Sample records for waste retrieval project

  1. UP2 400 High Activity Oxide Legacy Waste Retrieval Project Scope and Progress-13048

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

    Chabeuf, Jean-Michel; Varet, Thierry

    The High Activity Oxide facility (HAO) reprocessed sheared and dissolved 4500 metric tons of light water reactor fuel the fuel of the emerging light water reactor spent fuel between 1976 and 1998. Over the period, approximately 2200 tons of process waste, composed primarily of sheared hulls, was produced and stored in a vast silo in the first place, and in canisters stored in pools in subsequent years. Upon shutdown of the facility, AREVA D and D Division in La Hague launched a thorough investigation and characterization of the silos and pools content, which then served as input data for themore » definition of a legacy waste retrieval and reconditioning program. Basic design was conducted between 2005 and 2007, and was followed by an optimization phase which lead to the definition of a final scenario and budget, 12% under the initial estimates. The scenario planned for the construction of a retrieval and reconditioning cell to be built on top of the storage silo. The retrieved waste would then be rinsed and sorted, so that hulls could subsequently be sent to La Hague high activity compacting facility, while resins and sludge would be cemented within the retrieval cell. Detailed design was conducted successfully from 2008 until 2011, while a thorough research and development program was conducted in order to qualify each stage of the retrieval and reconditioning process, and assist in the elaboration of the final waste package specification. This R and D program was defined and conducted as a response and mitigation of the major project risks identified during the basic design process. Procurement and site preparatory works were then launched in 2011. By the end of 2012, R and D is nearly completed, the retrieval and reconditioning process have been secured, the final waste package specification is being completed, the first equipment for the retrieval cell is being delivered on site, while preparation works are allowing to free up space above and around the silo

  2. Retrieval System for Calcined Waste for the Idaho Cleanup Project - 12104

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

    Eastman, Randy L.; Johnston, Beau A.; Lower, Danielle E.

    This paper describes the conceptual approach to retrieve radioactive calcine waste, hereafter called calcine, from stainless steel storage bins contained within concrete vaults. The retrieval system will allow evacuation of the granular solids (calcine) from the storage bins through the use of stationary vacuum nozzles. The nozzles will use air jets for calcine fluidization and will be able to rotate and direct the fluidization or displacement of the calcine within the bin. Each bin will have a single retrieval system installed prior to operation to prevent worker exposure to the high radiation fields. The addition of an articulated camera armmore » will allow for operations monitoring and will be equipped with contingency tools to aid in calcine removal. Possible challenges (calcine bridging and rat-holing) associated with calcine retrieval and transport, including potential solutions for bin pressurization, calcine fluidization and waste confinement, are also addressed. The Calcine Disposition Project has the responsibility to retrieve, treat, and package HLW calcine. The calcine retrieval system has been designed to incorporate the functions and technical characteristics as established by the retrieval system functional analysis. By adequately implementing the highest ranking technical characteristics into the design of the retrieval system, the system will be able to satisfy the functional requirements. The retrieval system conceptual design provides the means for removing bulk calcine from the bins of the CSSF vaults. Top-down vacuum retrieval coupled with an articulating camera arm will allow for a robust, contained process capable of evacuating bulk calcine from bins and transporting it to the processing facility. The system is designed to fluidize, vacuum, transport and direct the calcine from its current location to the CSSF roof-top transport lines. An articulating camera arm, deployed through an adjacent access riser, will work in conjunction with the

  3. The Gunite and Associated Tanks Remediation Project Tank Waste Retrieval Performance and Lessons Learned, vol. 1 [of 2

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

    Lewis, BE

    2003-10-07

    The Gunite and Associated Tanks (GAAT) Remediation Project was the first of its kind performed in the United States. Robotics and remotely operated equipment were used to successfully transfer almost 94,000 gal of remote-handled transuranic sludge containing over 81,000 Ci of radioactive contamination from nine large underground storage tanks at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The sludge was transferred with over 439,000 gal of radioactive waste supernatant and {approx}420,500 gal of fresh water that was used in sluicing operations. The GAATs are located in a high-traffic area of ORNL near a main thoroughfare. A phased and integrated approach tomore » waste retrieval operations was used for the GAAT Remediation Project. The project promoted safety by obtaining experience from low-risk operations in the North Tank Farm before moving to higher-risk operations in the South Tank Farm. This approach allowed project personnel to become familiar with the tanks and waste, as well as the equipment, processes, procedures, and operations required to perform successful waste retrieval. By using an integrated approach to tank waste retrieval and tank waste management, the project was completed years ahead of the original baseline schedule, which resulted in avoiding millions of dollars in associated costs. This report is organized in two volumes. Volume 1 provides information on the various phases of the GAAT Remediation Project. It also describes the different types of equipment and how they were used. The emphasis of Volume 1 is on the description of the tank waste retrieval performance and the lessons learned during the GAAT Remediation Project. Volume 2 provides the appendixes for the report, which include the following information: (A) Background Information for the Gunite and Associated Tanks Operable Unit; (B) Annotated Bibliography; (C) Comprehensive Listing of the Sample Analysis Data from the GAAT Remediation Project; (D) GAAT Equipment Matrix; and (E

  4. EM-21 Retrieval Knowledge Center: Waste Retrieval Challenges

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

    Fellinger, Andrew P.; Rinker, Michael W.; Berglin, Eric J.

    EM-21 is the Waste Processing Division of the Office of Engineering and Technology, within the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM). In August of 2008, EM-21 began an initiative to develop a Retrieval Knowledge Center (RKC) to provide the DOE, high level waste retrieval operators, and technology developers with centralized and focused location to share knowledge and expertise that will be used to address retrieval challenges across the DOE complex. The RKC is also designed to facilitate information sharing across the DOE Waste Site Complex through workshops, and a searchable database of waste retrieval technology information.more » The database may be used to research effective technology approaches for specific retrieval tasks and to take advantage of the lessons learned from previous operations. It is also expected to be effective for remaining current with state-of-the-art of retrieval technologies and ongoing development within the DOE Complex. To encourage collaboration of DOE sites with waste retrieval issues, the RKC team is co-led by the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). Two RKC workshops were held in the Fall of 2008. The purpose of these workshops was to define top level waste retrieval functional areas, exchange lessons learned, and develop a path forward to support a strategic business plan focused on technology needs for retrieval. The primary participants involved in these workshops included retrieval personnel and laboratory staff that are associated with Hanford and Savannah River Sites since the majority of remaining DOE waste tanks are located at these sites. This report summarizes and documents the results of the initial RKC workshops. Technology challenges identified from these workshops and presented here are expected to be a key component to defining future RKC-directed tasks designed to facilitate tank waste retrieval solutions.« less

  5. Tank Waste Retrieval Lessons Learned at the Hanford Site

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

    Dodd, R.A.

    than 25 ft{sup 3}. Tank S-112 retrieval was completed February 28, 2007, meeting the TPA Limits of less than 360 cu ft using salt-cake dissolution, modified sluicing, in-tank vehicle with high pressure water spray and caustic dissolution. Tanks C-108 and C-109 have been retrieved to 90% and 85% respectively. Modified sluicing was no longer effective at retrieving the remaining 5,000 to 10,000 gallons of residual. A Mobile Retrieval Tool (FoldTrac) is scheduled for installation early in 2008 to assist in breaking up chunks of waste and mobilizing the waste for transfer. Lessons learned from application of new tank waste retrieval methods are being documented and incorporated into future retrieval operations. They address all phases of retrieval including process design, equipment procurement and installation, supporting documentation, and system operations. Information is obtained through interviews with retrieval project personnel, focused workshops, review of problem evaluation requests, and evaluation of retrieval performance data. This paper presents current retrieval successes and lessons learned from retrieval of tank waste at the Hanford Site and discusses how this information is used to optimize retrieval system efficiency, improve overall cost effectiveness of retrieval operations, and ensure that HFFACO requirements are met. (authors)« less

  6. EM-31 RETRIEVAL KNOWLEDGE CENTER MEETING REPORT: MOBILIZE AND DISLODGE TANK WASTE HEELS

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

    Fellinger, A.

    2010-02-16

    The Retrieval Knowledge Center sponsored a meeting in June 2009 to review challenges and gaps to retrieval of tank waste heels. The facilitated meeting was held at the Savannah River Research Campus with personnel broadly representing tank waste retrieval knowledge at Hanford, Savannah River, Idaho, and Oak Ridge. This document captures the results of this meeting. In summary, it was agreed that the challenges to retrieval of tank waste heels fell into two broad categories: (1) mechanical heel waste retrieval methodologies and equipment and (2) understanding and manipulating the heel waste (physical, radiological, and chemical characteristics) to support retrieval optionsmore » and subsequent processing. Recent successes and lessons from deployments of the Sand and Salt Mantis vehicles as well as retrieval of C-Area tanks at Hanford were reviewed. Suggestions to address existing retrieval approaches that utilize a limited set of tools and techniques are included in this report. The meeting found that there had been very little effort to improve or integrate the multiple proven or new techniques and tools available into a menu of available methods for rapid insertion into baselines. It is recommended that focused developmental efforts continue in the two areas underway (low-level mixing evaluation and pumping slurries with large solid materials) and that projects to demonstrate new/improved tools be launched to outfit tank farm operators with the needed tools to complete tank heel retrievals effectively and efficiently. This document describes the results of a meeting held on June 3, 2009 at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina to identify technology gaps and potential technology solutions to retrieving high-level waste (HLW) heels from waste tanks within the complex of sites run by the U. S. Department of Energy (DOE). The meeting brought together personnel with extensive tank waste retrieval knowledge from DOE's four major waste sites - Hanford, Savannah

  7. One System Integrated Project Team: Retrieval and Delivery of Hanford Tank Wastes for Vitrification in the Waste Treatment Plant - 13234

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

    Harp, Benton J.; Kacich, Richard M.; Skwarek, Raymond J.

    The One System Integrated Project Team (IPT) was formed in late 2011 as a way for improving the efficiency of delivery and treatment of highly radioactive waste stored in underground tanks at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) 586-square-mile Hanford Site in southeastern Washington State. The purpose of the One System IPT is to improve coordination and integration between the Hanford's Waste Treatment Plant (WTP) contractor and the Tank Operations Contractor (TOC). The vision statement is: One System is a WTP and TOC safety-conscious team that, through integrated management and implementation of risk-informed decision and mission-based solutions, will enable themore » earliest start of safe and efficient treatment of Hanford's tank waste, to protect the Columbia River, environment and public. The IPT is a formal collaboration between Bechtel National, Inc. (BNI), which manages design and construction of the WTP for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of River Protection (DOEORP), and Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS), which manages the TOC for ORP. More than fifty-six (56) million gallons of highly radioactive liquid waste are stored in one hundred seventy-seven (177) aging, underground tanks. Most of Hanford's waste tanks - one hundred forty-nine (149) of them - are of an old single-shell tank (SST) design built between 1944 and 1964. More than sixty (60) of these tanks have leaked in the past, releasing an estimated one million gallons of waste into the soil and threatening the nearby Columbia River. There are another twenty-eight (28) new double-shelled tanks (DSTs), built from 1968 to 1986, that provide greater protection to the environment. In 1989, DOE, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) signed a landmark agreement that required Hanford to comply with federal and state environmental standards. It also paved the way for agreements that set deadlines for retrieving the

  8. One System Integrated Project Team: Retrieval And Delivery Of The Hanford Tank Wastes For Vitrification In The Waste Treatment Plant

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

    Harp, Benton J.; Kacich, Richard M.; Skwarek, Raymond J.

    The One System Integrated Project Team (IPT) was formed in late 2011 as a way for improving the efficiency of delivery and treatment of highly radioactive waste stored in underground tanks at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) 586-square-mile Hanford Site in southeastern Washington State. The purpose of the One System IPT is to improve coordination and integration between the Hanford's Waste Treatment Plant (WTP) contractor and the Tank Operations Contractor (TOC). The vision statement is: One System is a WTP and TOC safety conscious team that, through integrated management and implementation of risk-informed decision and mission-based solutions, will enablemore » the earliest start of safe and efficient treatment of Hanford's tank waste, to protect the Columbia River, environment and public. The IPT is a formal collaboration between Bechtel National, Inc. (BNI), which manages design and construction of the WTP for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of River Protection (DOEORP), and Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS), which manages the TOC for ORP. More than fifty-six (56) million gallons of highly radioactive liquid waste are stored in one hundred seventy-seven (177) aging, underground tanks. Most of Hanford's waste tanks - one hundred forty-nine (149) of them - are of an old single-shell tank (SST) design built between 1944 and 1964. More than sixty (60) of these tanks have leaked in the past, releasing an estimated one million gallons of waste into the soil and threatening the nearby Columbia River. There are another twenty-eight (28) new double-shelled tanks (DSTs), built from 1968 to 1986, that provide greater protection to the environment. In 1989, DOE, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) signed a landmark agreement that required Hanford to comply with federal and state environmental standards. It also paved the way for agreements that set deadlines for retrieving the

  9. Project W-211 Initial Tank Retrieval Systems (ITRS) Description of Operations for 241-AZ-102

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

    BRIGGS, S.R.

    2000-02-25

    The primary purpose of the Initial Tank Retrieval Systems (ITRS) is to provide systems for retrieval of radioactive wastes stored in underground double-shell tanks (DSTs) for transfer to alternate storage, evaporation, pretreatment or treatment, while concurrently reducing risks associated with safety watch list and other DSTs. This Description of Operation (DOO) defines the control philosophy for the waste retrieval system for Tank 241-AZ-102 (AZ-102). This DOO provides a basis for the detailed design of the Project W-211 Retrieval Control System (RCS) for AZ-102 and also establishes test criteria for the RCS.

  10. Radioactive air emissions notice of construction for installation and operation of a waste retrieval system and tanks 241-AP-102 and 241-AP-104 project

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

    DEXTER, M.L.

    1999-11-15

    This document serves as a notice of construction (NOC) pursuant to the requirements of Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 246 247-060, and as a request for approval to modify pursuant to 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 61 07 for the installation and operation of one waste retrieval system in the 24 1 AP-102 Tank and one waste retrieval system in the 241 AP 104 Tank Pursuant to 40 CFR 61 09 (a)( 1) this application is also intended to provide anticipated initial start up notification Its is requested that EPA approval of this application will also constitute EPA acceptance ofmore » the initial start up notification Project W 211 Initial Tank Retrieval Systems (ITRS) is scoped to install a waste retrieval system in the following double-shell tanks 241-AP 102-AP 104 AN 102, AN 103, AN-104, AN 105, AY 102 AZ 102 and SY-102 between now and the year 2011. Because of the extended installation schedules and unknowns about specific activities/designs at each tank, it was decided to submit NOCs as that information became available This NOC covers the installation and operation of a waste retrieval system in tanks 241 AP-102 and 241 AP 104 Generally this includes removal of existing equipment installation of new equipment and construction of new ancillary equipment and buildings Tanks 241 AP 102 and 241 AP 104 will provide waste feed for immobilization into a low activity waste (LAW) product (i.e. glass logs) The total effective dose equivalent (TEDE) to the offsite maximally exposed individual (MEI) from the construction activities is 0 045 millirem per year The unabated TEDE to the offsite ME1 from operation of the mixer pumps is 0 042 millirem per year.« less

  11. Review of technologies for the pretreatment of retrieved single-shell tank waste at Hanford

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

    Gerber, M.A.

    1992-08-01

    The purpose of the study reported here was to identify and evaluate innovative processes that could be used to pretreat mixed waste retrieved from the 149 single-shell tanks (SSTs) on the US Department of Energy's (DOE) Hanford site. The information was collected as part of the Single Shell Tank Waste Treatment project at Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL). The project is being conducted for Westinghouse Hanford Company under their SST Disposal Program.

  12. Review of technologies for the pretreatment of retrieved single-shell tank waste at Hanford

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

    Gerber, M.A.

    1992-08-01

    The purpose of the study reported here was to identify and evaluate innovative processes that could be used to pretreat mixed waste retrieved from the 149 single-shell tanks (SSTs) on the US Department of Energy`s (DOE) Hanford site. The information was collected as part of the Single Shell Tank Waste Treatment project at Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL). The project is being conducted for Westinghouse Hanford Company under their SST Disposal Program.

  13. Project W-211 initial tank retrieval systems year 2000 compliance assessment project plan

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

    BUSSELL, J.H.

    1999-08-24

    This assessment describes the potential Year 2000 (Y2K) problems and describes the methods for achieving Y2K Compliance for Project W-211, Initial Tank Retrieval Systems (ITRS). The purpose of this assessment is to give an overview of the project. This document will not be updated and any dates contained in this document are estimates and may change. The scope of project W-211 is to provide systems for retrieval of radioactive wastes from ten double-shell tanks (DST). systems will be installed in tanks 102-AP, 104-AP, 105-AN, 104-AN, 102-AZ, 101-AW, 103-AN, 107-AN, 102-AY, and 102-SY. The current tank selection and sequence supports phasemore » I feed delivery to privatized processing plants. A detailed description of system dates, functions, interfaces, potential Y2K problems, and date resolutions can not be described since the project is in the definitive design phase. This assessment will describe the methods, protocols, and practices to assure that equipment and systems do not have Y2K problems.« less

  14. Project management plan, Waste Receiving and Processing Facility, Module 1, Project W-026

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

    Starkey, J.G.

    1993-05-01

    The Hanford Waste Receiving and Processing Facility Module 1 Project (WRAP 1) has been established to support the retrieval and final disposal of approximately 400K grams of plutonium and quantities of hazardous components currently stored in drums at the Hanford Site.

  15. The Gunite and Associated Tanks Remediation Project Tank Waste Retrieval Performance and Lessons Learned, vol. 2 [of 2

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

    Lewis, BE

    2003-10-07

    The Gunite and Associated Tanks (GAAT) Remediation Project was the first of its kind performed in the United States. Robotics and remotely operated equipment were used to successfully transfer almost 94,000 gal of remote-handled transuranic sludge containing over 81,000 Ci of radioactive contamination from nine large underground storage tanks at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The sludge was transferred with over 439,000 gal of radioactive waste supernatant and {approx}420,500 gal of fresh water that was used in sluicing operations. The GAATs are located in a high-traffic area of ORNL near a main thoroughfare. Volume 1 provides information on themore » various phases of the project and describes the types of equipment used. Volume 1 also discusses the tank waste retrieval performance and the lessons learned during the remediation effort. Volume 2 consists of the following appendixes, which are referenced in Vol. 1: A--Background Information for the Gunite and Associated Tanks Operable Unit; B--Annotated Bibliography; C--GAAT Equipment Matrix; D--Comprehensive Listing of the Sample Analysis Data from the GAAT Remediation Project; and E--Vendor List for the GAAT Remediation Project. The remediation of the GAATs was completed {approx}5.5 years ahead of schedule and {approx}$120,435K below the cost estimated in the Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study for the project. These schedule and cost savings were a direct result of the selection and use of state-of-the-art technologies and the dedication and drive of the engineers, technicians, managers, craft workers, and support personnel that made up the GAAT Remediation Project Team.« less

  16. Project W-211, initial tank retrieval systems, retrieval control system software configuration management plan

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

    RIECK, C.A.

    1999-02-23

    This Software Configuration Management Plan (SCMP) provides the instructions for change control of the W-211 Project, Retrieval Control System (RCS) software after initial approval/release but prior to the transfer of custody to the waste tank operations contractor. This plan applies to the W-211 system software developed by the project, consisting of the computer human-machine interface (HMI) and programmable logic controller (PLC) software source and executable code, for production use by the waste tank operations contractor. The plan encompasses that portion of the W-211 RCS software represented on project-specific AUTOCAD drawings that are released as part of the C1 definitive designmore » package (these drawings are identified on the drawing list associated with each C-1 package), and the associated software code. Implementation of the plan is required for formal acceptance testing and production release. The software configuration management plan does not apply to reports and data generated by the software except where specifically identified. Control of information produced by the software once it has been transferred for operation is the responsibility of the receiving organization.« less

  17. Tank waste remediation system tank waste retrieval risk management plan

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

    Klimper, S.C.

    1997-11-07

    This Risk Management Plan defines the approach to be taken to manage programmatic risks in the TWRS Tank Waste Retrieval program. It provides specific instructions applicable to TWR, and is used to supplement the guidance given by the TWRS Risk Management procedure.

  18. Batching alternatives for Phase I retrieval wastes to be processed in WRAP Module 1

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

    Mayancsik, B.A.

    1994-10-13

    During the next two decades, the transuranic (TRU) waste now stored in the 200 Area burial trenches and storage buildings is to be retrieved, processed in the Waste Receiving and Processing (WRAP) Module 1 facility, and shipped to a final disposal facility. The purpose of this document is to identify the criteria that can be used to batch suspect TRU waste, currently in retrievable storage, for processing through the WRAP Module 1 facility. These criteria are then used to generate a batch plan for Phase 1 Retrieval operations, which will retrieve the waste located in Trench 4C-04 of the 200more » West Area burial ground. The reasons for batching wastes for processing in WRAP Module 1 include reducing the exposure of workers and the environment to hazardous material and ionizing radiation; maximizing the efficiency of the retrieval, processing, and disposal processes by reducing costs, time, and space throughout the process; reducing analytical sampling and analysis; and reducing the amount of cleanup and decontamination between process runs. The criteria selected for batching the drums of retrieved waste entering WRAP Module 1 are based on the available records for the wastes sent to storage as well as knowledge of the processes that generated these wastes. The batching criteria identified in this document include the following: waste generator; type of process used to generate or package the waste; physical waste form; content of hazardous/dangerous chemicals in the waste; radiochemical type and quantity of waste; drum weight; and special waste types. These criteria were applied to the waste drums currently stored in Trench 4C-04. At least one batching scheme is shown for each of the criteria listed above.« less

  19. Savannah River Site Operating Experience with Transuranic (TRU) Waste Retrieval

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

    Stone, K.A.; Milner, T.N.

    2006-07-01

    Drums of TRU Waste have been stored at the Savannah River Site (SRS) on concrete pads from the 1970's through the 1980's. These drums were subsequently covered with tarpaulins and then mounded over with dirt. Between 1996 and 2000 SRS ran a successful retrieval campaign and removed some 8,800 drums, which were then available for venting and characterization for WIPP disposal. Additionally, a number of TRU Waste drums, which were higher in activity, were stored in concrete culverts, as required by the Safety Analysis for the Facility. Retrieval of drums from these culverts has been ongoing since 2002. This papermore » will describe the operating experience and lessons learned from the SRS retrieval activities. (authors)« less

  20. Case for retrievable high-level nuclear waste disposal

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Roseboom, Eugene H.

    1994-01-01

    Plans for the nation's first high-level nuclear waste repository have called for permanently closing and sealing the repository soon after it is filled. However, the hydrologic environment of the proposed site at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, should allow the repository to be kept open and the waste retrievable indefinitely. This would allow direct monitoring of the repository and maintain the options for future generations to improve upon the disposal methods or use the uranium in the spent fuel as an energy resource.

  1. One project`s waste is another project`s resource

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

    Short, J.

    1997-02-01

    The author describes the efforts being made toward pollution prevention within the DOE complex, as a way to reduce overall project costs, in addition to decreasing the amount of waste to be handled. Pollution prevention is a concept which is trying to be ingrained into project planning. Part of the program involves the concept that ultimately the responsibility for waste comes back to the generator. Parts of the program involve efforts to reuse materials and equipment on new projects, to recycle wastes to generate offsetting revenue, and to increase awareness, accountability and incentives so as to stimulate action on thismore » plan. Summaries of examples are presented in tables.« less

  2. Phase retrieval with the reverse projection method in the presence of object's scattering

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Zhili; Gao, Kun; Wang, Dajiang

    2017-08-01

    X-ray grating interferometry can provide substantially increased contrast over traditional attenuation-based techniques in biomedical applications, and therefore novel and complementary information. Recently, special attention has been paid to quantitative phase retrieval in X-ray grating interferometry, which is mandatory to perform phase tomography, to achieve material identification, etc. An innovative approach, dubbed ;Reverse Projection; (RP), has been developed for quantitative phase retrieval. The RP method abandons grating scanning completely, and is thus advantageous in terms of higher efficiency and reduced radiation damage. Therefore, it is expected that this novel method would find its potential in preclinical and clinical implementations. Strictly speaking, the reverse projection method is applicable for objects exhibiting only absorption and refraction. In this contribution, we discuss the phase retrieval with the reverse projection method for general objects with absorption, refraction and scattering simultaneously. Especially, we investigate the influence of the object's scattering on the retrieved refraction signal. Both theoretical analysis and numerical experiments are performed. The results show that the retrieved refraction signal is the product of object's refraction and scattering signals for small values. In the case of a strong scattering, the reverse projection method cannot provide reliable phase retrieval. Those presented results will guide the use of the reverse projection method for future practical applications, and help to explain some possible artifacts in the retrieved images and/or reconstructed slices.

  3. 75 FR 72829 - Los Alamos Historical Document Retrieval and Assessment (LAHDRA) Project

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-11-26

    ... Historical Document Retrieval and Assessment (LAHDRA) Project The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention... release of the Final Report of the Los Alamos Historical Document Retrieval and Assessment (LAHDRA)Project... information about historical chemical or radionuclide releases from facilities at the Los Alamos National...

  4. System Description for Tank 241-AZ-101 Waste Retrieval Data Acquisition System

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

    ROMERO, S.G.

    2000-02-14

    The proposed activity provides the description of the Data Acquisition System for Tank 241-AZ-101. This description is documented in HNF-5572, Tank 241-AZ-101 Waste Retrieval Data Acquisition System (DAS). This activity supports the planned mixer pump tests for Tank 241-AZ-101. Tank 241-AZ-101 has been selected for the first full-scale demonstration of a mixer pump system. The tank currently holds over 960,000 gallons of neutralized current acid waste, including approximately 12.7 inches of settling solids (sludge) at the bottom of the tank. As described in Addendum 4 of the FSAR (LMHC 2000a), two 300 HP mixer pumps with associated measurement and monitoringmore » equipment have been installed in Tank 241-AZ-101. The purpose of the Tank 241-AZ-101 retrieval system Data Acquisition System (DAS) is to provide monitoring and data acquisition of key parameters in order to confirm the effectiveness of the mixer pumps utilized for suspending solids in the tank. The suspension of solids in Tank 241-AZ-101 is necessary for pretreatment of the neutralized current acid waste and eventual disposal as glass via the Hanford Waste Vitrification Plant. HNF-5572 provides a basic description of the Tank 241-AZ-101 retrieval system DAS, including the field instrumentation and application software. The DAS is provided to fulfill requirements for data collection and monitoring. This document is not an operations procedure or is it intended to describe the mixing operation. This USQ screening provides evaluation of HNF-5572 (Revision 1) including the changes as documented on ECN 654001. The changes include (1) add information on historical trending and data backup, (2) modify DAS I/O list in Appendix E to reflect actual conditions in the field, and (3) delete IP address in Appendix F per Lockheed Martin Services, Inc. request.« less

  5. System Description for Tank 241-AZ-101 Waste Retrieval Data Acquisition System

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

    ROMERO, S.G.

    2000-01-10

    Describes the hardware and software for the AZ-101 Mixer Pump Data Acquisition System. The purpose of the tank 241-AZ-101 retrieval system Data Acquisition System (DAS) is to provide monitoring and data acquisition of key parameters in order to confirm the effectiveness of the mixer pumps utilized for suspending solids in the tank. The suspension of solids in Tank 241-AZ-101 is necessary for pretreatment of the neutralized current acid waste (NCAW), and eventual disposal as glass via the Hanford Waste Vitrification Plant.

  6. System to control contamination during retrieval of buried TRU waste

    DOEpatents

    Menkhaus, Daniel E.; Loomis, Guy G.; Mullen, Carlan K.; Scott, Donald W.; Feldman, Edgar M.; Meyer, Leroy C.

    1993-01-01

    A system to control contamination during the retrieval of hazardous waste comprising an outer containment building, an inner containment building, within the outer containment building, an electrostatic radioactive particle recovery unit connected to and in communication with the inner and outer containment buildings, and a contaminate suppression system including a moisture control subsystem, and a rapid monitoring system having the ability to monitor conditions in the inner and outer containment buildings.

  7. Crawler Acquisition and Testing Demonstration Project Management Plan

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

    DEFIGH-PRICE, C.

    2000-10-23

    If the crawler based retrieval system is selected, this project management plan identifies the path forward for acquiring a crawler/track pump waste retrieval system, and completing sufficient testing to support deploying the crawler for as part of a retrieval technology demonstration for Tank 241-C-104. In the balance of the document, these activities will be referred to as the Crawler Acquisition and Testing Demonstration. During recent Tri-Party Agreement negotiations, TPA milestones were proposed for a sludge/hard heel waste retrieval demonstration in tank C-104. Specifically one of the proposed milestones requires completion of a cold demonstration of sufficient scale to support finalmore » design and testing of the equipment (M-45-03G) by 6/30/2004. A crawler-based retrieval system was one of the two options evaluated during the pre-conceptual engineering for C-104 retrieval (RPP-6843 Rev. 0). The alternative technology procurement initiated by the Hanford Tanks Initiative (HTI) project, combined with the pre-conceptual engineering for C-104 retrieval provide an opportunity to achieve compliance with the proposed TPA milestone M-45-03H. This Crawler Acquisition and Testing Demonstration project management plan identifies the plans, organizational interfaces and responsibilities, management control systems, reporting systems, timeline and requirements for the acquisition and testing of the crawler based retrieval system. This project management plan is complimentary to and supportive of the Project Management Plan for Retrieval of C-104 (RPP-6557). This project management plan focuses on utilizing and completing the efforts initiated under the Hanford Tanks Initiative (HTI) to acquire and cold test a commercial crawler based retrieval system. The crawler-based retrieval system will be purchased on a schedule to support design of the waste retrieval from tank C-104 (project W-523) and to meet the requirement of proposed TPA milestone M-45-03H. This Crawler

  8. System to control contamination during retrieval of buried TRU waste

    DOEpatents

    Menkhaus, D.E.; Loomis, G.G.; Mullen, C.K.; Scott, D.W.; Feldman, E.M.; Meyer, L.C.

    1993-04-20

    A system is described to control contamination during the retrieval of hazardous waste comprising an outer containment building, an inner containment building, within the outer containment building, an electrostatic radioactive particle recovery unit connected to and in communication with the inner and outer containment buildings, and a contaminate suppression system including a moisture control subsystem, and a rapid monitoring system having the ability to monitor conditions in the inner and outer containment buildings.

  9. Project W-211, initial tank retrieval systems, description of operations for 241-AP-102 and 241-AP-104

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

    RIECK, C.A.

    1999-02-25

    The primary purpose of the Initial Tank Retrieval Systems (ITRS) is to provide systems for retrieval of radioactive wastes stored in underground double-shell tanks (DSTS) for transfer to alternate storage, evaporation, pretreatment or treatment, while concurrently reducing risks associated with safety watch list and other DSTs. This Description of Operations (DOO) defines the control philosophy for the waste retrieval system for tanks 241-AP-102 (AP-102) and 241-AP-104 (AP-104). This DOO will provide a basis for the detailed design of the Retrieval Control System (RCS) for AP-102 and AP-104 and establishes test criteria for the RCS. The test criteria will be usedmore » during qualification testing and acceptance testing to verify operability.« less

  10. Hanford tank initiative vehicle/based waste retrieval demonstration report phase II, track 2

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

    Berglin, E.J.

    1997-07-31

    Using the versatile TracPUMpTm, Environmental Specialties Group, LLC (ES) performed a successful Phase 11 demonstration of a Vehicle- Based Waste Retrieval System (VWRS) for removal of waste material and residual liquid found in the Hanford Underground Storage Tanks (ousts). The purpose of this demonstration was to address issues pertaining to the use of a VWRS in OUSTS. The demonstration also revealed the waste removal capabilities of the TracPumpTm and the most effective techniques and equipment to safely and effectively remove waste simulants. ES successfully addressed the following primary issues: I . Dislodge and convey the waste forms present in themore » Hanford OUSTS; 2. Access the UST through tank openings as small as twenty-four inches in diameter; 3. Traverse a variety of terrains including slopes, sludges, rocks and hard, slippery surfaces without becoming mired; 4. Dislodge and convey waste within the confinement of the Decontamination Containment Capture Vessel (DCCV) and with minimal personnel exposure; 5. Decontaminate equipment to acceptable limits during retrieval from the UST; 6. Perform any required maintenance within the confinement of the DCCV; and 7. Maintain contaminate levels ``as low as reasonably achievable`` (ALARA) within the DCCV due to its crevice and comer-free design. The following materials were used to simulate the physical characteristics of wastes found in Hanford`s OUSTS: (1) Hardpan: a clay-type material that has high shear strength; (2) Saltcake: a fertilizer-based material that has high compressive strength; and (3) Wet Sludge.- a sticky, peanut- butter- like material with low shear strength. Four test beds were constructed of plywood and filled with a different simulant to a depth of eight to ten inches. Three of the test beds were of homogenous simulant material, while the fourth bed consisted of a mixture of all three simulant types.« less

  11. An Optical Disk-Based Information Retrieval System.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bender, Avi

    1988-01-01

    Discusses a pilot project by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to apply optical disk technology to the storage and retrieval of documents related to its high level waste management program. Components and features of the microcomputer-based system which provides full-text and image access to documents are described. A sample search is included.…

  12. Learning binary code via PCA of angle projection for image retrieval

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Fumeng; Ye, Zhiqiang; Wei, Xueqi; Wu, Congzhong

    2018-01-01

    With benefits of low storage costs and high query speeds, binary code representation methods are widely researched for efficiently retrieving large-scale data. In image hashing method, learning hashing function to embed highdimensions feature to Hamming space is a key step for accuracy retrieval. Principal component analysis (PCA) technical is widely used in compact hashing methods, and most these hashing methods adopt PCA projection functions to project the original data into several dimensions of real values, and then each of these projected dimensions is quantized into one bit by thresholding. The variances of different projected dimensions are different, and with real-valued projection produced more quantization error. To avoid the real-valued projection with large quantization error, in this paper we proposed to use Cosine similarity projection for each dimensions, the angle projection can keep the original structure and more compact with the Cosine-valued. We used our method combined the ITQ hashing algorithm, and the extensive experiments on the public CIFAR-10 and Caltech-256 datasets validate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

  13. Phase retrieval with Fourier-weighted projections.

    PubMed

    Guizar-Sicairos, Manuel; Fienup, James R

    2008-03-01

    In coherent lensless imaging, the presence of image sidelobes, which arise as a natural consequence of the finite nature of the detector array, was early recognized as a convergence issue for phase retrieval algorithms that rely on an object support constraint. To mitigate the problem of truncated far-field measurement, a controlled analytic continuation by means of an iterative transform algorithm with weighted projections is proposed and tested. This approach avoids the use of sidelobe reduction windows and achieves full-resolution reconstructions.

  14. Leaf cuticle topography retrieved by using fringe projection

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Martínez, Amalia; Rayas, J. A.; Cordero, Raúl R.; Balieiro, Daniela; Labbe, Fernando

    2012-02-01

    The combination (often referred to as phase-stepping profilometry, PSP) of the fringe projection technique and the phase-stepping method allowed us to retrieve topographic maps of cuticles isolated from the abaxial surface of leaves; these were in turn sampled from an apple tree ( Malus domestica) of the variety Golden Delicious. The topographic maps enabled us to assess the natural features on the illuminated surface and also to detect the whole-field spatial variations in the thickness of the cuticle. Most of our attention was paid to retrieve the highly-resolved elevation information from the cuticle surface, which included the trace (in the order of tens of micrometers) left by ribs and veins. We expect that the PSP application for retrieving the cuticle topography will facilitate further studies on the dispersion and coverage of state-of-the-art agrochemical compounds meant to improve the defending properties of the cuticle. Methodological details are provided below.

  15. Safeguards and retrievability from waste forms

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

    Danker, W.

    1996-05-01

    This report describes issues discussed at a session from the PLutonium Stabilization and Immobilization Workshop related to safeguards and retrievability from waste forms. Throughout the discussion, the group probed the goals of disposition efforts, particularly an understanding of the {open_quotes}spent fuel standard{close_quotes}, since the disposition material form derives from these goals. The group felt strongly that not only the disposition goals but safeguards to meet these goals could affect the material form. Accordingly, the Department was encouraged to explore and apply safeguards as early in the implementation process as possible. It was emphasized that this was particularly true for anymore » planned use of existing facilities. It is much easier to build safeguards approaches into the development of new facilities, than to backfit existing facilities. Accordingly, special safeguards challenges are likely to be encountered, given the cost and schedule advantages offered by use of existing facilities.« less

  16. Direct Retrieval of Exterior Orientation Parameters Using A 2-D Projective Transformation

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

    Seedahmed, Gamal H.

    2006-09-01

    Direct solutions are very attractive because they obviate the need for initial approximations associated with non-linear solutions. The Direct Linear Transformation (DLT) establishes itself as a method of choice for direct solutions in photogrammetry and other fields. The use of the DLT with coplanar object space points leads to a rank deficient model. This rank deficient model leaves the DLT defined up to a 2-D projective transformation, which makes the direct retrieval of the exterior orientation parameters (EOPs) a non-trivial task. This paper presents a novel direct algorithm to retrieve the EOPs from the 2-D projective transformation. It is basedmore » on a direct relationship between the 2-D projective transformation and the collinearity model using homogeneous coordinates representation. This representation offers a direct matrix correspondence between the 2-D projective transformation parameters and the collinearity model parameters. This correspondence lends itself to a direct matrix factorization to retrieve the EOPs. An important step in the proposed algorithm is a normalization process that provides the actual link between the 2-D projective transformation and the collinearity model. This paper explains the theoretical basis of the proposed algorithm as well as the necessary steps for its practical implementation. In addition, numerical examples are provided to demonstrate its validity.« less

  17. SEOM's Sentinel-3/OLCI' project CAWA: advanced GRASP aerosol retrieval

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dubovik, Oleg; litvinov, Pavel; Huang, Xin; Aspetsberger, Michael; Fuertes, David; Brockmann, Carsten; Fischer, Jürgen; Bojkov, Bojan

    2016-04-01

    The CAWA "Advanced Clouds, Aerosols and WAter vapour products for Sentinel-3/OLCI" ESA-SEOM project aims on the development of advanced atmospheric retrieval algorithms for the Sentinel-3/OLCI mission, and is prepared using Envisat/MERIS and Aqua/MODIS datasets. This presentation discusses mainly CAWA aerosol product developments and results. CAWA aerosol retrieval uses recently developed GRASP algorithm (Generalized Retrieval of Aerosol and Surface Properties) algorithm described by Dubovik et al. (2014). GRASP derives extended set of atmospheric parameters using multi-pixel concept - a simultaneous fitting of a large group of pixels under additional a priori constraints limiting the time variability of surface properties and spatial variability of aerosol properties. Over land GRASP simultaneously retrieves properties of both aerosol and underlying surface even over bright surfaces. GRAPS doesn't use traditional look-up-tables and performs retrieval as search in continuous space of solution. All radiative transfer calculations are performed as part of the retrieval. The results of comprehensive sensitivity tests, as well as results obtained from real Envisat/MERIS data will be presented. The tests analyze various aspects of aerosol and surface reflectance retrieval accuracy. In addition, the possibilities of retrieval improvement by means of implementing synergetic inversion of a combination of OLCI data with observations by SLSTR are explored. Both the results of numerical tests, as well as the results of processing several years of Envisat/MERIS data illustrate demonstrate reliable retrieval of AOD (Aerosol Optical Depth) and surface BRDF. Observed retrieval issues and advancements will be discussed. For example, for some situations we illustrate possibilities of retrieving aerosol absorption - property that hardly accessible from satellite observations with no multi-angular and polarimetric capabilities.

  18. Issues associated with manipulator-based waste retrieval from Hanford underground storage tanks with a preliminary review of commercial concepts

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

    Berglin, E.J.

    1996-09-17

    Westinghouse Hanford Company (WHC) is exploring commercial methods for retrieving waste from the underground storage tanks at the Hanford site in south central Washington state. WHC needs data on commercial retrieval systems equipment in order to make programmatic decisions for waste retrieval. Full system testing of retrieval processes is to be demonstrated in phases through September 1997 in support of programs aimed to Acquire Commercial Technology for Retrieval (ACTR) and at the Hanford Tanks Initiative (HTI). One of the important parts of the integrated testing will be the deployment of retrieval tools using manipulator-based systems. WHC requires an assessment ofmore » a number of commercial deployment systems that have been identified by the ACTR program as good candidates to be included in an integrated testing effort. Included in this assessment should be an independent evaluation of manipulator tests performed to date, so that WHC can construct an integrated test based on these systems. The objectives of this document are to provide a description of the need, requirements, and constraints for a manipulator-based retrieval system; to evaluate manipulator-based concepts and testing performed to date by a number of commercial organizations; and to identify issues to be resolved through testing and/or analysis for each concept.« less

  19. Waste-to-Energy Cogeneration Project, Centennial Park

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

    Johnson, Clay; Mandon, Jim; DeGiulio, Thomas

    The Waste-to-Energy Cogeneration Project at Centennial Park has allowed methane from the closed Centennial landfill to export excess power into the the local utility’s electric grid for resale. This project is part of a greater brownfield reclamation project to the benefit of the residents of Munster and the general public. Installation of a gas-to-electric generator and waste-heat conversion unit take methane byproduct and convert it into electricity at the rate of about 103,500 Mwh/year for resale to the local utility. The sale of the electricity will be used to reduce operating budgets by covering the expenses for streetlights and utilitymore » bills. The benefits of such a project are not simply financial. Munster’s Waste-to Energy Cogeneration Project at Centennial Park will reduce the community’s carbon footprint in an amount equivalent to removing 1,100 cars from our roads, conserving enough electricity to power 720 homes, planting 1,200 acres of trees, or recycling 2,000 tons of waste instead of sending it to a landfill.« less

  20. Initial retrieval sequence and blending strategy

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

    Pemwell, D.L.; Grenard, C.E.

