developed by social studies teacher candidates about the European Union. 185 second, third and fourth year social studies teacher candidates participated in the study. This study was designed as a phenomenological study and mataphor analysis was conducted. At the end of the study, the students…

  9. Cell proliferation and hair cell addition in the ear of the goldfish, Carassius auratus

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lanford, P. J.; Presson, J. C.; Popper, A. N.

    1996-01-01

    Cell proliferation and hair cell addition have not been studied in the ears of otophysan fish, a group of species who have specialized hearing capabilities. In this study we used the mitotic S-phase marker bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) to identify proliferating cells in the ear of one otophysan species, Carassius auratus (the goldfish). Animals were sacrificed at 3 h or 5 days postinjection with BrdU and processed for immunocytochemistry. The results of the study show that cell proliferation occurs in all of the otic endorgans and results in the addition of new hair cells. BrdU-labeled cells were distributed throughout all epithelia, including the primary auditory endorgan (saccule), where hair cell phenotypes vary considerably along the rostrocaudal axis. This study lays the groundwork for our transmission electron microscopy study of proliferative cells in the goldfish ear (Presson et al., Hearing Research 100 (1996) 10-20) as well as future studies of hair cell development in this species. The ability to predict, based on epithelial location, the future phenotype of developing hair cells in the saccule of the goldfish make that endorgan a particularly powerful model system for the investigation of early hair cell differentiation.

  10. [Investigation of sleep disorders in the vicinity of high frequency transmitters].

    PubMed

    Leitgeb, N; Schröttner, J; Cech, R; Kerbl, R

    2004-08-01

    To investigate the potential impact of RF electromagnetic fields of transmitters on the sleep quality of nearby residents, a new study design is presented. In a double-blind crossover field study the effect of on-site shielding, rather than of additional exposure, is investigated. For improved sleep quality differentiation the polysomnographic parameters are expanded by additional parameters. The feasibility study showed that checking the raw data and correcting the software-generated results by visual reading of the polysomnographic recordings is essential. Long-term RF measurement showed that exposure may vary considerably throughout the night, as well as from one night to the next. This variation may be greater than the GSM contribution itself. Mostly, the contributions of USW radio frequency fields dominated over GSM. Thus, continuous broadband RF recording is required for reliable interpretation of the results, in particular with regard to the potential role of mobile telephony emissions. Results show that simple sleep monitoring systems based on single-channel EEG analysis without acces to original biosignals are not adequate for sleep studies.

  11. Two Concepts of Radiation: A Case Study Investigating Existing Preconceptions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Plotz, Thomas; Hopf, Martin

    2016-01-01

    Conceptual Change is a widely accepted theoretical framework for science education. Setting up successful learning and teaching arrangements in this framework necessarily entails including students´ preconceptions into the construction of those arrangements. In order to provide a basis for such arrangements this study investigated and explored…

  12. Fundamentals of the knowledge about chemical additives present in rubber gloves.

    PubMed

    Oliveira, Hegles Rosa de; Alchorne, Alice de Oliveira de Avelar

    2011-01-01

    One of the most frequent causes of allergic contact dermatitis of occupational origin are rubber additives, which are present in Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). The most allergenic additives of natural and synthetic gloves are thiurams, carbamates and mercapto group. To investigate the state of knowledge about the chemical additives used in the manufacture of synthetic rubber gloves. This was a qualitative research study in which professionals working in the manufacture, research, prescription and commercialization of gloves answered an open questionnaire. 30 individuals were interviewed: 4 researchers in occupational medicine, 5 occupational physicians, 2 occupational safety technicians, a rubber workers' union physician, an occupational safety engineer, a pro duction engineer of rubber gloves, 4 importers of gloves, a manufacturer of gloves, 3 businessmen who sell PPE, 3 salesclerks working in stores that sell PPE, 2 businessmen who own stores that sell products for allergic individuals, and 3 dermatologists. Knowledge of the chemical composition of rubber gloves is scant. The labeling of gloves, with the description of their chemical composition, would facilitate choosing the best type of glove for each person. This low-cost action to businesses would be a gain from the standpoint of public health, with huge repercussions for users of rubber gloves.