    1996-09-01

    This report documents the initial retrieval sequence and the methodology used to select it. Waste retrieval, storage, pretreatment and vitrification were modeled for candidate single-shell tank retrieval sequences. Performance of the sequences was measured by a set of metrics (for example,high-level waste glass volume, relative risk and schedule).Computer models were used to evaluate estimated glass volumes,process rates, retrieval dates, and blending strategy effects.The models were based on estimates of component inventories and concentrations, sludge wash factors and timing, retrieval annex limitations, etc.

  1. Waste diminution in Construction projects: Environmental Predicaments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gharehbaghi, Koorosh; Scott-Young, Christina

    2018-03-01

    Waste diminution in construction projects is not only a behavioural issue, but also an energy consumption and reduction concern. With construction waste equating to the significant amount of exhausted energy together with increased pollution, this contributes to a series of environmental predicaments. The overall goal of construction solid Waste Management is to collect, treat and dispose of solid wastes generated by project activities in an environmentally and socially satisfactory manner, using the most economical means available. As cities expand, their construction activities and consumption patterns further drive up the solid waste quantities. Governments are usually authorized to have responsibility for providing solid Waste Management services, and various administrative laws give them exclusive ownership over the waste produced. In addition, construction waste processing can be further controlled and minimized according to specialized authorities such as Environmental Protection Agencies (EPA) and their relevant acts and regulations. Moreover, a Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP) can further control the treatment of waste and therefore, reduce the amount produced. Key elements of a CEMP not only include complying with relevant legislation, standards and guidance from the EPA; however, also to ensuring that there are systems in place to resolve any potential problems associated with site activities. Accordingly, as a part of energy consumption and lessening strategies, this paper will discuss various effective waste reduction methods for construction projects. Finally, this paper will also examine tactics to further improve energy efficiency through innovative construction Waste Management strategies (including desirability rating of most favourable options) to promote the lessening of overall CO2production.

  2. Determinants of sustainability in solid waste management--the Gianyar Waste Recovery Project in Indonesia.

    PubMed

    Zurbrügg, Christian; Gfrerer, Margareth; Ashadi, Henki; Brenner, Werner; Küper, David

    2012-11-01

    According to most experts, integrated and sustainable solid waste management should not only be given top priority, but must go beyond technical aspects to include various key elements of sustainability to ensure success of any solid waste project. Aside from project sustainable impacts, the overall enabling environment is the key feature determining performance and success of an integrated and affordable solid waste system. This paper describes a project-specific approach to assess typical success or failure factors. A questionnaire-based assessment method covers issues of: (i) social mobilisation and acceptance (social element), (ii) stakeholder, legal and institutional arrangements comprising roles, responsibilities and management functions (institutional element); (iii) financial and operational requirements, as well as cost recovery mechanisms (economic element). The Gianyar Waste Recovery Project in Bali, Indonesia was analysed using this integrated assessment method. The results clearly identified chief characteristics, key factors to consider when planning country wide replication but also major barriers and obstacles which must be overcome to ensure project sustainability. The Gianyar project consists of a composting unit processing 60 tons of municipal waste per day from 500,000 inhabitants, including manual waste segregation and subsequent composting of the biodegradable organic fraction. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Transuranic Waste Program Framework Agreement - December Deliverable July 2012

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

    Jones, Patricia

    Framework agreement deliverables are: (1) 'DOE/NNSA commits to complete removal of all non-cemented above-ground EM Legacy TRU and newly generated TRU currently-stored at Area G as of October 1, 2011, by no later than June 30, 2014. This inventory of above-ground TRU is defined as 3706 cubic meters of material.' (2) 'DOE commits to the complete removal of all newly generated TRU received in Area G during FY 2012 and 2013 by no later than December 31, 2014.' (3) 'Based on projected funding profiles, DOE/NNSA will develop by December 31, 2012, a schedule, including pacing milestones, for disposition of themore » below-ground TRU requiring retrieval at Area G.' Objectives are to: (1) restore the 'Core Team' to develop the December, 2012 deliverable; (2) obtain agreement on the strategy for below ground water disposition; and (3) establish timeline for completion of the deliverable. Below Grade Waste Strategy is to: (1) Perform an evaluation on below grade waste currently considered retrievable TRU; (2) Only commit to retrieve waste that must be retrieved; (3) Develop the Deliverable including Pacing Milestones based on planned commitments; (4) Align all Regulatory Documents for Consistency; and (5) answer these 3 primary questions, is the waste TRU; is the waste retrievable, can retrieval cause more harm than benefit?« less

  4. Determinants of sustainability in solid waste management - The Gianyar Waste Recovery Project in Indonesia

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

    Zurbruegg, Christian, E-mail: zurbrugg@eawag.ch; Gfrerer, Margareth, E-mail: margareth.gfrerer@gmx.net; Ashadi, Henki, E-mail: henki@eng.ui.ac.id

    2012-11-15

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Our assessment tool helps evaluate success factors in solid waste projects. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Success of the composting plant in Indonesia is linked to its community integration. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Appropriate technology is not a main determining success factor for sustainability. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Structured assessment of 'best practices' can enhance replication in other cities. - Abstract: According to most experts, integrated and sustainable solid waste management should not only be given top priority, but must go beyond technical aspects to include various key elements of sustainability to ensure success of any solid waste project. Aside from project sustainable impacts, the overall enabling environmentmore » is the key feature determining performance and success of an integrated and affordable solid waste system. This paper describes a project-specific approach to assess typical success or failure factors. A questionnaire-based assessment method covers issues of: (i) social mobilisation and acceptance (social element), (ii) stakeholder, legal and institutional arrangements comprising roles, responsibilities and management functions (institutional element); (iii) financial and operational requirements, as well as cost recovery mechanisms (economic element). The Gianyar Waste Recovery Project in Bali, Indonesia was analysed using this integrated assessment method. The results clearly identified chief characteristics, key factors to consider when planning country wide replication but also major barriers and obstacles which must be overcome to ensure project sustainability. The Gianyar project consists of a composting unit processing 60 tons of municipal waste per day from 500,000 inhabitants, including manual waste segregation and subsequent composting of the biodegradable organic fraction.« less

  5. Project Management Plan for the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Experimental Test Program

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

    Connolly, M.J.; Sayer, D.L.

    1993-11-01

    EG&G Idaho, Inc. and Argonne National Laboratory-West (ANL-W) are participating in the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory`s (INEL`s) Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) Experimental Test Program (WETP). The purpose of the INEL WET is to provide chemical, physical, and radiochemical data on transuranic (TRU) waste to be stored at WIPP. The waste characterization data collected will be used to support the WIPP Performance Assessment (PA), development of the disposal No-Migration Variance Petition (NMVP), and to support the WIPP disposal decision. The PA is an analysis required by the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Title 40, Part 191 (40 CFR 191), whichmore » identifies the processes and events that may affect the disposal system (WIPP) and examines the effects of those processes and events on the performance of WIPP. A NMVP is required for the WIPP by 40 CFR 268 in order to dispose of land disposal restriction (LDR) mixed TRU waste in WIPP. It is anticipated that the detailed Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) waste characterization data of all INEL retrievably-stored TRU waste to be stored in WIPP will be required for the NMVP. Waste characterization requirements for PA and RCRA may not necessarily be identical. Waste characterization requirements for the PA will be defined by Sandia National Laboratories. The requirements for RCRA are defined in 40 CFR 268, WIPP RCRA Part B Application Waste Analysis Plan (WAP), and WIPP Waste Characterization Program Plan (WWCP). This Project Management Plan (PMP) addresses only the characterization of the contact handled (CH) TRU waste at the INEL. This document will address all work in which EG&G Idaho is responsible concerning the INEL WETP. Even though EG&G Idaho has no responsibility for the work that ANL-W is performing, EG&G Idaho will keep a current status and provide a project coordination effort with ANL-W to ensure that the INEL, as a whole, is effectively and efficiently completing the requirements

  6. Precise and Efficient Retrieval of Captioned Images: The MARIE Project.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rowe, Neil C.

    1999-01-01

    The MARIE project explores knowledge-based information retrieval of captioned images of the kind found in picture libraries and on the Internet. MARIE's five-part approach exploits the idea that images are easier to understand with context, especially descriptive text near them, but it also does image analysis. Experiments show MARIE prototypes…

  7. The S-curve for forecasting waste generation in construction projects.

    PubMed

    Lu, Weisheng; Peng, Yi; Chen, Xi; Skitmore, Martin; Zhang, Xiaoling

    2016-10-01

    Forecasting construction waste generation is the yardstick of any effort by policy-makers, researchers, practitioners and the like to manage construction and demolition (C&D) waste. This paper develops and tests an S-curve model to indicate accumulative waste generation as a project progresses. Using 37,148 disposal records generated from 138 building projects in Hong Kong in four consecutive years from January 2011 to June 2015, a wide range of potential S-curve models are examined, and as a result, the formula that best fits the historical data set is found. The S-curve model is then further linked to project characteristics using artificial neural networks (ANNs) so that it can be used to forecast waste generation in future construction projects. It was found that, among the S-curve models, cumulative logistic distribution is the best formula to fit the historical data. Meanwhile, contract sum, location, public-private nature, and duration can be used to forecast construction waste generation. The study provides contractors with not only an S-curve model to forecast overall waste generation before a project commences, but also with a detailed baseline to benchmark and manage waste during the course of construction. The major contribution of this paper is to the body of knowledge in the field of construction waste generation forecasting. By examining it with an S-curve model, the study elevates construction waste management to a level equivalent to project cost management where the model has already been readily accepted as a standard tool. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. TWRS Retrieval and Storage Mission and Immobilized Low Activity Waste (ILAW) Disposal Plan

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

    BURBANK, D.A.

    This project plan has a twofold purpose. First, it provides a waste stream project plan specific to the River Protection Project (RPP) (formerly the Tank Waste Remediation System [TWRS] Project) Immobilized Low-Activity Waste (LAW) Disposal Subproject for the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) that meets the requirements of Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (Tri-Party Agreement) Milestone M-90-01 (Ecology et al. 1994) and is consistent with the project plan content guidelines found in Section 11.5 of the Tri-Party Agreement action plan (Ecology et al. 1998). Second, it provides an upper tier document that can be used as themore » basis for future subproject line-item construction management plans. The planning elements for the construction management plans are derived from applicable U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) planning guidance documents (DOE Orders 4700.1 [DOE 1992] and 430.1 [DOE 1995a]). The format and content of this project plan are designed to accommodate the requirements mentioned by the Tri-Party Agreement and the DOE orders. A cross-check matrix is provided in Appendix A to explain where in the plan project planning elements required by Section 11.5 of the Tri-Party Agreement are addressed.« less

  9. Project characteristics monitoring report: BWIP (Basalt Waste Isolation Program) repository project

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

    Friedli, E.A.; Herborn, D.I.; Taylor, C.D.

    1988-03-01

    This monitoring report has been prepared to show compliance with provisions of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 (NWPA) and to provide local and state government agencies with information concerning the Basalt Waste Isolation Program (BWIP). This report contains data for the time period May 26, 1986 to February 1988. The data include employment figures, salaries, project purchases, taxes and fees paid, worker survey results, and project closedown personal interview summaries. This information has become particularly important since the decision in December 1987 to stop all BWIP activities except those for site reclamation. The Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Actmore » of 1987 requires nonreclamation work at the Hanford Site to stop as of March 22, 1988. 7 refs., 6 figs., 28 tabs.« less

  10. Mapping of information and identification of construction waste at project life cycle

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wibowo, Mochamad Agung; Handayani, Naniek Utami; Nurdiana, Asri; Sholeh, Moh Nur; Pamungkas, Gita Silvia

    2018-03-01

    The development of construction project towards green construction is needed in order to improve the efficiency of construction projects. One that needs to be minimized is construction waste. Construction waste is waste generated from construction project activities, both solid waste and non solid waste. More specifically, the waste happens at every phase of the project life cycle. Project life cycle are the stage of idea, design, construction, and operation/maintenance. Each phase is managed by different stakeholders. Therefore it requires special handling from the involved stakeholders. The objective of the study is to map the information and identify the waste at each phase of the project life cycle. The purpose of mapping is to figure out the process of information and product flow and with its timeline. This mapping used Value Stream Mapping (VSM). Identification of waste was done by distributing questionnaire to respondents to know the waste according to owner, consultant planner, contractor, and supervisory consultant. The result of the study is the mapping of information flow and product flow at the phases of idea, design, construction, and operation/ maintenance.

  11. Waste Management Project fiscal year 1998 multi-year work plan, WBS 1.2

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

    Jacobsen, P.H.

    The Waste Management Project manages and integrates (non-TWRS) waste management activities at the site. Activities include management of Hanford wastes as well as waste transferred to Hanford from other DOE, Department of Defense, or other facilities. This work includes handling, treatment, storage, and disposal of radioactive, nonradioactive, hazardous, and mixed solid and liquid wastes. Major Waste Management Projects are the Solid Waste Project, Liquid Effluents Project, and Analytical Services. Existing facilities (e.g., grout vaults and canyons) shall be evaluated for reuse for these purposes to the maximum extent possible.

  12. SECONDARY WASTE MANAGEMENT FOR HANFORD EARLY LOW ACTIVITY WASTE VITRIFICATION

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

    UNTERREINER BJ

    2008-07-18

    More than 200 million liters (53 million gallons) of highly radioactive and hazardous waste is stored at the U.S. Department of Energy's Hanford Site in southeastern Washington State. The DOE's Hanford Site River Protection Project (RPP) mission includes tank waste retrieval, waste treatment, waste disposal, and tank farms closure activities. This mission will largely be accomplished by the construction and operation of three large treatment facilities at the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP): (1) a Pretreatment (PT) facility intended to separate the tank waste into High Level Waste (HLW) and Low Activity Waste (LAW); (2) a HLW vitrification facilitymore » intended to immobilize the HLW for disposal at a geologic repository in Yucca Mountain; and (3) a LAW vitrification facility intended to immobilize the LAW for shallow land burial at Hanford's Integrated Disposal Facility (IDF). The LAW facility is on target to be completed in 2014, five years prior to the completion of the rest of the WTP. In order to gain experience in the operation of the LAW vitrification facility, accelerate retrieval from single-shell tank (SST) farms, and hasten the completion of the LAW immobilization, it has been proposed to begin treatment of the low-activity waste five years before the conclusion of the WTP's construction. A challenge with this strategy is that the stream containing the LAW vitrification facility off-gas treatment condensates will not have the option of recycling back to pretreatment, and will instead be treated by the Hanford Effluent Treatment Facility (ETF). Here the off-gas condensates will be immobilized into a secondary waste form; ETF solid waste.« less

  13. Supplemental design requirements document, Multifunction Waste Tank Facility, Project W-236A. Revision 1

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

    Groth, B.D.

    The Multi-Function Waste Tank Facility (MWTF) consists of four, nominal 1 million gallon, underground double-shell tanks, located in the 200-East area, and two tanks of the same capacity in the 200-West area. MWTF will provide environmentally safe storage capacity for wastes generated during remediation/retrieval activities of existing waste storage tanks. This document delineates in detail the information to be used for effective implementation of the Functional Design Criteria requirements.

  14. Conservaton and retrieval of information

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

    Jensen, M.

    This is a summary of the findings of a Nordic working group formed in 1990 and given the task of establishing a basis for a common Nordic view of the need for information conservation for nuclear waste repositories by investigating the following: (1) the type of information that should be conserved; (2) the form in which the information should be kept; (3) the quality of the information as regards both type and form; and (4) the problems of future retrieval of information, including retrieval after very long periods of time. High-level waste from nuclear power generation will remain radioactive formore » very long times even though the major part of the radioactivity will have decayed within 1000 yr. Certain information about the waste must be kept for long time periods because future generations may-intentionally or inadvertently-come into contact with the radioactive waste. Current day waste management would benefit from an early identification of documents to be part of an archive for radioactive waste repositories. The same reasoning is valid for repositories for other toxic wastes.« less

  15. Sustainable waste management in Africa through CDM projects.

    PubMed

    Couth, R; Trois, C

    2012-11-01

    Only few Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects (traditionally focussed on landfill gas combustion) have been registered in Africa if compared to similar developing countries. The waste hierarchy adopted by many African countries clearly shows that waste recycling and composting projects are generally the most sustainable. This paper undertakes a sustainability assessment for practical waste treatment and disposal scenarios for Africa and makes recommendations for consideration. The appraisal in this paper demonstrates that mechanical biological treatment of waste becomes more financially attractive if established through the CDM process. Waste will continue to be dumped in Africa with increasing greenhouse gas emissions produced, unless industrialised countries (Annex 1) fund carbon emission reduction schemes through a replacement to the Kyoto Protocol. Such a replacement should calculate all of the direct and indirect carbon emission savings and seek to promote public-private partnerships through a concerted support of the informal sector. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Use of a Knowledge Management System in Waste Management Projects

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

    Gruendler, D.; Boetsch, W.U.; Holzhauer, U.

    2006-07-01

    In Germany the knowledge management system 'WasteInfo' about waste management and disposal issues has been developed and implemented. Beneficiaries of 'WasteInfo' are official decision makers having access to a large information pool. The information pool is fed by experts, so called authors This means compiling of information, evaluation and assigning of appropriate properties (metadata) to this information. The knowledge management system 'WasteInfo' has been introduced at the WM04, the operation of 'WasteInfo' at the WM05. The recent contribution describes the additional advantage of the KMS being used as a tool for the dealing with waste management projects. This specific aspectmore » will be demonstrated using a project concerning a comparative analysis of the implementation of repositories in six countries using nuclear power as examples: The information of 'WasteInfo' is assigned to categories and structured according to its origin and type of publication. To use 'WasteInfo' as a tool for the processing the projects, a suitable set of categories has to be developed for each project. Apart from technical and scientific aspects, the selected project deals with repository strategies and policies in various countries, with the roles of applicants and authorities in licensing procedures, with safety philosophy and with socio-economic concerns. This new point of view has to be modelled in the categories. Similar to this, new sources of information such as local and regional dailies or particular web-sites have to be taken into consideration. In this way 'WasteInfo' represents an open document which reflects the current status of the respective repository policy in several countries. Information with particular meaning for the German repository planning is marked and by this may influence the German strategy. (authors)« less

  17. A model for quantifying construction waste in projects according to the European waste list.

    PubMed

    Llatas, C

    2011-06-01

    The new EU challenge is to recover 70% by weight of C&D waste in 2020. Literature reveals that one major barrier is the lack of data. Therefore, this paper presents a model which allows technicians to estimate C&D waste during the design stage in order to promote prevention and recovery. The types and quantities of CW are estimated and managed according to EU guidelines, by building elements and specifically for each project. The model would allow detection of the source of the waste and to adopt other alternative procedures which delete hazardous waste and reduce CW. Likewise, it develops a systematic structure of the construction process, a waste classification system and some analytical expressions which are based on factors. These factors depend on technology and represent a standard on site. It would allow to develop a database of waste anywhere. A Spanish case study is covered. Factors were obtained by studying over 20 dwellings. The source and types of packaging waste, remains, soil and hazardous waste were estimated in detail and were compared with other studies. Results reveal that the model can be implemented in projects and the chances of reducing and recovery C&D waste could be increased, well above the EU challenge. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Reducing construction waste: A study of urban infrastructure projects.

    PubMed

    de Magalhães, Ruane Fernandes; Danilevicz, Ângela de Moura Ferreira; Saurin, Tarcisio Abreu

    2017-09-01

    The construction industry is well-known for producing waste detrimental to the environment, and its impacts have increased with the development process of cities. Although there are several studies focused on the environmental impact of residential and commercial buildings, less knowledge is available regarding decreasing construction waste (CW) generation in urban infrastructure projects. This study presents best practices to reduce waste in the said projects, stressing the role of decision-making in the design stage and the effective management of construction processes in public sector. The best practices were identified from literature review, document analysis in 14 projects of urban infrastructure, and both qualitative and quantitative survey with 18 experts (architects and engineers) playing different roles on those projects. The contributions of these research are: (i) the identification of the main building techniques related to the urban design typologies analyzed; (ii) the identification of cause-effect relationships between the design choices and the CW generation diagnosis; (iii) the proposal of a checklist to support the decision-making process, that can be used as a control and evaluation instrument when developing urban infrastructure designs, focused on the construction waste minimization (CWM). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Optimisation of the Management of Higher Activity Waste in the UK - 13537

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

    Walsh, Ciara; Buckley, Matthew

    2013-07-01

    The Upstream Optioneering project was created in the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (UK) to support the development and implementation of significant opportunities to optimise activities across all the phases of the Higher Activity Waste management life cycle (i.e. retrieval, characterisation, conditioning, packaging, storage, transport and disposal). The objective of the Upstream Optioneering project is to work in conjunction with other functions within NDA and the waste producers to identify and deliver solutions to optimise the management of higher activity waste. Historically, optimisation may have occurred on aspects of the waste life cycle (considered here to include retrieval, conditioning, treatment, packaging, interimmore » storage, transport to final end state, which may be geological disposal). By considering the waste life cycle as a whole, critical analysis of assumed constraints may lead to cost savings for the UK Tax Payer. For example, it may be possible to challenge the requirements for packaging wastes for disposal to deliver an optimised waste life cycle. It is likely that the challenges faced in the UK are shared in other countries. It is therefore likely that the opportunities identified may also apply elsewhere, with the potential for sharing information to enable value to be shared. (authors)« less

  20. Flowsheets and source terms for radioactive waste projections

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

    Forsberg, C.W.

    1985-03-01

    Flowsheets and source terms used to generate radioactive waste projections in the Integrated Data Base (IDB) Program are given. Volumes of each waste type generated per unit product throughput have been determined for the following facilities: uranium mining, UF/sub 6/ conversion, uranium enrichment, fuel fabrication, boiling-water reactors (BWRs), pressurized-water reactors (PWRs), and fuel reprocessing. Source terms for DOE/defense wastes have been developed. Expected wastes from typical decommissioning operations for each facility type have been determined. All wastes are also characterized by isotopic composition at time of generation and by general chemical composition. 70 references, 21 figures, 53 tables.

  1. Waste management CDM projects barriers NVivo 10® qualitative dataset.

    PubMed

    Bufoni, André Luiz; de Sousa Ferreira, Aracéli Cristina; Oliveira, Luciano Basto

    2017-12-01

    This article contains one NVivo 10® file with the complete 432 projects design documents (PDD) of seven waste management sector industries registered as Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) under United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Kyoto Protocol Initiative from 2004 to 2014. All data analyses and sample statistics made during the research remain in the file. We coded PDDs in 890 fragments of text, classified in five categories of barriers (nodes): technological, financial, human resources, regulatory, socio-political. The data supports the findings of author thesis [1] and other two indexed publication in Waste Management Journal: "The financial attractiveness assessment of large waste management projects registered as clean development mechanism" and "The declared barriers of the large developing countries waste management projects: The STAR model" [2], [3]. The data allows any computer assisted qualitative content analysis (CAQCA) on the sector and it is available at Mendeley [4].

  2. The role of intergenerational influence in waste education programmes: The THAW project

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

    Maddox, P.; Doran, C.; Williams, I.D., E-mail: idw@soton.ac.uk

    Highlights: > Children can be effective advocates in changing their parents' lifestyles. > We investigated the role of intergenerational influence in waste education programmes. > Waste Watch's Take Home Action on Waste project worked with 6705 children in 39 schools. > The results showed increased participation in recycling and declines in residual waste. > The study shows that recycling behaviour is positively impacted by intergenerational influence. - Abstract: Whilst the education of young people is often seen as a part of the solution to current environmental problems seeking urgent attention, it is often forgotten that their parents and other householdmore » members can also be educated/influenced via home-based educational activities. This paper explores the theory of intergenerational influence in relation to school based waste education. Waste Watch, a UK-based environmental charity ((www.wastewatch.org.uk)), has pioneered a model that uses practical activities and whole school involvement to promote school based action on waste. This methodology has been adopted nationally. This paper outlines and evaluates how effective school based waste education is in promoting action at a household level. The paper outlines Waste Watch's 'Taking Home Action on Waste (THAW)' project carried out for two and half years in Rotherham, a town in South Yorkshire, England. The project worked with 6705 primary age children in 39 schools (44% of primary schools in the project area) to enable them to take the 'reduce, reuse and recycle message' home to their families and to engage these (i.e. families) in sustainable waste management practices. As well as substantial increases in students' knowledge and understanding of waste reduction, measurement of the impact of the project in areas around 12 carefully chosen sample schools showed evidence of increased participation in recycling and recycling tonnages as well as declining levels of residual waste. Following delivery of the

  3. Environmental Factor{trademark} system: RCRA hazardous waste handler information

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

    NONE

    1999-03-01

    Environmental Factor{trademark} RCRA Hazardous Waste Handler Information on CD-ROM unleashes the invaluable information found in two key EPA data sources on hazardous waste handlers and offers cradle-to-grave waste tracking. It`s easy to search and display: (1) Permit status, design capacity and compliance history for facilities found in the EPA Resource Conservation and Recovery Information System (RCRIS) program tracking database; (2) Detailed information on hazardous wastes generation, management and minimization by companies who are large quantity generators, and (3) Data on the waste management practices of treatment, storage and disposal (TSD) facilities from the EPA Biennial Reporting System which is collectedmore » every other year. Environmental Factor`s powerful database retrieval system lets you: (1) Search for RCRA facilities by permit type, SIC code, waste codes, corrective action or violation information, TSD status, generator and transporter status and more; (2) View compliance information -- dates of evaluation, violation, enforcement and corrective action; (3) Lookup facilities by waste processing categories of marketing, transporting, processing and energy recovery; (4) Use owner/operator information and names, titles and telephone numbers of project managers for prospecting; and (5) Browse detailed data on TSD facility and large quantity generators` activities such as onsite waste treatment, disposal, or recycling, offsite waste received, and waste generation and management. The product contains databases, search and retrieval software on two CD-ROMs, an installation diskette and User`s Guide. Environmental Factor has online context-sensitive help from any screen and a printed User`s Guide describing installation and step-by-step procedures for searching, retrieving and exporting. Hotline support is also available for no additional charge.« less

  4. 75 FR 54631 - Proposed Approval of the Central Characterization Project's Transuranic Waste Characterization...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-09-08

    ... Central Characterization Project's Transuranic Waste Characterization Program at the Hanford Site AGENCY...) waste characterization program implemented by the Central Characterization Project (CCP) at the Hanford... characterization of TRU debris waste from Hanford-CCP during an inspection conducted on April 27-29, 2010. Using...

  5. SELENIUM TREATMENT/REMOVAL ALTERNATIVES DEMONSTRATION PROJECT - MINE WASTE TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM ACTIVITY III, PROJECT 20

    EPA Science Inventory

    This document is the final report for EPA's Mine WAste Technology Program (MWTP) Activity III, Project 20--Selenium Treatment/Removal Alternatives Demonstration project. Selenium contamination originates from many sources including mining operations, mineral processing, abandoned...

  6. RESULTS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT (EM) CORPORATE PROJECT TEAM DISPOSING WASTE & REDUCING RISK

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

    SHRADER, T.A.; KNERR, R.

    2005-01-31

    In 2002, the US Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM) released the Top-To-Bottom Review of cognizant clean-up activities around the DOE Complex. The review contained a number of recommendations for changing the way EM operates in order to reduce environmental risk by significantly accelerating clean-up at the DOE-EM sites. In order to develop and implement these recommendations, a number of corporate project teams were formed to identify, evaluate, and initiate implementation of alternatives for the different aspects of clean-up. In August 2002, a corporate team was formed to review all aspects of the management, treatment, and disposalmore » of low level radioactive waste (LLW), mixed low level radioactive waste (MLLW), transuranic waste (TRU), and hazardous waste (HW). Over the next 21 months, the Corporate Project Team: Disposing Waste, Reducing Risk, developed a number of alternatives for implementing the recommendations of the Top-To-Bottom Review based on information developed during numerous site visits and interviews with complex and industry personnel. With input from over a dozen EM sites at various stages of clean-up, the team identified the barriers to the treatment and disposal of low level waste, mixed low level waste, and transuranic waste. Once identified, preliminary design alternatives were developed and presented to the Acquisition Authority (for this project, the Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management) for review and approval. Once the preliminary design was approved, the team down selected to seven key alternatives which were subsequently fully developed in the Project Execution Plan. The seven most viable alternatives were: (1) creation of an Executive Waste Disposal Board; (2) projectizing the disposal of low level waste and mixed low level waste; (3) creation of a National Consolidation and Acceleration Facility for waste; (4) improvements to the Broad Spectrum contract; (5) improvements to the

  7. The role of intergenerational influence in waste education programmes: the THAW project.

    PubMed

    Maddox, P; Doran, C; Williams, I D; Kus, M

    2011-12-01

    Whilst the education of young people is often seen as a part of the solution to current environmental problems seeking urgent attention, it is often forgotten that their parents and other household members can also be educated/influenced via home-based educational activities. This paper explores the theory of intergenerational influence in relation to school based waste education. Waste Watch, a UK-based environmental charity (www.wastewatch.org.uk), has pioneered a model that uses practical activities and whole school involvement to promote school based action on waste. This methodology has been adopted nationally. This paper outlines and evaluates how effective school based waste education is in promoting action at a household level. The paper outlines Waste Watch's 'Taking Home Action on Waste (THAW)' project carried out for two and half years in Rotherham, a town in South Yorkshire, England. The project worked with 6705 primary age children in 39 schools (44% of primary schools in the project area) to enable them to take the "reduce, reuse and recycle message" home to their families and to engage these (i.e. families) in sustainable waste management practices. As well as substantial increases in students' knowledge and understanding of waste reduction, measurement of the impact of the project in areas around 12 carefully chosen sample schools showed evidence of increased participation in recycling and recycling tonnages as well as declining levels of residual waste. Following delivery of the project in these areas, an average increase of 8.6% was recorded in recycling set out rates which led to a 4.3% increase in paper recycling tonnages and an 8.7% increase in tonnages of cans, glass and textiles collected for recycling. Correspondingly, there was a 4.5% fall in tonnages of residual waste. Waste Watch's THAW project was the first serious attempt to measure the intergenerational influence of an education programme on behaviour at home (i.e. other than schools

  8. The new Wallula CO2 project may revive the old Columbia River Basalt (western USA) nuclear-waste repository project

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schwartz, Michael O.

    2018-02-01

    A novel CO2 sequestration project at Wallula, Washington, USA, makes ample use of the geoscientific data collection of the old nuclear waste repository project at the Hanford Site nearby. Both projects target the Columbia River Basalt (CRB). The new publicity for the old project comes at a time when the approach to high-level nuclear waste disposal has undergone fundamental changes. The emphasis now is on a technical barrier that is chemically compatible with the host rock. In the ideal case, the waste container is in thermodynamic equilibrium with the host-rock groundwater regime. The CRB groundwater has what it takes to represent the ideal case.

  9. 76 FR 62062 - Proposed Approval of the Central Characterization Project's Remote-Handled Transuranic Waste...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-10-06

    ... Central Characterization Project's Remote-Handled Transuranic Waste Characterization Program at Sandia..., remote-handled (RH), transuranic (TRU) waste characterization program implemented by the Central Characterization Project (CCP) at Sandia National Laboratory (SNL) in Albuquerque, New Mexico. This waste is...

  10. Solid waste information and tracking system server conversion project management plan

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

    MAY, D.L.

    1999-04-12

    The Project Management Plan governing the conversion of Solid Waste Information and Tracking System (SWITS) to a client-server architecture. The Solid Waste Information and Tracking System Project Management Plan (PMP) describes the background, planning and management of the SWITS conversion. Requirements and specification documentation needed for the SWITS conversion will be released as supporting documents.

  11. 76 FR 33277 - Proposed Approval of the Central Characterization Project's Remote-Handled Transuranic Waste...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-06-08

    ... Central Characterization Project's Remote-Handled Transuranic Waste Characterization Program at Bettis... radioactive remote-handled (RH) transuranic (TRU) waste characterization program implemented by the Central Characterization Project (CCP) at Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory (BAPL) in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania. This waste...

  12. 241-AZ-101 Waste Tank Color Video Camera System Shop Acceptance Test Report

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

    WERRY, S.M.

    2000-03-23

    This report includes shop acceptance test results. The test was performed prior to installation at tank AZ-101. Both the camera system and camera purge system were originally sought and procured as a part of initial waste retrieval project W-151.

  13. PRESENT CONDITION OF FOOD WASTE RECYCLING LOOP BASED ON RECYCLING PROJECT CERTIFICATION OF THE FOOD WASTE RECYCLING LAW

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kita, Tomoko; Kanaya, Ken

    Purpose of this research is to clear present condition of food waste recycling loops based on recycling project certification of the Food Waste Recycling Law. Method of this research is questionnaire survey to companies constituting the loops. Findings of this research are as follows: 1. Proponents of the loop is most often the recycling companies. 2. Food waste recycling rate is 61% for the food retailing industry and 81% for the food service industry. These values are higher than the national average in 2006. The effect of the revision of recycling project certification is suggested.

  14. Tank waste remediation system retrieval and disposal mission readiness-to-proceed responses to internal independent assessment

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

    Schaus, P.S.

    1998-01-06

    The US Department of Energy (DOE) is planning to make critical decisions during fiscal year (FY) 1998 regarding privatization contracts for the treatment of Hanford tank waste. Specifically, DOE, Richland Operations Office (RL), will make decisions related to proceeding with Phase 1 Privatization. In support of these decisions, the management and integration (M+I) contractor must be able to meet the requirements to support the Phase 1 privatization contractors. As part of the assessment of the Tank Waste Retrieval (TWR) Readiness-To-Proceed (RTP), an independent review of their process and products was required by the RL letter of August 8, 1997. Themore » Independent Review Team reviewed the adequacy of the planning that has been done by the M+I contractor to validate that, if the plans are carried out, there is reasonable assurance of success. Overall, the RTP Independent Review Team concluded that, if the planning by the M+I contractor team is carried out with adequate funding, there is reasonable assurance that the M+I contractor will be able to deliver waste to the privatization contractor for the duration of Phase 1. This conclusion was based on addressing the recommendations contained in the Independent Review Team`s Final Report and in the individual Criteria and Review Approach (CRA) forms completed during the assessment. The purpose of this report is to formally document the independent assessment and the RTP team responses to the Independent Review Team recommendations. It also provides closure logics for selected recommendations from a Lockheed Martin Hanford Corporation (LMHC) internal assessment of the Technical Basis Review (TBR) packages. This report contains the RTP recommendation closure process (Section 2.0); the closure tables (Section 3.0) which provide traceability between each review team recommendation and its corresponding Project Hanford Management Contract closure logic; and two attachments that formally document the Independent Review

  15. Projections for fast protein structure retrieval

    PubMed Central

    Bhattacharya, Sourangshu; Bhattacharyya, Chiranjib; Chandra, Nagasuma R

    2006-01-01

    Background In recent times, there has been an exponential rise in the number of protein structures in databases e.g. PDB. So, design of fast algorithms capable of querying such databases is becoming an increasingly important research issue. This paper reports an algorithm, motivated from spectral graph matching techniques, for retrieving protein structures similar to a query structure from a large protein structure database. Each protein structure is specified by the 3D coordinates of residues of the protein. The algorithm is based on a novel characterization of the residues, called projections, leading to a similarity measure between the residues of the two proteins. This measure is exploited to efficiently compute the optimal equivalences. Results Experimental results show that, the current algorithm outperforms the state of the art on benchmark datasets in terms of speed without losing accuracy. Search results on SCOP 95% nonredundant database, for fold similarity with 5 proteins from different SCOP classes show that the current method performs competitively with the standard algorithm CE. The algorithm is also capable of detecting non-topological similarities between two proteins which is not possible with most of the state of the art tools like Dali. PMID:17254310

  16. Hanford solid-waste handling facility strategy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Albaugh, J. F.

    1982-05-01

    Prior to 1970, transuranic (TRU) solid waste was disposed of at Hanford by shallow land burial. Since 1970, TRU solid waste has been stored in near surface trenches designed to facilitate retrieval after twenty year storage period. Current strategy calls for final disposal in a geologic repository. Funding permitting, in 1983, certification of newly generated TRU waste to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) criteria for geologic disposal will be initiated. Certified and uncertified waste will continue to be stored at Hanford in retrievable storage until a firm schedule for shipment to WIPP is developed. Previously stored wastes retrieved for geologic disposal and newly generated uncertified waste requires processing to assure compliance with disposal criteria. A facility to perform this function is being developed. A study to determine the requirements of this Waste Receiving and Processing (WRAP) Facility is currently being conducted.

  17. Functions and requirements for tank farm restoration and safe operations, Project W-314. Revision 3

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

    Garrison, R.C.

    1995-02-01

    This Functions and Requirements document (FRD) establishes the basic performance criteria for Project W-314, in accordance with the guidance outlined in the letter from R.W. Brown, RL, to President, WHC, ``Tank Waste Remediation System (TWRS) Project Documentation Methodology,`` 94-PRJ-018, dated 3/18/94. The FRD replaces the Functional Design Criteria (FDC) as the project technical baseline documentation. Project W-314 will improve the reliability of safety related systems, minimize onsite health and safety hazards, and support waste retrieval and disposal activities by restoring and/or upgrading existing Tank Farm facilities and systems. The scope of Project W-314 encompasses the necessary restoration upgrades of themore » Tank Farms` instrumentation, ventilation, electrical distribution, and waste transfer systems.« less

  18. Rethink Disposable: Packaging Waste Source Reduction Pilot Project

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Information about the SFBWQP Rethink Disposable: Packaging Waste Source Reduction Pilot Project, part of an EPA competitive grant program to improve SF Bay water quality focused on restoring impaired waters and enhancing aquatic resources.

  19. Alternative disposal options for transuranic waste

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

    Loomis, G.G.

    1994-12-31

    Three alternative concepts are proposed for the final disposal of stored and retrieved buried transuranic waste. These proposed options answer criticisms of the existing U.S. Department of Energy strategy of directly disposing of stored transuranic waste in deep, geological salt formations at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in Carlsbad, New Mexico. The first option involves enhanced stabilization of stored waste by thermal treatment followed by convoy transportation and internment in the existing WIPP facility. This concept could also be extended to retrieved buried waste with proper permitting. The second option involves in-state, in situ internment using an encapsulating lensmore » around the waste. This concept applies only to previously buried transuranic waste. The third option involves sending stored and retrieved waste to the Nevada Test Site and configuring the waste around a thermonuclear device from the U.S. or Russian arsenal in a specially designed underground chamber. The thermonuclear explosion would transmute plutonium and disassociate hazardous materials while entombing the waste in a national sacrifice area.« less

  20. Content and Formation Cause of VOCs in Medical Waste Non-incineration Treatment Project

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dengchao, Jin; Hongjun, Teng; Zhenbo, Bao; Yang, Li

    2018-02-01

    When medical waste is treated by non-incineration technology, volatile organic compounds in the waste will be volatile out and form odor pollution. This paper studied VOCs productions in medical waste steam treatment project, microwave treatment project and chemical dinifection project. Sampling and analysis were carried out on the waste gas from treatment equipment and the gas in treatment workshop. The contents of nine VOCs were determined. It was found that the VOCs content in the exhaust gas at the outlet of steam treatment unit was much higher than that of microwave and chemical treatment unit, while the content of VOCs in the chemical treatment workshop was higher than that in the steam and microwave treatment workshop. The formation causes of VOCs were also analyzed and discussed in this paper.

  1. Environmental Factor(tm) system: RCRA hazardous waste handler information (on cd-rom). Database

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

    NONE

    1996-04-01

    Environmental Factor(tm) RCRA Hazardous Waste Handler Information on CD-ROM unleashes the invaluable information found in two key EPA data sources on hazardous waste handlers and offers cradle-to-grave waste tracking. It`s easy to search and display: (1) Permit status, design capacity and compliance history for facilities found in the EPA Resource Conservation and Recovery Information System (RCRIS) program tracking database; (2) Detailed information on hazardous wastes generation, management and minimization by companies who are large quantity generators, and (3) Data on the waste management practices of treatment, storage and disposal (TSD) facilities from the EPA Biennial Reporting System which is collectedmore » every other year. Environmental Factor`s powerful database retrieval system lets you: (1) Search for RCRA facilities by permit type, SIC code, waste codes, corrective action or violation information, TSD status, generator and transporter status and more; (2) View compliance information - dates of evaluation, violation, enforcement and corrective action; (3) Lookup facilities by waste processing categories of marketing, transporting, processing and energy recovery; (4) Use owner/operator information and names, titles and telephone numbers of project managers for prospecting; and (5) Browse detailed data on TSD facility and large quantity generators` activities such as onsite waste treatment, disposal, or recycling, offsite waste received, and waste generation and management. The product contains databases, search and retrieval software on two CD-ROMs, an installation diskette and User`s Guide. Environmental Factor has online context-sensitive help from any screen and a printed User`s Guide describing installation and step-by-step procedures for searching, retrieving and exporting. Hotline support is also available for no additional charge.« less

  2. Critical management practices influencing on-site waste minimization in construction projects.

    PubMed

    Ajayi, Saheed O; Oyedele, Lukumon O; Bilal, Muhammad; Akinade, Olugbenga O; Alaka, Hafiz A; Owolabi, Hakeem A

    2017-01-01

    As a result of increasing recognition of effective site management as the strategic approach for achieving the required performance in construction projects, this study seeks to identify the key site management practices that are requisite for construction waste minimization. A mixed methods approach, involving field study and survey research were used as means of data collection. After confirmation of construct validity and reliability of scale, data analysis was carried out through a combination of Kruskal-Wallis test, descriptive statistics and exploratory factor analysis. The study suggests that site management functions could significantly reduce waste generation through strict adherence to project drawings, and by ensuring fewer or no design changes during construction process. Provision of waste skips for specific materials and maximisation of on-site reuse of materials are also found to be among the key factors for engendering waste minimization. The result of factor analysis suggests four factors underlying on-site waste management practices with 96.093% of total variance. These measures include contractual provisions for waste minimization, waste segregation, maximisation of materials reuse and effective logistic management. Strategies through which each of the underlying measures could be achieved are further discussed in the paper. Findings of this study would assist construction site managers and other site operatives in reducing waste generated by construction activities. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. MINE WASTE TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM - UNDERGROUND MINE SOURCE CONTROL DEMONSTRATION PROJECT

    EPA Science Inventory

    This report presents results of the Mine Waste Technology Program Activity III, Project 8, Underground Mine Source Control Demonstration Project implemented and funded by the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and jointly administered by EPA and the U. S. Department of E...

  4. River Protection Project (RPP) Dangerous Waste Training Plan

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

    POHTO, R.E.

    2000-03-09

    This supporting document contains the training plan for dangerous waste management at River Protection Project TSD Units. This document outlines the dangerous waste training program developed and implemented for all Treatment, Storage, and Disposal (TSD) Units operated by River Protection Project (RPP) in the Hanford 200 East, 200 West and 600 Areas and the <90 Day Accumulation Area at 209E. Operating TSD Units managed by RPP are: the Double-Shell Tank (DST) System, 204-AR Waste Unloading Facility, Grout, and the Single-Shell Tank (SST) System. The program is designed in compliance with the requirements of Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 173-303-330 and Titlemore » 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 265.16 for the development of a written dangerous waste training program and the Hanford Facility Permit. Training requirements were determined by an assessment of employee duties and responsibilities. The RPP training program is designed to prepare employees to operate and maintain the Tank Farms in a safe, effective, efficient, and environmentally sound manner. In addition to preparing employees to operate and maintain the Tank Farms under normal conditions, the training program ensures that employees are prepared to respond in a prompt and effective manner should abnormal or emergency conditions occur. Emergency response training is consistent with emergency responses outlined in the following Building Emergency Plans: HNF-IP-0263-TF and HNF-=IP-0263-209E.« less

  5. The ESA Cloud CCI project: Generation of Multi Sensor consistent Cloud Properties with an Optimal Estimation Based Retrieval Algorithm

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jerg, M.; Stengel, M.; Hollmann, R.; Poulsen, C.

    2012-04-01

    The ultimate objective of the ESA Climate Change Initiative (CCI) Cloud project is to provide long-term coherent cloud property data sets exploiting and improving on the synergetic capabilities of past, existing, and upcoming European and American satellite missions. The synergetic approach allows not only for improved accuracy and extended temporal and spatial sampling of retrieved cloud properties better than those provided by single instruments alone but potentially also for improved (inter-)calibration and enhanced homogeneity and stability of the derived time series. Such advances are required by the scientific community to facilitate further progress in satellite-based climate monitoring, which leads to a better understanding of climate. Some of the primary objectives of ESA Cloud CCI Cloud are (1) the development of inter-calibrated radiance data sets, so called Fundamental Climate Data Records - for ESA and non ESA instruments through an international collaboration, (2) the development of an optimal estimation based retrieval framework for cloud related essential climate variables like cloud cover, cloud top height and temperature, liquid and ice water path, and (3) the development of two multi-annual global data sets for the mentioned cloud properties including uncertainty estimates. These two data sets are characterized by different combinations of satellite systems: the AVHRR heritage product comprising (A)ATSR, AVHRR and MODIS and the novel (A)ATSR - MERIS product which is based on a synergetic retrieval using both instruments. Both datasets cover the years 2007-2009 in the first project phase. ESA Cloud CCI will also carry out a comprehensive validation of the cloud property products and provide a common data base as in the framework of the Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiment (GEWEX). The presentation will give an overview of the ESA Cloud CCI project and its goals and approaches and then continue with results from the Round Robin algorithm

  6. Environmental factor(tm) system: RCRA hazardous waste handler information (on CD-ROM). Data file

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

    NONE

    1995-11-01

    Environmental Factor(trademark) RCRA Hazardous Waste Handler Information on CD-ROM unleashes the invaluable information found in two key EPA data sources on hazardous waste handlers and offers cradle-to-grave waste tracking. It`s easy to search and display: (1) Permit status, design capacity, and compliance history for facilities found in the EPA Research Conservation and Recovery Information System (RCRIS) program tracking database; (2) Detailed information on hazardous wastes generation, management, and minimization by companies who are large quantity generators; and (3) Data on the waste management practices of treatment, storage, and disposal (TSD) facilities from the EPA Biennial Reporting System which is collectedmore » every other year. Environmental Factor`s powerful database retrieval system lets you: (1) Search for RCRA facilities by permit type, SIC code, waste codes, corrective action, or violation information, TSD status, generator and transporter status, and more. (2) View compliance information - dates of evaluation, violation, enforcement, and corrective action. (3) Lookup facilities by waste processing categories of marketing, transporting, processing, and energy recovery. (4) Use owner/operator information and names, titles, and telephone numbers of project managers for prospecting. (5) Browse detailed data on TSD facility and large quantity generators` activities such as onsite waste treatment, disposal, or recycling, offsite waste received, and waste generation and management. The product contains databases, search and retrieval software on two CD-ROMs, an installation diskette and User`s Guide. Environmental Factor has online context-sensitive help from any screen and a printed User`s Guide describing installation and step-by-step procedures for searching, retrieving, and exporting.« less

  7. On-Line Retrieval System Design; Part V of Scientific Report No. ISR-18, Information Storage and Retrieval...

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY. Dept. of Computer Science.

    On-line retrieval system design is discussed in the two papers which make up Part Five of this report on Salton's Magical Automatic Retriever of Texts (SMART) project report. The first paper: "A Prototype On-Line Document Retrieval System" by D. Williamson and R. Williamson outlines a design for a SMART on-line document retrieval system…

  8. 75 FR 1793 - Study Team for the Los Alamos Historical Document Retrieval and Assessment (LAHDRA) Project

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-01-13

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Study Team for the Los Alamos Historical Document Retrieval and Assessment (LAHDRA) Project The Centers for Disease... the following meeting. Name: Public Meeting of the Study Team for the Los Alamos Historical Document...

  9. SHC Project 3.63, Task 2, Beneficial Use of Waste Materials

    EPA Science Inventory

    SHC Project 3.63, Task 2, “Beneficial Use of Waste Materials”, is designed to conduct research and analyses to characterize and quantify the risks and benefits of using or reusing waste materials. There are 6 primary research areas in Task 2 that cover a broad spectr...

  10. HISPANIC ENVIRONMENTAL AND WASTE MANAGEMENT OUTREACH PROJECT

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

    Sebastian Puente

    The Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management (DOE-EM) in cooperation with the Self Reliance Foundation (SRF) is conducting the Hispanic Environmental and Waste Management Outreach Project (HEWMO) to increase science and environmental literacy, specifically that related to nuclear engineering and waste management in the nuclear industry, among the US Hispanic population. The project will encourage Hispanic youth and young adults to pursue careers through the regular presentation of Spanish-speaking scientists and engineers and other role models, as well as career information on nationally broadcast radio programs reaching youth and parents. This project will encourage making science, mathematics, and technologymore » a conscious part of the everyday life experiences of Hispanic youth and families. The SRF in collaboration with the Hispanic Radio Network (HRN) produces and broadcasts radio programs to address the topics and meet the objectives as outlined in the Environmental Literacy Plan and DOE-EM Communications Plan in this document. The SRF has in place a toll-free ''800'' number Information and Resource Referral (I and RR) service that national radio program listeners can call to obtain information and resource referrals as well as give their reactions to the radio programs that will air. HRN uses this feature to put listeners in touch with local organizations and resources that can provide them with further information and assistance on the related program topics.« less

  11. Performance evaluation of restaurant food waste and biowaste to biogas pilot projects in China and implications for national policy.

    PubMed

    De Clercq, Djavan; Wen, Zongguo; Fan, Fei

    2017-03-15

    The objective of this research was to conduct a performance evaluation of three food waste/biowaste-to-biogas pilot projects across 7 scenarios in China based on multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) methodology. The projects ranked included a food waste-biogas project in Beijing, a food waste-biogas project in Suzhou and a co-digestion project producing biomethane in Hainan. The projects were ranked from best to worst based on technical, economic and environmental criteria under the MCDA framework. The results demonstrated that some projects are encountering operational problems. Based on these findings, six national policy recommendations were provided: (1) shift away from capital investment subsidies to performance-based subsidies; (2) re-design feed in tariffs; (3) promote bio-methane and project clustering; (4) improve collection efficiency by incentivizing FW producers to direct waste to biogas projects; (5) incentivize biogas projects to produce multiple outputs; (6) incentivize food waste-based projects to co-digest food waste with other substrates for higher gas output. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Sound Waste Management Plan environmental operations, and used oil management system: Restoration project 97115. Exxon Valdez oil spill restoration project final report: Volumes 1 and 2

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

    NONE

    1998-06-01

    This project constitutes Phase 2 of the Sound Waste Management Plan and created waste oil collection and disposal facilities, bilge water collection and disposal facilities, recycling storage, and household hazardous waste collection and storage, and household hazardous waste collection and storage facilities in Prince William Sound. A wide range of waste streams are generated within communities in the Sound including used oil generated from vehicles and vessels, and hazardous wastes generated by households. This project included the design and construction of Environmental Operations Stations buildings in Valdez, Cordova, Whittier, Chenega Bay and Tatitlek to improve the overall management of oilymore » wastes. They will house new equipment to facilitate oily waste collection, treatment and disposal. This project also included completion of used oil management manuals.« less

  13. Radioactive waste storage issues

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

    Kunz, Daniel E.

    1994-08-15

    In the United States we generate greater than 500 million tons of toxic waste per year which pose a threat to human health and the environment. Some of the most toxic of these wastes are those that are radioactively contaminated. This thesis explores the need for permanent disposal facilities to isolate radioactive waste materials that are being stored temporarily, and therefore potentially unsafely, at generating facilities. Because of current controversies involving the interstate transfer of toxic waste, more states are restricting the flow of wastes into - their borders with the resultant outcome of requiring the management (storage and disposal)more » of wastes generated solely within a state`s boundary to remain there. The purpose of this project is to study nuclear waste storage issues and public perceptions of this important matter. Temporary storage at generating facilities is a cause for safety concerns and underscores, the need for the opening of permanent disposal sites. Political controversies and public concern are forcing states to look within their own borders to find solutions to this difficult problem. Permanent disposal or retrievable storage for radioactive waste may become a necessity in the near future in Colorado. Suitable areas that could support - a nuclear storage/disposal site need to be explored to make certain the health, safety and environment of our citizens now, and that of future generations, will be protected.« less

  14. Monitored retrievable storage submission to Congress: Volume 2, Environmental assessment for a monitored retrievable storage facility. [Contains glossary

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

    None

    1986-02-01

    This Environmental Assessment (EA) supports the DOE proposal to Congress to construct and operate a facility for monitored retrievable storage (MRS) of spent fuel at a site on the Clinch River in the Roane County portion of Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The first part of this document is an assessment of the value of, need for, and feasibility of an MRS facility as an integral component of the waste management system. The second part is an assessment and comparison of the potential environmental impacts projected for each of six site-design combinations. The MRS facility would be centrally located with respect tomore » existing reactors, and would receive and canister spent fuel in preparation for shipment to and disposal in a geologic repository. 207 refs., 57 figs., 132 tabs.« less

  15. ENGINEERING STUDY FOR THE 200 AREA EFFLUENT TREATMENT FACILITY (ETF) SECONDARY WASTE TREATMENT OF PROJECTED FUTURE WASTE FEEDS

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

    LUECK, K.J.

    2004-10-18

    This report documents an engineering study conducted to evaluate alternatives for treating secondary waste in the secondary treatment train (STT) of the Hanford Site 200 Area Effluent Treatment Facility (ETF). The study evaluates ETF STT treatment alternatives and recommends preferred alternatives for meeting the projected future missions of the ETF. The preferred alternative(s) will process projected future ETF influents to produce a solid waste acceptable for final disposal on the Hanford Site. The main text of this report summarizes the ETF past and projected operations, lists the assumptions about projected operations that provide the basis for the engineering evaluation, andmore » summarizes the evaluation process. The evaluation process includes identification of available modifications to the current ETF process, screens those modifications for technical viability, evaluates the technically viable alternatives, and provides conclusions and recommendations based on that evaluation.« less

  16. Industrial Program of Waste Management - Cigeo Project - 13033

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

    Butez, Marc; Bartagnon, Olivier; Gagner, Laurent

    2013-07-01

    The French Planning Act of 28 June 2006 prescribed that a reversible repository in a deep geological formation be chosen as the reference solution for the long-term management of high-level and intermediate-level long-lived radioactive waste. It also entrusted the responsibility of further studies and design of the repository (named Cigeo) upon the French Radioactive Waste Management Agency (Andra), in order for the review of the creation-license application to start in 2015 and, subject to its approval, the commissioning of the repository to take place in 2025. Andra is responsible for siting, designing, implementing, operating the future geological repository, including operationalmore » and long term safety and waste acceptance. Nuclear operators (Electricite de France (EDF), AREVA NC, and the French Commission in charge of Atomic Energy and Alternative Energies (CEA) are technically and financially responsible for the waste they generate, with no limit in time. They provide Andra, on one hand, with waste packages related input data, and on the other hand with their long term industrial experiences of high and intermediate-level long-lived radwaste management and nuclear operation. Andra, EDF, AREVA and CEA established a cooperation agreement for strengthening their collaborations in these fields. Within this agreement Andra and the nuclear operators have defined an industrial program for waste management. This program includes the waste inventory to be taken into account for the design of the Cigeo project and the structural hypothesis underlying its phased development. It schedules the delivery of the different categories of waste and defines associated flows. (authors)« less

  17. HANFORD MEDIUM-LOW CURIE WASTE PRETREATMENT ALTERNATIVES PROJECT FRACTIONAL CRYSTALLIZATION PILOT SCALE TESTING FINAL REPORT

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

    HERTING DL

    2008-09-16

    The Fractional Crystallization Pilot Plant was designed and constructed to demonstrate that fractional crystallization is a viable way to separate the high-level and low-activity radioactive waste streams from retrieved Hanford single-shell tank saltcake. The focus of this report is to review the design, construction, and testing details of the fractional crystallization pilot plant not previously disseminated.

  18. Project Execution Plan for the Remote Handled Low-Level Waste Disposal Project

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

    Danny Anderson

    2014-07-01

    As part of ongoing cleanup activities at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL), closure of the Radioactive Waste Management Complex (RWMC) is proceeding under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (42 USC 9601 et seq. 1980). INL-generated radioactive waste has been disposed of at RWMC since 1952. The Subsurface Disposal Area (SDA) at RWMC accepted the bulk of INL’s contact and remote-handled low-level waste (LLW) for disposal. Disposal of contact-handled LLW and remote-handled LLW ion-exchange resins from the Advanced Test Reactor in the open pit of the SDA ceased September 30, 2008. Disposal of remote-handled LLW in concrete disposalmore » vaults at RWMC will continue until the facility is full or until it must be closed in preparation for final remediation of the SDA (approximately at the end of fiscal year FY 2017). The continuing nuclear mission of INL, associated ongoing and planned operations, and Naval spent fuel activities at the Naval Reactors Facility (NRF) require continued capability to appropriately dispose of contact and remote handled LLW. A programmatic analysis of disposal alternatives for contact and remote-handled LLW generated at INL was conducted by the INL contractor in Fiscal Year 2006; subsequent evaluations were completed in Fiscal Year 2007. The result of these analyses was a recommendation to the Department of Energy (DOE) that all contact-handled LLW generated after September 30, 2008, be disposed offsite, and that DOE proceed with a capital project to establish replacement remote-handled LLW disposal capability. An analysis of the alternatives for providing replacement remote-handled LLW disposal capability has been performed to support Critical Decision-1. The highest ranked alternative to provide this required capability has been determined to be the development of a new onsite remote-handled LLW disposal facility to replace the existing remote-handled LLW disposal vaults at the SDA. Several

  19. SHC Project 3.63, Task 2, Beneficial Use of Waste Materials ...

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    SHC Project 3.63, Task 2, “Beneficial Use of Waste Materials”, is designed to conduct research and analyses to characterize and quantify the risks and benefits of using or reusing waste materials. There are 6 primary research areas in Task 2 that cover a broad spectrum of topics germane to the beneficial use of waste materials and address Agency, Office, Region and other client needs. The 6 research areas include: 1) Materials Recovery Technology, 2) Beneficial Use of Materials Optimization, 3) Novel Products from Waste Materials, 4) Land Application of Biosolids, 5) Soil Remediation Amendments and 6) Improved Leaching Methods for More Accurate Prediction of Environmental Release of Metals. The objectives of each research area, their intended products and progress to date will be presented. The products of this Task will enable communities and the Agency to better protect and enhance human health, well-being and the environment for current and future generations, through the reduction in material consumption, reuse, and recycling of materials. This presentation is designed to convey the rational, purpose and planned research in EPAs Safe and Healthy Communities (SHC) National Research Program Project 3.63 (Sustainable Materials Management) Task 2, “Beneficial Use of Waste Materials”, which is designed to conduct research and analyses to characterize and quantify the risks and benefits of using or reusing waste materials. . This presentation has bee

  20. Management assessment of tank waste remediation system contractor readiness to proceed with phase 1B privatization

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

    Honeyman, J.O.

    1998-01-09

    This Management Assessment of Tank Waste Remediation System (TWRS) Contractor Readiness to Proceed With Phase 1B Privatization documents the processes used to determine readiness to proceed with tank waste treatment technologies from private industry, now known as TWRS privatization. An overall systems approach was applied to develop action plans to support the retrieval and disposal mission of the TWRS Project. The systems and infrastructure required to support the mission are known. Required systems are either in place or plans have been developed to ensure they exist when needed. Since October 1996 a robust system engineering approach to establishing integrated Technicalmore » Baselines, work breakdown structures, tank farms organizational structure and configurations, work scope, and costs has become part of the culture within the TWRS Project. An analysis of the programmatic, management, and technical activities necessary to declare readiness to proceed with execution of the mission demonstrates that the system, personnel, and hardware will be on-line and ready to support the private contractors. The systems approach included defining the retrieval and disposal mission requirements and evaluating the readiness of the Project Hanford Management Contract (PHMC) team to support initiation of waste processing by the private contractors in June 2002 and to receive immobilized waste shortly thereafter. The Phase 1 feed delivery requirements from the private contractor Requests for Proposal were reviewed. Transfer piping routes were mapped, existing systems were evaluated, and upgrade requirements were defined.« less

  1. DEVELOPMENT AND DEPLOYMENT OF THE MOBILE ARM RETRIEVAL SYSTEM (MARS) - 12187

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

    BURKE CA; LANDON MR; HANSON CE

    Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS) is developing and deploying Mobile Arm Retrieval System (MARS) technologies solutions to support retrieval of radioactive and chemical waste from underground single shell storage tanks (SST) located at the Hanford Site, which is near Richland, Washington. WRPS has developed the MARS using a standardized platform that is capable of deploying multiple retrieval technologies. To date, WRPS, working with their mentor-protege company, Columbia Energy and Environmental Services (CEES), has developed two retrieval mechanisms, MARS-Sluicing (MARS-S) and MARS-Vacuum (MARS-V). MARS-S uses pressurized fluids routed through spray nozzles to mobilize waste materials to a centrally located slurry pumpmore » (deployed in 2011). MARS-V uses pressurized fluids routed through an eductor nozzle. The eductor nozzle allows a vacuum to be drawn on the waste materials. The vacuum allows the waste materials to be moved to an in-tank vessel, then extracted from the SST and subsequently pumped to newer and safer double shell tanks (DST) for storage until the waste is treated for disposal. The MARS-S system is targeted for sound SSTs (i.e., non leaking tanks). The MARS-V is targeted for assumed leaking tanks or those tanks that are of questionable integrity. Both versions of MARS are beinglhave been developed in compliance with WRPS's TFC-PLN-90, Technology Development Management Plan [1]. TFC-PLN-90 includes a phased approach to design, testing, and ultimate deployment of new technologies. The MARS-V is scheduled to be deployed in tank 241-C-105 in late 2012.« less

  2. Development and Deployment of the Mobile Arm Retrieval System (MARS) - 12187

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

    Burke, Christopher A.; Landon, Matthew R.; Hanson, Carl E.

    Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS) is developing and deploying Mobile Arm Retrieval System (MARS) technologies solutions to support retrieval of radioactive and chemical waste from underground single shell storage tanks (SST) located at the Hanford Site, which is near Richland, Washington. WRPS has developed the MARS using a standardized platform that is capable of deploying multiple retrieval technologies. To date, WRPS, working with their mentor-protege company, Columbia Energy and Environmental Services (CEES), has developed two retrieval mechanisms, MARS-Sluicing (MARS-S) and MARS-Vacuum (MARS-V). MARS-S uses pressurized fluids routed through spray nozzles to mobilize waste materials to a centrally located slurry pumpmore » (deployed in 2011). MARS-V uses pressurized fluids routed through an eductor nozzle. The eductor nozzle allows a vacuum to be drawn on the waste materials. The vacuum allows the waste materials to be moved to an in-tank vessel, then extracted from the SST and subsequently pumped to newer and safer double shell tanks (DST) for storage until the waste is treated for disposal. The MARS-S system is targeted for sound SSTs (i.e., non leaking tanks). The MARS-V is targeted for assumed leaking tanks or those tanks that are of questionable integrity. Both versions of MARS are being/have been developed in compliance with WRPS's TFC-PLN-90, Technology Development Management Plan [1]. TFC-PLN-90 includes a phased approach to design, testing, and ultimate deployment of new technologies. The MARS-V is scheduled to be deployed in tank 241-C-105 in late 2012. (authors)« less

  3. DEVELOPMENT AND DEPLOYMENT OF THE MOBILE ARM RETRIEVAL SYSTEM (MARS) - 12187

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

    BURKE CA; LANDON MR; HANSON CE

    Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS) is developing and deploying Mobile Arm Retrieval System (MARS) technologies solutions to support retrieval of radioactive and chemical waste from underground single shell storage tanks (SST) located at the Hanford Site, which is near Richland, Washington. WRPS has developed the MARS using a standardized platform that is capable of deploying multiple retrieval technologies. To date, WRPS, working with their mentor-protege company, Columbia Energy and Environmental Services (CEES), has developed two retrieval mechanisms, MARS-Sluicing (MARS-S) and MARS-Vacuum (MARS-V). MARS-S uses pressurized fluids routed through spray nozzles to mobilize waste materials to a centrally located slurry pumpmore » (deployed in 2011). MARS-V uses pressurized fluids routed through an eductor nozzle. The eductor nozzle allows a vacuum to be drawn on the waste materials. The vacuum allows the waste materials to be moved to an in-tank vessel, then extracted from the SST and subsequently pumped to newer and safer double shell tanks (DST) for storage until the waste is treated for disposal. The MARS-S system is targeted for sound SSTs (i.e., non leaking tanks). The MARS-V is targeted for assumed leaking tanks or those tanks that are of questionable integrity. Both versions of MARS are being/have been developed in compliance with WRPS's TFC-PLN-90, Technology Development Management Plan. TFC-PLN-90 includes a phased approach to design, testing, and ultimate deployment of new technologies. The MARS-V is scheduled to be deployed in tank 241-C-105 in late 2012.« less

  4. 77 FR 11112 - Proposed Approval of the Central Characterization Project's Remote-Handled Transuranic Waste...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-02-24

    ... Central Characterization Project's Remote-Handled Transuranic Waste Characterization Program at the...-handled (RH), transuranic (TRU) waste characterization program implemented by the Central Characterization... Criteria, EPA evaluated the characterization of RH TRU debris waste from SRS-CCP during an inspection on...

  5. TRU waste absorbent addition project at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory.

    PubMed

    Colson, R Griff; Auman, Laurence E

    2003-08-01

    ABSTRACT In order to meet a commitment to ship 3,100 m3 of transuranic waste to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) developed a process to add absorbent to TRU waste drums that did not meet WIPP waste acceptance criteria. The development, implementation, and safe completion of this project contributed to the INEEL's success in meeting the commitment three months early.

  6. SLUDGE RETRIEVAL FROM HANFORD K WEST BASIN SETTLER TANKS

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

    ERPENBECK EG; LESHIKAR GA

    In 2010, an innovative, remotely operated retrieval system was deployed to successfully retrieve over 99.7% of the radioactive sludge from ten submerged tanks in Hanford's K-West Basin. As part of K-West Basin cleanup, the accumulated sludge needed to be removed from the 0.5 meter diameter by 5 meter long settler tanks and transferred approximately 45 meters to an underwater container for sampling and waste treatment. The abrasive, dense, non-homogeneous sludge was the product of the washing process of corroded nuclear fuel. It consists of small (less than 600 micron) particles of uranium metal, uranium oxide, and various other constituents, potentiallymore » agglomerated or cohesive after 10 years of storage. The Settler Tank Retrieval System (STRS) was developed to access, mobilize and pump out the sludge from each tank using a standardized process of retrieval head insertion, periodic high pressure water spray, retraction, and continuous pumping of the sludge. Blind operations were guided by monitoring flow rate, radiation levels in the sludge stream, and solids concentration. The technology developed and employed in the STRS can potentially be adapted to similar problematic waste tanks or pipes that must be remotely accessed to achieve mobilization and retrieval of the sludge within.« less

  7. Management assessment of tank waste remediation system contractor readiness to proceed with phase 1B privatization

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

    Certa, P.J.

    1998-01-07

    Readiness to Proceed With Phase 1B Privatization documents the processes used to determine readiness to proceed with tank waste treatment technologies from private industry, now known as TWRS privatization. An overall systems approach was applied to develop action plans to support the retrieval and disposal mission of the TWRS Project. The systems and infrastructure required to support the mission are known. Required systems are either in place or plans have been developed to ensure they exist when needed. Since October 1996 a robust system engineering approach to establishing integrated Technical Baselines, work breakdown structures, tank farms organizational structure and configurations,more » work scope, and costs has become part of the culture within the TWRS Project. An analysis of the programmatic, management, and technical activities necessary to declare readiness to proceed with execution of the mission demonstrates that the system, personnel, and hardware will be on line and ready to support the private contractors. The systems approach included defining the retrieval and disposal mission requirements and evaluating the readiness of the Project Hanford Management Contract (PHMC) team to support initiation of waste processing by the private contractors in June 2002 and to receive immobilized waste shortly thereafter. The Phase 1 feed delivery requirements from the private contractor Requests for Proposal were reviewed. Transfer piping routes were mapped, existing systems were evaluated, and upgrade requirements were defined.« less

  8. Radioactive demonstration of final mineralized waste forms for Hanford waste treatment plant secondary waste (WTP-SW) by fluidized bed steam reforming (FBSR) using the bench scale reformer platform

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

    Crawford, C.; Burket, P.; Cozzi, A.

    2014-08-01

    The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of River Protection (ORP) is responsible for the retrieval, treatment, immobilization, and disposal of Hanford’s tank waste. Currently there are approximately 56 million gallons of highly radioactive mixed wastes awaiting treatment. A key aspect of the River Protection Project (RPP) cleanup mission is to construct and operate the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP). The WTP will separate the tank waste into high-level and low-activity waste (LAW) fractions, both of which will subsequently be vitrified. The projected throughput capacity of the WTP LAW Vitrification Facility is insufficient to complete the RPP mission in themore » time frame required by the Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order, also known as the Tri-Party Agreement (TPA), i.e. December 31, 2047. Therefore, Supplemental Treatment is required both to meet the TPA treatment requirements as well as to more cost effectively complete the tank waste treatment mission. In addition, the WTP LAW vitrification facility off-gas condensate known as WTP Secondary Waste (WTP-SW) will be generated and enriched in volatile components such as 137Cs, 129I, 99Tc, Cl, F, and SO4 that volatilize at the vitrification temperature of 1150°C in the absence of a continuous cold cap (that could minimize volatilization). The current waste disposal path for the WTP-SW is to process it through the Effluent Treatment Facility (ETF). Fluidized Bed Steam Reforming (FBSR) is being considered for immobilization of the ETF concentrate that would be generated by processing the WTP-SW. The focus of this current report is the WTP-SW.« less

  9. Effects of an incinerator project on a healthcare-waste management system.

    PubMed

    Khammaneechan, Patthanasak; Okanurak, Kamolnetr; Sithisarankul, Pornchai; Tantrakarnapa, Kraichat; Norramit, Poonsup

    2011-10-01

    This evaluative research study aimed to assess the effects of the central healthcare incinerator project on waste management in Yala Province. The study data were collected twice: at baseline and during the operational phase. A combination of structured interview and observation were used during data collection. The study covered 127 healthcare facilities: government hospitals, healthcare centres, and private clinics. The results showed 63% of healthcare risk waste (HCRW) handlers attended the HCRW management training. Improvements in each stage of the HCRW management system were observed in all groups of facilities. The total cost of the HCRW management system did not change, however; the costs for hospitals decreased, whereas those for clinics increased significantly. It was concluded that the central healthcare waste incinerator project positively affected HCRW management in the area, although the costs of management might increase for a particular group. However, the benefits of changing to a more appropriately managed HCRW system will outweigh the increased costs.

  10. Aerosol retrieval experiments in the ESA Aerosol_cci project

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Holzer-Popp, T.; de Leeuw, G.; Martynenko, D.; Klüser, L.; Bevan, S.; Davies, W.; Ducos, F.; Deuzé, J. L.; Graigner, R. G.; Heckel, A.; von Hoyningen-Hüne, W.; Kolmonen, P.; Litvinov, P.; North, P.; Poulsen, C. A.; Ramon, D.; Siddans, R.; Sogacheva, L.; Tanre, D.; Thomas, G. E.; Vountas, M.; Descloitres, J.; Griesfeller, J.; Kinne, S.; Schulz, M.; Pinnock, S.

    2013-03-01

    Within the ESA Climate Change Initiative (CCI) project Aerosol_cci (2010-2013) algorithms for the production of long-term total column aerosol optical depth (AOD) datasets from European Earth Observation sensors are developed. Starting with eight existing pre-cursor algorithms three analysis steps are conducted to improve and qualify the algorithms: (1) a series of experiments applied to one month of global data to understand several major sensitivities to assumptions needed due to the ill-posed nature of the underlying inversion problem, (2) a round robin exercise of "best" versions of each of these algorithms (defined using the step 1 outcome) applied to four months of global data to identify mature algorithms, and (3) a comprehensive validation exercise applied to one complete year of global data produced by the algorithms selected as mature based on the round robin exercise. The algorithms tested included four using AATSR, three using MERIS and one using PARASOL. This paper summarizes the first step. Three experiments were conducted to assess the potential impact of major assumptions in the various aerosol retrieval algorithms. In the first experiment a common set of four aerosol components was used to provide all algorithms with the same assumptions. The second experiment introduced an aerosol property climatology, derived from a combination of model and sun photometer observations, as a priori information in the retrievals on the occurrence of the common aerosol components and their mixing ratios. The third experiment assessed the impact of using a common nadir cloud mask for AATSR and MERIS algorithms in order to characterize the sensitivity to remaining cloud contamination in the retrievals against the baseline dataset versions. The impact of the algorithm changes was assessed for one month (September 2008) of data qualitatively by visible analysis of monthly mean AOD maps and quantitatively by comparing global daily gridded satellite data against daily

  11. Waste-efficient materials procurement for construction projects: A structural equation modelling of critical success factors.

    PubMed

    Ajayi, Saheed O; Oyedele, Lukumon O

    2018-05-01

    Albeit the understanding that construction waste is caused by activities ranging from all stages of project delivery process, research efforts have been concentrated on design and construction stages, while the possibility of reducing waste through materials procurement process is widely neglected. This study aims at exploring and confirming strategies for achieving waste-efficient materials procurement in construction activities. The study employs sequential exploratory mixed method approach as its methodological framework, using focus group discussion, statistical analysis and structural equation modelling. The study suggests that for materials procurement to enhance waste minimisation in construction projects, the procurement process would be characterised by four features. These include suppliers' commitment to low waste measures, low waste purchase management, effective materials delivery management and waste-efficient Bill of Quantity, all of which have significant impacts on waste minimisation. This implies that commitment of materials suppliers to such measures as take back scheme and flexibility in supplying small materials quantity, among others, are expected of materials procurement. While low waste purchase management stipulates the need for such measures as reduced packaging and consideration of pre-assembled/pre-cut materials, efficient delivery management entails effective delivery and storage system as well as adequate protection of materials during the delivery process, among others. Waste-efficient specification and bill of quantity, on the other hand, requires accurate materials take-off and ordering of materials based on accurately prepared design documents and bill of quantity. Findings of this study could assist in understanding a set of measures that should be taken during materials procurement process, thereby corroborating waste management practices at other stages of project delivery process. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  12. Alternate retrieval technology demonstrations program - test report (ARD Environmental, Inc.)

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

    Berglin, E.J.

    A prototype vehicle, control system, and waste and water scavenging system were designed and fabricated with essentially the full capabilities of the vehicle system proposed by ARD Environmental. A test tank mockup, including riser and decontamination chamber were designed and fabricated, and approximately 830 cubic feet of six varieties of waste simulants poured. The tests were performed by ARD Environmental personnel at its site in Laurel, Maryland, from 4/22/97 through 5/2/97. The capabilities tested were deployment and retrieval, extended mobility and productivity, the ability to operate the system using video viewing only, retrieval after simulated failure, and retrieval and decontamination.more » Testing commenced with deployment of the vehicle into the tank. Deployment was accomplished using a crane and auxiliary winch to position the vehicle and lower it through the decontamination chamber, into the 36`` diameter x 6` high riser, and touch down on the waste field in the tank. The initial mobility tests were conducted immediately after deployment, prior to sluicing, as the waste field exhibited the greatest amount of variation at this time. This test demonstrated the ability of the vehicle to maneuver over the simulated waste field, and the ability of the operator to work with only video viewing available. In addition, the ability of the vehicle to right itself after being turned on its side was demonstrated. The production rate was evaluated daily through the testing period by measuring the surface and estimating the amount of material removed. The test demonstrated the ability of the vehicle to reduce the waste surface using 400 psi (nominal) water jets, scavenge water and material from the work area, and move to any location, even in the relatively confined space of the 20` diameter test tank. In addition, the ability to sluice to a remote scavenging module was demonstrated. The failure mode test demonstrated the ability to retrieve a stuck vehicle by

  13. Evaluation of Flygt Propeller Xixers for Double Shell Tank (DST) High Level Waste Auxiliary Solids Mobilization

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

    PACQUET, E.A.

    The River Protection Project (RPP) is planning to retrieve radioactive waste from the single-shell tanks (SST) and double-shell tanks (DST) underground at the Hanford Site. This waste will then be transferred to a waste treatment plant to be immobilized (vitrified) in a stable glass form. Over the years, the waste solids in many of the tanks have settled to form a layer of sludge at the bottom. The thickness of the sludge layer varies from tank to tank, from no sludge or a few inches of sludge to about 15 ft of sludge. The purpose of this technology and engineeringmore » case study is to evaluate the Flygt{trademark} submersible propeller mixer as a potential technology for auxiliary mobilization of DST HLW solids. Considering the usage and development to date by other sites in the development of this technology, this study also has the objective of expanding the knowledge base of the Flygt{trademark} mixer concept with the broader perspective of Hanford Site tank waste retrieval. More specifically, the objectives of this study delineated from the work plan are described.« less

  14. The declared barriers of the large developing countries waste management projects: The STAR model.

    PubMed

    Bufoni, André Luiz; Oliveira, Luciano Basto; Rosa, Luiz Pinguelli

    2016-06-01

    The aim of this study is to investigate and describe the barriers system that precludes the feasibility, or limits the performance of the waste management projects through the analysis of which are the declared barriers at the 432 large waste management projects registered as CDM during the period 2004-2014. The final product is a waste management barriers conceptual model proposal (STAR), supported by literature and corroborated by projects design documents. This paper uses the computer assisted qualitative content analysis (CAQCA) methodology with the qualitative data analysis (QDA) software NVivo®, by 890 fragments, to investigate the motives to support our conclusions. Results suggest the main barriers classification in five types: sociopolitical, technological, regulatory, financial, and human resources constraints. Results also suggest that beyond the waste management industry, projects have disadvantages added related to the same barriers inherent to others renewable energies initiatives. The STAR model sheds some light over the interactivity and dynamics related to the main constraints of the industry, describing the mutual influences and relationships among each one. Future researches are needed to better and comprehensively understand these relationships and ease the development of tools to alleviate or eliminate them. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Making Space: Automated Storage and Retrieval.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tanis, Norman; Ventuleth, Cindy

    1987-01-01

    Describes a pilot project in automated storage and retrieval of library materials which uses miniload cranes to retrieve bins of materials, and an interface with an online catalog that patrons use to request materials. Savings in space and money and potential problems with the system are discussed. (CLB)

  16. Quantifying construction and demolition waste: an analytical review.

    PubMed

    Wu, Zezhou; Yu, Ann T W; Shen, Liyin; Liu, Guiwen

    2014-09-01

    Quantifying construction and demolition (C&D) waste generation is regarded as a prerequisite for the implementation of successful waste management. In literature, various methods have been employed to quantify the C&D waste generation at both regional and project levels. However, an integrated review that systemically describes and analyses all the existing methods has yet to be conducted. To bridge this research gap, an analytical review is conducted. Fifty-seven papers are retrieved based on a set of rigorous procedures. The characteristics of the selected papers are classified according to the following criteria - waste generation activity, estimation level and quantification methodology. Six categories of existing C&D waste quantification methodologies are identified, including site visit method, waste generation rate method, lifetime analysis method, classification system accumulation method, variables modelling method and other particular methods. A critical comparison of the identified methods is given according to their characteristics and implementation constraints. Moreover, a decision tree is proposed for aiding the selection of the most appropriate quantification method in different scenarios. Based on the analytical review, limitations of previous studies and recommendations of potential future research directions are further suggested. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. 2020 Vision for Tank Waste Cleanup (One System Integration) - 12506

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

    Harp, Benton; Charboneau, Stacy; Olds, Erik

    2012-07-01

    The mission of the Department of Energy's Office of River Protection (ORP) is to safely retrieve and treat the 56 million gallons of Hanford's tank waste and close the Tank Farms to protect the Columbia River. The millions of gallons of waste are a by-product of decades of plutonium production. After irradiated fuel rods were taken from the nuclear reactors to the processing facilities at Hanford they were exposed to a series of chemicals designed to dissolve away the rod, which enabled workers to retrieve the plutonium. Once those chemicals were exposed to the fuel rods they became radioactive andmore » extremely hot. They also couldn't be used in this process more than once. Because the chemicals are caustic and extremely hazardous to humans and the environment, underground storage tanks were built to hold these chemicals until a more permanent solution could be found. The Cleanup of Hanford's 56 million gallons of radioactive and chemical waste stored in 177 large underground tanks represents the Department's largest and most complex environmental remediation project. Sixty percent by volume of the nation's high-level radioactive waste is stored in the underground tanks grouped into 18 'tank farms' on Hanford's central plateau. Hanford's mission to safely remove, treat and dispose of this waste includes the construction of a first-of-its-kind Waste Treatment Plant (WTP), ongoing retrieval of waste from single-shell tanks, and building or upgrading the waste feed delivery infrastructure that will deliver the waste to and support operations of the WTP beginning in 2019. Our discussion of the 2020 Vision for Hanford tank waste cleanup will address the significant progress made to date and ongoing activities to manage the operations of the tank farms and WTP as a single system capable of retrieving, delivering, treating and disposing Hanford's tank waste. The initiation of hot operations and subsequent full operations of the WTP are not only dependent upon the

  18. In-Depth Indexing of Monograph Literature for an On-Line Retrieval System: A Pilot Project *

    PubMed Central

    Egeland, Janet

    1972-01-01

    One of the unique features of the State University of New York (SUNY) Biomedical Communication Network is the availability of depth-indexed monograph information for on-line retrieval. Approximately 8,000 titles from the Upstate Medical Center Library collection in Syracuse, New York, were indexed in depth, chapter-by-chapter, as to subject content using the control vocabulary Medical Subject Headings. Detailed indexing of monographic conference proceedings was considered of particular importance to the project. This attempt to make monograph literature more readily accessible to medical library patrons is interesting from both a philosophical and a technical point of view. This paper will discuss both of these aspects, giving an overall description of the nature of this innovative project. PMID:4403377

  19. Management of Legacy Spent Nuclear Fuel Wastes at the Chalk River Laboratories: The Challenges and Innovative Solutions Implemented - 13301

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

    Schruder, Kristan; Goodwin, Derek

    2013-07-01

    AECL's Fuel Packaging and Storage (FPS) Project was initiated in 2004 to retrieve, transfer, and stabilize an identified inventory of degraded research reactor fuel that had been emplaced within in-ground 'Tile Hole' structures in Chalk River Laboratories' Waste Management Area in the 1950's and 60's. Ongoing monitoring of the legacy fuel storage conditions had identified that moisture present in the storage structures had contributed to corrosion of both the fuel and the storage containers. This prompted the initiation of the FPS Project which has as its objective to design, construct, and commission equipment and systems that would allow for themore » ongoing safe storage of this fuel until a final long-term management, or disposition, pathway was available. The FPS Project provides systems and technologies to retrieve and transfer the fuel from the Waste Management Area to a new facility that will repackage, dry, safely store and monitor the fuel for a period of 50 years. All equipment and the new storage facility are designed and constructed to meet the requirements for Class 1 Nuclear Facilities in Canada. (authors)« less

  20. Technical Review of Retrieval and Closure Plans for the INEEL INTEC Tank Farm Facility

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

    Bamberger, Judith A; Burks, Barry L; Quigley, Keith D

    2001-09-28

    The purpose of this report is to document the conclusions of a technical review of retrieval and closure plans for the Idaho National Energy and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) Tank Farm Facility. In addition to reviewing retrieval and closure plans for these tanks, the review process served as an information exchange mechanism so that staff in the INEEL High Level Waste (HLW) Program could become more familiar with retrieval and closure approaches that have been completed or are planned for underground storage tanks at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Hanford sites. Thismore » review focused not only on evaluation of the technical feasibility and appropriateness of the approach selected by INEEL but also on technology gaps that could be addressed through utilization of technologies or performance data available at other DOE sites and in the private sector. The reviewers, Judith Bamberger of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and Dr. Barry Burks of The Providence Group Applied Technology, have extensive experience in the development and application of tank waste retrieval technologies for nuclear waste remediation.« less

  1. Impact of orbit design choices on the gravity field retrieval of Next Generation Gravity Missions - Insights on the ESA-ADDCON project

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Daras, Ilias; Visser, Pieter; Sneeuw, Nico; van Dam, Tonie; Pail, Roland; Gruber, Thomas; Tabibi, Sajad; Chen, Qiang; Liu, Wei; Tourian, Mohammad; Engels, Johannes; Saemian, Peyman; Siemes, Christian; Haagmans, Roger

    2017-04-01

    Next Generation Gravity Missions (NGGMs) expected to be launched in the mid-term future have set high anticipations for an enhanced monitoring of mass transport in the Earth system, establishing their products applicable to new scientific fields and serving societal needs. The European Space Agency (ESA) has issued several studies on concepts of NGGMs. Following this tradition, the project "Additional Constellations & Scientific Analysis Studies of the Next Generation Gravity Mission" picks up where the previous study ESA-SC4MGV left off. One of the ESA-ADDCON project objectives is to investigate the impact of different orbit configurations and parameters on the gravity field retrieval. Given a two-pair Bender-type constellation, consisting of a polar and an inclined pair, choices for orbit design such as the altitude profile during mission lifetime, the length of retrieval period, the value of sub-cycles and the choice of a prograde over a retrograde orbit are investigated. Moreover, the problem of aliasing due to ocean tide model inaccuracies, as well as methods for mitigating their effect on gravity field solutions are investigated in the context of NGGMs. The performed simulations make use of the gravity field processing approach where low-resolution gravity field solutions are co-parameterized in short-term periods (e.g. daily) together with the long-term solutions (e.g. 11-day solution). This method proved to be beneficial for NGGMs (ESA-SC4MGV project) since the enhanced spatio-temporal sampling enables a self-de-aliasing of high-frequency atmospheric and oceanic signals, which may now be a part of the retrieved signal. The potential added value of having such signals for the first time in near real-time is assessed within the project. This paper demonstrates the preliminary results of the ESA-ADDCON project focusing on aspects of orbit design choices for NGGMs.