  13. Using a generalized additive model with autoregressive terms to study the effects of daily temperature on mortality.

    PubMed

    Yang, Lei; Qin, Guoyou; Zhao, Naiqing; Wang, Chunfang; Song, Guixiang

    2012-10-30

    Generalized Additive Model (GAM) provides a flexible and effective technique for modelling nonlinear time-series in studies of the health effects of environmental factors. However, GAM assumes that errors are mutually independent, while time series can be correlated in adjacent time points. Here, a GAM with Autoregressive terms (GAMAR) is introduced to fill this gap. Parameters in GAMAR are estimated by maximum partial likelihood using modified Newton's method, and the difference between GAM and GAMAR is demonstrated using two simulation studies and a real data example. GAMM is also compared to GAMAR in simulation study 1. In the simulation studies, the bias of the mean estimates from GAM and GAMAR are similar but GAMAR has better coverage and smaller relative error. While the results from GAMM are similar to GAMAR, the estimation procedure of GAMM is much slower than GAMAR. In the case study, the Pearson residuals from the GAM are correlated, while those from GAMAR are quite close to white noise. In addition, the estimates of the temperature effects are different between GAM and GAMAR. GAMAR incorporates both explanatory variables and AR terms so it can quantify the nonlinear impact of environmental factors on health outcome as well as the serial correlation between the observations. It can be a useful tool in environmental epidemiological studies.

  14. Using a generalized additive model with autoregressive terms to study the effects of daily temperature on mortality

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background Generalized Additive Model (GAM) provides a flexible and effective technique for modelling nonlinear time-series in studies of the health effects of environmental factors. However, GAM assumes that errors are mutually independent, while time series can be correlated in adjacent time points. Here, a GAM with Autoregressive terms (GAMAR) is introduced to fill this gap. Methods Parameters in GAMAR are estimated by maximum partial likelihood using modified Newton’s method, and the difference between GAM and GAMAR is demonstrated using two simulation studies and a real data example. GAMM is also compared to GAMAR in simulation study 1. Results In the simulation studies, the bias of the mean estimates from GAM and GAMAR are similar but GAMAR has better coverage and smaller relative error. While the results from GAMM are similar to GAMAR, the estimation procedure of GAMM is much slower than GAMAR. In the case study, the Pearson residuals from the GAM are correlated, while those from GAMAR are quite close to white noise. In addition, the estimates of the temperature effects are different between GAM and GAMAR. Conclusions GAMAR incorporates both explanatory variables and AR terms so it can quantify the nonlinear impact of environmental factors on health outcome as well as the serial correlation between the observations. It can be a useful tool in environmental epidemiological studies. PMID:23110601

  15. Systematic review of prospective studies investigating "remission" from amphetamine, cannabis, cocaine or opioid dependence.

    PubMed

    Calabria, Bianca; Degenhardt, Louisa; Briegleb, Christina; Vos, Theo; Hall, Wayne; Lynskey, Michael; Callaghan, Bridget; Rana, Umer; McLaren, Jennifer

    2010-08-01

    To review and summarize existing prospective studies reporting on remission from dependence upon amphetamines, cannabis, cocaine or opioids. Systematic searches of the peer-reviewed literature were conducted to identify prospective studies reporting on remission from amphetamines, cannabis, cocaine or opioid dependence. Searches were limited to publication between 1990 and 2009. Reference lists of review articles and important studies were searched to identify additional studies. Remission was defined as no longer meeting diagnostic criteria for drug dependence or abstinence from drug use; follow-up periods of at least three years were investigated. The remission rate was estimated for each drug type, allowing pooling across studies with varying follow-up times. There were few studies examining the course of psychostimulant dependence that met inclusion criteria (one for amphetamines and four for cocaine). There were ten studies of opioid and three for cannabis dependence. Definitions of remission varied and most did not clearly assess remission from dependence. Amphetamine dependence had the highest remission rate (0.4477; 95%CI 0.3991, 0.4945), followed by opioid (0.2235; 95%CI 0.2091, 0.2408) and cocaine dependence (0.1366; 95%CI 0.1244, 0.1498). Conservative estimates of remission rates followed the same pattern with cannabis dependence (0.1734; 95%CI 0.1430, 0.2078) followed by amphetamine (0.1637; 95%CI 0.1475, 0.1797), opioid (0.0917; 95%CI 0.0842, 0.0979) and cocaine dependence (0.0532; 95%CI 0.0502, 0.0597). The limited prospective evidence suggests that "remission" from dependence may occur relatively frequently but rates may differ across drugs. There is very little research on remission from drug dependence; definitions used are often imprecise and inconsistent across studies and there remains considerable uncertainty about the longitudinal course of dependence upon these most commonly used illicit drugs. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Effects of V addition on recrystallization resistance of 7150 aluminum alloy after simulative hot deformation

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

    Lai, Jing; Shi, Cangji; Chen, X.-Grant, E-mail: xgrant_chen@uqac.ca

    2014-10-15

    The effects of different V contents (0.01 to 0.19 wt.%) on the recrystallization resistance of 7150 aluminum alloys during post-deformation heat treatment were investigated. The microstructural evolutions at as-cast, as-homogenized conditions and after post-deformation annealing were studied using optical, scanning electron and transmission electron microscopes and using the electron backscattered diffraction technique. The precipitation of Al{sub 21}V{sub 2} dispersoids was observed in alloys containing 0.11 to 0.19 wt.% V after homogenization. The dispersoids were mainly distributed in the dendrite cells, and the precipitate-free zones occurred in the interdendritic regions and near grain boundaries. V addition could significantly enhance the recrystallizationmore » resistance during post-deformation annealing, particularly in the presence of a great number of Al{sub 21}V{sub 2} dispersoids. Recrystallized grain growth was effectively restricted because of the dispersoid pinning effect. The alloy containing 0.15 wt.% V exhibited the highest recrystallization resistance amongst all V-containing alloys studied. - Highlights: • Investigated the effect of V level on microstructure and flow stress of 7150 alloys • Characterized microstructures using optical microscopy, SEM, TEM and EBSD • Described the precipitation behavior of V-dispersoids in the dendritic structure • Studied the V effect on recrystallization resistance during post heat treatment • V addition greatly enhanced the recrystallization resistance during annealing.« less

  17. Effects of In and Ni Addition on Microstructure of Sn-58Bi Solder Joint

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mokhtari, Omid; Nishikawa, Hiroshi

    2014-11-01

    In this study, the effect of adding 0.5 wt.% and 1 wt.% In and Ni to Sn-58Bi solder on intermetallic compound (IMC) layers at the interface and the microstructure of the solder alloys were investigated during reflow and thermal aging by scanning electron microscopy and electron probe micro-analysis. The results showed that the addition of minor elements was not effective in suppressing the IMC growth during the reflow; however, the addition of 0.5 wt.% In and Ni was effective in suppressing the IMC layer growth during thermal aging. The thickening kinetics of the total IMC layer was analyzed by plotting the mean thickness versus the aging time on log-log coordinates, and the results showed the transition point from grain boundary diffusion control to a volume diffusion control mechanism. The results also showed that the minor addition of In can significantly suppress the coarsening of the Bi phase.