  2. Methods for heel retrieval for tanks C-101, C-102, and C-111 at the Hanford Site

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

    Sams, Terry L.; Kirch, N. W.; Reynolds, Jacob G.

    The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the prospects of using bulk waste characteristics to determine the most appropriate heel retrieval technology. If the properties of hard to remove heels can be determined before bulk retrieval, then a heel retrieval technology can be selected before bulk retrieval is complete. This would save substantially on sampling costs and would allow the deployment of the heel retrieval technology immediately after bulk retrieval. The latter would also accelerate the heel removal schedule. A number of C-farm retrievals have been fully or partially completed at the time of this writing. Thus, there ismore » already substantial information on the success of different technologies and the composition of the heels. There is also substantial information on the waste types in each tank based on historical records. Therefore, this study will correlate the performance of technologies used so far and compare them to the known waste types in the tanks. This will be used to estimate the performance of future C Farm heel retrievals. An initial decision tree is developed and employed on tanks C-101, C-102, and C 111. An assumption of this study is that no additional characterization information would be available, before or after retrieval. Note that collecting additional information would substantially increase the probability of success. Deploying some in-situ testing technologies, such as a water lance or an in-situ Raman probe, might substantially increase the probability of successfully selecting the process conditions without having to take samples from the tanks for laboratory analysis.« less

  3. Waste receiving and processing facility module 1 data management system software project management plan

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

    Clark, R.E.

    1994-11-02

    This document provides the software development plan for the Waste Receiving and Processing (WRAP) Module 1 Data Management System (DMS). The DMS is one of the plant computer systems for the new WRAP 1 facility (Project W-026). The DMS will collect, store, and report data required to certify the low level waste (LLW) and transuranic (TRU) waste items processed at WRAP 1 as acceptable for shipment, storage, or disposal.

  4. Solid waste projection model: Model version 1. 0 technical reference manual

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

    Wilkins, M.L.; Crow, V.L.; Buska, D.E.

    1990-11-01

    The Solid Waste Projection Model (SWPM) system is an analytical tool developed by Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) for Westinghouse Hanford Company (WHC). The SWPM system provides a modeling and analysis environment that supports decisions in the process of evaluating various solid waste management alternatives. This document, one of a series describing the SWPM system, contains detailed information regarding the software utilized in developing Version 1.0 of the modeling unit of SWPM. This document is intended for use by experienced software engineers and supports programming, code maintenance, and model enhancement. Those interested in using SWPM should refer to the SWPM Modelmore » User's Guide. This document is available from either the PNL project manager (D. L. Stiles, 509-376-4154) or the WHC program monitor (B. C. Anderson, 509-373-2796). 8 figs.« less

  5. Tank waste remediation system baseline tank waste inventory estimates for fiscal year 1995

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

    Shelton, L.W., Westinghouse Hanford

    1996-12-06

    A set of tank-by-tank waste inventories is derived from historical waste models, flowsheet records, and analytical data to support the Tank Waste Remediation System flowsheet and retrieval sequence studies. Enabling assumptions and methodologies used to develop the inventories are discussed. These provisional inventories conform to previously established baseline inventories and are meant to serve as an interim basis until standardized inventory estimates are made available.

  6. Content-Based Medical Image Retrieval

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Müller, Henning; Deserno, Thomas M.

    This chapter details the necessity for alternative access concepts to the currently mainly text-based methods in medical information retrieval. This need is partly due to the large amount of visual data produced, the increasing variety of medical imaging data and changing user patterns. The stored visual data contain large amounts of unused information that, if well exploited, can help diagnosis, teaching and research. The chapter briefly reviews the history of image retrieval and its general methods before technologies that have been developed in the medical domain are focussed. We also discuss evaluation of medical content-based image retrieval (CBIR) systems and conclude with pointing out their strengths, gaps, and further developments. As examples, the MedGIFT project and the Image Retrieval in Medical Applications (IRMA) framework are presented.

  7. Aerosol retrieval experiments in the ESA Aerosol_cci project

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Holzer-Popp, T.; de Leeuw, G.; Griesfeller, J.; Martynenko, D.; Klüser, L.; Bevan, S.; Davies, W.; Ducos, F.; Deuzé, J. L.; Graigner, R. G.; Heckel, A.; von Hoyningen-Hüne, W.; Kolmonen, P.; Litvinov, P.; North, P.; Poulsen, C. A.; Ramon, D.; Siddans, R.; Sogacheva, L.; Tanre, D.; Thomas, G. E.; Vountas, M.; Descloitres, J.; Griesfeller, J.; Kinne, S.; Schulz, M.; Pinnock, S.

    2013-08-01

    Within the ESA Climate Change Initiative (CCI) project Aerosol_cci (2010-2013), algorithms for the production of long-term total column aerosol optical depth (AOD) datasets from European Earth Observation sensors are developed. Starting with eight existing pre-cursor algorithms three analysis steps are conducted to improve and qualify the algorithms: (1) a series of experiments applied to one month of global data to understand several major sensitivities to assumptions needed due to the ill-posed nature of the underlying inversion problem, (2) a round robin exercise of "best" versions of each of these algorithms (defined using the step 1 outcome) applied to four months of global data to identify mature algorithms, and (3) a comprehensive validation exercise applied to one complete year of global data produced by the algorithms selected as mature based on the round robin exercise. The algorithms tested included four using AATSR, three using MERIS and one using PARASOL. This paper summarizes the first step. Three experiments were conducted to assess the potential impact of major assumptions in the various aerosol retrieval algorithms. In the first experiment a common set of four aerosol components was used to provide all algorithms with the same assumptions. The second experiment introduced an aerosol property climatology, derived from a combination of model and sun photometer observations, as a priori information in the retrievals on the occurrence of the common aerosol components. The third experiment assessed the impact of using a common nadir cloud mask for AATSR and MERIS algorithms in order to characterize the sensitivity to remaining cloud contamination in the retrievals against the baseline dataset versions. The impact of the algorithm changes was assessed for one month (September 2008) of data: qualitatively by inspection of monthly mean AOD maps and quantitatively by comparing daily gridded satellite data against daily averaged AERONET sun photometer

  8. Methods for Heel Retrieval for Tanks C-101, C-102, and C-111 at the Hanford Site - 13064

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

    Sams, T.L.; Kirch, N.W.; Reynolds, J.H.

    The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the prospects of using bulk waste characteristics to determine the most appropriate heel retrieval technology. If the properties of hard to remove heels can be determined before bulk retrieval, then a heel retrieval technology can be selected before bulk retrieval is complete. This would save substantially on sampling costs and would allow the deployment of the heel retrieval technology immediately after bulk retrieval. The latter would also accelerate the heel removal schedule. A number of C-farm retrievals have been fully or partially completed at the time of this writing. Thus, there ismore » already substantial information on the success of different technologies and the composition of the heels. There is also substantial information on the waste types in each tank based on historical records. Therefore, this study will correlate the performance of technologies used so far and compare them to the known waste types in the tanks. This will be used to estimate the performance of future C Farm heel retrievals. An initial decision tree is developed and employed on tanks C-101, C-102, and C 111. An assumption of this study is that no additional characterization information would be available, before or after retrieval. Note that collecting additional information would substantially increase the probability of success. Deploying some in-situ testing technologies, such as a water lance or an in-situ Raman probe, might substantially increase the probability of successfully selecting the process conditions without having to take samples from the tanks for laboratory analysis. (authors)« less

  9. Collaborative Information Retrieval.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bruce, Harry; Fidel, Raya

    1999-01-01

    Researchers from the University of Washington, Microsoft Research, Boeing, and Risoe National Laboratory in Denmark have embarked on a project to explore the manifestations of Collaborative Information Retrieval (CIR) in work settings and to propose technological innovations and organizational changes that can support, facilitate, and improve CIR.…

  10. Recovery Act: Waste Energy Project at AK Steel Corporation Middletown

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

    Joyce, Jeffrey

    2012-06-30

    In 2008, Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (“Air Products”) began development of a project to beneficially utilize waste blast furnace “topgas” generated in the course of the iron-making process at AK Steel Corporation’s Middletown, Ohio works. In early 2010, Air Products was awarded DOE Assistance Agreement DE-EE002736 to further develop and build the combined-cycle power generation facility. In June 2012, Air Products and AK Steel Corporation terminated work when it was determined that the project would not be economically viable at that time nor in the foreseeable future. The project would have achieved the FOA-0000044 Statement of Project Objectives bymore » demonstrating, at a commercial scale, the technology to capture, treat, and convert blast furnace topgas into electric power and thermal energy.« less

  11. RADIOACTIVE DEMONSTRATIONS OF FLUIDIZED BED STEAM REFORMING AS A SUPPLEMENTARY TREATMENT FOR HANFORD'S LOW ACTIVITY WASTE AND SECONDARY WASTES

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

    Jantzen, C.; Crawford, C.; Cozzi, A.

    The U.S. Department of Energy's Office of River Protection (ORP) is responsible for the retrieval, treatment, immobilization, and disposal of Hanford's tank waste. Currently there are approximately 56 million gallons of highly radioactive mixed wastes awaiting treatment. A key aspect of the River Protection Project (RPP) cleanup mission is to construct and operate the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP). The WTP will separate the tank waste into high-level and low-activity waste (LAW) fractions, both of which will subsequently be vitrified. The projected throughput capacity of the WTP LAW Vitrification Facility is insufficient to complete the RPP mission in themore » time frame required by the Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order, also known as the Tri-Party Agreement (TPA), i.e. December 31, 2047. Therefore, Supplemental Treatment is required both to meet the TPA treatment requirements as well as to more cost effectively complete the tank waste treatment mission. The Supplemental Treatment chosen will immobilize that portion of the retrieved LAW that is not sent to the WTP's LAW Vitrification facility into a solidified waste form. The solidified waste will then be disposed on the Hanford site in the Integrated Disposal Facility (IDF). In addition, the WTP LAW vitrification facility off-gas condensate known as WTP Secondary Waste (WTP-SW) will be generated and enriched in volatile components such as Cs-137, I-129, Tc-99, Cl, F, and SO4 that volatilize at the vitrification temperature of 1150 C in the absence of a continuous cold cap. The current waste disposal path for the WTP-SW is to recycle it to the supplemental LAW treatment to avoid a large steady state accumulation in the pretreatment-vitrification loop. Fluidized Bed Steam Reforming (FBSR) offers a moderate temperature (700-750 C) continuous method by which LAW and/or WTP-SW wastes can be processed irrespective of whether they contain organics, nitrates, sulfates

  12. Tank waste remediation system configuration management implementation plan

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

    Vann, J.M.

    1998-03-31

    The Tank Waste Remediation System (TWRS) Configuration Management Implementation Plan describes the actions that will be taken by Project Hanford Management Contract Team to implement the TWRS Configuration Management program defined in HNF 1900, TWRS Configuration Management Plan. Over the next 25 years, the TWRS Project will transition from a safe storage mission to an aggressive retrieval, storage, and disposal mission in which substantial Engineering, Construction, and Operations activities must be performed. This mission, as defined, will require a consolidated configuration management approach to engineering, design, construction, as-building, and operating in accordance with the technical baselines that emerge from themore » life cycles. This Configuration Management Implementation Plan addresses the actions that will be taken to strengthen the TWRS Configuration Management program.« less

  13. Application of Updated Construction and Demolition Waste Reduction Policy to Army Projects

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-12-01

    goal of Net Zero waste disposal in landfills. Therefore, projects that involve the removal of existing buildings or structures are directed to...Therefore, projects that involve the removal of existing buildings or structures will evaluate the feasibility of deconstruction and salvage rather than...deconstruction. Therefore, needed new guidance must include consideration of the types of buildings and structures that do (and do not) lend

  14. The CREW intercomparison of SEVIRI cloud retrievals

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hamann, U.; Walther, A.; Bennartz, R.; Thoss, A.; Meirink, J. M.; Roebeling, R.

    2012-12-01

    About 70% of the earth's surface is covered with clouds. They strongly influence the radiation balance and the water cycle of the earth. Hence the detailed monitoring of cloud properties - such as cloud fraction, cloud top temperature, cloud particle size, and cloud water path - is important to understand the role of clouds in the weather and the climate system. The remote sensing with passive sensors is an essential mean for the global observation of the cloud parameters, but is nevertheless challenging. This presentation focuses on the inter-comparison and validation of cloud physical properties retrievals from the Spinning Enhanced Visible and InfraRed Imager (SEVIRI) onboard METEOSAT. For this study we use retrievals from 12 state-of-art algorithms (Eumetsat, KNMI, NASA Langley, NASA Goddard, University Madison/Wisconsin, DWD, DLR, Meteo-France, KMI, FU Berlin, UK MetOffice) that are made available through the common database of the CREW (Cloud Retrieval Evaluation Working) group. Cloud detection, cloud top phase, height, and temperature, as well as optical properties and water path are validated with CLOUDSAT, CALIPSO, MISR, and AMSR-E measurements. Special emphasis is given to challenging retrieval conditions. Semi-transparent clouds over the earth's surface or another cloud layer modify the measured brightness temperature and increase the retrieval uncertainty. The consideration of the three-dimensional radiative effects is especially important for large viewing angles and broken cloud fields. Aerosols might be misclassified as cloud and may increase the retrieval uncertainty, too. Due to the availability of the high number of sophisticated retrieval datasets, the advantages of different retrieval approaches can be examined and suggestions for future retrieval developments can be made. We like to thank Eumetsat for sponsoring the CREW project including this work.nstitutes that participate in the CREW project.

  15. SPIRES (Stanford Public Information REtrieval System). Annual Report (2d, 1968).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Parker, Edwin B.; And Others

    During 1968 the name of the project was changed from Stanford Physics Information Retrieval System" to "Stanford Public Information Retrieval System" to reflect the broadening of perspective and goals due to formal collaboration with Project BALLOTS (Bibliographic Automation of Large Library Operations using a Time-Sharing System).…

  16. Photogrammetry and Laser Imagery Tests for Tank Waste Volume Estimates: Summary Report

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

    Field, Jim G.

    2013-03-27

    Feasibility tests were conducted using photogrammetry and laser technologies to estimate the volume of waste in a tank. These technologies were compared with video Camera/CAD Modeling System (CCMS) estimates; the current method used for post-retrieval waste volume estimates. This report summarizes test results and presents recommendations for further development and deployment of technologies to provide more accurate and faster waste volume estimates in support of tank retrieval and closure.

  17. Information Storage and Retrieval. Reports on Analysis, Search, and Iterative Retrieval.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Salton, Gerard

    As the fourteenth report in a series describing research in automatic information storage and retrieval, this document covers work carried out on the SMART project for approximately one year (summer 1967 to summer 1968). The document is divided into four main parts: (1) SMART systems design, (2) analysis and search experiments, (3) user feedback…

  18. Information brochure on the Department of Energy's proposed Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in southeastern New Mexico. Project overview

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

    Not Available

    This project overview comprises the following: project history; WIPP fact sheet; legal actions required; major WIPP milestones; low-level waste volumes; nuclear waste transportation; WIPP site selection; and questions and answers from the Department of Energy request for public input prior to public meetings in Roswell and Hobbs, New Mexico.

  19. HCHO and NO2 MAXDOAS retrieval strategies harmonization: Recent results from the EU FP7 project QA4ECV

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pinardi, Gaia; Peters, Enno; Hendrick, François; Gielen, Clio; Van Roozendael, Michel; Richter, Andreas; Piters, Ankie; Wagner, Thomas; Wang, Yang; Drosoglou, Theano; Bais, Alkis; Wang, Shanshan; Saiz-Lopez, Alfonso

    2016-04-01

    During the last decade, it has been extensively demonstrated that MAXDOAS is a useful and reliable technique to retrieve integrated column amounts of tropospheric trace gases and aerosols, as well as information on their vertical distributions. Since it is based on optical remote-sensing in the UV-visible region like nadir backscatter space-borne sensors, MAXDOAS is also increasingly recognized as a reference technique for validating satellite nadir observations of air quality species like NO2 and HCHO. However, building up an harmonized network of MAXDOAS spectrometers requires significant efforts in terms of common retrieval strategies and best-practices definitions. Within the EU FP7 project QA4ECV (Quality Assurance for Essential Climate Variables; see http://www.qa4ecv.eu/), harmonization activities have been initiated focusing on the two main steps of the MAXDOAS retrieval, i.e. the DOAS spectral fit providing the so-called differential slant column densities (DSCDs) and the conversion of the retrieved DSCDs to vertical profiles and/or vertical column densities (VCDs). Regarding the first step, the DOAS settings for HCHO and NO2 are optimized through an intercomparison exercise of slant column retrievals involving 15 groups of the MAXDOAS community including the QA4ECV partners, and based on the radiance spectra acquired during the MAD-CAT campaign held in Mainz (Germany) in June-July 2013 (see http://joseba.mpch-mainz.mpg.de/mad_cat.htm). The harmonization of the second step is done through the application of an AMF (aim mass factor) look-up table (LUT) approach on the optimized NO2 and HCHO DSCDs. The AMF LUTs depend on entry parameters like SZA, elevation and relative azimuth angles, wavelength, boundary layer height, AOD, and surface albedo. The advantages and drawbacks of the LUT approach are illustrated at several stations through comparison of the derived VCDs with those retrieved using the more sophisticated Optimal-Estimation-based profiling method

  20. Nuclear Waste Facing the Test of Time: The Case of the French Deep Geological Repository Project.

    PubMed

    Poirot-Delpech, Sophie; Raineau, Laurence

    2016-12-01

    The purpose of this article is to consider the socio-anthropological issues raised by the deep geological repository project for high-level, long-lived nuclear waste. It is based on fieldwork at a candidate site for a deep storage project in eastern France, where an underground laboratory has been studying the feasibility of the project since 1999. A project of this nature, based on the possibility of very long containment (hundreds of thousands of years, if not longer), involves a singular form of time. By linking project performance to geology's very long timescale, the project attempts "jump" in time, focusing on a far distant future, without understanding it in terms of generations. But these future generations remain measurements of time on the surface, where the issue of remembering or forgetting the repository comes to the fore. The nuclear waste geological storage project raises questions that neither politicians nor scientists, nor civil society, have ever confronted before. This project attempts to address a problem that exists on a very long timescale, which involves our responsibility toward generations in the far future.

  1. Final waste forms project: Performance criteria for phase I treatability studies

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

    Gilliam, T.M.; Hutchins, D.A.; Chodak, P. III

    1994-06-01

    This document defines the product performance criteria to be used in Phase I of the Final Waste Forms Project. In Phase I, treatability studies will be performed to provide {open_quotes}proof-of-principle{close_quotes} data to establish the viability of stabilization/solidification (S/S) technologies. This information is required by March 1995. In Phase II, further treatability studies, some at the pilot scale, will be performed to provide sufficient data to allow treatment alternatives identified in Phase I to be more fully developed and evaluated, as well as to reduce performance uncertainties for those methods chosen to treat a specific waste. Three main factors influence themore » development and selection of an optimum waste form formulation and hence affect selection of performance criteria. These factors are regulatory, process-specific, and site-specific waste form standards or requirements. Clearly, the optimum waste form formulation will require consideration of performance criteria constraints from each of the three categories. Phase I will focus only on the regulatory criteria. These criteria may be considered the minimum criteria for an acceptable waste form. In other words, a S/S technology is considered viable only if it meet applicable regulatory criteria. The criteria to be utilized in the Phase I treatability studies were primarily taken from Environmental Protection Agency regulations addressed in 40 CFR 260 through 265 and 268; and Nuclear Regulatory Commission regulations addressed in 10 CFR 61. Thus the majority of the identified criteria are independent of waste form matrix composition (i.e., applicable to cement, glass, organic binders etc.).« less

  2. Norfolk Southern boxcar blocking/bracing plan for the mixed waste disposal initiative project. Environmental Restoration Program

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

    Seigler, R.S.

    The US Department of Energy`s (DOE) Environmental Restoration and Waste Management programs will dispose of mixed waste no longer deemed useful. This project is one of the initial activities used to help meet this goal. The project will transport the {approximately}46,000 drums of existing stabilized mixed waste located at the Oak Ridge K-25 Site and presently stored in the K-31 and K-33 buildings to an off-site commercially licensed and permitted mixed waste disposal facility. Shipping and disposal of all {approximately}46,000 pond waste drums ({approximately}1,000,000 ft{sup 3} or 55,000 tons) is scheduled to occur over a period of {approximately}5--10 years. Themore » first shipment of stabilized pond waste should transpire some time during the second quarter of FY 1994. Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc., proposes to line each of the Norfolk Southem boxcars with a prefabricated, white, 15-mm low-density polyethylene (LDPE) liner material. To avoid damaging the bottom of the polyethylene floor liner, a minimum .5 in. plywood will be nailed to the boxcars` nailable metal floor. At the end of the Mixed Waste Disposal Initiative (MWDI) Project workers at the Envirocare facility will dismantle and dispose of all the polyethylene liner and plywood materials. Envirocare of Utah, Inc., located in Clive, Utah, will perform a health physic survey and chemically and radiologically decontaminate, if necessary, each of the rail boxcars prior to them being released back to Energy Systems. Energy Systems will also perform a health physic survey and chemically and radiologically decontaminate, if necessary, each of the rail boxcars prior to them being released back to Norfolk Southem Railroad.« less

  3. Inexpensive electrolysis of batik waste water: Project-based learning (PjBL) in MA Salafiyah Simbang Kulon Pekalongan, Indonesia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Firmansyah, R. Arizal; Rohmatina, Ita

    2017-12-01

    Majority of people in Simbang kulon Indonesia almost every citizen who batik artisans, by utilizing river water to wash batik, as well as a place to dispose of waste. As a result, the river is polluted. However, there are no steps to educate young generation especially students to care about the environment. Therefore, project-based learning is appropriate approach. This research was intended to provide a description of the study of project-based chemistry on redox reaction material and its application for the waste treatment of class X MA Salafiyah Simbang Kulon Pekalongan. The implementation of project-based chemistry study of redox reaction material and its application on batik waste treatment in class X MA Salafiyah Simbang Kulon Pekalongan can be seen from several aspects, such as: (1) planning stage: includes preparation of learning planning activities such as RPP preparation of LKS etc, (2) Implementation stage: this stage consists of classroom discussion, and batik waste treatment project (3) evaluation stage. This evaluation was done by the researcher on the results of project-based learning to measure the level of effectiveness of learning with the achievement of students' competencies in terms of cognitive, that is by doing post-test and interview. The end result was to compare the results of the pre-test of learners who achieve the value of KKM with the results of post-test learners who reached the KKM value of 6.8. The results showed that: the effectiveness level of learning chemistry-based projects redox reaction material and its application on the batik waste treatment of class X MA Salafiyah Simbang Kulon Pekalongan was very high, this can be seen from the comparison of the percentage of school KKM achievement between the value of pre-test results with value of post-test result was difference of pre-test result 8,33% with result of post-test 91,66%, so difference was 81,26%. These results were then reinforced by the results of the researcher

  4. Integrated data base report--1996: US spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste inventories, projections, and characteristics

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

    NONE

    1997-12-01

    The Integrated Data Base Program has compiled historic data on inventories and characteristics of both commercial and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and commercial and U.S. government-owned radioactive wastes. Inventories of most of these materials are reported as of the end of fiscal year (FY) 1996, which is September 30, 1996. Commercial SNF and commercial uranium mill tailings inventories are reported on an end-of-calendar year (CY) basis. All SNF and radioactive waste data reported are based on the most reliable information available from government sources, the open literature, technical reports, and direct contacts. The information forecastedmore » is consistent with the latest DOE/Energy Information Administration (EIA) projections of U.S. commercial nuclear power growth and the expected DOE-related and private industrial and institutional activities. The radioactive materials considered, on a chapter-by-chapter basis, are SNF, high-level waste, transuranic waste, low-level waste, uranium mill tailings, DOE Environmental Restoration Program contaminated environmental media, naturally occurring and accelerator-produced radioactive material, and mixed (hazardous and radioactive) low-level waste. For most of these categories, current and projected inventories are given through FY 2030, and the radioactivity and thermal power are calculated based on reported or estimated isotopic compositions.« less

  5. Description of waste pretreatment and interfacing systems dynamic simulation model

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

    Garbrick, D.J.; Zimmerman, B.D.

    1995-05-01

    The Waste Pretreatment and Interfacing Systems Dynamic Simulation Model was created to investigate the required pretreatment facility processing rates for both high level and low level waste so that the vitrification of tank waste can be completed according to the milestones defined in the Tri-Party Agreement (TPA). In order to achieve this objective, the processes upstream and downstream of the pretreatment facilities must also be included. The simulation model starts with retrieval of tank waste and ends with vitrification for both low level and high level wastes. This report describes the results of three simulation cases: one based on suggestedmore » average facility processing rates, one with facility rates determined so that approximately 6 new DSTs are required, and one with facility rates determined so that approximately no new DSTs are required. It appears, based on the simulation results, that reasonable facility processing rates can be selected so that no new DSTs are required by the TWRS program. However, this conclusion must be viewed with respect to the modeling assumptions, described in detail in the report. Also included in the report, in an appendix, are results of two sensitivity cases: one with glass plant water recycle steams recycled versus not recycled, and one employing the TPA SST retrieval schedule versus a more uniform SST retrieval schedule. Both recycling and retrieval schedule appear to have a significant impact on overall tank usage.« less

  6. Development of an Integrated Raman and Turbidity Fiber Optic Sensor for the In-Situ Analysis of High Level Nuclear Waste

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

    Gasbarro, Christina; Bello, Job M.; Bryan, Samuel A.

    2013-02-24

    Stored nuclear waste must be retrieved from storage, treated, separated into low- and high-level waste streams, and finally put into a disposal form that effectively encapsulates the waste and isolates it from the environment for a long period of time. Before waste retrieval can be done, waste composition needs to be characterized so that proper safety precautions can be implemented during the retrieval process. In addition, there is a need for active monitoring of the dynamic chemistry of the waste during storage since the waste composition can become highly corrosive. This work describes the development of a novel, integrated fibermore » optic Raman and light scattering probe for in situ use in nuclear waste solutions. The dual Raman and turbidity sensor provides simultaneous chemical identification of nuclear waste as well as information concerning the suspended particles in the waste using a common laser excitation source.« less

  7. Information Retrieval by Television.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Billowes, C. A.

    1968-01-01

    Bell Canada, the Public School and Collegiate Institute Boards of Ottawa, and the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education are collaborating on an educational television project which will provide a retrieval system that can supply any given program at any time under the control of the classroom teacher. Four schools in Ottawa will participate…

  8. Lincoln County nuclear waste project. Quarterly progress report, October 1, 1991--December 31, 1991

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

    NONE

    1996-03-01

    This document included the following three progress reports to the Yucca Mountain Project Office on radioactive waste storage in Lincoln County, Nevada: financial status report; federal cash transactions report; and technical progress report.

  9. Lincoln County nuclear waste project. Quarterly progress report, January 1, 1992--March 31, 1992

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

    NONE

    1996-03-01

    This document included the following three progress reports to the Yucca Mountain Project Office on radioactive waste storage in Lincoln County, Nevada: financial status report; federal cash transactions report; and technical progress report.

  10. Lincoln County nuclear waste project quarterly progress report, April 1, 1992--June 30, 1992

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

    NONE

    1996-03-01

    This document included the following three progress reports to the Yucca Mountain Project Office on radioactive waste storage in Lincoln County, Nevada: financial status report; federal cash transactions report; and technical progress report.

  11. Algorithm theoretical baseline for formaldehyde retrievals from S5P TROPOMI and from the QA4ECV project

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    De Smedt, Isabelle; Theys, Nicolas; Yu, Huan; Danckaert, Thomas; Lerot, Christophe; Compernolle, Steven; Van Roozendael, Michel; Richter, Andreas; Hilboll, Andreas; Peters, Enno; Pedergnana, Mattia; Loyola, Diego; Beirle, Steffen; Wagner, Thomas; Eskes, Henk; van Geffen, Jos; Folkert Boersma, Klaas; Veefkind, Pepijn

    2018-04-01

    On board the Copernicus Sentinel-5 Precursor (S5P) platform, the TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) is a double-channel, nadir-viewing grating spectrometer measuring solar back-scattered earthshine radiances in the ultraviolet, visible, near-infrared, and shortwave infrared with global daily coverage. In the ultraviolet range, its spectral resolution and radiometric performance are equivalent to those of its predecessor OMI, but its horizontal resolution at true nadir is improved by an order of magnitude. This paper introduces the formaldehyde (HCHO) tropospheric vertical column retrieval algorithm implemented in the S5P operational processor and comprehensively describes its various retrieval steps. Furthermore, algorithmic improvements developed in the framework of the EU FP7-project QA4ECV are described for future updates of the processor. Detailed error estimates are discussed in the light of Copernicus user requirements and needs for validation are highlighted. Finally, verification results based on the application of the algorithm to OMI measurements are presented, demonstrating the performances expected for TROPOMI.

  12. Information Retrieval (SPIRES) and Library Automation (BALLOTS) at Stanford University.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ferguson, Douglas, Ed.

    At Stanford University, two major projects have been involved jointly in library automation and information retrieval since 1968: BALLOTS (Bibliographic Automation of Large Library Operations) and SPIRES (Stanford Physics Information Retrieval System). In early 1969, two prototype applications were activated using the jointly developed systems…

  13. SLUDGE TREATMENT PROJECT ENGINEERED CONTAINER RETRIEVAL AND TRANSFER SYSTEM PRELMINARY DESIGN HAZARD AND OPERABILITY STUDY

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

    CARRO CA

    2011-07-15

    This Hazard and Operability (HAZOP) study addresses the Sludge Treatment Project (STP) Engineered Container Retrieval and Transfer System (ECRTS) preliminary design for retrieving sludge from underwater engineered containers located in the 105-K West (KW) Basin, transferring the sludge as a sludge-water slurry (hereafter referred to as 'slurry') to a Sludge Transport and Storage Container (STSC) located in a Modified KW Basin Annex, and preparing the STSC for transport to T Plant using the Sludge Transport System (STS). There are six, underwater engineered containers located in the KW Basin that, at the time of sludge retrieval, will contain an estimated volumemore » of 5.2 m{sup 3} of KW Basin floor and pit sludge, 18.4 m{sup 3} of 105-K East (KE) Basin floor, pit, and canister sludge, and 3.5 m{sup 3} of settler tank sludge. The KE and KW Basin sludge consists of fuel corrosion products (including metallic uranium, and fission and activation products), small fuel fragments, iron and aluminum oxide, sand, dirt, operational debris, and biological debris. The settler tank sludge consists of sludge generated by the washing of KE and KW Basin fuel in the Primary Clean Machine. A detailed description of the origin of sludge and its chemical and physical characteristics can be found in HNF-41051, Preliminary STP Container and Settler Sludge Process System Description and Material Balance. In summary, the ECRTS retrieves sludge from the engineered containers and hydraulically transfers it as a slurry into an STSC positioned within a trailer-mounted STS cask located in a Modified KW Basin Annex. The slurry is allowed to settle within the STSC to concentrate the solids and clarify the supernate. After a prescribed settling period the supernate is decanted. The decanted supernate is filtered through a sand filter and returned to the basin. Subsequent batches of slurry are added to the STSC, settled, and excess supernate removed until the prescribed quantity of sludge is

  14. Image selection system. [computerized data storage and retrieval system

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Knutson, M. A.; Hurd, D.; Hubble, L.; Kroeck, R. M.

    1974-01-01

    An image selection (ISS) was developed for the NASA-Ames Research Center Earth Resources Aircraft Project. The ISS is an interactive, graphics oriented, computer retrieval system for aerial imagery. An analysis of user coverage requests and retrieval strategies is presented, followed by a complete system description. Data base structure, retrieval processors, command language, interactive display options, file structures, and the system's capability to manage sets of selected imagery are described. A detailed example of an area coverage request is graphically presented.

  15. Development of an Integrated Raman and Turbidity Fiber Optic Sensor for the In-Situ Analysis of High Level Nuclear Waste - 13532

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

    Gasbarro, Christina; Bello, Job; Bryan, Samuel

    2013-07-01

    Stored nuclear waste must be retrieved from storage, treated, separated into low- and high-level waste streams, and finally put into a disposal form that effectively encapsulates the waste and isolates it from the environment for a long period of time. Before waste retrieval can be done, waste composition needs to be characterized so that proper safety precautions can be implemented during the retrieval process. In addition, there is a need for active monitoring of the dynamic chemistry of the waste during storage since the waste composition can become highly corrosive. This work describes the development of a novel, integrated fibermore » optic Raman and light scattering probe for in situ use in nuclear waste solutions. The dual Raman and turbidity sensor provides simultaneous chemical identification of nuclear waste as well as information concerning the suspended particles in the waste using a common laser excitation source. (authors)« less

  16. P7-S Combining Workflow-Based Project Organization with Protein-Dependant Data Retrieval for the Retrieval of Extensive Proteome Information

    PubMed Central

    Glandorf, J.; Thiele, H.; Macht, M.; Vorm, O.; Podtelejnikov, A.

    2007-01-01

    In the course of a full-scale proteomics experiment, the handling of the data as well as the retrieval of the relevant information from the results is a major challenge due to the massive amount of generated data (gel images, chromatograms, and spectra) as well as associated result information (sequences, literature, etc.). To obtain meaningful information from these data, one has to filter the results in an easy way. Possibilities to do so can be based on GO terms or structural features such as transmembrane domains, involvement in certain pathways, etc. In this presentation we will show how a combination of a software package with a workflow-based result organization (Bruker ProteinScape) and a protein-centered data-mining software (Proxeon ProteinCenter) can assist in the comparison of the results from large projects, such as comparison of cross-platform results from 2D PAGE/MS with shotgun LC-ESI-MS/MS. We will present differences between different technologies and show how these differences can be easily identified and how they allow us to draw conclusions on the involved technologies.

  17. Vitrified hillforts as anthropogenic analogues for nuclear waste glasses - project planning and initiation

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

    Sjoblom, Rolf; Weaver, Jamie L.; Peeler, David K.

    Nuclear waste must be deposited in such a manner that it does not cause significant impact on the environment or human health. In some cases, the integrity of the repositories will need to sustain for tens to hundreds of thousands of years. In order to ensure such containment, nuclear waste is frequently converted into a very durable glass. It is fundamentally difficult, however, to assure the validity of such containment based on short-term tests alone. To date, some anthropogenic and natural volcanic glasses have been investigated for this purpose. However, glasses produced by ancient cultures for the purpose of joiningmore » rocks in stonewalls have not yet been utilized in spite of the fact that they might offer significant insight into the long-term durability of glasses in natural environments. Therefore, a project is being initiated with the scope of obtaining samples and characterizing their environment, as well as to investigate them using a suite of advanced materials characterization techniques. It will be analysed how the hillfort glasses may have been prepared, and to what extent they have altered under in-situ conditions. The ultimate goals are to obtain a better understanding of the alteration behaviour of nuclear waste glasses and its compositional dependence, and thus to improve and validate models for nuclear waste glass corrosion. The paper deals with project planning and initiation, and also presents some early findings on fusion of amphibolite and on the process for joining the granite stones in the hillfort walls.« less

  18. Remote Handled WIPP Canisters at Los Alamos National Laboratory Characterized for Retrieval

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

    Griffin, J.; Gonzales, W.

    2007-07-01

    The Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is pursuing retrieval, transportation, and disposal of 16 remote handled transuranic waste canisters stored below ground in shafts since 1994. These canisters were retrievably stored in the shafts to await Nuclear Regulatory Commission certification of the Model Number RH-TRU 72B transportation cask and authorization of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) to accept the canisters for disposal. Retrieval planning included radiological characterization and visual inspection of the canisters to confirm historical records, verify container integrity, determine proper personnel protection for the retrieval operations, provide radiological dose and exposure rate data for retrieval operations, andmore » to provide exterior radiological contamination data. The radiological characterization and visual inspection of the canisters was performed in May 2006. The effort required the development of remote techniques and equipment due to the potential for personnel exposure to radiological doses approaching 300 R/hr. Innovations included the use of two nested 1.5 meter (m) (5-feet [ft]) long concrete culvert pipes (1.1-m [42 inch (in.)] and 1.5-m [60-in] diameter, respectively) as radiological shielding and collapsible electrostatic dusting wands to collect radiological swipe samples from the annular space between the canister and shaft wall. Visual inspection indicated that the canisters are in good condition with little or no rust, the welded seams are intact, and ten of the canisters include hydrogen gas sampling equipment on the pintle that will have to be removed prior to retrieval. The visual inspection also provided six canister identification numbers that matched historical storage records. The exterior radiological data indicated alpha and beta contamination below LANL release criteria and radiological dose and exposure rates lower than expected based upon historical data and modeling of the canister contents. (authors)« less

  19. Initial retrieval shields against retrieval-induced forgetting

    PubMed Central

    Racsmány, Mihály; Keresztes, Attila

    2015-01-01

    Testing, as a form of retrieval, can enhance learning but it can also induce forgetting of related memories, a phenomenon known as retrieval-induced forgetting (RIF). In four experiments we explored whether selective retrieval and selective restudy of target memories induce forgetting of related memories with or without initial retrieval of the entire learning set. In Experiment 1, subjects studied category-exemplar associations, some of which were then either restudied or retrieved. RIF occurred on a delayed final test only when memories were retrieved and not when they were restudied. In Experiment 2, following the study phase of category-exemplar associations, subjects attempted to recall all category-exemplar associations, then they selectively retrieved or restudied some of the exemplars. We found that, despite the huge impact on practiced items, selective retrieval/restudy caused no decrease in final recall of related items. In Experiment 3, we replicated the main result of Experiment 2 by manipulating initial retrieval as a within-subject variable. In Experiment 4 we replicated the main results of the previous experiments with non-practiced (Nrp) baseline items. These findings suggest that initial retrieval of the learning set shields against the forgetting effect of later selective retrieval. Together, our results support the context shift theory of RIF. PMID:26052293

  20. Initial retrieval shields against retrieval-induced forgetting.

    PubMed

    Racsmány, Mihály; Keresztes, Attila

    2015-01-01

    Testing, as a form of retrieval, can enhance learning but it can also induce forgetting of related memories, a phenomenon known as retrieval-induced forgetting (RIF). In four experiments we explored whether selective retrieval and selective restudy of target memories induce forgetting of related memories with or without initial retrieval of the entire learning set. In Experiment 1, subjects studied category-exemplar associations, some of which were then either restudied or retrieved. RIF occurred on a delayed final test only when memories were retrieved and not when they were restudied. In Experiment 2, following the study phase of category-exemplar associations, subjects attempted to recall all category-exemplar associations, then they selectively retrieved or restudied some of the exemplars. We found that, despite the huge impact on practiced items, selective retrieval/restudy caused no decrease in final recall of related items. In Experiment 3, we replicated the main result of Experiment 2 by manipulating initial retrieval as a within-subject variable. In Experiment 4 we replicated the main results of the previous experiments with non-practiced (Nrp) baseline items. These findings suggest that initial retrieval of the learning set shields against the forgetting effect of later selective retrieval. Together, our results support the context shift theory of RIF.

  1. Pit 9 Category of Transuranic Waste Stored Below Ground within Area G

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

    Hargis, Kenneth M.

    2014-01-08

    A large wildfire called the Las Conchas Fire burned large areas near Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in 2011 and heightened public concern and news media attention over transuranic (TRU) waste stored at LANL’s Technical Area 54 (TA-54) Area G waste management facility. The removal of TRU waste from Area G had been placed at a lower priority in budget decisions for environmental cleanup at LANL because TRU waste removal is not included in the March 2005 Compliance Order on Consent (Reference 1) that is the primary regulatory driver for environmental cleanup at LANL. The Consent Order is an agreementmore » between LANL and the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) that contains specific requirements and schedules for cleaning up historical contamination at the LANL site. After the Las Conchas Fire, discussions were held by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) with the NMED on accelerating TRU waste removal from LANL and disposing it at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP).This report summarizes available information on the origin, configuration, and composition of the waste containers within Pit 9, their physical and radiological characteristics, and issues that may be encountered in their retrieval and processing. Review of the available information indicates that Pit 9 should present no major issues in retrieval and processing, and most drums contain TRU waste that can be shipped to WIPP. The primary concern in retrieval is the integrity of containers that have been stored below-ground for 35 to 40 years. The most likely issue that will be encountered in processing containers retrieved from Pit 9 is the potential for items that are prohibited at WIPP such as sealed containers greater than four liters in size and free liquids that exceed limits for WIPP.« less

  2. Feasibility study: Assess the feasibility of siting a monitored retrievable storage facility. Phase 1

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

    King, J.W.

    1993-08-01

    The purpose of phase one of this study are: To understand the waste management system and a monitored retrievable storage facility; and to determine whether the applicant has real interest in pursuing the feasibility assessment process. Contents of this report are: Generating electric power; facts about exposure to radiation; handling storage, and transportation techniques; description of a proposed monitored retrievable storage facility; and benefits to be received by host jurisdiction.

  3. QADATA user's manual; an interactive computer program for the retrieval and analysis of the results from the external blind sample quality- assurance project of the U.S. Geological Survey

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Lucey, K.J.

    1990-01-01

    The U.S. Geological Survey conducts an external blind sample quality assurance project for its National Water Quality Laboratory in Denver, Colorado, based on the analysis of reference water samples. Reference samples containing selected inorganic and nutrient constituents are disguised as environmental samples at the Survey 's office in Ocala, Florida, and are sent periodically through other Survey offices to the laboratory. The results of this blind sample project indicate the quality of analytical data produced by the laboratory. This report provides instructions on the use of QADATA, an interactive, menu-driven program that allows users to retrieve the results of the blind sample quality- assurance project. The QADATA program, which is available on the U.S. Geological Survey 's national computer network, accesses a blind sample data base that contains more than 50,000 determinations from the last five water years for approximately 40 constituents at various concentrations. The data can be retrieved from the database for any user- defined time period and for any or all available constituents. After the user defines the retrieval, the program prepares statistical tables, control charts, and precision plots and generates a report which can be transferred to the user 's office through the computer network. A discussion of the interpretation of the program output is also included. This quality assurance information will permit users to document the quality of the analytical results received from the laboratory. The blind sample data is entered into the database within weeks after being produced by the laboratory and can be retrieved to meet the needs of specific projects or programs. (USGS)

  4. Nuclear waste

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

    Not Available

    1991-09-01

    Radioactive waste is mounting at U.S. nuclear power plants at a rate of more than 2,000 metric tons a year. Pursuant to statute and anticipating that a geologic repository would be available in 1998, the Department of Energy (DOE) entered into disposal contracts with nuclear utilities. Now, however, DOE does not expect the repository to be ready before 2010. For this reason, DOE does not want to develop a facility for monitored retrievable storage (MRS) by 1998. This book is concerned about how best to store the waste until a repository is available, congressional requesters asked GAO to review themore » alternatives of continued storage at utilities' reactor sites or transferring waste to an MRS facility, GAO assessed the likelihood of an MRSA facility operating by 1998, legal implications if DOE is not able to take delivery of wastes in 1998, propriety of using the Nuclear Waste Fund-from which DOE's waste program costs are paid-to pay utilities for on-site storage capacity added after 1998, ability of utilities to store their waste on-site until a repository is operating, and relative costs and safety of the two storage alternatives.« less

  5. Development and Deployment of the Extended Reach Sluicing System (ERSS) for Retrieval of Hanford Single Shell Tank Waste. Draft

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

    Bauer, Roger E.; Figley, Reed R.; Innes, A. G.

    2013-11-11

    A history of the evolution and the design development of Extended Reach Sluicer System (ERSS) is presented. Several challenges are described that had to be overcome to create a machine that went beyond the capabilities of prior generation sluicers to mobilize waste in Single Shell Tanks for pumping into Double Shell Tank receiver tanks. Off-the-shelf technology and traditional hydraulic fluid power systems were combined with the custom-engineered components to create the additional functionality of the ERSS, while still enabling it to fit within very tight entry envelope into the SST. Problems and challenges inevitably were encountered and overcome in waysmore » that enhance the state of the art of fluid power applications in such constrained environments. Future enhancements to the ERSS design are explored for retrieval of tanks with different dimensions and internal obstacles.« less

  6. Biodegradation of hazardous waste using white rot fungus: Project planning and concept development document

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

    Luey, J.; Brouns, T.M.; Elliott, M.L.

    1990-11-01

    The white rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium has been shown to effectively degrade pollutants such as trichlorophenol, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxins and other halogenated aromatic compounds. These refractory organic compounds and many others have been identified in the tank waste, groundwater and soil of various US Department of Energy (DOE) sites. The treatment of these refractory organic compounds has been identified as a high priority for DOE's Research, Development, Demonstration, Testing, and Evaluation (RDDT E) waste treatment programs. Unlike many bacteria, the white rot fungus P. chrysosporium is capable of degrading these types of refractory organics and may be valuable formore » the treatment of wastes containing multiple pollutants. The objectives of this project are to identify DOE waste problems amenable to white rot fungus treatment and to develop and demonstrate white rot fungus treatment process for these hazardous organic compounds. 32 refs., 6 figs., 7 tabs.« less

  7. AP-102/104 Retrieval control system qualification test procedure

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

    RIECK, C.A.

    1999-05-18

    This Qualification Test Procedure documents the results of the qualification testing that was performed on the Project W-211, ''Initial Tank Retrieval Systems,'' retrieval control system (RCS) for tanks 241-AP-102 and 241-AP-104. The results confirm that the RCS has been programmed correctly and that the two related hardware enclosures have been assembled in accordance with the design documents.

  8. Designing the OPAC User Interface to Improve Access and Retrieval.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Basista, Thomas; And Others

    1991-01-01

    Discussion of problems with retrieval of records in library online public access catalogs (OPACs) focuses on an ongoing research project at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) that has been trying to improve subject retrieval vocabulary control using natural and thesaural language and on the design of a good graphical user interface.…

  9. TRU waste lead organization -- WIPP Project Office Interface Management semi-annual report

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

    Guerrero, J.V.; Gorton, J.M.

    1985-05-01

    The Charter establishing the Interface Control Board and the administrative organization to manage the interface of the TRU Waste Lead Organization and the WIPP Project Office also requires preparation of a summary report describing significant interface activities.'' This report includes a discussion of Interface Working Group (IWG) recommendations and resolutions considered and implemented'' over the reporting period October 1984 to March 1985.

  10. Separate collection of plastic waste, better than technical sorting from municipal solid waste?

    PubMed

    Feil, Alexander; Pretz, Thomas; Jansen, Michael; Thoden van Velzen, Eggo U

    2017-02-01

    The politically preferred solution to fulfil legal recycling demands is often implementing separate collection systems. However, experience shows their limitations, particularly in urban centres with a high population density. In response to the European Union landfill directive, mechanical biological waste treatment plants have been installed all over Europe. This technology makes it possible to retrieve plastic waste from municipal solid waste. Operators of mechanical biological waste treatment plants, both in Germany and the Netherlands, have started to change their mechanical separation processes to additionally produce plastic pre-concentrates. Results from mechanical biological waste treatment and separate collection of post-consumer packaging waste will be presented and compared. They prove that both the yield and the quality of plastic waste provided as feedstock for the production of secondary plastic raw material are largely comparable. An economic assessment shows which conditions for a technical sorting plant are economically attractive in comparison to separate collection systems. It is, however, unlikely that plastic recycling will ever reach cost neutrality.

  11. Final Inventory Work-Off Plan for ORNL transuranic wastes (1986 version)

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

    Dickerson, L.S.

    1988-05-01

    The Final Inventory Work-Off Plan (IWOP) for ORNL Transuranic Wastes addresses ORNL's strategy for retrieval, certification, and shipment of its stored and newly generated contact-handled (CH) and remote-handled (RH) transuranic (TRU) wastes to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), the proposed geologic repository near Carlsbad, New Mexico. This document considers certification compliance with the WIPP waste acceptance criteria (WAC) and is consistent with the US Department of Energy's Long-Range Master Plan for Defense Transuranic Waste Management. This document characterizes Oak Ridge National Laboratory's (ORNL's) TRU waste by type and estimates the number of shipments required to dispose of it; describesmore » the methods, facilities, and systems required for its certification and shipment; presents work-off strategies and schedules for retrieval, certification, and transportation; discusses the resource needs and additions that will be required for the effort and forecasts costs for the long-term TRU waste management program; and lists public documentation required to support certification facilities and strategies. 22 refs., 6 figs., 10 tabs.« less

  12. AIRS Retrieval Validation During the EAQUATE

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Zhou, Daniel K.; Smith, William L.; Cuomo, Vincenzo; Taylor, Jonathan P.; Barnet, Christopher D.; DiGirolamo, Paolo; Pappalardo, Gelsomina; Larar, Allen M.; Liu, Xu; Newman, Stuart M.

    2006-01-01

    Atmospheric and surface thermodynamic parameters retrieved with advanced hyperspectral remote sensors of Earth observing satellites are critical for weather prediction and scientific research. The retrieval algorithms and retrieved parameters from satellite sounders must be validated to demonstrate the capability and accuracy of both observation and data processing systems. The European AQUA Thermodynamic Experiment (EAQUATE) was conducted mainly for validation of the Atmospheric InfraRed Sounder (AIRS) on the AQUA satellite, but also for assessment of validation systems of both ground-based and aircraft-based instruments which will be used for other satellite systems such as the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) on the European MetOp satellite, the Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) from the NPOESS Preparatory Project and the following NPOESS series of satellites. Detailed inter-comparisons were conducted and presented using different retrieval methodologies: measurements from airborne ultraspectral Fourier transform spectrometers, aircraft in-situ instruments, dedicated dropsondes and radiosondes, and ground based Raman Lidar, as well as from the European Center for Medium range Weather Forecasting (ECMWF) modeled thermal structures. The results of this study not only illustrate the quality of the measurements and retrieval products but also demonstrate the capability of these validation systems which are put in place to validate current and future hyperspectral sounding instruments and their scientific products.

  13. Tropospheric NO2 retrieved from OMI, GOME(-2), and SCIAMACHY within the Quality Assurance For Essential Climate Variables (QA4ECV) project: retrieval improvement, harmonization, and quality assurance

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Folkert Boersma, K.

    2017-04-01

    One of the prime targets of the EU-project Quality Assurance for Essential Climate Variables (QA4ECV, www.qa4ecv.eu) is the generation and subsequent quality assurance of harmonized, long-term data records of ECVs or precursors thereof. Here we report on a new harmonized and improved retrieval algorithm for NO2 columns and its application to spectra measured by the GOME, SCIAMACHY, OMI, and GOME-2(A) sensors over the period 1996-2016. Our community 'best practices' algorithm is based on the classical 3-step DOAS method. It benefits from a thorough comparison and iteration of spectral fitting and air mass factor calculation approaches between IUP Bremen, BIRA, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, KNMI, WUR, and a number of external partners. For step 1 of the retrieval, we show that improved spectral calibration and the inclusion of liquid water and intensity-offset correction terms in the fitting procedure, lead to 10-30% smaller NO2 slant columns, in better agreement with independent measurements. Moreover, the QA4ECV NO2 slant columns show 15-35% lower uncertainties relative to earlier versions of the spectral fitting algorithm. For step 2, the stratospheric correction, the algorithm relies on the assimilation of NO2 slant columns over remote regions in the Tracer Model 5 (TM5-MP) chemistry transport model. The representation of stratospheric NOy in the model is improved by nudging towards ODIN HNO3:O3 ratios, leading to more realistic NO2 concentrations in the free-running mode, which is relevant at high latitudes near the terminator. The coupling to TM5-Mass Parallel also allows the calculation of air mass factors (AMFs, step 3) from a priori NO2 vertical profiles simulated at a spatial resolution of 1°×1°, so that hotspot gradients are better resolved in the a priori profile shapes. Other AMF improvements include the use of improved cloud information, and a correction for photon scattering in a spherical atmosphere. Preliminary comparisons indicate that the

  14. Development of a harmonised multi sensor retrieval scheme for HCHO within the Quality Assurance For Essential Climate Variables (QA4ECV) project

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    De Smedt, Isabelle; Richter, Andreas; Beirle, Steffen; Danckaert, Thomas; Van Roozendael, Michel; Yu, Huan; Bösch, Tim; Hilboll, Andreas; Peters, Enno; Doerner, Steffen; Wagner, Thomas; Wang, Yang; Lorente, Alba; Eskes, Henk; Van Geffen, Jos; Boersma, Folkert

    2016-04-01

    One of the main goals of the QA4ECV project is to define community best-practices for the generation of multi-decadal ECV data records from satellite instruments. QA4ECV will develop retrieval algorithms for the Land ECVs surface albedo, leaf area index (LAI), and fraction of active photosynthetic radiation (fAPAR), as well as for the Atmosphere ECV ozone and aerosol precursors nitrogen dioxide (NO2), formaldehyde (HCHO), and carbon monoxide (CO). Here we assess best practices and provide recommendations for the retrieval of HCHO. Best practices are established based on (1) a detailed intercomparison exercise between the QA4ECV partner's for each specific algorithm processing steps, (2) the feasibility of implementation, and (3) the requirement to generate consistent multi-sensor multi-decadal data records. We propose a fitting window covering the 328.5-346 nm spectral interval for the morning sensors (GOME, SCIAMACHY and GOME-2) and an extension to 328.5-359 nm for OMI and GOME-2, allowed by improved quality of the recorded spectra. A high level of consistency between group algorithms is found when the retrieval settings are carefully aligned. However, the retrieval of slant columns is highly sensitive to any change in the selected settings. The use of a mean background radiance as DOAS reference spectrum allows for a stabilization of the retrievals. A background correction based on the reference sector method is recommended for implementation in the QA4ECV HCHO algorithm as it further reduces retrieval uncertainties. HCHO AMFs using different radiative transfer codes show a good overall consistency when harmonized settings are used. As for NO2, it is proposed to use a priori HCHO profiles from the TM5 model. These are provided on a 1°x1° latitude-longitude grid.

  15. Methane emission from ruminants and solid waste: A critical analysis of baseline and mitigation projections for climate and policy studies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Matthews, E.

    2012-12-01

    Current and projected estimates of methane (CH4) emission from anthropogenic sources are numerous but largely unexamined or compared. Presented here is a critical appraisal of CH4 projections used in climate-chemistry and policy studies. We compare emissions for major CH4 sources from several groups, including our own new data and RCP projections developed for climate-chemistry models for the next IPCC Assessment Report (AR5). We focus on current and projected baseline and mitigation emissions from ruminant animals and solid waste that are both predicted to rise dramatically in coming decades, driven primarily by developing countries. For waste, drivers include increasing urban populations, higher per capita waste generation due to economic growth and increasing landfilling rates. Analysis of a new global data base detailing waste composition, collection and disposal indicates that IPCC-based methodologies and default data overestimate CH4 emission for the current period which cascades into substantial overestimates in future projections. CH4 emission from solid waste is estimated to be ~10-15 Tg CH4/yr currently rather than the ~35 Tg/yr often reported in the literature. Moreover, emissions from developing countries are unlikely to rise rapidly in coming decades because new management approaches, such as sanitary landfills, that would increase emissions are maladapted to infrastructures in these countries and therefore unlikely to be implemented. The low current emission associated with solid waste (~10 Tg), together with future modest growth, implies that mitigation of waste-related CH4 emission is a poor candidate for slowing global warming. In the case of ruminant animals (~90 Tg CH4/yr currently), the dominant assumption driving future trajectories of CH4 emission is a substantial increase in meat and dairy consumption in developing countries to be satisfied by growing animal populations. Unlike solid waste, current ruminant emissions among studies exhibit a

  16. Waste handling and storage in the decontamination pilot projects of JAEA for environments of Fukushima

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

    Nakayama, S.; Kawase, K.; Iijima, K.

    2013-07-01

    After the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident, Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) was chosen by the national government to conduct decontamination pilot projects at selected sites in Fukushima prefecture. Despite tight boundary conditions in terms of timescale and resources, the projects served their primary purpose to develop a knowledge base to support more effective planning and implementation of stepwise regional remediation of the evacuated zone. A range of established, modified and newly developed techniques were tested under realistic field conditions and their performance characteristics were determined. The results of the project can be summarized in terms of site characterization, cleanup andmore » waste management. A range of options were investigated to reduce the volumes of waste produced and to ensure that decontamination water could be cleaned to the extent that it could be discharged to normal drainage. Resultant solid wastes were packaged in standard flexible containers, labelled and stored at the remediation site (temporary storage until central interim storage becomes available). The designs of such temporary storage facilities were tailored to available sites, but all designs included measures to ensure mechanical stability (e.g., filling void spaces between containers with sand, graded cover with soil) and prevent releases to groundwater (impermeable base and cap, gravity flow drainage including radiation monitors and catch tanks). Storage site monitoring was also needed to check that storage structures would not be perturbed by external events that could include typhoons, heavy snowfalls, freeze/thaw cycles and earthquakes. (authors)« less

  17. Teaching Information Retrieval Using Telediscussion Techniques.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Heiliger, Edward M.

    This paper concerns an experiment in teaching a graduate seminar on Information Retrieval using telediscussion techniques. Outstanding persons from Project INTREX, MEDLARS, Chemical Abstracts, the University of Georgia, the SUNY biomedical Network, AEC, NASA, and DDC gave hour-long telelectures. A Conference Telephone Set was used with success.…

  18. Requirements Verification Report AN Farm to 200 E Waste Transfer System for Project W-314 Tank Farm Restoration & Safe Operations

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

    MCGREW, D.L.

    2001-10-31

    This Requirements Verification Report provides the traceability of how Project W-314 fulfilled the Project Development Specification requirements for the AN Farm to 200E Waste Transfer System Upgrade package.

  19. Analyzing Document Retrievability in Patent Retrieval Settings

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bashir, Shariq; Rauber, Andreas

    Most information retrieval settings, such as web search, are typically precision-oriented, i.e. they focus on retrieving a small number of highly relevant documents. However, in specific domains, such as patent retrieval or law, recall becomes more relevant than precision: in these cases the goal is to find all relevant documents, requiring algorithms to be tuned more towards recall at the cost of precision. This raises important questions with respect to retrievability and search engine bias: depending on how the similarity between a query and documents is measured, certain documents may be more or less retrievable in certain systems, up to some documents not being retrievable at all within common threshold settings. Biases may be oriented towards popularity of documents (increasing weight of references), towards length of documents, favour the use of rare or common words; rely on structural information such as metadata or headings, etc. Existing accessibility measurement techniques are limited as they measure retrievability with respect to all possible queries. In this paper, we improve accessibility measurement by considering sets of relevant and irrelevant queries for each document. This simulates how recall oriented users create their queries when searching for relevant information. We evaluate retrievability scores using a corpus of patents from US Patent and Trademark Office.

  20. Final Project Report CFA-14-6357: A New Paradigm for Understanding Multiphase Ceramic Waste Form Performance

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

    Brinkman, Kyle; Bordia, Rajendra; Reifsnider, Kenneth

    This project fabricated model multiphase ceramic waste forms with processing-controlled microstructures followed by advanced characterization with synchrotron and electron microscopy-based 3D tomography to provide elemental and chemical state-specific information resulting in compositional phase maps of ceramic composites. Details of 3D microstructural features were incorporated into computer-based simulations using durability data for individual constituent phases as inputs in order to predict the performance of multiphase waste forms with varying microstructure and phase connectivity.

  1. Retrieval of the 1964 Laser Literature Using MIT's Project Tip.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Keenan, Stella; Terry, Edward

    Reported are the performance characteristics of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Technical Information Program (TIP) system based on a study involving three search strategies in retrieval o f laser articles published in 1964. The TIP system provides access to (1) title, (2) author(s), (3) bibliographic references, and (4) literature…

  2. Solid Waste Management: Abstracts From the Literature - 1964.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Connolly, John A.; Stainback, Sandra E.

    The Solid Waste Disposal Act of 1965 (Public Law 89-272, Title II) and its amending legislation, the Resource Recovery Act of 1970 (Public Law 91-512, Title I), authorize collection, storage, and retrieval of information relevant to all aspects of solid-waste management. As part of this effort, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's…

  3. RADIOACTIVE DEMONSTRATION OF FINAL MINERALIZED WASTE FORMS FOR HANFORD WASTE TREATMENT PLANT SECONDARY WASTE BY FLUIDIZED BED STEAM REFORMING USING THE BENCH SCALE REFORMER PLATFORM

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

    Crawford, C.; Burket, P.; Cozzi, A.

    2012-02-02

    The U.S. Department of Energy's Office of River Protection (ORP) is responsible for the retrieval, treatment, immobilization, and disposal of Hanford's tank waste. Currently there are approximately 56 million gallons of highly radioactive mixed wastes awaiting treatment. A key aspect of the River Protection Project (RPP) cleanup mission is to construct and operate the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP). The WTP will separate the tank waste into high-level and low-activity waste (LAW) fractions, both of which will subsequently be vitrified. The projected throughput capacity of the WTP LAW Vitrification Facility is insufficient to complete the RPP mission in themore » time frame required by the Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order, also known as the Tri-Party Agreement (TPA), i.e. December 31, 2047. Therefore, Supplemental Treatment is required both to meet the TPA treatment requirements as well as to more cost effectively complete the tank waste treatment mission. In addition, the WTP LAW vitrification facility off-gas condensate known as WTP Secondary Waste (WTP-SW) will be generated and enriched in volatile components such as {sup 137}Cs, {sup 129}I, {sup 99}Tc, Cl, F, and SO{sub 4} that volatilize at the vitrification temperature of 1150 C in the absence of a continuous cold cap (that could minimize volatilization). The current waste disposal path for the WTP-SW is to process it through the Effluent Treatment Facility (ETF). Fluidized Bed Steam Reforming (FBSR) is being considered for immobilization of the ETF concentrate that would be generated by processing the WTP-SW. The focus of this current report is the WTP-SW. FBSR offers a moderate temperature (700-750 C) continuous method by which WTP-SW wastes can be processed irrespective of whether they contain organics, nitrates, sulfates/sulfides, chlorides, fluorides, volatile radionuclides or other aqueous components. The FBSR technology can process these wastes into a crystalline

  4. Simulating Network Retrieval of Arithmetic Facts.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ashcraft, Mark H.

    This report describes a simulation of adults' retrieval of arithmetic facts from a network-based memory representation. The goals of the simulation project are to: demonstrate in specific form the nature of a spreading activation model of mental arithmetic; account for three important reaction time effects observed in laboratory investigations;…

  5. Project deliverables - a waste of time or a chance for knowledge transfer and dissemination?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Walter, Sylvia

    2016-04-01

    Deliverables are a common tool to measure a distinct output of a project. They should be meaningful in terms of the project's objectives and are normally constituted by e.g. a written report or document, a developed tool or software, an organized training or conference. They can be scientific or technical. The number of deliverables must be reasonable and commensurate to the project and its content. Deliverables as contractual obligations are often time consuming and often seen as a waste of "research" time, as one more administrative task without any use. However, deliverables are needed to verify the progress of a project and to convince the sponsor that the project is going in the right direction and the money well-invested. The presentation will deal with the question on how to use a deliverable in a profitable way for the project and what are the possibilities of use.

  6. Retrieval techniques: LVLH and inertially stabilized payloads

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Yglesias, J. A.

    1980-01-01

    Procedures and techniques are discussed for retrieving payloads that are inertially or local vertical/local horizontal (LVLH) stabilized. Selection of the retrieval profile to be used depends on several factors: (1) control authority of the payload, (2) payload sensitivity to primary reaction control system (PRCS) plumes, (3) whether the payload is inertially or LVLH stabilized, (4) location of the grapple fixture, and (5) orbiter propellant consumption. The general retrieval profiles recommended are a V-bar approach for payloads that are LVLH or gravity-gradient stabilized, and the V-bar approach with one or two phase flyaround for inertially stabilized payloads. Once the general type of profile has been selected, the detailed retrieval profile and timeline should consider the various guidelines, groundrules, and constraints associated with a particular payload or flight. Reaction control system (RCS) propellant requirements for the recommended profiles range from 200 to 1500 pounds, depending on such factors as braking techniques, flyaround maneuvers (if necessary), and stationkeeping operations. The time required to perform a retrieval (starting from 1000 feet) varies from 20 to 130 minutes, depending on the complexity of the profile. The goals of this project are to develop a profile which ensures mission success; to make the retrieval profiles simple; and to keep the pilot workload to a minimum by making use of the automatic features of the orbiter flight software whenever possible.

  7. Activation of Entorhinal Cortical Projections to the Dentate Gyrus Underlies Social Memory Retrieval.

    PubMed

    Leung, Celeste; Cao, Feng; Nguyen, Robin; Joshi, Krutika; Aqrabawi, Afif J; Xia, Shuting; Cortez, Miguel A; Snead, O Carter; Kim, Jun Chul; Jia, Zhengping

    2018-05-22

    Social interactions are essential to our mental health, and a deficit in social interactions is a hallmark characteristic of numerous brain disorders. Various subregions within the medial temporal lobe have been implicated in social memory, but the underlying mechanisms that tune these neural circuits remain unclear. Here, we demonstrate that optical activation of excitatory entorhinal cortical perforant projections to the dentate gyrus (EC-DG) is necessary and sufficient for social memory retrieval. We further show that inducible disruption of p21-activated kinase (PAK) signaling, a key pathway important for cytoskeletal reorganization, in the EC-DG circuit leads to impairments in synaptic function and social recognition memory, and, importantly, optogenetic activation of the EC-DG terminals reverses the social memory deficits in the transgenic mice. These results provide compelling evidence that activation of the EC-DG pathway underlies social recognition memory recall and that PAK signaling may play a critical role in modulating this process. Copyright © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. IMIRSEL: a secure music retrieval testing environment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Downie, John S.

    2004-10-01

    The Music Information Retrieval (MIR) and Music Digital Library (MDL) research communities have long noted the need for formal evaluation mechanisms. Issues concerning the unavailability of freely-available music materials have greatly hindered the creation of standardized test collections with which these communities could scientifically assess the strengths and weaknesses of their various music retrieval techniques. The International Music Information Retrieval Systems Evaluation Laboratory (IMIRSEL) is being developed at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) specifically to overcome this hindrance to the scientific evaluation of MIR/MDL systems. Together with its subsidiary Human Use of Music Information Retrieval Systems (HUMIRS) project, IMIRSEL will allow MIR/MDL researchers access to the standardized large-scale collection of copyright-sensitive music materials and standardized test queries being housed at UIUC's National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA). Virtual Research Labs (VRL), based upon NCSA's Data-to-Knowledge (D2K) tool set, are being developed through which MIR/MDL researchers will interact with the music materials under a "trusted code" security model.

  9. Automatic Content Analysis; Part I of Scientific Report No. ISR-18, Information Storage and Retrieval...

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY. Dept. of Computer Science.

    Four papers are included in Part One of the eighteenth report on Salton's Magical Automatic Retriever of Texts (SMART) project. The first paper: "Content Analysis in Information Retrieval" by S. F. Weiss presents the results of experiments aimed at determining the conditions under which content analysis improves retrieval results as well…

  10. Developing Specifications for Waste Glass, Municipal Waste Combustor Ash and Waste Tires as Highway Fill Materials (Continuation): Final Report. Volume 2. Waste Glass.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1995-04-01

    A two year study was conducted as a continuation project for the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to evaluate Municipal Waste Combustor (MWD) ash, Waste Glass, and Waste Tires for use as general highway fill. Initial studies conducted at F...

  11. Developing Specifications for Waste Glass, Municipal Waste Combustor Ash and Waste Tires as Highway Fill Materials (Continuation). Final Report. Volume 3. Waste Tires.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1995-04-01

    A two year study was conducted as a continuation project for the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to evaluate Municipal Waste Combustor (MWC) ash, Waste Glass, and Waste Tires for use as general highway fill. Initial studies conducted at F...

  12. Operational test report -- Project W-320 cathodic protection systems

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

    Bowman, T.J.

    1998-06-16

    Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 173-303-640 specifies that corrosion protection must be designed into tank systems that treat or store dangerous wastes. Project W-320, Waste Retrieval Sluicing System (WRSS), utilizes underground encased waste transfer piping between tanks 241-C-106 and 241-AY-102. Corrosion protection is afforded to the encasements of the WRSS waste transfer piping through the application of earthen ionic currents onto the surface of the piping encasements. Cathodic protection is used in conjunction with the protective coatings that are applied upon the WRSS encasement piping. WRSS installed two new two rectifier systems (46 and 47) and modified one rectifier system (31).more » WAC 173-303-640 specifies that the proper operation of cathodic protection systems must be confirmed within six months after initial installation. The WRSS cathodic protection systems were energized to begin continuous operation on 5/5/98. Sixteen days after the initial steady-state start-up of the WRSS rectifier systems, the operational testing was accomplished with procedure OTP-320-006 Rev/Mod A-0. This operational test report documents the OTP-320-006 results and documents the results of configuration testing of integrated piping and rectifier systems associated with the W-320 cathodic protection systems.« less

  13. SLEUTH (Strategies and Lessons to Eliminate Unused Toxicants: Help!). Educational Activities on the Disposal of Household Hazardous Waste. Household Hazardous Waste Disposal Project. Metro Toxicant Program Report No. 1D.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dyckman, Claire; And Others

    This teaching unit is part of the final report of the Household Hazardous Waste Disposal Project. It consists of activities presented in an introduction and three sections. The introduction contains an activity for students in grades 4-12 which defines terms and concepts for understanding household hazardous wastes. Section I provides activities…

  14. Experiments and Analysis on a Computer Interface to an Information-Retrieval Network.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Marcus, Richard S.; Reintjes, J. Francis

    A primary goal of this project was to develop an interface that would provide direct access for inexperienced users to existing online bibliographic information retrieval networks. The experiment tested the concept of a virtual-system mode of access to a network of heterogeneous interactive retrieval systems and databases. An experimental…

  15. Household Hazardous Waste Disposal Project. Summary Report. Metro Toxicant Program Report No. 1A.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ridgley, Susan M.; Galvin, David V.

    The Household Hazardous Waste Disposal Project was established as an interagency effort to reduce the level of toxicants entering the environment by developing a control plan for the safe disposal of small quantities of household chemicals. This summary report provides an overview of the aspects of this problem that were examined, and the steps…

  16. Guenter Tulip Filter Retrieval Experience: Predictors of Successful Retrieval

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

    Turba, Ulku Cenk, E-mail: uct5d@virginia.edu; Arslan, Bulent, E-mail: ba6e@virginia.edu; Meuse, Michael, E-mail: mm5tz@virginia.edu

    We report our experience with Guenter Tulip filter placement indications, retrievals, and procedural problems, with emphasis on alternative retrieval techniques. We have identified 92 consecutive patients in whom a Guenter Tulip filter was placed and filter removal attempted. We recorded patient demographic information, filter placement and retrieval indications, procedures, standard and nonstandard filter retrieval techniques, complications, and clinical outcomes. The mean time to retrieval for those who experienced filter strut penetration was statistically significant [F(1,90) = 8.55, p = 0.004]. Filter strut(s) IVC penetration and successful retrieval were found to be statistically significant (p = 0.043). The filter hook-IVC relationshipmore » correlated with successful retrieval. A modified guidewire loop technique was applied in 8 of 10 cases where the hook appeared to penetrate the IVC wall and could not be engaged with a loop snare catheter, providing additional technical success in 6 of 8 (75%). Therefore, the total filter retrieval success increased from 88 to 95%. In conclusion, the Guenter Tulip filter has high successful retrieval rates with low rates of complication. Additional maneuvers such as a guidewire loop method can be used to improve retrieval success rates when the filter hook is endothelialized.« less

  17. Validation of Long-Term Global Aerosol Climatology Project Optical Thickness Retrievals Using AERONET and MODIS Data

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Geogdzhayev, Igor V.; Mishchenko, Michael I.

    2015-01-01

    A comprehensive set of monthly mean aerosol optical thickness (AOT) data from coastal and island AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET) stations is used to evaluate Global Aerosol Climatology Project (GACP) retrievals for the period 1995-2009 during which contemporaneous GACP and AERONET data were available. To put the GACP performance in broader perspective, we also compare AERONET and MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Aqua level-2 data for 2003-2009 using the same methodology. We find that a large mismatch in geographic coverage exists between the satellite and ground-based datasets, with very limited AERONET coverage of open-ocean areas. This is especially true of GACP because of the smaller number of AERONET stations at the early stages of the network development. Monthly mean AOTs from the two over-the-ocean satellite datasets are well-correlated with the ground-based values, the correlation coefficients being 0.81-0.85 for GACP and 0.74-0.79 for MODIS. Regression analyses demonstrate that the GACP mean AOTs are approximately 17%-27% lower than the AERONET values on average, while the MODIS mean AOTs are 5%-25% higher. The regression coefficients are highly dependent on the weighting assumptions (e.g., on the measure of aerosol variability) as well as on the set of AERONET stations used for comparison. Comparison of over-the-land and over-the-ocean MODIS monthly mean AOTs in the vicinity of coastal AERONET stations reveals a significant bias. This may indicate that aerosol amounts in coastal locations can differ significantly from those in adjacent open-ocean areas. Furthermore, the color of coastal waters and peculiarities of coastline meteorological conditions may introduce biases in the GACP AOT retrievals. We conclude that the GACP and MODIS over-the-ocean retrieval algorithms show similar ranges of discrepancy when compared to available coastal and island AERONET stations. The factors mentioned above may limit the performance of the

  18. Impacts of Process and Prediction Uncertainties on Projected Hanford Waste Glass Amount

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

    Gervasio, V.; Kim, D. S.; Vienna, J. D.

    Analyses were performed to evaluate the impacts of using the advanced glass models, constraints, and uncertainty descriptions on projected Hanford glass mass. The maximum allowable waste oxide loading (WOL) was estimated for waste compositions while simultaneously satisfying all applicable glass property and composition constraints with sufficient confidence. Different components of prediction and composition/process uncertainties were systematically included in the calculations to evaluate their impacts on glass mass. The analyses estimated the production of 23,360 MT of immobilized high-level waste (IHLW) glass when no uncertainties were taken into account. Accounting for prediction and composition/process uncertainties resulted in 5.01 relative percent increasemore » in estimated glass mass of 24,531 MT. Roughly equal impacts were found for prediction uncertainties (2.58 RPD) and composition/process uncertainties (2.43 RPD). The immobilized low-activity waste (ILAW) mass was predicted to be 282,350 MT without uncertainty and with waste loading “line” rules in place. Accounting for prediction and composition/process uncertainties resulted in only 0.08 relative percent increase in estimated glass mass of 282,562 MT. Without application of line rules the glass mass decreases by 10.6 relative percent (252,490 MT) for the case with no uncertainties. Addition of prediction uncertainties increases glass mass by 1.32 relative percent and the addition of composition/process uncertainties increase glass mass by an additional 7.73 relative percent (9.06 relative percent increase combined). The glass mass estimate without line rules (275,359 MT) was 2.55 relative percent lower than that with the line rules (282,562 MT), after accounting for all applicable uncertainties.« less

  19. Impact of community engagement on public acceptance towards waste-to-energy incineration projects: Empirical evidence from China.

    PubMed

    Liu, Yong; Sun, Chenjunyan; Xia, Bo; Cui, Caiyun; Coffey, Vaughan

    2018-06-01

    As one of the most popular methods for the treatment of municipal solid waste (MSW), waste-to-energy (WTE) incineration offers effective solutions to deal with the MSW surge and globe energy issues. Nevertheless, the construction of WTE facilities faces considerable and strong opposition from local communities due to the perceived potential risks. The present study aims to understand whether, and how, community engagement improves local residents' public acceptance towards waste-to-energy (WTE) incineration facilities using a questionnaire survey conducted with nearby residents of two selected WTE incineration plants located in Zhejiang province, China. The results of data analysis using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) reveal that firstly, a lower level of public acceptance exists among local residents of over the age of 35, of lower education levels, living within 3 km from the WTE Plant and from WTE incineration Plants which are under construction. Secondly, the public trust of local government and other authorities was positively associated with the public acceptance of the WTE incineration project, both directly and indirectly based on perceived risk. Thirdly, community engagement can effectively enhance public trust in local government and other authorities related to the WTE incineration project. The findings contribute to the literature on MSW treatment policy-making and potentially hazardous facility siting, by exploring the determinants of public acceptance towards WTE incineration projects. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Non-retrieval of inferior vena cava filters as a patient safety concern: evaluation of a new process improvement project to increase retrieval rates in a vascular and interventional radiology clinic.

    PubMed

    Brown, Joshua; Talbert, Jeffery; Pennington, Ryan; Han, Qiong; Raissi, Driss

    2018-01-01

    Retrieval of inferior vena cava filters (IVCFs) is important to decrease the long-term risk of complications associated with indwelling devices. Our hospital experienced low retrieval rates and implemented a low-cost intervention and evaluation for quality improvement. The working hypothesis was that a simple, mailed letter intervention could increase retrieval rates by increasing patient and primary care provider knowledge of the need for retrieval. For all prospective patients who received a retrievable IVCF during the intervention period from January 1, 2014 to February 29, 2016, patients and their primary care providers were mailed letters encouraging contact with the clinic for evaluation of eligibility for retrieval. The main outcome was retrieval of the IVCF if clinically indicated with a secondary outcome of time-to-retrieval. A pre-intervention control group from October 1, 2011 to December 31, 2013 was used to evaluate the impact of the intervention. Competing risks, time-to-event analysis was used to compare the pre- and post-intervention period retrieval rates correcting for patients who died during follow-up. Between the pre- and post-intervention periods, crude retrieval rates increased from 4.4% to 8.1% with a 12-fold change at comparable time points. The time-to-retrieval in the pre-intervention period was a mean (SD) of 503 (207) days with a median (IQR) of 505 (301-742). In the post-intervention period, time-to-retrieval was a mean (SD) of 119 (83) days and with median (IQR) of 128 (38-164) days. This low-cost intervention significantly increased retrieval rates in a single clinic. However, retrieval rates remain low and can be further improved. Ongoing interventions, including improved patient follow-up and physician education, are being implemented to further improve retrieval and use of inferior vena cava filters. Implanting clinics should implement quality improvement initiatives to improve patient care and follow-up with IVCFs to ensure

  1. Material and energy recovery in integrated waste management systems: project overview and main results.

    PubMed

    Consonni, Stefano; Giugliano, Michele; Massarutto, Antonio; Ragazzi, Marco; Saccani, Cesare

    2011-01-01

    This paper describes the context, the basic assumptions and the main findings of a joint research project aimed at identifying the optimal breakdown between material recovery and energy recovery from municipal solid waste (MSW) in the framework of integrated waste management systems (IWMS). The project was carried out from 2007 to 2009 by five research groups at Politecnico di Milano, the Universities of Bologna and Trento, and the Bocconi University (Milan), with funding from the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR). Since the optimization of IWMSs by analytical methods is practically impossible, the search for the most attractive strategy was carried out by comparing a number of relevant recovery paths from the point of view of mass and energy flows, technological features, environmental impact and economics. The main focus has been on mature processes applicable to MSW in Italy and Europe. Results show that, contrary to a rather widespread opinion, increasing the source separation level (SSL) has a very marginal effects on energy efficiency. What does generate very significant variations in energy efficiency is scale, i.e. the size of the waste-to-energy (WTE) plant. The mere value of SSL is inadequate to qualify the recovery system. The energy and environmental outcome of recovery depends not only on "how much" source separation is carried out, but rather on "how" a given SSL is reached. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Evaluating cloud retrieval algorithms with the ARM BBHRP framework

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

    Mlawer,E.; Dunn,M.; Mlawer, E.

    2008-03-10

    Climate and weather prediction models require accurate calculations of vertical profiles of radiative heating. Although heating rate calculations cannot be directly validated due to the lack of corresponding observations, surface and top-of-atmosphere measurements can indirectly establish the quality of computed heating rates through validation of the calculated irradiances at the atmospheric boundaries. The ARM Broadband Heating Rate Profile (BBHRP) project, a collaboration of all the working groups in the program, was designed with these heating rate validations as a key objective. Given the large dependence of radiative heating rates on cloud properties, a critical component of BBHRP radiative closure analysesmore » has been the evaluation of cloud microphysical retrieval algorithms. This evaluation is an important step in establishing the necessary confidence in the continuous profiles of computed radiative heating rates produced by BBHRP at the ARM Climate Research Facility (ACRF) sites that are needed for modeling studies. This poster details the continued effort to evaluate cloud property retrieval algorithms within the BBHRP framework, a key focus of the project this year. A requirement for the computation of accurate heating rate profiles is a robust cloud microphysical product that captures the occurrence, height, and phase of clouds above each ACRF site. Various approaches to retrieve the microphysical properties of liquid, ice, and mixed-phase clouds have been processed in BBHRP for the ACRF Southern Great Plains (SGP) and the North Slope of Alaska (NSA) sites. These retrieval methods span a range of assumptions concerning the parameterization of cloud location, particle density, size, shape, and involve different measurement sources. We will present the radiative closure results from several different retrieval approaches for the SGP site, including those from Microbase, the current 'reference' retrieval approach in BBHRP. At the NSA, mixed

  3. Developing Specifications for Waste Glass, Municipal Waste Combustor Ash and Waste Tires as Highway Fill Materials (Continuation): Final Report. Volume 1. Municipal Waste Combustor Ash.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1995-04-01

    A two year study was conducted as a continuation project for the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to evlauate Municipal Waste Combustor (MWC) ash, Waste Glass, and Waste Tires for use as general highway fill. Initial studies conducted at F...

  4. Retrievable Inferior Vena Cava Filters: Factors that Affect Retrieval Success

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

    Geisbuesch, Philipp, E-mail: philippgeisbuesch@gmx.de; Benenati, James F.; Pena, Constantino S.