  18. Effects of gliadin addition on the rheological, microscopic and thermal characteristics of wheat gluten.

    PubMed

    Khatkar, B S; Barak, Sheweta; Mudgil, Deepak

    2013-02-01

    In the present study, micro-structural, thermal and rheological changes in the gluten network upon addition of gliadins at 5% and 10% levels were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and dynamic rheometry. The addition of gliadins decreased the peak dough height inferring decrease in dough strength. The dough stability also decreased from 3.20 to 1.40 min upon addition of 10% gliadin to the base flour. The TGA profile and the glass transition behavior of the control gluten and gluten obtained from dough with gliadin added at 5% and 10% levels showed decrease in thermal stability. The SEM micrograph of the control gluten showed foam like protein matrix. As the gliadin percentage in the gluten was increased, the compactness of the gluten structure reduced considerably leading to the formation of a more open weak gluten network. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Smokers' unprompted comments on cigarette additives during conversations about the genetic basis for nicotine addiction: a focus group study.

    PubMed

    Philpott, Sydney E; Gehlert, Sarah; Waters, Erika A

    2018-04-13

    Research designed to elicit smokers' cognitive and affective reactions to information about chemicals that tobacco companies add to cigarettes ("additives") found that knowledge is limited. However, little is known about smokers' unprompted thoughts and feelings about additives. Such information could be used to shape future communication efforts. We explored the content and possible functions of spontaneous statements about cigarette additives made by smokers during a study examining reactions to learning about the genetic link to nicotine addiction. Adult smokers (N = 84) were recruited from a medium-sized Midwestern city. Focus groups (N = 13) were conducted between April-September 2012. Data were analyzed by 2 coders using thematic analysis. Comments about cigarette additives arose without prompting by the focus group moderator. Three main themes were identified: (1) discussing additives helped participants navigate the conceptual link between smoking and genetics, (2) additives were discussed as an alternative mechanism for addiction to cigarettes, and (3) additives provided an alternative mechanism by which cigarette smoking exacerbates physical harm. Notably, discussion of additives contained a pervasive tone of mistrust illustrated by words like "they" and "them," by statements of uncertainty such as "you don't know what they're putting into cigarettes," and by negative affective verbalizations such as "nasty" and "disgusting". Participants had distinct beliefs about cigarette additives, each of which seemed to serve a purpose. Although mistrust may complicate communication about the health risks of tobacco use, health communication experts could use smokers' existing beliefs and feelings to better design more effective anti-smoking messages.

  20. Investigation of 95 variants identified in a genome-wide study for association with mortality after acute coronary syndrome.

    PubMed

    Morgan, Thomas M; House, John A; Cresci, Sharon; Jones, Philip; Allayee, Hooman; Hazen, Stanley L; Patel, Yesha; Patel, Riyaz S; Eapen, Danny J; Waddy, Salina P; Quyyumi, Arshed A; Kleber, Marcus E; März, Winfried; Winkelmann, Bernhard R; Boehm, Bernhard O; Krumholz, Harlan M; Spertus, John A

    2011-09-29

    Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified new candidate genes for the occurrence of acute coronary syndrome (ACS), but possible effects of such genes on survival following ACS have yet to be investigated. We examined 95 polymorphisms in 69 distinct gene regions identified in a GWAS for premature myocardial infarction for their association with post-ACS mortality among 811 whites recruited from university-affiliated hospitals in Kansas City, Missouri. We then sought replication of a positive genetic association in a large, racially diverse cohort of myocardial infarction patients (N = 2284) using Kaplan-Meier survival analyses and Cox regression to adjust for relevant covariates. Finally, we investigated the apparent association further in 6086 additional coronary artery disease patients. After Cox adjustment for other ACS risk factors, of 95 SNPs tested in 811 whites only the association with the rs6922269 in MTHFD1L was statistically significant, with a 2.6-fold mortality hazard (P = 0.007). The recessive A/A genotype was of borderline significance in an age- and race-adjusted analysis of the entire combined cohort (N = 3095; P = 0.052), but this finding was not confirmed in independent cohorts (N = 6086). We found no support for the hypothesis that the GWAS-identified variants in this study substantially alter the probability of post-ACS survival. Large-scale, collaborative, genome-wide studies may be required in order to detect genetic variants that are robustly associated with survival in patients with coronary artery disease.