    Purpose: To report and analyze the indications, procedural success, and complications of retrievable inferior vena cava filters (rIVCF) placement and to identify parameters that influence retrieval attempt and failure. Methods: Between January 2005 and December 2010, a total of 200 patients (80 men, median age 67 years, range 11-95 years) received a rIVCF with the clinical possibility that it could be removed. All patients with rIVCF were prospectively entered into a database and followed until retrieval or a decision not to retrieve the filter was made. A retrospective analysis of this database was performed. Results: Sixty-one percent of patients hadmore » an accepted indication for filter placement; 39% of patients had a relative indication. There was a tendency toward a higher retrieval rate in patients with relative indications (40% vs. 55%, P = 0.076). Filter placement was technically successful in all patients, with no procedure-related mortality. The retrieval rate was 53%. Patient age of >80 years (odds ratio [OR] 0.056, P > 0.0001) and presence of malignancy (OR 0.303, P = 0.003) was associated with a significantly reduced probability for attempted retrieval. Retrieval failure occurred in 7% (6 of 91) of all retrieval attempts. A time interval of > 90 days between implantation and attempted retrieval was associated with retrieval failure (OR 19.8, P = 0.009). Conclusions: Patient age >80 years and a history of malignancy are predictors of a reduced probability for retrieval attempt. The rate of retrieval failure is low and seems to be associated with a time interval of >90 days between filter placement and retrieval.« less

  5. Functional-anatomic study of episodic retrieval using fMRI. I. Retrieval effort versus retrieval success.

    PubMed

    Buckner, R L; Koutstaal, W; Schacter, D L; Wagner, A D; Rosen, B R

    1998-04-01

    A number of recent functional imaging studies have identified brain areas activated during tasks involving episodic memory retrieval. The identification of such areas provides a foundation for targeted hypotheses regarding the more specific contributions that these areas make to episodic retrieval. As a beginning effort toward such an endeavor, whole-brain functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to examine 14 subjects during episodic word recognition in a block-designed fMRI experiment. Study conditions were manipulated by presenting either shallow or deep encoding tasks. This manipulation yielded two recognition conditions that differed with regard to retrieval effort and retrieval success: shallow encoding yielded low levels of recognition success with high levels of retrieval effort, and deep encoding yielded high levels of recognition success with low levels of effort. Many brain areas were activated in common by these two recognition conditions compared to a low-level fixation condition, including left and right prefrontal regions often detected during PET episodic retrieval paradigms (e.g., R. L. Buckner et al., 1996, J. Neurosci. 16, 6219-6235) thereby generalizing these findings to fMRI. Characterization of the activated regions in relation to the separate recognition conditions showed (1) bilateral anterior insular regions and a left dorsal prefrontal region were more active after shallow encoding, when retrieval demanded greatest effort, and (2) right anterior prefrontal cortex, which has been implicated in episodic retrieval, was most active during successful retrieval after deep encoding. We discuss these findings in relation to component processes involved in episodic retrieval and in the context of a companion study using event-related fMRI.

  6. Environmental projects. Volume 16: Waste minimization assessment

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1994-01-01

    The Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex (GDSCC), located in the MoJave Desert, is part of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA's) Deep Space Network (DSN), the world's largest and most sensitive scientific telecommunications and radio navigation network. The Goldstone Complex is operated for NASA by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. At present, activities at the GDSCC support the operation of nine parabolic dish antennas situated at five separate locations known as 'sites.' Each of the five sites at the GDSCC has one or more antennas, called 'Deep Space Stations' (DSS's). In the course of operation of these DSS's, various hazardous and non-hazardous wastes are generated. In 1992, JPL retained Kleinfelder, Inc., San Diego, California, to quantify the various streams of hazardous and non-hazardous wastes generated at the GDSCC. In June 1992, Kleinfelder, Inc., submitted a report to JPL entitled 'Waste Minimization Assessment.' This present volume is a JPL-expanded version of the Kleinfelder, Inc. report. The 'Waste Minimization Assessment' report did not find any deficiencies in the various waste-management programs now practiced at the GDSCC, and it found that these programs are being carried out in accordance with environmental rules and regulations.

  7. Projection of Big Cities Waste Management and Cost Based on Economic and Demographic Factors in Indonesia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Prajati, Gita; Padmi, Tri; Benno Rahardyan, dan

    2017-12-01

    Nowadays, solid waste management continues to be a major challenge in urban areas, especially in developing country. It is triggered by population growth, economic growth, industrialization and urbanization. Indonesia itselfs categorized into developing country. Indonesia's government has many program in order to increase the economic growth. One of them is MP3EI (Masterplan Percepatan dan Perluasan Pembangunan Ekonomi Indonesia. This program should be suppported by right waste management system. If Indonesia's waste management system can't afford the economic growth, it will trigger health and environmental problems. This study's purpose is to develop the socio-economic-environment model that can be used as a basis planning for the facility and cost of waste management systems. In this paper we used the development of Khajuria model test method. This method used six variables, which are GDP, population, population density, illiteracy, school's period and economic growth. The result showed that development of Khajuria test could explained the influence of economic and demographic factors to waste generation, 65.6%. The projection of waste generation shows that Pangkalpinang, Pekanbaru and Serang are the cities with the highest waste generation for the next five years. The number of dump truck and TPS in DKI Jakarata is the highest within another city, which is 39.37%. For the next five years, the waste management system in our study areas cost maximum 0.8% from GDP (Gross Domestic Products).

  8. Skill in Retrievals

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Aumann, Hartmut H.; Manning, Evan

    2008-01-01

    Retrieval Skill quantifies the ability of one retrieval from a sounder to be more accurate than the best forecast relative to another with the same of another sounder. This is summarized using a Retrieval Anomaly Skill Score (RASS) which is the cor (retrieved-background, truth-background) * sqrt(f), Where f is defined as the ratio of accepted to the possible retrievals. Charts show various features and comparisons of RASS to other methods of retrieval.

  9. Are retrievable vena cava filters placed in trauma patients really retrievable?

    PubMed

    Leeper, W R; Murphy, P B; Vogt, K N; Leeper, T J; Kribs, S W; Gray, D K; Parry, N G

    2016-08-01

    Concerns have arisen regarding the use of retrievable inferior vena cava filters (rIVCFs) in trauma patients due to increasing reports of low retrieval rates. We hypothesized that complete follow-up with a dedicated trauma nurse practitioner would be associated with a higher rate of retrievability. This study was undertaken to determine the rate of retrievability of rIVCFs placed in a Canadian Lead Trauma Centre, and to compare the rate of retrievability in our trauma population to our non-trauma patients. We performed a retrospective cohort study of all patients with rIVCF placed between Jan 1 2000 and June 30 2014. Data were collected on demographics, indication for filter placement, retrieval status, and reasons for non-retrieval. Comparison was made between trauma patients and non-trauma patients. A total of 374 rIVCFs were placed (61 in trauma patients and 313 in non-trauma patients) and follow-up was complete for the entire cohort. Filter retrieval was achieved in 86.9 % of trauma patients. Reasons for non-retrieval were technical in two patients, and death before retrieval in six patients. Retrieval was successful in 48.9 % of non-trauma patients. This study demonstrates that rIVCFs can be successfully retrieved amongst trauma patients. We demonstrated a higher rate of successful retrieval amongst trauma patients than non-trauma patients in our institution. Careful patient follow-up may play a role in successful retrieval of rIVCFs.

  10. Forensic microanalysis of Manhattan Project legacy radioactive wastes in St. Louis, MO.

    PubMed

    Kaltofen, Marco; Alvarez, Robert; Hixson, Lucas W

    2018-06-01

    Radioactive particulate matter (RPM) in St Louis, MO, area surface soils, house dusts and sediments was examined by scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray analysis. Analyses found RPM containing 238 U and decay products (up to 46 wt%), and a distinct second form of RPM containing 230 Th and decay products (up to 15.6 wt%). The SEM-EDS analyses found similar RPM in Manhattan Project-era radioactive wastes and indoor dusts in surrounding homes. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. MANAGING UNCERTAINTIES ASSOCIATED WITH RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL: TASK GROUP 4 OF THE IAEA PRISM PROJECT

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

    Seitz, R.

    2011-03-02

    It is widely recognized that the results of safety assessment calculations provide an important contribution to the safety arguments for a disposal facility, but cannot in themselves adequately demonstrate the safety of the disposal system. The safety assessment and a broader range of arguments and activities need to be considered holistically to justify radioactive waste disposal at any particular site. Many programs are therefore moving towards the production of what has become known as a Safety Case, which includes all of the different activities that are conducted to demonstrate the safety of a disposal concept. Recognizing the growing interest inmore » the concept of a Safety Case, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is undertaking an intercomparison and harmonization project called PRISM (Practical Illustration and use of the Safety Case Concept in the Management of Near-surface Disposal). The PRISM project is organized into four Task Groups that address key aspects of the Safety Case concept: Task Group 1 - Understanding the Safety Case; Task Group 2 - Disposal facility design; Task Group 3 - Managing waste acceptance; and Task Group 4 - Managing uncertainty. This paper addresses the work of Task Group 4, which is investigating approaches for managing the uncertainties associated with near-surface disposal of radioactive waste and their consideration in the context of the Safety Case. Emphasis is placed on identifying a wide variety of approaches that can and have been used to manage different types of uncertainties, especially non-quantitative approaches that have not received as much attention in previous IAEA projects. This paper includes discussions of the current results of work on the task on managing uncertainty, including: the different circumstances being considered, the sources/types of uncertainties being addressed and some initial proposals for approaches that can be used to manage different types of uncertainties.« less

  12. Selective memory retrieval can impair and improve retrieval of other memories.

    PubMed

    Bäuml, Karl-Heinz T; Samenieh, Anuscheh

    2012-03-01

    Research from the past decades has shown that retrieval of a specific memory (e.g., retrieving part of a previous vacation) typically attenuates retrieval of other memories (e.g., memories for other details of the event), causing retrieval-induced forgetting. More recently, however, it has been shown that retrieval can both attenuate and aid recall of other memories (K.-H. T. Bäuml & A. Samenieh, 2010). To identify the circumstances under which retrieval aids recall, the authors examined retrieval dynamics in listwise directed forgetting, context-dependent forgetting, proactive interference, and in the absence of any induced memory impairment. They found beneficial effects of selective retrieval in listwise directed forgetting and context-dependent forgetting but detrimental effects in all the other conditions. Because context-dependent forgetting and listwise directed forgetting arguably reflect impaired context access, the results suggest that memory retrieval aids recall of memories that are subject to impaired context access but attenuates recall in the absence of such circumstances. The findings are consistent with a 2-factor account of memory retrieval and suggest the existence of 2 faces of memory retrieval. 2012 APA, all rights reserved

  13. Projected Salt Waste Production from a Commercial Pyroprocessing Facility

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

    Simpson, Michael F.

    Pyroprocessing of used nuclear fuel inevitably produces salt waste from electrorefining and/or oxide reduction unit operations. Various process design characteristics can affect the actual mass of such waste produced. This paper examines both oxide and metal fuel treatment, estimates the amount of salt waste generated, and assesses potential benefit of process options to mitigate the generation of salt waste. For reference purposes, a facility is considered in which 100 MT/year of fuel is processed. Salt waste estimates range from 8 to 20 MT/year from considering numerous scenarios. It appears that some benefit may be derived from advanced processes for separatingmore » fission products from molten salt waste, but the degree of improvement is limited. Waste form production is also considered but appears to be economically unfavorable. Direct disposal of salt into a salt basin type repository is found to be the most promising with respect to minimizing the impact of waste generation on the economic feasibility and sustainability of pyroprocessing.« less

  14. The role of retrieval mode and retrieval orientation in retrieval practice: insights from comparing recognition memory testing formats and restudying.

    PubMed

    Gao, Chuanji; Rosburg, Timm; Hou, Mingzhu; Li, Bingbing; Xiao, Xin; Guo, Chunyan

    2016-12-01

    The effectiveness of retrieval practice for aiding long-term memory, referred to as the testing effect, has been widely demonstrated. However, the specific neurocognitive mechanisms underlying this phenomenon remain unclear. In the present study, we sought to explore the role of pre-retrieval processes at initial testing on later recognition performance by using event-related potentials (ERPs). Subjects studied two lists of words (Chinese characters) and then performed a recognition task or a source memory task, or restudied the word lists. At the end of the experiment, subjects received a final recognition test based on the remember-know paradigm. Behaviorally, initial testing (active retrieval) enhanced memory retention relative to restudying (passive retrieval). The retrieval mode at initial testing was indexed by more positive-going ERPs for unstudied items in the active-retrieval tasks than in passive retrieval from 300 to 900 ms. Follow-up analyses showed that the magnitude of the early ERP retrieval mode effect (300-500 ms) was predictive of the behavioral testing effect later on. In addition, the ERPs for correctly rejected new items during initial testing differed between the two active-retrieval tasks from 500 to 900 ms, and this ERP retrieval orientation effect predicted differential behavioral testing gains between the two active-retrieval conditions. Our findings confirm that initial testing promotes later retrieval relative to restudying, and they further suggest that adopting pre-retrieval processing in the forms of retrieval mode and retrieval orientation might contribute to these memory enhancements.

  15. Status on Iterative Transform Phase Retrieval Applied to the GBT Data

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dean, Bruce; Aronstein, David; Smith, Scott; Shiri, Ron; Hollis, Jan M.; Lyons, Richard; Prestage, Richard; Hunter, Todd; Ghigo, Frank; Nikolic, Bojan

    2007-01-01

    This slide presentation reviews the use of iterative transform phase retrieval in the analysis of the Green Bank Radio Telescope (GBT) Data. It reviews the NASA projects that have used phase retrieval, and the testbed for the algorithm to be used for the James Webb Space Telescope. It shows the comparison of phase retrieval with an interferometer, and reviews the two approaches used for phase retrieval, iterative transform (ITA) or parametric (non-linear least squares model fitting). The concept of ITA Phase Retrieval is reviewed, and the application to Radio Antennas is reviewed. The presentation also examines the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) data from the GBT, and the Fourier model that NRAO uses to analyze the data. The challenge for ITA phase retrieval is reviewed, and the coherent approximation for incoherent data is shown. The validity of the approximation is good for a large tilt. There is a review of the proof of concept of the Phase Review simulation using the input wavefront, and the initial sampling parameters estimate from the focused GBT data.

  16. Retrieval attempts enhance learning, but retrieval success (versus failure) does not matter.

    PubMed

    Kornell, Nate; Klein, Patricia Jacobs; Rawson, Katherine A

    2015-01-01

    Retrieving information from memory enhances learning. We propose a 2-stage framework to explain the benefits of retrieval. Stage 1 takes place as one attempts to retrieve an answer, which activates knowledge related to the retrieval cue. Stage 2 begins when the answer becomes available, at which point appropriate connections are strengthened and inappropriate connections may be weakened. This framework raises a basic question: Does it matter whether Stage 2 is initiated via successful retrieval or via an external presentation of the answer? To test this question, we asked participants to attempt retrieval and then randomly assigned items (which were equivalent otherwise) to be retrieved successfully or to be copied (i.e., not retrieved). Experiments 1, 2, 4, and 5 tested assumptions necessary for interpreting Experiments 3a, 3b, and 6. Experiments 3a, 3b, and 6 did not support the hypothesis that retrieval success produces more learning than does retrieval failure followed by feedback. It appears that retrieval attempts promote learning but retrieval success per se does not. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved.

  17. A West Valley Demonstration Project Milestone - Achieving Certification to Ship Waste to the Nevada Test Site

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

    Jackson, J. P.; Pastor, R. S.

    2002-02-28

    The West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP) has successfully pretreated and vitrified nearly all of the 600,000 gallons of liquid high-level radioactive waste that was generated at the site of the only commercial nuclear fuel reprocessing plant to have operated in the United States. Low-level waste (LLW) generated during the course of the cleanup effort now requires disposal. Currently the WVDP only ships Class A LLW for off-site disposal. It has been shipping Class A wastes to Envirocare of Utah, Inc. since 1997. However, the WVDP may also have a future need to ship Class B and Class C waste, whichmore » Envirocare is not currently authorized to accept. The Nevada Test Site (NTS), a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) facility, can accept all three waste classifications. The WVDP set a goal to receive certification to begin shipping Class A wastes to NTS by 2001. Formal certification/approval was granted by the DOE Nevada Operations Office on July 12, 2001. This paper discusses how the WVDP contractor, West Valley Nuclear Services Company (WVNSCO), completed the activities required to achieve NTS certification in 2001 to ship waste to its facility. The information and lessons learned provided are significant because the WVDP is the only new generator receiving certification based on an NTS audit in January 2001 that resulted in no findings and only two observations--a rating that is unparalleled in the DOE Complex.« less

  18. The financial attractiveness assessment of large waste management projects registered as clean development mechanism.

    PubMed

    Bufoni, André Luiz; Oliveira, Luciano Basto; Rosa, Luiz Pinguelli

    2015-09-01

    This study illustrates the financial analyses for demonstration and assessment of additionality presented in the project design (PDD) and enclosed documents of the 431 large Clean Development Mechanisms (CDM) classified as the 'waste handling and disposal sector' (13) over the past ten years (2004-2014). The expected certified emissions reductions (CER) of these projects total 63.54 million metric tons of CO2eq, where eight countries account for 311 projects and 43.36 million metric tons. All of the projects declare themselves 'not financially attractive' without CER with an estimated sum of negative results of approximately a half billion US$. The results indicate that WM benchmarks and indicators are converging and reducing in variance, and the sensitivity analysis reveals that revenues have a greater effect on the financial results. This work concludes that an extensive financial database with simple standards for disclosure would greatly diminish statement problems and make information more comparable, reducing the risk and capital costs of WM projects. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Secondary Waste Form Down-Selection Data Package—Fluidized Bed Steam Reforming Waste Form

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

    Qafoku, Nikolla; Westsik, Joseph H.; Strachan, Denis M.

    2011-09-12

    The Hanford Site in southeast Washington State has 56 million gallons of radioactive and chemically hazardous wastes stored in 177 underground tanks (ORP 2010). The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of River Protection (ORP), through its contractors, is constructing the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) to convert the radioactive and hazardous wastes into stable glass waste forms for disposal. Within the WTP, the pretreatment facility will receive the retrieved waste from the tank farms and separate it into two treated process streams. These waste streams will be vitrified, and the resulting waste canisters will be sentmore » to offsite (high-level waste [HLW]) and onsite (immobilized low-activity waste [ILAW]) repositories. As part of the pretreatment and ILAW processing, liquid secondary wastes will be generated that will be transferred to the Effluent Treatment Facility (ETF) on the Hanford Site for further treatment. These liquid secondary wastes will be converted to stable solid waste forms that will be disposed of in the Integrated Disposal Facility (IDF). To support the selection of a waste form for the liquid secondary wastes from WTP, Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS) has initiated secondary waste form testing work at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). In anticipation of a down-selection process for a waste form for the Solidification Treatment Unit to be added to the ETF, PNNL is developing data packages to support that down-selection. The objective of the data packages is to identify, evaluate, and summarize the existing information on the four waste forms being considered for stabilizing and solidifying the liquid secondary wastes. At the Hanford Site, the FBSR process is being evaluated as a supplemental technology for treating and immobilizing Hanford LAW radioactive tank waste and for treating secondary wastes from the WTP pretreatment and LAW vitrification processes.« less

  20. [Methods for health impact assessment of policies for municipal solid waste management: the SESPIR Project].

    PubMed

    Parmagnani, Federica; Ranzi, Andrea; Ancona, Carla; Angelini, Paola; Chiusolo, Monica; Cadum, Ennio; Lauriola, Paolo; Forastiere, Francesco

    2014-01-01

    The Project Epidemiological Surveillance of Health Status of Resident Population Around the Waste Treatment Plants (SESPIR) included five Italian regions (Emilia-Romagna, Piedmont, Lazio, Campania, and Sicily) and the National Institute of Health in the period 2010-2013. SESPIR was funded by the Ministry of Health as part of the National centre for diseases prevention and control (CCM) programme of 2010 with the general objective to provide methods and operational tools for the implementation of surveillance systems for waste and health, aimed at assessing the impact of the municipal solid waste (MSW) treatment cycle on the health of the population. The specific objective was to assess health impacts resulting from the presence of disposal facilities related to different regional scenarios of waste management. Suitable tools for analysis of integrated assessment of environmental and health impact were developed and applied, using current demographic, environmental and health data. In this article, the methodology used for the quantitative estimation of the impact on the health of populations living nearby incinerators, landfills and mechanical biological treatment plants is showed, as well as the analysis of three different temporal scenarios: the first related to the existing plants in the period 2008-2009 (baseline), the second based on regional plans, the latter referring to MSW virtuous policy management based on reduction of produced waste and an intense recovery policy.

  1. Transuranic Waste Test Facility Development Program

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

    Looper, M.G.

    1987-05-05

    This letter discusses the development and test program planned for the Transuranic Waste Test Facility (TWTF). The planned effort is based on previous work in the ADandD Pilot Facility and testing of TWTF equipment before installation. Input from Waste Management and AED Fairview is included. The program will focus on the following areas: Retrieval; Material Handling; Size Reduction; Operation and Maintenance. The program will take 1-1/2 to 2 years to complete and began in December 1986. Technical Data Summaries (TDS) and basic data reports will be issued periodically to document results and provide basic data for the Transuranic Waste Facilitymore » (TWF). 2 refs., 2 figs.« less

  2. Monitoring Snow Using Geostationary Satellite Retrievals During the SAAWSO Project

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rabin, Robert M.; Gultepe, Ismail; Kuligowski, Robert J.; Heidinger, Andrew K.

    2016-09-01

    The SAAWSO (Satellite Applications for Arctic Weather and SAR (Search And Rescue) Operations) field programs were conducted by Environment Canada near St. Johns, NL and Goose Bay, NL in the winters of 2012-13 and 2013-14, respectively. The goals of these programs were to validate satellite-based nowcasting products, including snow amount, wind intensity, and cloud physical parameters (e.g., cloud cover), over northern latitudes with potential applications to Search And Rescue (SAR) operations. Ground-based in situ sensors and remote sensing platforms were used to measure microphysical properties of precipitation, clouds and fog, radiation, temperature, moisture and wind profiles. Multi-spectral infrared observations obtained from Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES)-13 provided estimates of cloud top temperature and height, phase (water, ice), hydrometer size, extinction, optical depth, and horizontal wind patterns at 15 min intervals. In this work, a technique developed for identifying clouds capable of producing high snowfall rates and incorporating wind information from the satellite observations is described. The cloud top physical properties retrieved from operational satellite observations are validated using measurements obtained from the ground-based in situ and remote sensing platforms collected during two precipitation events: a blizzard heavy snow storm case and a moderate snow event. The retrieved snow precipitation rates are found to be comparable to those of ground-based platform measurements in the heavy snow event.

  3. Evaluation of the WIPP Project`s compliance with the EPA radiation protection standards for disposal of transuranic waste

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

    Neill, R.H.; Chaturvedi, L.; Rucker, D.F.

    The US Environmental Protection Agency`s (EPA) proposed rule to certify that the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) meets compliance with the long-term radiation protection standards for geologic repositories (40CFR191 Subparts B and C), is one of the most significant milestones to date for the WIPP project in particular, and for the nuclear waste issue in general. The Environmental Evaluation Group (EEG) has provided an independent technical oversight for the WIPP project since 1978, and is responsible for many improvements in the location, design, and testing of various aspects of the project, including participation in the development of the EPA standardsmore » since the early 1980s. The EEG reviewed the development of documentation for assessing the WIPP`s compliance by the Sandia National Laboratories following the 1985 promulgation by EPA, and provided many written and verbal comments on various aspects of this effort, culminating in the overall review of the 1992 performance assessment. For the US Department of Energy`s (DOE) compliance certification application (CCA), the EEG provided detailed comments on the draft CCA in March, 1996, and additional comments through unpublished letters in 1997 (included as Appendices 8.1 and 8.2 in this report). Since the October 30, 1997, publication of the EPA`s proposed rule to certify WIPP, the EEG gave presentations on important issues to the EPA on December 10, 1997, and sent a December 31, 1997 letter with attachments to clarify those issues (Appendix 8.3). The EEG has raised a number of questions that may have an impact on compliance. In spite of the best efforts by the EEG, the EPA reaction to reviews and suggestions has been slow and apparently driven by legal considerations. This report discusses in detail the questions that have been raised about containment requirements. Also discussed are assurance requirements, groundwater protection, individual protection, and an evaluation of EPA`s responses to EEG

  4. The astronaut and the banana peel: An EVA retriever scenario

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Shapiro, Daniel G.

    1989-01-01

    To prepare for the problem of accidents in Space Station activities, the Extravehicular Activity Retriever (EVAR) robot is being constructed, whose purpose is to retrieve astronauts and tools that float free of the Space Station. Advanced Decision Systems is at the beginning of a project to develop research software capable of guiding EVAR through the retrieval process. This involves addressing problems in machine vision, dexterous manipulation, real time construction of programs via speech input, and reactive execution of plans despite the mishaps and unexpected conditions that arise in uncontrolled domains. The problem analysis phase of this work is presented. An EVAR scenario is used to elucidate major domain and technical problems. An overview of the technical approach to prototyping an EVAR system is also presented.

  5. Retrieval attempts enhance learning regardless of time spent trying to retrieve.

    PubMed

    Vaughn, Kalif E; Hausman, Hannah; Kornell, Nate

    2017-03-01

    Attempting to retrieve information from memory is an engaging cognitive activity. We predicted that people would learn more when they had spent more time attempting to retrieve. In experiments 1a and 1b, participants were shown trivia questions for 0, 5, 10, or 30 seconds and then the answer was revealed. They took a final test immediately or after 48 hours. Retrieval enhanced learning, but the length of the retrieval attempt had no effect (i.e., final test performance was equivalent in the 5-, 10-, and 30-second conditions and worse in the 0-second condition). During the initial retrieval attempt, more time did increase recall, suggesting that participants continued to engage in productive retrieval activities when given more time. Showing the answer for longer (7 versus 2 seconds) increased learning in Experiments 2a and 2b. Experiment 3 examined the effect of retrieval success and Experiment 4 replicated the results using different materials. These results have direct implications for current theories of retrieval.

  6. Using Photogrammetry to Estimate Tank Waste Volumes from Video

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

    Field, Jim G.

    Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS) contracted with HiLine Engineering & Fabrication, Inc. to assess the accuracy of photogrammetry tools as compared to video Camera/CAD Modeling System (CCMS) estimates. This test report documents the results of using photogrammetry to estimate the volume of waste in tank 241-C-I04 from post-retrieval videos and results using photogrammetry to estimate the volume of waste piles in the CCMS test video.

  7. SPIRES (Stanford Physics Information REtrieval System) 1969-70 Annual Report to the National Science Foundation (Office of Science Information Service).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Parker, Edwin B.

    The third annual report (covering the 18-month period from January 1969 to June 1970) of the Stanford Physics Information REtrieval System (SPIRES) project, which is developing an augmented bibliographic retrieval capability, is presented in this document. A first section describes the background of the project and its association with Project…

  8. Phase retrieval for crystalline specimens

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Arnal, Romain A.; Millane, Rick P.

    2017-09-01

    The recent availability of ultra-bright and ultra-short X-rays pulses from new sources called x-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) has introduced a new paradigm in X-ray crystallography. Called "diffraction-before-destruction," this paradigm addresses the main problems that plague crystallography using synchrotron sources. However, the phase problem of coherent diffraction imaging remains: one has to retrieve the phase of the measured diffraction amplitude in order to reconstruct the object. Fibrous and membrane proteins that crystallize in 1D and 2D crystals can now potentially be used for data collection with free-electron lasers. The crystallographic phase problem with such crystalline specimens is eased as the Fourier amplitude can be sampled more finely than at the Bragg sampling along one or two directions. Here we characterise uniqueness of the phase problem for different types of crystalline specimen. Simulated ab initio phase retrieval using iterative projection algorithms for 2D crystals is presented.

  9. Development of integrated radioactive waste packaging and conditioning solutions in the UK

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

    Sibley, Peter; Butter, Kevin; Zimmerman, Ian

    2013-07-01

    In order to offer a more cost effective, safer and efficient Intermediate Level Waste (ILW) management service, EnergySolutions EU Ltd. and Gesellschaft fur Nuklear-Service mbH (GNS) have been engaged in the development of integrated radioactive waste retrieval, packaging and conditioning solutions in the UK. Recognising the challenges surrounding regulatory endorsement and on-site implementation in particular, this has resulted in an alternative approach to meeting customer, safety regulator and disposability requirements. By working closely with waste producers and the organisation(s) responsible for endorsing radioactive waste management operations in the UK, our proposed solutions are now being implemented. By combining GNS' off-the-shelf,more » proven Ductile Cast Iron Containers (DCICs) and water removal technologies, with EnergySolutions EU Ltd.'s experience and expertise in waste retrieval, safety case development and disposability submissions, a fully integrated service offering has been developed. This has involved significant effort to overcome technical challenges such as onsite equipment deployment, active commissioning, conditioning success criteria and disposability acceptance. Our experience in developing such integrated solutions has highlighted the importance of working in collaboration with all parties to achieve a successful and viable outcome. Ultimately, the goal is to ensure reliable, safe and effective delivery of waste management solutions. (authors)« less

  10. Roogle: an information retrieval engine for clinical data warehouse.

    PubMed

    Cuggia, Marc; Garcelon, Nicolas; Campillo-Gimenez, Boris; Bernicot, Thomas; Laurent, Jean-François; Garin, Etienne; Happe, André; Duvauferrier, Régis

    2011-01-01

    High amount of relevant information is contained in reports stored in the electronic patient records and associated metadata. R-oogle is a project aiming at developing information retrieval engines adapted to these reports and designed for clinicians. The system consists in a data warehouse (full-text reports and structured data) imported from two different hospital information systems. Information retrieval is performed using metadata-based semantic and full-text search methods (as Google). Applications may be biomarkers identification in a translational approach, search of specific cases, and constitution of cohorts, professional practice evaluation, and quality control assessment.

  11. COIN Project: Towards a zero-waste technology for concrete aggregate production in Norway

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cepuritis, Rolands; Willy Danielsen, Svein

    2014-05-01

    COIN Project: Towards a zero-waste technology for concrete aggregate production in Norway Rolands Cepuritis, Norcem/NTNU and Svein Willy Danielsen, SINTEF Aggregate production is a mining operation where no purification of the "ore" is necessary. Still it is extremely rare that an aggregate production plant is operating on the basis of zero-waste concept. This is since historically the fine crushed aggregate (particles with a size of less than 2, 4 or sometimes 8 mm) has been regarded as a by-product or waste of the more valuable coarse aggregate production. The reason is that the crushed coarse aggregates can easily replace coarse rounded natural stones in almost any concrete composition; while, the situation with the sand is different. The production of coarse aggregate normally yields fine fractions with rough surface texture, flaky or elongated particles an inadequate gradation. When such a material replaces smooth and rounded natural sand grains in a concrete mix, the result is usually poor and much more water and cement has to be used to achieve adequate concrete flow. The consequences are huge stockpiles of the crushed fine fractions that can't be sold (mass balance problems) for the aggregate producers, sustainability problems for the whole industry and environmental issues for society due to dumping and storing of the fine co-generated material. There have been attempts of utilising the material in concrete before; however, they have mostly ended up in failure. There have been attempts to adjust the crushed sand to the properties of the natural sand, which would still give a lot of waste, especially if the grading would have to be adjusted and the high amounts of fines abundantly present in the crushed sand would have to be removed. Another fundamental reason for failure has been that historically such attempts have mainly ended up in a research carried out by people (both industrial and academic) with aggregate background (= parties willing to find market

  12. 2007-2017: 10 years of IASI CO retrievals

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    George, M.; Clerbaux, C.; Hadji-Lazaro, J.; Pierre-Francois, C.; Hurtmans, D.; Edwards, D. P.; Worden, H. M.; Deeter, M. N.; Mao, D.; August, T.; Crapeau, M.

    2017-12-01

    Carbon monoxide (CO) is an important trace gas for understanding air quality and atmospheric composition. It is a good tracer of pollution plumes and atmospheric dynamics. IASI CO concentrations are retrieved from the radiance data using the Fast Operational Retrievals on Layers for IASI (FORLI) algorithm, based on the Optimal Estimation theory. The operational production is performed at EUMETSAT and the products are distributed in NRT via EUMETCast under the AC SAF auspices. We present here an analysis of 10 years of global distributions of CO. Improvements of the last FORLI-CO version (v20151001) will be shown. Updates in the auxiliary parameters (temperature, cloud information) have an impact on the retrieved product. Comparison with MOPITT CO data (v7T, record starting in 2000) was performed, both for partial and total columns. Harmonizing IASI and MOPITT CO products is challenging: a method using corrective factors (developed in the framework of the QA4ECV project) will be presented.

  13. Development, Comparisons and Evaluation of Aerosol Retrieval Algorithms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    de Leeuw, G.; Holzer-Popp, T.; Aerosol-cci Team

    2011-12-01

    The Climate Change Initiative (cci) of the European Space Agency (ESA) has brought together a team of European Aerosol retrieval groups working on the development and improvement of aerosol retrieval algorithms. The goal of this cooperation is the development of methods to provide the best possible information on climate and climate change based on satellite observations. To achieve this, algorithms are characterized in detail as regards the retrieval approaches, the aerosol models used in each algorithm, cloud detection and surface treatment. A round-robin intercomparison of results from the various participating algorithms serves to identify the best modules or combinations of modules for each sensor. Annual global datasets including their uncertainties will then be produced and validated. The project builds on 9 existing algorithms to produce spectral aerosol optical depth (AOD and Ångström exponent) as well as other aerosol information; two instruments are included to provide the absorbing aerosol index (AAI) and stratospheric aerosol information. The algorithms included are: - 3 for ATSR (ORAC developed by RAL / Oxford university, ADV developed by FMI and the SU algorithm developed by Swansea University ) - 2 for MERIS (BAER by Bremen university and the ESA standard handled by HYGEOS) - 1 for POLDER over ocean (LOA) - 1 for synergetic retrieval (SYNAER by DLR ) - 1 for OMI retreival of the absorbing aerosol index with averaging kernel information (KNMI) - 1 for GOMOS stratospheric extinction profile retrieval (BIRA) The first seven algorithms aim at the retrieval of the AOD. However, each of the algorithms used differ in their approach, even for algorithms working with the same instrument such as ATSR or MERIS. To analyse the strengths and weaknesses of each algorithm several tests are made. The starting point for comparison and measurement of improvements is a retrieval run for 1 month, September 2008. The data from the same month are subsequently used for

  14. Melting of municipal solid waste incinerator fly ash by waste-derived thermite reaction.

    PubMed

    Wang, Kuen-Sheng; Lin, Kae-Long; Lee, Ching-Hwa

    2009-02-15

    This work describes a novel approach for melting municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) fly ash, based on self-propagating reactions, by using energy-efficient simulated waste-derived thermite. The self-propagating characteristics, the properties of the recycled alloy and slag and the partitioning of heavy metals during the process are also studied. Experimental results demonstrate that the mix ratio of fly ash to the starting mixture of less than 30% supports the development of the self-propagating reaction with a melting temperature of 1350-2200 degrees C. Furthermore, metallic iron (or alloy) and the slag were retrieved after activation of the thermite reactions among the starting mixtures. It was noted that more than 91wt.% of iron was retrieved as alloy and the rest of non-reductive oxides as slag. During the thermite reactions, the partition of heavy metals to the SFA and flue gas varied with the characteristics of the target metals: Cd was mainly partitioned to flue gas (75-82%), and partition slightly increased with the increasing fly ash ratio; Pb and Zn, were mainly partitioned to the SFA, and the partition increased with increasing fly ash ratio; Cu was partitioned to the SFA (18-31%) and was not found in the flue gas; and moreover stable Cr and Ni were not identified in both the SFA and flue gas. On the other hand, the determined TCLP leaching concentrations were all well within the current regulatory thresholds, despite the various FA ratios. This suggests that the vitrified fly ash samples were environmental safe in heavy metal leaching. The results of this study suggested that melting of municipal solid waste incinerator fly ash by waste-derived thermite reactions was a feasible approach not only energy-beneficial but also environmental-safe.

  15. Automated storage and retrieval of data obtained in the Interkosmos project

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ziolkovski, K.; Pakholski, V.

    1975-01-01

    The formation of a data bank and information retrieval system for scientific data is described. The stored data can be digital or documentation data. Data classification methods are discussed along with definition and compilation of the dictionary utilized, definition of the indexing scheme, and definition of the principles used in constructing a file for documents, data blocks, and tapes. Operating principles are also presented.

  16. Bayesian aerosol retrieval algorithm for MODIS AOD retrieval over land

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lipponen, Antti; Mielonen, Tero; Pitkänen, Mikko R. A.; Levy, Robert C.; Sawyer, Virginia R.; Romakkaniemi, Sami; Kolehmainen, Ville; Arola, Antti

    2018-03-01

    We have developed a Bayesian aerosol retrieval (BAR) algorithm for the retrieval of aerosol optical depth (AOD) over land from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). In the BAR algorithm, we simultaneously retrieve all dark land pixels in a granule, utilize spatial correlation models for the unknown aerosol parameters, use a statistical prior model for the surface reflectance, and take into account the uncertainties due to fixed aerosol models. The retrieved parameters are total AOD at 0.55 µm, fine-mode fraction (FMF), and surface reflectances at four different wavelengths (0.47, 0.55, 0.64, and 2.1 µm). The accuracy of the new algorithm is evaluated by comparing the AOD retrievals to Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) AOD. The results show that the BAR significantly improves the accuracy of AOD retrievals over the operational Dark Target (DT) algorithm. A reduction of about 29 % in the AOD root mean square error and decrease of about 80 % in the median bias of AOD were found globally when the BAR was used instead of the DT algorithm. Furthermore, the fraction of AOD retrievals inside the ±(0.05+15 %) expected error envelope increased from 55 to 76 %. In addition to retrieving the values of AOD, FMF, and surface reflectance, the BAR also gives pixel-level posterior uncertainty estimates for the retrieved parameters. The BAR algorithm always results in physical, non-negative AOD values, and the average computation time for a single granule was less than a minute on a modern personal computer.

  17. Information retrieval for a document writing assistance program

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

    Corral, M.L.; Simon, A.; Julien, C.

    This paper presents an Information Retrieval mechanism to facilitate the writing of technical documents in the space domain. To address the need for document exchange between partners in a given project, documents are standardized. The writing of a new document requires the re-use of existing documents or parts thereof. These parts can be identified by {open_quotes}tagging{close_quotes} the logical structure of documents and restored by means of a purpose-built Information Retrieval System (I.R.S.). The I.R.S. implemented in our writing assistance tool uses natural language queries and is based on a statistical linguistic approach which is enhanced by the use of documentmore » structure module.« less

  18. Medical Language Processing for Knowledge Representation and Retrievals

    PubMed Central

    Lyman, Margaret; Sager, Naomi; Chi, Emile C.; Tick, Leo J.; Nhan, Ngo Thanh; Su, Yun; Borst, Francois; Scherrer, Jean-Raoul

    1989-01-01

    The Linguistic String Project-Medical Language Processor, a system for computer analysis of narrative patient documents in English, is being adapted for French Lettres de Sortie. The system converts the free-text input to a semantic representation which is then mapped into a relational database. Retrievals of clinical data from the database are described.

  19. Remote-Handled Low-Level Waste Disposal Project Code of Record

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

    Austad, S. L.; Guillen, L. E.; McKnight, C. W.

    2015-04-01

    The Remote-Handled Low-Level Waste (LLW) Disposal Project addresses an anticipated shortfall in remote-handled LLW disposal capability following cessation of operations at the existing facility, which will continue until it is full or until it must be closed in preparation for final remediation of the Subsurface Disposal Area (approximately at the end of Fiscal Year 2017). Development of a new onsite disposal facility will provide necessary remote-handled LLW disposal capability and will ensure continuity of operations that generate remote-handled LLW. This report documents the Code of Record for design of a new LLW disposal capability. The report is owned by themore » Design Authority, who can authorize revisions and exceptions. This report will be retained for the lifetime of the facility.« less

  20. Annual Progress Report on the Development of Waste Tank Leak Monitoring and Detection and Mitigation Activities in Support of M-45-08

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

    DEFIGH PRICE, C.

    2000-09-25

    Milestone M-45-09E of the Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (Tri-Party Agreement or TPA) [TPA 1996] requires submittal of an annual progress report on the development of waste tank leak detection, monitoring, and mitigation (LDMM) activities associated with the retrieval of waste from single-shell tanks (SSTs). This report details progress for fiscal year 2000, building on the current LDMM strategy and including discussion of technologies, applications, cost, schedule, and technical data. The report also includes discussion of demonstrations conducted and recommendations for additional testing. Tri-Party Agreement Milestones M-45-08A and M-45-08B required design and demonstration of LDMM systems for initialmore » retrieval of SST waste. These specific milestones have recently been deleted as part of the M-45-00A change package. Future LDMM development work has been incorporated into specific technology demonstration milestones and SST waste retrieval milestones in the M-45-03 and M-45-05 milestone series.« less

  1. FFTF disposable solid waste cask

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

    Thomson, J. D.; Goetsch, S. D.

    1983-01-01

    Disposal of radioactive waste from the Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF) will utilize a Disposable Solid Waste Cask (DSWC) for the transport and burial of irradiated stainless steel and inconel materials. Retrievability coupled with the desire for minimal facilities and labor costs at the disposal site identified the need for the DSWC. Design requirements for this system were patterned after Type B packages as outlined in 10 CFR 71 with a few exceptions based on site and payload requirements. A summary of the design basis, supporting analytical methods and fabrication practices developed to deploy the DSWC is provided in thismore » paper.« less

  2. RESEARCH INTO EMERGING WASTE ISSUES

    EPA Science Inventory

    The purpose of this project is to investigate emerging waste issues. In particular, 2 issues have been raised in the last year that have major implications for the waste disposal industry: 1) waste gasification; and 2) proliferation of electronics waste.

    APPCD loaned a h...

  3. TANK FARM CLOSURE - A NEW TWIST ON REGULATORY STRATEGIES FOR CLOSURE OF WASTE TANK RESIDUALS FOLLOWING NUREG

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

    LEHMAN LL

    2008-01-23

    Waste from a number of single-shell tanks (SST) at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Hanford Site has been retrieved by CH2M HILL Hanford Group to fulfill the requirements of the 'Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (HFFACO) [1]. Laboratory analyses of the Hanford tank residual wastes have provided concentration data which will be used to determine waste classification and disposal options for tank residuals. The closure of tank farm facilities remains one of the most challenging activities faced by the DOE. This is due in part to the complicated regulatory structures that have developed. These regulatory structures aremore » different at each of the DOE sites, making it difficult to apply lessons learned from one site to the next. During the past two years with the passage of the Section 3116 of the 'Ronald Reagan Defense Authorization Act of 2005' (NDAA) [2] some standardization has emerged for Savannah River Site and the Idaho National Laboratory tank residuals. Recently, with the issuance of 'NRC Staff Guidance for Activities Related to US. Department of Energy Waste Determinations' (NUREG-1854) [3] more explicit options may be considered for Hanford tank residuals than are presently available under DOE Orders. NUREG-1854, issued in August 2007, contains several key pieces of information that if utilized by the DOE in the tank closure process, could simplify waste classification and streamline the NRC review process by providing information to the NRC in their preferred format. Other provisions of this NUREG allow different methods to be applied in determining when waste retrieval is complete by incorporating actual project costs and health risks into the calculation of 'technically and economically practical'. Additionally, the NUREG requires a strong understanding of the uncertainties of the analyses, which given the desire of some NRC/DOE staff may increase the likelihood of using probabilistic approaches to uncertainty analysis. The

  4. Automatic Dictionary Construction; Part II of Scientific Report No. ISR-18, Information Storage and Retrieval...

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY. Dept. of Computer Science.

    Part Two of the eighteenth report on Salton's Magical Automatic Retriever of Texts (SMART) project is composed of three papers: The first: "The Effect of Common Words and Synonyms on Retrieval Performance" by D. Bergmark discloses that removal of common words from the query and document vectors significantly increases precision and that…

  5. 1D-VAR Retrieval Using Superchannels

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Liu, Xu; Zhou, Daniel; Larar, Allen; Smith, William L.; Schluessel, Peter; Mango, Stephen; SaintGermain, Karen

    2008-01-01

    Since modern ultra-spectral remote sensors have thousands of channels, it is difficult to include all of them in a 1D-var retrieval system. We will describe a physical inversion algorithm, which includes all available channels for the atmospheric temperature, moisture, cloud, and surface parameter retrievals. Both the forward model and the inversion algorithm compress the channel radiances into super channels. These super channels are obtained by projecting the radiance spectra onto a set of pre-calculated eigenvectors. The forward model provides both super channel properties and jacobian in EOF space directly. For ultra-spectral sensors such as Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) and the NPOESS Airborne Sounder Testbed Interferometer (NAST), a compression ratio of more than 80 can be achieved, leading to a significant reduction in computations involved in an inversion process. Results will be shown applying the algorithm to real IASI and NAST data.

  6. A computer system for the storage and retrieval of gravity data, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Godson, Richard H.; Andreasen, Gordon H.

    1974-01-01

    A computer system has been developed for the systematic storage and retrieval of gravity data. All pertinent facts relating to gravity station measurements and computed Bouguer values may be retrieved either by project name or by geographical coordinates. Features of the system include visual display in the form of printer listings of gravity data and printer plots of station locations. The retrieved data format interfaces with the format of GEOPAC, a system of computer programs designed for the analysis of geophysical data.

  7. Restoration of areas disturbed by site studies for a mined commercial radioactive waste repository: The Basalt Waste Isolation Project (BWIP)

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

    Brandt, C.A.; Rickard, W.H. Jr.; Biehert, R.W.

    1989-01-01

    The Basalt Waste Isolation Project (BWIP) was undertaken to environmentally characterize a portion of the US Department of Energy's Hanford Site in Washington State as a potential host for the nation's first mined commercial nuclear waste repository. Studies were terminated by Congress in 1987. Between 1976 and 1987, 72 areas located across the Hanford Site were disturbed by the BWIP. These areas include borehole pads, a large Exploratory Shaft Facility, and the Near Surface Test Facility. Most boreholes were cleared of vegetation, leveled, and stabilized with a thick layer of compacted pit-run gravel and sand. The Near Surface Test Facilitymore » consists of three mined adits, a rock-spoils bench, and numerous support facilities. Restoration began in 1988 with the objective of returning sites to pre-existing conditions using native species. The Hanford Site retains some of the last remnants of the shrub-steppe ecosystem in Washington. The primary constraints to restoring native vegetation at Hanford are low precipitation and the presence of cheatgrass, an extremely capable alien competitor. 5 figs.« less

  8. Improving inferior vena cava filter retrieval rates with the define, measure, analyze, improve, control methodology.

    PubMed

    Sutphin, Patrick D; Reis, Stephen P; McKune, Angie; Ravanzo, Maria; Kalva, Sanjeeva P; Pillai, Anil K

    2015-04-01

    To design a sustainable process to improve optional inferior vena cava (IVC) filter retrieval rates based on the Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control (DMAIC) methodology of the Six Sigma process improvement paradigm. DMAIC, an acronym for Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control, was employed to design and implement a quality improvement project to increase IVC filter retrieval rates at a tertiary academic hospital. Retrievable IVC filters were placed in 139 patients over a 2-year period. The baseline IVC filter retrieval rate (n = 51) was reviewed through a retrospective analysis, and two strategies were devised to improve the filter retrieval rate: (a) mailing of letters to clinicians and patients for patients who had filters placed within 8 months of implementation of the project (n = 43) and (b) a prospective automated scheduling of a clinic visit at 4 weeks after filter placement for all new patients (n = 45). The effectiveness of these strategies was assessed by measuring the filter retrieval rates and estimated increase in revenue to interventional radiology. IVC filter retrieval rates increased from a baseline of 8% to 40% with the mailing of letters and to 52% with the automated scheduling of a clinic visit 4 weeks after IVC filter placement. The estimated revenue per 100 IVC filters placed increased from $2,249 to $10,518 with the mailing of letters and to $17,022 with the automated scheduling of a clinic visit. Using the DMAIC methodology, a simple and sustainable quality improvement intervention was devised that markedly improved IVC filter retrieval rates in eligible patients. Copyright © 2015 SIR. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Retrieval Attempts Enhance Learning, but Retrieval Success (versus Failure) Does Not Matter

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kornell, Nate; Klein, Patricia Jacobs; Rawson, Katherine A.

    2015-01-01

    Retrieving information from memory enhances learning. We propose a 2-stage framework to explain the benefits of retrieval. Stage 1 takes place as one attempts to retrieve an answer, which activates knowledge related to the retrieval cue. Stage 2 begins when the answer becomes available, at which point appropriate connections are strengthened and…

  10. Considerations Related To Human Intrusion In The Context Of Disposal Of Radioactive Waste-The IAEA HIDRA Project

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

    Seitz, Roger; Kumano, Yumiko; Bailey, Lucy

    2014-01-09

    The principal approaches for management of radioactive waste are commonly termed ‘delay and decay’, ‘concentrate and contain’ and ‘dilute and disperse’. Containing the waste and isolating it from the human environment, by burying it, is considered to increase safety and is generally accepted as the preferred approach for managing radioactive waste. However, this approach results in concentrated sources of radioactive waste contained in one location, which can pose hazards should the facility be disrupted by human action in the future. The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development/Nuclear Energymore » Agency (OECD/NEA) agree that some form of inadvertent human intrusion (HI) needs to be considered to address the potential consequences in the case of loss of institutional control and loss of memory of the disposal facility. Requirements are reflected in national regulations governing radioactive waste disposal. However, in practice, these requirements are often different from country to country, which is then reflected in the actual implementation of HI as part of a safety case. The IAEA project on HI in the context of Disposal of RadioActive waste (HIDRA) has been started to identify potential areas for improved consistency in consideration of HI. The expected outcome is to provide recommendations on how to address human actions in the safety case in the future, and how the safety case may be used to demonstrate robustness and optimize siting, design and waste acceptance criteria within the context of a safety case.« less

  11. Phase retrieval of images using Gaussian radial bases.

    PubMed

    Trahan, Russell; Hyland, David

    2013-12-20

    Here, the possibility of a noniterative solution to the phase retrieval problem is explored. A new look is taken at the phase retrieval problem that reveals that knowledge of a diffraction pattern's frequency components is enough to recover the image without projective iterations. This occurs when the image is formed using Gaussian bases that give the convenience of a continuous Fourier transform existing in a compact form where square pixels do not. The Gaussian bases are appropriate when circular apertures are used to detect the diffraction pattern because of their optical transfer functions, as discussed briefly. An algorithm is derived that is capable of recovering an image formed by Gaussian bases from only the Fourier transform's modulus, without background constraints. A practical example is shown.

  12. Greater-than-Class C low-level waste characterization

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

    Piscitella, R.R.

    1991-12-31

    In 1985, Public Law 99-240 (Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Amendments Act of 1985) made the Department of Energy (DOE) responsible for the disposal of greater-than-Class C low-level radioactive waste (GTCC LLW). DOE strategies for storage and disposal of GTCC LLW required characterization of volumes, radionuclide activities, and waste forms. Data from existing literature, disposal records, and original research were used to estimate characteristics, project volumes, and determine radionuclide activities to the years 2035 and 2055. Twenty-year life extensions for 70% of the operating nuclear reactors were assumed to calculate the GTCC LLW available in 2055. The following categories of GTCCmore » LLW were addressed: Nuclear Utilities Waste; Potential Sealed Sources GTCC LLW; DOE-Held Potential GTCC LLW; and Other Generator Waste. It was determined that the largest volume of these wastes, approximately 57%, is generated by nuclear utilities. The Other Generator Waste category contributes approximately 10% of the total GTCC LLW volume projected to the year 2035. DOE-Held Potential GTCC LLW accounts for nearly 33% of all waste projected to the year 2035. Potential Sealed Sources GTCC LLW is less than 0.2% of the total projected volume. The base case total projected volume of GTCC LLW for all categories was 3,250 cubic meters. This was substantially less than previous estimates.« less

  13. [Health impact assessment of policies for municipal solid waste management: findings of the SESPIR Project].

    PubMed

    Ranzi, Andrea; Ancona, Carla; Angelini, Paola; Badaloni, Chiara; Cernigliaro, Achille; Chiusolo, Monica; Parmagnani, Federica; Pizzuti, Renato; Scondotto, Salvatore; Cadum, Ennio; Forastiere, Francesco; Lauriola, Paolo

    2014-01-01

    The SESPIR Project (Epidemiological Surveillance of Health Status of Resident Population Around the Waste Treatment Plants) assessed the impact on health of residents nearby incinerators, landfills and mechanical biological treatment plants in five Italian regions (Emilia-Romagna, Piedmont, Lazio, Campania, and Sicily). The assessment procedure took into account the available knowledge on health effects of waste disposal facilities. Analyses were related to three different scenarios: a Baseline scenario, referred to plants active in 2008-2009; the regional future scenario, with plants expected in the waste regional plans; a virtuous scenario (Green 2020), based on a policy management of municipal solid waste (MSW) through the reduction of production and an intense recovery policy. Facing with a total population of around 24 million for the 5 regions, the residents nearby the plants were more than 380,000 people at Baseline. Such a population is reduced to approximately 330.000 inhabitants and 170.000 inhabitants in the regional and Green 2020 scenarios, respectively. The health impact was assessed for the period 2008-2040. At Baseline, 1-2 cases per year of cancer attributable to MSW plants were estimated, as well as 26 cases per year of adverse pregnancy outcomes (including low birth weight and birth defects), 102 persons with respiratory symptoms, and about a thousand affected from annoyance caused by odours. These annual estimates are translated into 2,725 years of life with disability (DALYs) estimated for the entire period. The DALYs are reduced by approximately 20% and 80% in the two future scenarios. Even in these cases, health impact is given by the greater effects on pregnancy and the annoyance associated with the odours of plants. In spite of the limitations due to the inevitable assumptions required by the present exercise, the proposed methodology is suitable for a first approach to assess different policies that can be adopted in regional planning in

  14. Less we forget: retrieval cues and release from retrieval-induced forgetting.

    PubMed

    Jonker, Tanya R; Seli, Paul; Macleod, Colin M

    2012-11-01

    Retrieving some items from memory can impair the subsequent recall of other related but not retrieved items, a phenomenon called retrieval-induced forgetting (RIF). The dominant explanation of RIF-the inhibition account-asserts that forgetting occurs because related items are suppressed during retrieval practice to reduce retrieval competition. This item inhibition persists, making it more difficult to recall the related items on a later test. In our set of experiments, each category was designed such that each exemplar belonged to one of two subcategories (e.g., each BIRD exemplar was either a bird of prey or a pet bird), but this subcategory information was not made explicit during study or retrieval practice. Practicing retrieval of items from only one subcategory led to RIF for items from the other subcategory when cued only with the overall category label (BIRD) at test. However, adapting the technique of Gardiner, Craik, and Birtwistle (Journal of Learning and Verbal Behavior 11:778-783, 1972), providing subcategory cues during the final test eliminated RIF. The results challenge the inhibition account's fundamental assumption of cue independence but are consistent with a cue-based interference account.

  15. Fourier phase retrieval with a single mask by Douglas-Rachford algorithms.

    PubMed

    Chen, Pengwen; Fannjiang, Albert

    2018-05-01

    The Fourier-domain Douglas-Rachford (FDR) algorithm is analyzed for phase retrieval with a single random mask. Since the uniqueness of phase retrieval solution requires more than a single oversampled coded diffraction pattern, the extra information is imposed in either of the following forms: 1) the sector condition on the object; 2) another oversampled diffraction pattern, coded or uncoded. For both settings, the uniqueness of projected fixed point is proved and for setting 2) the local, geometric convergence is derived with a rate given by a spectral gap condition. Numerical experiments demonstrate global, power-law convergence of FDR from arbitrary initialization for both settings as well as for 3 or more coded diffraction patterns without oversampling. In practice, the geometric convergence can be recovered from the power-law regime by a simple projection trick, resulting in highly accurate reconstruction from generic initialization.

  16. Status of the waste assay for nonradioactive disposal (WAND) project

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Arnone, Gaetano L.; Foster, Lynn A.; Foxx, Charles L.; Hagan, Roland C.; Martin, E. R.; Myers, Steven C.; Parker, Jack L.

    1999-01-01

    The WAND (Waste Assay for Nonradioactive Disposal) system scans thought-to-be-clean, low-density waste (mostly paper and plastics) to verify the absence of radioactive contaminants at very low-levels. Much of the low-density waste generated in radiologically controlled areas, formally considered `suspect' radioactive, is now disposed more cheaply at the Los Alamos County Landfill as opposed to the LANL Radioactive Waste Landfill.

  17. Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) conceptual design report. Part I: executive summary. Part II: facilities and system

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

    Not Available

    1977-06-01

    The pilot plant is developed for ERDA low-level contact-handled transuranic waste, ERDA remote-handled intermediate-level transuranic waste, and for high-level waste experiments. All wastes placed in the WIPP arrive at the site processed and packaged; no waste processing is done at the WIPP. All wastes placed into the WIPP are retrievable. The proposed site for WIPP lies 26 miles east of Carlsbad, New Mexico. This document includes the executive summary and a detailed description of the facilities and systems. (DLC)

  18. Validating Satellite-Retrieved Cloud Properties for Weather and Climate Applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Minnis, P.; Bedka, K. M.; Smith, W., Jr.; Yost, C. R.; Bedka, S. T.; Palikonda, R.; Spangenberg, D.; Sun-Mack, S.; Trepte, Q.; Dong, X.; Xi, B.

    2014-12-01

    Cloud properties determined from satellite imager radiances are increasingly used in weather and climate applications, particularly in nowcasting, model assimilation and validation, trend monitoring, and precipitation and radiation analyses. The value of using the satellite-derived cloud parameters is determined by the accuracy of the particular parameter for a given set of conditions, such as viewing and illumination angles, surface background, and cloud type and structure. Because of the great variety of those conditions and of the sensors used to monitor clouds, determining the accuracy or uncertainties in the retrieved cloud parameters is a daunting task. Sensitivity studies of the retrieved parameters to the various inputs for a particular cloud type are helpful for understanding the errors associated with the retrieval algorithm relative to the plane-parallel world assumed in most of the model clouds that serve as the basis for the retrievals. Real world clouds, however, rarely fit the plane-parallel mold and generate radiances that likely produce much greater errors in the retrieved parameter than can be inferred from sensitivity analyses. Thus, independent, empirical methods are used to provide a more reliable uncertainty analysis. At NASA Langley, cloud properties are being retrieved from both geostationary (GEO) and low-earth orbiting (LEO) satellite imagers for climate monitoring and model validation as part of the NASA CERES project since 2000 and from AVHRR data since 1978 as part of the NOAA CDR program. Cloud properties are also being retrieved in near-real time globally from both GEO and LEO satellites for weather model assimilation and nowcasting for hazards such as aircraft icing. This paper discusses the various independent datasets and approaches that are used to assessing the imager-based satellite cloud retrievals. These include, but are not limited to data from ARM sites, CloudSat, and CALIPSO. This paper discusses the use of the various

  19. The financial attractiveness assessment of large waste management projects registered as clean development mechanism

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

    Bufoni, André Luiz, E-mail: bufoni@facc.ufrj.br; Oliveira, Luciano Basto; Rosa, Luiz Pinguelli

    Highlights: • Projects are not financially attractive without registration as CDMs. • WM benchmarks and indicators are converging and reducing in variance. • A sensitivity analysis reveal that revenue has more of an effect on the financial results. • Results indicate that an extensive database would reduce WM project risk and capital costs. • Disclosure standards would make information more comparable worldwide. - Abstract: This study illustrates the financial analyses for demonstration and assessment of additionality presented in the project design (PDD) and enclosed documents of the 431 large Clean Development Mechanisms (CDM) classified as the ‘waste handling and disposalmore » sector’ (13) over the past ten years (2004–2014). The expected certified emissions reductions (CER) of these projects total 63.54 million metric tons of CO{sub 2}eq, where eight countries account for 311 projects and 43.36 million metric tons. All of the projects declare themselves ‘not financially attractive’ without CER with an estimated sum of negative results of approximately a half billion US$. The results indicate that WM benchmarks and indicators are converging and reducing in variance, and the sensitivity analysis reveals that revenues have a greater effect on the financial results. This work concludes that an extensive financial database with simple standards for disclosure would greatly diminish statement problems and make information more comparable, reducing the risk and capital costs of WM projects.« less

  20. Design of the Long-term Waste Management Facility for Historic LLRW Port Hope Project - 13322

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

    Campbell, Don; Barton, David; Case, Glenn

    2013-07-01

    The Municipality of Port Hope is located on the northern shores of Lake Ontario approximately 100 km east of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Starting in the 1930's, radium and later uranium processing by Eldorado Gold Mines Limited (subsequently Eldorado Nuclear Limited) (Eldorado) at their refinery in Port Hope resulted in the generation of process residues and wastes that were disposed of indiscriminately throughout the Municipality until about the mid-1950's. These process residues contained radium (Ra- 226), uranium, arsenic and other contaminants. Between 1944 and 1988, Eldorado was a Federal Crown Corporation, and as such, the Canadian Federal Government has assumed responsibilitymore » for the clean-up and long-term management of the historic waste produced by Eldorado during this period. The Port Hope Project involves the construction and development of a new long-term waste management facility (LTWMF), and the remediation and transfer of the historic wastes located within the Municipality of Port Hope to the new LTWMF. The new LTWMF will consist of an engineered above-ground containment mound designed to contain and isolate the wastes from the surrounding environment for the next several hundred years. The design of the engineered containment mound consists of a primary and secondary composite base liner system and composite final cover system, made up of both natural materials (e.g., compacted clay, granular materials) and synthetic materials (e.g., geo-synthetic clay liner, geo-membrane, geo-textiles). The engineered containment mound will cover an area of approximately 13 hectares and will contain the estimated 1.2 million cubic metres of waste that will be generated from the remedial activities within Port Hope. The LTWMF will also include infrastructure and support facilities such as access roads, administrative offices, laboratory, equipment and personnel decontamination facilities, waste water treatment plant and other ancillary facilities. Preliminary

  1. User's operating procedures. Volume 1: Scout project information programs

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Harris, C. G.; Harris, D. K.

    1985-01-01

    A review of the user's operating procedures for the Scout Project Automatic Data System, called SPADS is given. SPADS is the result of the past seven years of software development on a Prime minicomputer located at the Scout Project Office. SPADS was developed as a single entry, multiple cross reference data management and information retrieval system for the automation of Project office tasks, including engineering, financial, managerial, and clerical support. The instructions to operate the Scout Project Information programs in data retrieval and file maintenance via the user friendly menu drivers is presented.

  2. Methodology for quantification of waste generated in Spanish railway construction works.

    PubMed

    de Guzmán Báez, Ana; Villoria Sáez, Paola; del Río Merino, Mercedes; García Navarro, Justo

    2012-05-01

    In the last years, the European Union (EU) has been focused on the reduction of construction and demolition (C&D) waste. Specifically, in 2006, Spain generated roughly 47million tons of C&D waste, of which only 13.6% was recycled. This situation has lead to the drawing up of many regulations on C&D waste during the past years forcing EU countries to include new measures for waste prevention and recycling. Among these measures, the mandatory obligation to quantify the C&D waste expected to be originated during a construction project is mandated. However, limited data is available on civil engineering projects. Therefore, the aim of this research study is to improve C&D waste management in railway projects, by developing a model for C&D waste quantification. For this purpose, we develop two equations which estimate in advance the amount, both in weight and volume, of the C&D waste likely to be generated in railway construction projects, including the category of C&D waste generated for the entire project. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Gunther Tulip Retrievable Inferior Vena Caval Filters: Indications, Efficacy, Retrieval, and Complications

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

    Looby, S.; Given, M.F.; Geoghegan, T.

    Purpose. We evaluated the Gunther Tulip (GT) retrievable inferior vena cava (IVC) filter with regard to indications, filtration efficacy, complications, retrieval window, and use of anticoagulation. Method. A retrospective study was performed of 147 patients (64 men, 83 women; mean age 58.8 years) who underwent retrievable GT filter insertion between 2001 and 2005. The indications for placement included a diagnosis of pulmonary embolism or deep venous thrombosis with a contraindication to anticoagulation (n = 68), pulmonary embolism or deep venous thrombosis while on anticoagulation (n = 49), prophylactic filter placement for high-risk surgical patients with a past history of pulmonarymore » embolism or deep venous thrombosis (n = 20), and a high risk of pulmonary embolism or deep venous thrombosis (n = 10). Forty-nine of the 147 patients did not receive anticoagulation (33.7%) while 96 of 147 patients did, 82 of these receiving warfarin (56.5%), 11 receiving low-molecular weight heparins (7.58%), and 3 receiving antiplatelet agents alone (2.06%). Results. Filter placement was successful in 147 patients (100%). Two patients had two filters inserted. Of the 147 patients, filter deployment was on a permanent basis in 102 and with an intention to retrieve in 45 patients. There were 36 (80%) successful retrievals and 9 (20%) failed retrievals. The mean time to retrieval was 33.6 days. The reasons for failed retrieval included filter struts tightly adherent to the IVC wall (5/9), extreme filter tilt (2/9), and extensive filter thrombus (2/9). Complications included pneumothorax (n = 4), failure of filter expansion (n = 1), and breakthrough pulmonary embolism (n = 1). No IVC thrombotic episodes were recorded. Discussion. The Gunther Tulip retrievable filter can be used as a permanent or a retrievable filter. It is safe and efficacious. GT filters can be safely retrieved at a mean time interval of 33.6 days. The newly developed Celect filter may extend the retrieval

  4. Perspectives on Past and Present Waste Disposal Practices: A Community-Based Participatory Research Project in Three Saskatchewan First Nations Communities

    PubMed Central

    Zagozewski, Rebecca; Judd-Henrey, Ian; Nilson, Suzie; Bharadwaj, Lalita

    2011-01-01

    The impact of current and historical waste disposal practices on the environment and human health of Indigenous people in First Nations communities has yet to be adequately addressed. Solid waste disposal has been identified as a major environmental threat to First Nations Communities. A community-based participatory research project (CBPR) was initiated by the Saskatoon Tribal Council Health and Family Services Incorporated to investigate concerns related to waste disposal in three Saskatchewan First Nations Communities. Utilizing a qualitative approach, we aimed to gain an understanding of past and present waste disposal practices and to identify any human and environmental health concerns related to these practices. One to one interviews and sharing circles were conducted with Elders. Elders were asked to share their perspectives on past and present waste disposal practices and to comment on the possible impacts these practices may have on the environment and community health. Historically waste disposal practices were similar among communities. The homeowner generated small volumes of waste, was exclusively responsible for disposal and utilized a backyard pit. Overtime waste disposal evolved to weekly pick-up of un-segregated garbage with waste disposal and open trash burning in a community dump site. Dump site locations and open trash burning were identified as significant health issues related to waste disposal practices in these communities. This research raises issues of inequity in the management of waste in First Nations Communities. It highlights the need for long-term sustainable funding to support community-based waste disposal and management strategies and the development of First Nations centered and delivered educational programs to encourage the adoption and implementation of waste reduction, reutilization and recycling activities in these communities. PMID:21573032

  5. Electronic publishing and intelligent information retrieval

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Heck, A.

    1992-01-01

    Europeans are now taking steps to homogenize policies and standardize procedures in electronic publishing (EP) in astronomy and space sciences. This arose from an open meeting organized in Oct. 1991 at Strasbourg Observatory (France) and another business meeting held late Mar. 1992 with the major publishers and journal editors in astronomy and space sciences. The ultimate aim of EP might be considered as the so-called 'intelligent information retrieval' (IIR) or better named 'advanced information retrieval' (AIR), taking advantage of the fact that the material to be published appears at some stage in a machine-readable form. It is obvious that the combination of desktop and electronic publishing with networking and new structuring of knowledge bases will profoundly reshape not only our ways of publishing, but also our procedures of communicating and retrieving information. It should be noted that a world-wide survey among astronomers and space scientists carried out before the October 1991 colloquium on the various packages and machines used, indicated that TEX-related packages were already in majoritarian use in our community. It has also been stressed at each meeting that the European developments should be carried out in collaboration with what is done in the US (STELLAR project, for instance). American scientists and journal editors actually attended both meetings mentioned above. The paper will offer a review of the status of electronic publishing in astronomy and its possible contribution to advanced information retrieval in this field. It will also report on recent meetings such as the 'Astronomy from Large Databases-2 (ALD-2)' conference dealing with the latest developments in networking, in data, information, and knowledge bases, as well as in the related methodologies.

  6. GRAFEC: A New Spanish Program to Investigate Waste Management Options for Radioactive Graphite - 12399

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

    Marquez, Eva; Pina, Gabriel; Rodriguez, Marina

    Spain has to manage about 3700 tons of irradiated graphite from the reactor Vandellos I as radioactive waste. 2700 tons are the stack of the reactor and are still in the reactor core waiting for retrieval. The rest of the quantities, 1000 tons, are the graphite sleeves which have been already retrieved from the reactor. During operation the graphite sleeves were stored in a silo and during the dismantling stage a retrieval process was carried out separating the wires from the graphite, which were crushed and introduced into 220 cubic containers of 6 m{sup 3} each and placed in interimmore » storage. The graphite is an intermediate level radioactive waste but it contains long lived radionuclides like {sup 14}C which disqualifies disposal at the low level waste repository of El Cabril. Therefore, a new project has been started in order to investigate two new options for the management of this waste type. The first one is based on a selective decontamination of {sup 14}C by thermal methods. This method is based on results obtained at the Research Centre Juelich (FZJ) in the Frame of the EC programs 'Raphael' and 'Carbowaste'. The process developed at FZJ is based on a preferential oxidation of {sup 14}C in comparison to the bulk {sup 12}C. Explanations for this effect are the inhomogeneous distribution and a weaker bounding of {sup 14}C which is not incorporated in the graphite lattice. However these investigations have only been performed with graphite from the high temperature reactor Arbeitsgemeinschaft Versuchsreaktor Juelich AVR which has been operated in a non-oxidising condition or research reactor graphite operated at room temperature. The reactor Vandellos I has been operated with CO{sub 2} as coolant and significant amounts of graphite have been already oxidised. The aim of the project is to validate whether a {sup 14}C decontamination can also been achieved with graphite from Vandellos I. A second possibility under investigation is the encapsulation of

  7. Environmental Science: 49 Science Fair Projects. Science Fair Projects Series.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bonnet, Robert L.; Keen, G. Daniel

    This book contains 49 science fair projects designed for 6th to 9th grade students. Projects are organized by the topics of soil, ecology (projects in habitat and life cycles), pests and controls (projects in weeds and insects), recycling (projects in resources and conservation), waste products (projects in decomposition), microscopic organisms,…

  8. Application and Effects of Linguistic Functions on Information Retrieval in a German Language Full-Text Database: Comparison between Retrieval in Abstract and Full Text.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tauchert, Wolfgang; And Others

    1991-01-01

    Describes the PADOK-II project in Germany, which was designed to give information on the effects of linguistic algorithms on retrieval in a full-text database, the German Patent Information System (GPI). Relevance assessments are discussed, statistical evaluations are described, and searches are compared for the full-text section versus the…

  9. Multiplatform observations enabling albedo retrievals with high temporal resolution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Riihelä, Aku; Manninen, Terhikki; Key, Jeffrey; Sun, Qingsong; Sütterlin, Melanie; Lattanzio, Alessio; Schaaf, Crystal

    2017-04-01

    In this paper we show that combining observations from different polar orbiting satellite families (such as AVHRR and MODIS) is physically justifiable and technically feasible. Our proposed approach will lead to surface albedo retrievals at higher temporal resolution than the state of the art, with comparable or better accuracy. This study is carried out in the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Sustained and coordinated processing of Environmental Satellite data for Climate Monitoring (SCOPE-CM) project SCM-02 (http://www.scope-cm.org/projects/scm-02/). Following a spectral homogenization of the Top-of-Atmosphere reflectances of bands 1 & 2 from AVHRR and MODIS, both observation datasets are atmospherically corrected with a coherent atmospheric profile and algorithm. The resulting surface reflectances are then fed into an inversion of the RossThick-LiSparse-Reciprocal surface bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) model. The results of the inversion (BRDF kernels) may then be integrated to estimate various surface albedo quantities. A key principle here is that the larger number of valid surface observations with multiple satellites allows us to invert the BRDF coefficients within a shorter time span, enabling the monitoring of relatively rapid surface phenomena such as snowmelt. The proposed multiplatform approach is expected to bring benefits in particular to the observation of the albedo of the polar regions, where persistent cloudiness and long atmospheric path lengths present challenges to satellite-based retrievals. Following a similar logic, the retrievals over tropical regions with high cloudiness should also benefit from the method. We present results from a demonstrator dataset of a global combined AVHRR-GAC and MODIS dataset covering the year 2010. The retrieved surface albedo is compared against quality-monitored in situ albedo observations from the Baseline Surface Radiation Network (BSRN). Additionally, the combined retrieval

  10. Radioactive waste management complex low-level waste radiological composite analysis

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

    McCarthy, J.M.; Becker, B.H.; Magnuson, S.O.

    1998-05-01

    The composite analysis estimates the projected cumulative impacts to future members of the public from the disposal of low-level radioactive waste (LLW) at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) Radioactive Waste Management Complex (RWMC) and all other sources of radioactive contamination at the INEEL that could interact with the LLW disposal facility to affect the radiological dose. Based upon the composite analysis evaluation, waste buried in the Subsurface Disposal Area (SDA) at the RWMC is the only source at the INEEL that will significantly interact with the LLW facility. The source term used in the composite analysis consistsmore » of all historical SDA subsurface disposals of radionuclides as well as the authorized LLW subsurface disposal inventory and projected LLW subsurface disposal inventory. Exposure scenarios evaluated in the composite analysis include all the all-pathways and groundwater protection scenarios. The projected dose of 58 mrem/yr exceeds the composite analysis guidance dose constraint of 30 mrem/yr; therefore, an options analysis was conducted to determine the feasibility of reducing the projected annual dose. Three options for creating such a reduction were considered: (1) lowering infiltration of precipitation through the waste by providing a better cover, (2) maintaining control over the RWMC and portions of the INEEL indefinitely, and (3) extending the period of institutional control beyond the 100 years assumed in the composite analysis. Of the three options investigated, maintaining control over the RWMC and a small part of the present INEEL appears to be feasible and cost effective.« less

  11. Pulse retrieval algorithm for interferometric frequency-resolved optical gating based on differential evolution.

    PubMed

    Hyyti, Janne; Escoto, Esmerando; Steinmeyer, Günter

    2017-10-01

    A novel algorithm for the ultrashort laser pulse characterization method of interferometric frequency-resolved optical gating (iFROG) is presented. Based on a genetic method, namely, differential evolution, the algorithm can exploit all available information of an iFROG measurement to retrieve the complex electric field of a pulse. The retrieval is subjected to a series of numerical tests to prove the robustness of the algorithm against experimental artifacts and noise. These tests show that the integrated error-correction mechanisms of the iFROG method can be successfully used to remove the effect from timing errors and spectrally varying efficiency in the detection. Moreover, the accuracy and noise resilience of the new algorithm are shown to outperform retrieval based on the generalized projections algorithm, which is widely used as the standard method in FROG retrieval. The differential evolution algorithm is further validated with experimental data, measured with unamplified three-cycle pulses from a mode-locked Ti:sapphire laser. Additionally introducing group delay dispersion in the beam path, the retrieval results show excellent agreement with independent measurements with a commercial pulse measurement device based on spectral phase interferometry for direct electric-field retrieval. Further experimental tests with strongly attenuated pulses indicate resilience of differential-evolution-based retrieval against massive measurement noise.

  12. Development of a full-text information retrieval system

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

    Keizo Oyama; AKira Miyazawa, Atsuhiro Takasu; Kouji Shibano

    The authors have executed a project to realize a full-text information retrieval system. The system is designed to deal with a document database comprising full text of a large number of documents such as academic papers. The document structures are utilized in searching and extracting appropriate information. The concept of structure handling and the configuration of the system are described in this paper.

  13. Physically-Retrieving Cloud and Thermodynamic Parameters from Ultraspectral IR Measurements

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Zhou, Daniel K.; Smith, William L., Sr.; Liu, Xu; Larar, Allen M.; Mango, Stephen A.; Huang, Hung-Lung

    2007-01-01

    A physical inversion scheme has been developed, dealing with cloudy as well as cloud-free radiance observed with ultraspectral infrared sounders, to simultaneously retrieve surface, atmospheric thermodynamic, and cloud microphysical parameters. A fast radiative transfer model, which applies to the clouded atmosphere, is used for atmospheric profile and cloud parameter retrieval. A one-dimensional (1-d) variational multi-variable inversion solution is used to improve an iterative background state defined by an eigenvector-regression-retrieval. The solution is iterated in order to account for non-linearity in the 1-d variational solution. It is shown that relatively accurate temperature and moisture retrievals can be achieved below optically thin clouds. For optically thick clouds, accurate temperature and moisture profiles down to cloud top level are obtained. For both optically thin and thick cloud situations, the cloud top height can be retrieved with relatively high accuracy (i.e., error < 1 km). NPOESS Airborne Sounder Testbed Interferometer (NAST-I) retrievals from the Atlantic-THORPEX Regional Campaign are compared with coincident observations obtained from dropsondes and the nadir-pointing Cloud Physics Lidar (CPL). This work was motivated by the need to obtain solutions for atmospheric soundings from infrared radiances observed for every individual field of view, regardless of cloud cover, from future ultraspectral geostationary satellite sounding instruments, such as the Geosynchronous Imaging Fourier Transform Spectrometer (GIFTS) and the Hyperspectral Environmental Suite (HES). However, this retrieval approach can also be applied to the ultraspectral sounding instruments to fly on Polar satellites, such as the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) on the European MetOp satellite, the Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) on the NPOESS Preparatory Project and the following NPOESS series of satellites.

  14. Constraining lidar stand-alone retrievals with lunar photometry measurements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ortiz-Amezcua, Pablo; Luis Guerrero-Rascado, Juan; Antonio Benavent-Oltra, Jose; Román, Roberto; Böckmann, Christine; Alados-Arboledas, Lucas

    2018-04-01

    This study combines atmospheric optical information measured with lidar and nocturnal photometers in order to find configurations that allow for the retrieval of particle microphysical properties without "3+2" lidar setups. It has been carried out using data measured at the EARLINET Granada station during the experimental campaign SLOPE in the framework of ACTRIS-2 project.

  15. A zero waste vision for industrial networks in Europe.

    PubMed

    Curran, T; Williams, I D

    2012-03-15

    'ZeroWIN' (Towards Zero Waste in Industrial Networks--www.zerowin.eu) is a five year project running 2009-2014, funded by the EC under the 7th Framework Programme. Project ZeroWIN envisions industrial networks that have eliminated the wasteful consumption of resources. Zero waste is a unifying concept for a range of measures aimed at eliminating waste and challenging old ways of thinking. Aiming for zero waste will mean viewing waste as a potential resource with value to be realised, rather than as a problem to be dealt with. The ZeroWIN project will investigate and demonstrate how existing approaches and tools can be improved and combined to best effect in an industrial network, and how innovative technologies can contribute to achieving the zero waste vision. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Implementation of Cloud Retrievals for Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (TES) Atmospheric Retrievals: Part 1. Description and Characterization of Errors on Trace Gas Retrievals

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kulawik, Susan S.; Worden, John; Eldering, Annmarie; Bowman, Kevin; Gunson, Michael; Osterman, Gregory B.; Zhang, Lin; Clough, Shepard A.; Shephard, Mark W.; Beer, Reinhard

    2006-01-01

    We develop an approach to estimate and characterize trace gas retrievals in the presence of clouds in high spectral measurements of upwelling radiance in the infrared spectral region (650-2260/cm). The radiance contribution of clouds is parameterized in terms of a set of frequency-dependent nonscattering optical depths and a cloud height. These cloud parameters are retrieved jointly with surface temperature, emissivity, atmospheric temperature, and trace gases such as ozone from spectral data. We demonstrate the application of this approach using data from the Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (TES) and test data simulated with a scattering radiative transfer model. We show the value of this approach in that it results in accurate estimates of errors for trace gas retrievals, and the retrieved values improve over the initial guess for a wide range of cloud conditions. Comparisons are made between TES retrievals of ozone, temperature, and water to model fields from the Global Modeling and Assimilation Office (GMAO), temperature retrievals from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS), tropospheric ozone columns from the Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) GEOS-Chem, and ozone retrievals from the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS). In each of these cases, this cloud retrieval approach does not introduce observable biases into TES retrievals.

  17. Probabilistic and machine learning-based retrieval approaches for biomedical dataset retrieval

    PubMed Central

    Karisani, Payam; Qin, Zhaohui S; Agichtein, Eugene

    2018-01-01

    Abstract The bioCADDIE dataset retrieval challenge brought together different approaches to retrieval of biomedical datasets relevant to a user’s query, expressed as a text description of a needed dataset. We describe experiments in applying a data-driven, machine learning-based approach to biomedical dataset retrieval as part of this challenge. We report on a series of experiments carried out to evaluate the performance of both probabilistic and machine learning-driven techniques from information retrieval, as applied to this challenge. Our experiments with probabilistic information retrieval methods, such as query term weight optimization, automatic query expansion and simulated user relevance feedback, demonstrate that automatically boosting the weights of important keywords in a verbose query is more effective than other methods. We also show that although there is a rich space of potential representations and features available in this domain, machine learning-based re-ranking models are not able to improve on probabilistic information retrieval techniques with the currently available training data. The models and algorithms presented in this paper can serve as a viable implementation of a search engine to provide access to biomedical datasets. The retrieval performance is expected to be further improved by using additional training data that is created by expert annotation, or gathered through usage logs, clicks and other processes during natural operation of the system. Database URL: https://github.com/emory-irlab/biocaddie PMID:29688379

  18. Waste picker livelihoods and inclusive neoliberal municipal solid waste management policies: The case of the La Chureca garbage dump site in Managua, Nicaragua.

    PubMed

    Hartmann, Chris

    2018-01-01

    The modernization (i.e. mechanization, formalization, and capital intensification) and enclosure of municipal solid waste management (MSWM) systems threaten waste picker livelihoods. From 2009 to 2013, a major development project, embodying traditional neoliberal policies with inclusive social policies, transformed the Managua, Nicaragua, municipal solid waste site from an open-air dump where as many as 2,000 informal waste pickers toiled to a sanitary landfill. To investigate waste pickers' social and economic condition, including labor characteristics, household income, and poverty incidence, after the project's completion, 146 semi-structured survey questionnaires were administered to four communities adjacent to the landfill and 45 semi-structured interviews were completed with key stakeholders. Findings indicate that hundreds of waste pickers were displaced by the project, employment benefits from the project were unevenly distributed by neighborhood, and informal waste picking endures due to persistent impoverishment, thereby contributing to continued social and economic marginalization and environmental degradation. The findings highlight the limitations of inclusive neoliberal development efforts to transform MSWM in a low-income country. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. YUCCA MOUNTAIN PROJECT - A BRIEFING --

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

    NA

    2003-08-05

    This report has the following articles: Nuclear waste--a long-term national problem; Spent nuclear fuel; High-level radioactive waste; Radioactivity and the environment; Current storage methods; Disposal options; U.S. policy on nuclear waste; The focus on Yucca Mountain; The purpose and scope of the Yucca Mountain Project; The approach for permanently disposing of waste; The scientific studies at Yucca Mountain; The proposed design for a repository at Yucca Mountain; Natural and engineered barriers would work together to isolate waste; Meticulous science and technology to protect people and the environment; Licensing a repository; Transporting waste to a permanent repository; The Environmental Impact Statementmore » for a repository; Current status of the Yucca Mountain Project; and Further information available on the Internet.« less

  20. Monetary rewards influence retrieval orientations.

    PubMed

    Halsband, Teresa M; Ferdinand, Nicola K; Bridger, Emma K; Mecklinger, Axel

    2012-09-01

    Reward anticipation during learning is known to support memory formation, but its role in retrieval processes is so far unclear. Retrieval orientations, as a reflection of controlled retrieval processing, are one aspect of retrieval that might be modulated by reward. These processes can be measured using the event-related potentials (ERPs) elicited by retrieval cues from tasks with different retrieval requirements, such as via changes in the class of targeted memory information. To determine whether retrieval orientations of this kind are modulated by reward during learning, we investigated the effects of high and low reward expectancy on the ERP correlates of retrieval orientation in two separate experiments. The reward manipulation at study in Experiment 1 was associated with later memory performance, whereas in Experiment 2, reward was directly linked to accuracy in the study task. In both studies, the participants encoded mixed lists of pictures and words preceded by high- or low-reward cues. After 24 h, they performed a recognition memory exclusion task, with words as the test items. In addition to a previously reported material-specific effect of retrieval orientation, a frontally distributed, reward-associated retrieval orientation effect was found in both experiments. These findings suggest that reward motivation during learning leads to the adoption of a reward-associated retrieval orientation to support the retrieval of highly motivational information. Thus, ERP retrieval orientation effects not only reflect retrieval processes related to the sought-for materials, but also relate to the reward conditions with which items were combined during encoding.

  1. Retrieval of Emotional Memories

    PubMed Central

    Buchanan, Tony W.

    2008-01-01

    Long-term memories are influenced by the emotion experienced during learning as well as by the emotion experienced during memory retrieval. The present article reviews the literature addressing the effects of emotion on retrieval, focusing on the cognitive and neurological mechanisms that have been revealed. The reviewed research suggests that the amygdala, in combination with the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, plays an important role in the retrieval of memories for emotional events. The neural regions necessary for online emotional processing also influence emotional memory retrieval, perhaps through the reexperience of emotion during the retrieval process. PMID:17723029

  2. Noise control of waste water pipes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lilly, Jerry

    2005-09-01

    Noise radiated by waste water pipes is a major concern in multifamily housing projects. While the most common solution to this problem is to use cast-iron pipes in lieu of plastic pipes, this may not be sufficient in high-end applications. It should also be noted that many (if not most) multifamily housing projects in the U.S.A. are constructed with plastic waste piping. This paper discusses some of the measures that developers are currently using to control noise from both plastic and cast-iron waste pipes. In addition, results of limited noise measurements of transient water flow in plastic and cast-iron waste pipes will be presented.

  3. The Projected Impacts to Clark County and Local Governmental Public Safety Agencies Resulting from the Transportation of High-Level Nuclear Waste to Yucca Mountain

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

    Mushkatel, A.H.; Conway, S.; Navis, I.

    2006-07-01

    This paper focuses on the difficulties of projecting fiscal impacts to public safety agencies from the proposed high-level nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. The efforts made by Clark County Nevada, to develop a fiscal model of impacts for public safety agencies are described in this paper. Some of the difficulties in constructing a fiscal model of impacts for the entire 24 year high-level nuclear waste transportation shipping campaign are identified, and a refined methodology is provided to accomplish this task. Finally, a comparison of the fiscal impact projections for public safety agencies that Clark County developed in 2001,more » with those done in 2005 is discussed, and the fiscal impact cost projections for the entire 24 year transportation campaign are provided. (authors)« less

  4. Competitive retrieval is not a prerequisite for forgetting in the retrieval practice paradigm.

    PubMed

    Camp, Gino; Dalm, Sander

    2016-09-01

    Retrieving information from memory can lead to forgetting of other, related information. The inhibition account of this retrieval-induced forgetting effect predicts that this form of forgetting occurs when competition arises between the practiced information and the related information, leading to inhibition of the related information. In the standard retrieval practice paradigm, a retrieval practice task is used in which participants retrieve the items based on a category-plus-stem cue (e.g., FRUIT-or___). In the current experiment, participants instead generated the target based on a cue in which the first 2 letters of the target were transposed (e.g., FRUIT-roange). This noncompetitive task also induced forgetting of unpracticed items from practiced categories. This finding is inconsistent with the inhibition account, which asserts that the forgetting effect depends on competitive retrieval. We argue that interference-based accounts of forgetting and the context-based account of retrieval-induced forgetting can account for this result. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

  5. Retrieval-practice task affects relationship between working memory capacity and retrieval-induced forgetting.

    PubMed

    Storm, Benjamin C; Bui, Dung C

    2016-11-01

    Retrieving a subset of items from memory can cause forgetting of other items in memory, a phenomenon referred to as retrieval-induced forgetting (RIF). Individuals who exhibit greater amounts of RIF have been shown to also exhibit superior working memory capacity (WMC) and faster stop-signal reaction times (SSRTs), results which have been interpreted as suggesting that RIF reflects an inhibitory process that is mediated by the processes of executive control. Across four experiments, we sought to further elucidate this issue by manipulating the way in which participants retrieved items during retrieval practice and examining how the resulting effects of forgetting correlated with WMC (Experiments 1-3) and SSRT (Experiment 4). Significant correlations were observed when participants retrieved items from an earlier study phase (within-list retrieval practice), but not when participants generated items from semantic memory (extra-list retrieval practice). These results provide important new insight into the role of executive-control processes in RIF.

  6. IMPROVING ACCESS TO INFORMATION ABOUT ORD PROJECTS

    EPA Science Inventory

    ORD project information is maintained in, and retrieved from, multiple systems and home pages. Not all sources of project information are Intranet accessible. Descriptive information may be abbreviated and not useful in conveying a comprehensive understanding of a project. The m...

  7. Group differences in adult simple arithmetic: good retrievers, not-so-good retrievers, and perfectionists.

    PubMed

    Hecht, Steven A

    2006-01-01

    We used the choice/no-choice methodology in two experiments to examine patterns of strategy selection and execution in groups of undergraduates. Comparisons between choice and no-choice trials revealed three groups. Some participants good retrievers) were consistently able to use retrieval to solve almost all arithmetic problems. Other participants (perfectionists) successfully used retrieval substantially less often in choice-allowed trials than when strategy choices were prohibited. Not-so-good retrievers retrieved correct answers less often than the other participants in both the choice-allowed and no-choice conditions. No group differences emerged with respect to time needed to search and access answers from long-term memory; however, not-so-good retrievers were consistently slower than the other subgroups at executing fact-retrieval processes that are peripheral to memory search and access. Theoretical models of simple arithmetic, such as the Strategy Choice and Discovery Simulation (Shrager & Siegler, 1998), should be updated to include the existence of both perfectionist and not-so-good retriever adults.

  8. Recent advances in yeast cell-surface display technologies for waste biorefineries.

    PubMed

    Liu, Zhuo; Ho, Shih-Hsin; Hasunuma, Tomohisa; Chang, Jo-Shu; Ren, Nan-Qi; Kondo, Akihiko

    2016-09-01

    Waste biorefinery aims to maximize the output of value-added products from various artificial/agricultural wastes by using integrated bioprocesses. To make waste biorefinery economically feasible, it is thus necessary to develop a low-cost, environment-friendly technique to perform simultaneous biodegradation and bioconversion of waste materials. Cell-surface display engineering is a novel, cost-effective technique that can auto-immobilize proteins on the cell exterior of microorganisms, and has been applied for use with waste biofinery. Through tethering different enzymes (e.g., cellulase, lipase, and protease) or metal-binding peptides on cell surfaces, various yeast strains can effectively produce biofuels and biochemicals from sugar/protein-rich waste materials, catalyze waste oils into biodiesels, or retrieve heavy metals from wastewater. This review critically summarizes recent applications of yeast cell-surface display on various types of waste biorefineries, highlighting its potential and future challenges with regard to commercializing this technology. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Toward an Episodic Context Account of Retrieval-Based Learning: Dissociating Retrieval Practice and Elaboration

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lehman, Melissa; Smith, Megan A.; Karpicke, Jeffrey D.

    2014-01-01

    We tested the predictions of 2 explanations for retrieval-based learning; while the elaborative retrieval hypothesis assumes that the retrieval of studied information promotes the generation of semantically related information, which aids in later retrieval (Carpenter, 2009), the episodic context account proposed by Karpicke, Lehman, and Aue (in…

  10. The Oklahoma Geographic Information Retrieval System

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Blanchard, W. A.

    1982-01-01

    The Oklahoma Geographic Information Retrieval System (OGIRS) is a highly interactive data entry, storage, manipulation, and display software system for use with geographically referenced data. Although originally developed for a project concerned with coal strip mine reclamation, OGIRS is capable of handling any geographically referenced data for a variety of natural resource management applications. A special effort has been made to integrate remotely sensed data into the information system. The timeliness and synoptic coverage of satellite data are particularly useful attributes for inclusion into the geographic information system.

  11. Can We Retrieve the Information Which Was Intentionally Forgotten? Electrophysiological Correlates of Strategic Retrieval in Directed Forgetting.

    PubMed

    Mao, Xinrui; Tian, Mengxi; Liu, Yi; Li, Bingcan; Jin, Yan; Wu, Yanhong; Guo, Chunyan

    2017-01-01

    Retrieval inhibition hypothesis of directed forgetting effects assumed TBF (to-be-forgotten) items were not retrieved intentionally, while selective rehearsal hypothesis assumed the memory representation of retrieved TBF (to-be-forgotten) items was weaker than TBR (to-be-remembered) items. Previous studies indicated that directed forgetting effects of item-cueing method resulted from selective rehearsal at encoding, but the mechanism of retrieval inhibition that affected directed forgetting of TBF (to-be-forgotten) items was not clear. Strategic retrieval is a control process allowing the selective retrieval of target information, which includes retrieval orientation and strategic recollection. Retrieval orientation via the comparison of tasks refers to the specific form of processing resulted by retrieval efforts. Strategic recollection is the type of strategies to recollect studied items for the retrieval success of targets. Using a "directed forgetting" paradigm combined with a memory exclusion task, our investigation of strategic retrieval in directed forgetting assisted to explore how retrieval inhibition played a role on directed forgetting effects. When TBF items were targeted, retrieval orientation showed more positive ERPs to new items, indicating that TBF items demanded more retrieval efforts. The results of strategic recollection indicated that: (a) when TBR items were retrieval targets, late parietal old/new effects were only evoked by TBR items but not TBF items, indicating the retrieval inhibition of TBF items; (b) when TBF items were retrieval targets, the late parietal old/new effect were evoked by both TBR items and TBF items, indicating that strategic retrieval could overcome retrieval inhibition of TBF items. These findings suggested the modulation of strategic retrieval on retrieval inhibition of directed forgetting, supporting that directed forgetting effects were not only caused by selective rehearsal, but also retrieval inhibition.

  12. Can We Retrieve the Information Which Was Intentionally Forgotten? Electrophysiological Correlates of Strategic Retrieval in Directed Forgetting

    PubMed Central

    Mao, Xinrui; Tian, Mengxi; Liu, Yi; Li, Bingcan; Jin, Yan; Wu, Yanhong; Guo, Chunyan

    2017-01-01

    Retrieval inhibition hypothesis of directed forgetting effects assumed TBF (to-be-forgotten) items were not retrieved intentionally, while selective rehearsal hypothesis assumed the memory representation of retrieved TBF (to-be-forgotten) items was weaker than TBR (to-be-remembered) items. Previous studies indicated that directed forgetting effects of item-cueing method resulted from selective rehearsal at encoding, but the mechanism of retrieval inhibition that affected directed forgetting of TBF (to-be-forgotten) items was not clear. Strategic retrieval is a control process allowing the selective retrieval of target information, which includes retrieval orientation and strategic recollection. Retrieval orientation via the comparison of tasks refers to the specific form of processing resulted by retrieval efforts. Strategic recollection is the type of strategies to recollect studied items for the retrieval success of targets. Using a “directed forgetting” paradigm combined with a memory exclusion task, our investigation of strategic retrieval in directed forgetting assisted to explore how retrieval inhibition played a role on directed forgetting effects. When TBF items were targeted, retrieval orientation showed more positive ERPs to new items, indicating that TBF items demanded more retrieval efforts. The results of strategic recollection indicated that: (a) when TBR items were retrieval targets, late parietal old/new effects were only evoked by TBR items but not TBF items, indicating the retrieval inhibition of TBF items; (b) when TBF items were retrieval targets, the late parietal old/new effect were evoked by both TBR items and TBF items, indicating that strategic retrieval could overcome retrieval inhibition of TBF items. These findings suggested the modulation of strategic retrieval on retrieval inhibition of directed forgetting, supporting that directed forgetting effects were not only caused by selective rehearsal, but also retrieval inhibition. PMID

  13. Improved Management of the Technical Interfaces Between the Hanford Tank Farm Operator and the Hanford Waste Treatment Plant - 13383

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

    Duncan, Garth M.; Saunders, Scott A.

    2013-07-01

    The Department of Energy (DOE) is constructing the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) at the Hanford site in Washington to treat and immobilize approximately 114 million gallons of high level radioactive waste (after all retrievals are accomplished). In order for the WTP to be designed and operated successfully, close coordination between the WTP engineering, procurement, and construction contractor, Bechtel National, Inc. and the tank farms operating contractor (TOC), Washington River Protection Solutions, LLC, is necessary. To develop optimal solutions for DOE and for the treatment of the waste, it is important to deal with the fact that two differentmore » prime contractors, with somewhat differing contracts, are tasked with retrieving and delivering the waste and for treating and immobilizing that waste. The WTP and the TOC have over the years cooperated to manage the technical interface. To manage what is becoming a much more complicated interface as the WTP design progresses and new technical issues have been identified, an organizational change was made by WTP and TOC in November of 2011. This organizational change created a co-located integrated project team (IPT) to deal with mutual and interface issues. The Technical Organization within the One System IPT includes employees from both TOC and WTP. This team has worked on a variety of technical issues of mutual interest and concern. Technical issues currently being addressed include: - The waste acceptance criteria; - Waste feed delivery and the associated data quality objectives (DQO); - Evaluation of the effects of performing a riser cut on a single shell tank on WTP operations; - The disposition of secondary waste from both TOC and WTP; - The close coordination of the TOC double shell tank mixing and sampling program and the Large Scale Integrated Test (LSIT) program for pulse jet mixers at WTP along with the associated responses to the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB

  14. Connectionist Interaction Information Retrieval.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dominich, Sandor

    2003-01-01

    Discussion of connectionist views for adaptive clustering in information retrieval focuses on a connectionist clustering technique and activation spreading-based information retrieval model using the interaction information retrieval method. Presents theoretical as well as simulation results as regards computational complexity and includes…

  15. West Valley demonstration project: Alternative processes for solidifying the high-level wastes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Holton, L. K.; Larson, D. E.; Partain, W. L.; Treat, R. L.

    1981-10-01

    Two pretreatment approaches and several waste form processes for radioactive wastes were selected for evaluation. The two waste treatment approaches were the salt/sludge separation process and the combined waste process. Both terminal and interim waste form processes were studied.

  16. Noncompetitive retrieval practice causes retrieval-induced forgetting in cued recall but not in recognition.

    PubMed

    Grundgeiger, Tobias

    2014-04-01

    Retrieving a subset of learned items can lead to the forgetting of related items. Such retrieval-induced forgetting (RIF) can be explained by the inhibition of irrelevant items in order to overcome retrieval competition when the target item is retrieved. According to the retrieval inhibition account, such retrieval competition is a necessary condition for RIF. However, research has indicated that noncompetitive retrieval practice can also cause RIF by strengthening cue-item associations. According to the strength-dependent competition account, the strengthened items interfere with the retrieval of weaker items, resulting in impaired recall of weaker items in the final memory test. The aim of this study was to replicate RIF caused by noncompetitive retrieval practice and to determine whether this forgetting is also observed in recognition tests. In the context of RIF, it has been assumed that recognition tests circumvent interference and, therefore, should not be sensitive to forgetting due to strength-dependent competition. However, this has not been empirically tested, and it has been suggested that participants may reinstate learned cues as retrieval aids during the final test. In the present experiments, competitive practice or noncompetitive practice was followed by either final cued-recall tests or recognition tests. In cued-recall tests, RIF was observed in both competitive and noncompetitive conditions. However, in recognition tests, RIF was observed only in the competitive condition and was absent in the noncompetitive condition. The result underscores the contribution of strength-dependent competition to RIF. However, recognition tests seem to be a reliable way of distinguishing between RIF due to retrieval inhibition or strength-dependent competition.

  17. Radioactive Waste Management Complex low-level waste radiological performance assessment

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

    Maheras, S.J.; Rood, A.S.; Magnuson, S.O.

    This report documents the projected radiological dose impacts associated with the disposal of radioactive low-level waste at the Radioactive Waste Management Complex at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory. This radiological performance assessment was conducted to evaluate compliance with applicable radiological criteria of the US Department of Energy and the US Environmental Protection Agency for protection of the public and the environment. The calculations involved modeling the transport of radionuclides from buried waste, to surface soil and subsurface media, and eventually to members of the public via air, groundwater, and food chain pathways. Projections of doses were made for both offsitemore » receptors and individuals inadvertently intruding onto the site after closure. In addition, uncertainty and sensitivity analyses were performed. The results of the analyses indicate compliance with established radiological criteria and provide reasonable assurance that public health and safety will be protected.« less

  18. Deep Bore Storage of Nuclear Waste Using MMW (Millimeter Wave) Technology. Full Project Final Report

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

    Oglesby, Kenneth D.; Woskov, Paul; Einstein, Herbert

    This DOE Nuclear STTR project DE-SC001238 investigated the use of MMW directed energy to form rock melt and steel plugs in deep wellbores to further isolate highly radioactive nuclear waste in ultra-deep basement rocks for long term storage. This current project builds upon a prior DOE project, DE-EE0005504, which developed the basic low power, low 28 GHz frequency waveguide setup, process and instruments. This research adds to our understanding of using MMW power to melt and vaporize rocks and steel/ metals and laid plans for future higher power field prototype testing. This technology also has potential for deep well drillingmore » for nuclear storage, geothermal and oil and gas industries. It also has the potential for simultaneously sealing and securing the wellbore with a thick rock melt liner as the wellbore is drilled, called 'mono-bore drilling'. This allows for higher levels of safety and protection of the environment during deep drilling operations while providing vast cost savings. The larger purpose of this project was to find answers to key questions in developing MMW technology for its many subsurface applications.« less

  19. User's operating procedures. Volume 3: Projects directorate information programs

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Haris, C. G.; Harris, D. K.

    1985-01-01

    A review of the user's operating procedures for the scout project automatic data system, called SPADS is presented. SPADS is the results of the past seven years of software development on a prime mini-computer. SPADS was developed as a single entry, multiple cross-reference data management and information retrieval system for the automation of Project office tasks, including engineering, financial, managerial, and clerical support. This volume, three of three, provides the instructions to operate the projects directorate information programs in data retrieval and file maintenance via the user friendly menu drivers.

  20. Evaluation and Analysis of Solid Waste at ISF Academy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ma, D. W. J.

    2017-12-01

    Waste management is one of the biggest environmental problems in Hong Kong. According to a report from the HK government, in less than 3 years, which is 2020, all the local landfills will be filled with trash. Therefore, ISF Academy, a school in HK with 1800 students, is planning to reduce their solid waste on campus by evaluating and analysing all solid wastes, which can assist professionals to reform and innovate solutions for refuse disposal. Meanwhile, this project is designed for both raising students' awareness of the magnitude of waste and figuring out measures for waste reduction. For one thing, the project includes the promotion of Waste Audit to reach the former purpose by teaching students how to sort waste. In addition, the weight of each type of waste will be recorded as reference data for students to learn about varied degrees of quantities among different kinds of garbage and relate data to impacts brought by waste with diverse characteristics on the environment. For another, the researcher involved in this project will carry out solutions corresponding to various sorts of waste by applying scientific knowledge, carrying out surveys, organizing campaigns etc.

  1. [Competition-dependence on retrieval-induced forgetting: the influence of the amount of retrieval cues].

    PubMed

    Yamada, Yohei; Tsukimoto, Takashi; Hirano, Tetsuji

    2010-02-01

    Remembering some of the studied (target) items impairs subsequent remembrance of relevant (non-target) items. This phenomenon, retrieval-induced forgetting (RIF), occurs when non-targets actively compete with the retrieval of a target. Researchers suggest that suppression mechanisms reduce interference from relevant items to facilitate the retrieval of target items (Anderson, 2003). Competition-dependence is one of the properties that support the suppression hypothesis (Anderson, Bjork, & Bjork, 1994). In the present study, we manipulated the type of retrieval practice (normal, last-letter, or category-name) in order to vary the degree of competition between the target and the non-targets. For the high-scoring retrieval practice group, RIF occurred in the normal retrieval condition, but not in the last-letter or in the category-name conditions. For the low-scoring retrieval practice group, RIF did not occur in any of the conditions. These findings provide new evidence that the occurrence of RIF depends on the degree of competition between a target item and related non-target items during retrieval practice.

  2. Mathematics and Information Retrieval.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Salton, Gerald

    1979-01-01

    Examines the main mathematical approaches to information retrieval, including both algebraic and probabilistic models, and describes difficulties which impede formalization of information retrieval processes. A number of developments are covered where new theoretical understandings have directly led to improved retrieval techniques and operations.…

  3. The present status and problems in document retrieval system : document input type retrieval system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Inagaki, Hirohito

    The office-automation (OA) made many changes. Many documents were begun to maintained in an electronic filing system. Therefore, it is needed to establish efficient document retrieval system to extract useful information. Current document retrieval systems are using simple word-matching, syntactic-matching, semantic-matching to obtain high retrieval efficiency. On the other hand, the document retrieval systems using special hardware devices, such as ISSP, were developed for aiming high speed retrieval. Since these systems can accept a single sentence or keywords as input, it is difficult to explain searcher's request. We demonstrated document input type retrieval system, which can directly accept document as an input, and can search similar documents from document data-base.

  4. EVA Retriever Demonstration

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1988-01-01

    The EVA retriever is demonstrated in the Manipulator Development Facility (MDF). The retriever moves on the air bearing table 'searching' for its target, in this case tools 'dropped' by astronauts on orbit.

  5. Retrieving self-vocalized information: An event-related potential (ERP) study on the effect of retrieval orientation.

    PubMed

    Rosburg, Timm; Johansson, Mikael; Sprondel, Volker; Mecklinger, Axel

    2014-11-18

    Retrieval orientation refers to a pre-retrieval process and conceptualizes the specific form of processing that is applied to a retrieval cue. In the current event-related potential (ERP) study, we sought to find evidence for an involvement of the auditory cortex when subjects attempt to retrieve vocalized information, and hypothesized that adopting retrieval orientation would be beneficial for retrieval accuracy. During study, participants saw object words that they subsequently vocalized or visually imagined. At test, participants had to identify object names of one study condition as targets and to reject object names of the second condition together with new items. Target category switched after half of the test trials. Behaviorally, participants responded less accurately and more slowly to targets of the vocalize condition than to targets of the imagine condition. ERPs to new items varied at a single left electrode (T7) between 500 and 800ms, indicating a moderate retrieval orientation effect in the subject group as a whole. However, whereas the effect was strongly pronounced in participants with high retrieval accuracy, it was absent in participants with low retrieval accuracy. A current source density (CSD) mapping of the retrieval orientation effect indicated a source over left temporal regions. Independently from retrieval accuracy, the ERP retrieval orientation effect was surprisingly also modulated by test order. Findings are suggestive for an involvement of the auditory cortex in retrieval attempts of vocalized information and confirm that adopting retrieval orientation is potentially beneficial for retrieval accuracy. The effects of test order on retrieval-related processes might reflect a stronger focus on the newness of items in the more difficult test condition when participants started with this condition. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Feedback increases benefits but not costs of retrieval practice: Retrieval-induced forgetting is strength independent.

    PubMed

    Tempel, Tobias; Frings, Christian

    2018-04-01

    We examined how the provision of feedback affected two separate effects of retrieval practice: strengthening of practiced information and forgetting of related, unpracticed information. Feedback substantially increased recall of retrieval-practiced items. This unsurprising result shows once again that restudy opportunities boost the benefits of testing. In contrast, retrieval-induced forgetting was unaffected by the manipulation and occurred in equal size with or without feedback. These findings demonstrate strength independence of retrieval-induced forgetting and thus support a theoretical account assuming that an inhibitory mechanism causes retrieval-induced forgetting. According to this theory, inhibition resolves competition that arises during retrieval attempts but is unrelated to the consequences of retrieval practice concerning practiced items. The present results match these assumptions and contradict the theoretical alternative that blocking by strengthened information might explain retrieval-induced forgetting. We discuss our findings against the background of previous studies.

  7. Assessment of the Fluorescence Spectra Characteristics of Dissolved Organic Matter Derived from Organic Waste Composting Based on Projection Pursuit Classification (PPC).

    PubMed

    Wei, Zi-min; Wang, Xing-lei; Pan, Hong-wei; Zhao, Yue; Xie, Xin-yu; Zhao, Yi; Zhang, Lin-xue; Zhao, Tao-zhi

    2015-10-01

    The characteristics of fluorescence spectra of dissolved organic matter (DOM) derived from composting is one of the key ways to assess the compost maturity. However, the existing methods mainly focus on the qualitative description for the humification degree of compost. In this paper, projection pursuit classification (PPC) was conducted to quantitative assess the grades of compost maturity, based on the characteristics of fluorescence spectra of DOM. Eight organic wastes (chicken manure, swine manure, kitchen waste, lawn waste, fruits and vegetables waste, straw, green waste, and municipal solid waste) composting were conducted, the germination percentage (GI) and fluorescence spectra of DOM were measured during composting. Statistic analysis with all fluorescence parameters of DOM indicated that I436/I383 (a ratio between the fluorescence intensities at 436 and 383 nm in excitation spectra), FLR (an area ratio between fulvic-like region from 308 to 363 nm and total region in emission spectra), P(HA/Pro) (a regional integration ratio between humic acid-like region to protein-like region in excitation emission matrix (EEM) spectra), A4/A1 (an area ratio of the last quarter to the first quarter in emission spectra), r(A,C) (a ratio between the fluorescence intensities of peak A and peak C in EEM spectra) were correlated with each other (p < 0.01), suggesting that this fluorescence parameters could be considered as comprehensive evaluation index system of PPC. Subsequently, the four degrades of compost maturity included the best degree of maturity (I, GI > 80%), better degree of compost maturity (II, 60% < GI < 80%), maturity (III, 50% < GI < 60%), and immaturity (IV, GI < 50%) were divided according the GI value during composting. The corresponding fluorescence parameter values were calculated at each degrade of compost maturity. Then the projection values were calculated based on PPC considering the above fluorescence parameter values. The projection value was 2

  8. Retrieval and Validation of Zenith and Slant Path Delays From the Irish GPS Network

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hanafin, Jennifer; Jennings, S. Gerard; O'Dowd, Colin; McGrath, Ray; Whelan, Eoin

    2010-05-01

    Retrieval of atmospheric integrated water vapour (IWV) from ground-based GPS receivers and provision of this data product for meteorological applications has been the focus of a number of Europe-wide networks and projects, most recently the EUMETNET GPS water vapour programme. The results presented here are from a project to provide such information about the state of the atmosphere around Ireland for climate monitoring and improved numerical weather prediction. Two geodetic reference GPS receivers have been deployed at Valentia Observatory in Co. Kerry and Mace Head Atmospheric Research Station in Co. Galway, Ireland. These two receivers supplement the existing Ordnance Survey Ireland active network of 17 permanent ground-based receivers. A system to retrieve column-integrated atmospheric water vapour from the data provided by this network has been developed, based on the GPS Analysis at MIT (GAMIT) software package. The data quality of the zenith retrievals has been assessed using co-located radiosondes at the Valentia site and observations from a microwave profiling radiometer at the Mace Head site. Validation of the slant path retrievals requires a numerical weather prediction model and HIRLAM (High-Resolution Limited Area Model) version 7.2, the current operational forecast model in use at Met Éireann for the region, has been used for this validation work. Results from the data processing and comparisons with the independent observations and model will be presented.

  9. Ensembles of satellite aerosol retrievals based on three AATSR algorithms within aerosol_cci

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kosmale, Miriam; Popp, Thomas

    2016-04-01

    Ensemble techniques are widely used in the modelling community, combining different modelling results in order to reduce uncertainties. This approach could be also adapted to satellite measurements. Aerosol_cci is an ESA funded project, where most of the European aerosol retrieval groups work together. The different algorithms are homogenized as far as it makes sense, but remain essentially different. Datasets are compared with ground based measurements and between each other. Three AATSR algorithms (Swansea university aerosol retrieval, ADV aerosol retrieval by FMI and Oxford aerosol retrieval ORAC) provide within this project 17 year global aerosol records. Each of these algorithms provides also uncertainty information on pixel level. Within the presented work, an ensembles of the three AATSR algorithms is performed. The advantage over each single algorithm is the higher spatial coverage due to more measurement pixels per gridbox. A validation to ground based AERONET measurements shows still a good correlation of the ensemble, compared to the single algorithms. Annual mean maps show the global aerosol distribution, based on a combination of the three aerosol algorithms. In addition, pixel level uncertainties of each algorithm are used for weighting the contributions, in order to reduce the uncertainty of the ensemble. Results of different versions of the ensembles for aerosol optical depth will be presented and discussed. The results are validated against ground based AERONET measurements. A higher spatial coverage on daily basis allows better results in annual mean maps. The benefit of using pixel level uncertainties is analysed.

  10. Comprehensive implementation plan for the DOE defense buried TRU- contaminated waste program

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

    Everette, S.E.; Detamore, J.A.; Raudenbush, M.H.

    1988-02-01

    In 1970, the US Atomic Energy Commission established a transuranic'' (TRU) waste classification. Waste disposed of prior to the decision to retrievably store the waste and which may contain TRU contamination is referred to as buried transuranic-contaminated waste'' (BTW). The DOE reference plan for BTW, stated in the Defense Waste Management Plan, is to monitor it, to take such remedial actions as may be necessary, and to re-evaluate its safety as necessary or in about 10-year periods. Responsibility for management of radioactive waste and byproducts generated by DOE belongs to the Secretary of Energy. Regulatory control for these sites containingmore » mixed waste is exercised by both DOE (radionuclides) and EPA (hazardous constituents). Each DOE Operations Office is responsible for developing and implementing plans for long-term management of its radioactive and hazardous waste sites. This comprehensive plan includes site-by-site long-range plans, site characteristics, site costs, and schedules at each site. 13 figs., 15 tabs.« less

  11. Methodology for quantification of waste generated in Spanish railway construction works

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

    Guzman Baez, Ana de; Villoria Saez, Paola; Rio Merino, Mercedes del

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Two equations for C and D waste estimation in railway construction works are developed. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Mixed C and D waste is the most generated category during railway construction works. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Tunnel construction is essential to quantify the waste generated during the works. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer There is a relationship between C and D waste generated and railway functional units. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The methodology proposed can be used to obtain new constants for other areas. - Abstract: In the last years, the European Union (EU) has been focused on the reduction of construction and demolition (C and D) waste. Specifically, in 2006,more » Spain generated roughly 47 million tons of C and D waste, of which only 13.6% was recycled. This situation has lead to the drawing up of many regulations on C and D waste during the past years forcing EU countries to include new measures for waste prevention and recycling. Among these measures, the mandatory obligation to quantify the C and D waste expected to be originated during a construction project is mandated. However, limited data is available on civil engineering projects. Therefore, the aim of this research study is to improve C and D waste management in railway projects, by developing a model for C and D waste quantification. For this purpose, we develop two equations which estimate in advance the amount, both in weight and volume, of the C and D waste likely to be generated in railway construction projects, including the category of C and D waste generated for the entire project.« less

  12. On the use of the singular value decomposition for text retrieval

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

    Husbands, P.; Simon, H.D.; Ding, C.

    2000-12-04

    The use of the Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) has been proposed for text retrieval in several recent works. This technique uses the SVD to project very high dimensional document and query vectors into a low dimensional space. In this new space it is hoped that the underlying structure of the collection is revealed thus enhancing retrieval performance. Theoretical results have provided some evidence for this claim and to some extent experiments have confirmed this. However, these studies have mostly used small test collections and simplified document models. In this work we investigate the use of the SVD on large documentmore » collections. We show that, if interpreted as a mechanism for representing the terms of the collection, this technique alone is insufficient for dealing with the variability in term occurrence. Section 2 introduces the text retrieval concepts necessary for our work. A short description of our experimental architecture is presented in Section 3. Section 4 describes how term occurrence variability affects the SVD and then shows how the decomposition influences retrieval performance. A possible way of improving SVD-based techniques is presented in Section 5 and concluded in Section 6.« less

  13. DECOVALEX Project: from 1992 to 2007

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tsang, Chin-Fu; Stephansson, Ove; Jing, Lanru; Kautsky, Fritz

    2009-05-01

    The DECOVALEX project is a unique international research collaboration, initiated in 1992, for advancing the understanding and mathematical modelling of coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) and thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical (THMC) processes in geological systems—subjects of importance for performance assessment of radioactive waste repositories in geological formations. From 1992 up to 2007, the project has made important progress and played a key role in the development of numerical modelling of coupled processes in fractured rocks and buffer/backfill materials. The project has been conducted by research teams supported by a large number of radioactive-waste-management organizations and regulatory authorities, including those of Canada, China, Finland, France, Japan, Germany, Spain, Sweden, UK, and the USA. Through this project, in-depth knowledge has been gained of coupled THM and THMC processes associated with nuclear waste repositories, as well as numerical simulation models for their quantitative analysis. The knowledge accumulated from this project, in the form of a large number of research reports and international journal and conference papers in the open literature, has been applied effectively in the implementation and review of national radioactive-waste-management programmes in the participating countries. This paper presents an overview of the project.

  14. Synergistic atmospheric retrievals: Using OMEGA and PFS to retrieve martian CO

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Robert, S.; Aoki, S.; Piccialli, A.; Audouard, J.; Montmessin, F.; Ferron, S.; Altieri, F.; Bellucci, G.; Geminale, A.; Giuranna, M.; Sindoni, G.; Vandaele, A. C.

    2017-09-01

    Recently, a theoretical study was published showing how science return can benefit from synergistic retrievals [Robert et al., 2017]. The same approach is here applied to experimental data. OMEGA and PFS instruments, both on Mars Express spacecraft, have collected high-quality data enabling us to retrieve CO volume mixing ratio, among others. The synergy between OMEGA and PFS channels will be presented and the benefits of the synergy will be described by comparing synergistic spectral retrievals and non-synergistic ones.

  15. Development and validation of a building design waste reduction model.

    PubMed

    Llatas, C; Osmani, M

    2016-10-01

    Reduction in construction waste is a pressing need in many countries. The design of building elements is considered a pivotal process to achieve waste reduction at source, which enables an informed prediction of their wastage reduction levels. However the lack of quantitative methods linking design strategies to waste reduction hinders designing out waste practice in building projects. Therefore, this paper addresses this knowledge gap through the design and validation of a Building Design Waste Reduction Strategies (Waste ReSt) model that aims to investigate the relationships between design variables and their impact on onsite waste reduction. The Waste ReSt model was validated in a real-world case study involving 20 residential buildings in Spain. The validation process comprises three stages. Firstly, design waste causes were analyzed. Secondly, design strategies were applied leading to several alternative low waste building elements. Finally, their potential source reduction levels were quantified and discussed within the context of the literature. The Waste ReSt model could serve as an instrumental tool to simulate designing out strategies in building projects. The knowledge provided by the model could help project stakeholders to better understand the correlation between the design process and waste sources and subsequently implement design practices for low-waste buildings. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Radioactive Demonstration Of Mineralized Waste Forms Made From Hanford Low Activity Waste (Tank Farm Blend) By Fluidized Bed Steam Reformation (FBSR)

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

    Jantzen, C. M.; Crawford, C. L.; Bannochie, C. J.

    The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of River Protection (ORP) is responsible for the retrieval, treatment, immobilization, and disposal of Hanford’s tank waste. A key aspect of the River Protection Project (RPP) cleanup mission is to construct and operate the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP). The WTP will separate the tank waste into high-level and low-activity waste (LAW) fractions, both of which will subsequently be vitrified. The projected throughput capacity of the WTP LAW Vitrification Facility is insufficient to complete the RPP mission in the time frame required by the Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order,more » also known as the Tri-Party Agreement (TPA), i.e. December 31, 2047. Supplemental Treatment is likely to be required both to meet the TPA treatment requirements as well as to more cost effectively complete the tank waste treatment mission. The Supplemental Treatment chosen will immobilize that portion of the retrieved LAW that is not sent to the WTP’s LAW Vitrification facility into a solidified waste form. The solidified waste will then be disposed on the Hanford site in the Integrated Disposal Facility (IDF). Fluidized Bed Steam Reforming (FBSR) offers a moderate temperature (700-750°C) continuous method by which LAW can be processed irrespective of whether the waste contain organics, nitrates, sulfates/sulfides, chlorides, fluorides, volatile radionuclides or other aqueous components. The FBSR technology can process these wastes into a crystalline ceramic (mineral) waste form. The mineral waste form that is produced by co-processing waste with kaolin clay in an FBSR process has been shown to be comparable to LAW glass, i.e. leaches Tc-99, Re and Na at <2g/m 2 during ASTM C1285 (Product Consistency) durability testing. Monolithing of the granular FBSR product was investigated to prevent dispersion during transport or burial/storage. Monolithing in an inorganic geopolymer binder, which is

  17. Reversed mining and reversed-reversed mining: the irrational context of geological disposal of nuclear waste

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    van Loon, A. J.

    2000-06-01

    Man does not only extract material from the Earth but increasingly uses the underground for storage and disposal purposes. One of the materials that might be disposed of this way is high-level nuclear waste. The development of safe disposal procedures, the choice of suitable host rocks, and the design of underground facilities have taken much time and money, but commissions in several countries have presented reports showing that — and how — safe geological disposal will be possible in such a way that definite isolation from the biosphere is achieved. Political views have changed in the past few years, however, and there is a strong tendency now to require that the high-level waste disposed of will be retrievable. Considering the underlying arguments for isolation from the biosphere, and also considering waste policy in general, this provides an irrational context. The development of new procedures and the design of new disposal facilities that allow retrieval will take much time again. A consequence may be that the high-active, heat-generating nuclear waste will be stored temporarily for a much longer time than objectively desirable. The delay in disposal and the counterproductive requirement of retrievability are partly due to the fact that earth-science organisations have failed to communicate in the way they should, possibly fearing public (and financial) reactions if taking a position that is (was?) considered as politically incorrect. Such an attitude should not be maintained in modern society, which has the right to be informed reliably by the scientific community.

  18. Wastes and by-products - alternatives for agricultural use

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

    Boles, J.L.; Craft, D.J.; Parker, B.R.

    1994-10-01

    Top address a growing national problem with generation of wastes and by-products, TVA has been involved for several years with developing and commercializing environmentally responsible practices for eliminating, minimizing, or utilizing various wastes/by-products. In many cases, reducing waste generation is impractical, but the wastes/by-products can be converted into other environmentally sound products. In some instances, conversion of safe, value-added agricultural products in the best or only practical alternative. TVA is currently involved with a diversity of projects converting wastes/by-products into safe, economical, and agriculturally beneficial products. Environmental improvement projects have involved poultry litter, cellulosic wastes, used battery acid, ammonium sulfatemore » fines, lead smelting effluents, deep-welled sulfuric acid/ammonium bisulfate solutions, wood ash, waste magnesium ammonium sulfate slurry from recording tape production, and ammunition plant waste sodium nitrate/ammonium nitrate streams.« less

  19. RAVEL: retrieval and visualization in ELectronic health records.

    PubMed

    Thiessard, Frantz; Mougin, Fleur; Diallo, Gayo; Jouhet, Vianney; Cossin, Sébastien; Garcelon, Nicolas; Campillo, Boris; Jouini, Wassim; Grosjean, Julien; Massari, Philippe; Griffon, Nicolas; Dupuch, Marie; Tayalati, Fayssal; Dugas, Edwige; Balvet, Antonio; Grabar, Natalia; Pereira, Suzanne; Frandji, Bruno; Darmoni, Stefan; Cuggia, Marc

    2012-01-01

    Because of the ever-increasing amount of information in patients' EHRs, healthcare professionals may face difficulties for making diagnoses and/or therapeutic decisions. Moreover, patients may misunderstand their health status. These medical practitioners need effective tools to locate in real time relevant elements within the patients' EHR and visualize them according to synthetic and intuitive presentation models. The RAVEL project aims at achieving this goal by performing a high profile industrial research and development program on the EHR considering the following areas: (i) semantic indexing, (ii) information retrieval, and (iii) data visualization. The RAVEL project is expected to implement a generic, loosely coupled to data sources prototype so that it can be transposed into different university hospitals information systems.

  20. Geometric-Optical Modeling of Directional Thermal Radiance for Improvement of Land Surface Temperature Retrievals from MODIS, ASTER, and Landsat-7 Instruments

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Li, Xiaowen; Friedl, Mark; Strahler, Alan

    2002-01-01

    The general objectives of this project were to improve understanding of the directional emittance properties of land surfaces in the thermal infrared (TIR) region of the electro-magnetic spectrum. To accomplish these objectives our research emphasized a combination of theoretical model development and empirical studies designed to improve land surface temperature (LST) retrievals from space-borne remote sensing instruments. Following the proposal, the main tasks for this project were to: (1) Participate in field campaigns; (2) Acquire and process field, aircraft, and ancillary data; (3) Develop and refine models of LST emission; (4) Develop algorithms for LST retrieval; and (5) Explore LST retrieval methods for use in energy balance models. In general all of these objectives were addressed, and for the most part achieved. The main results from this project are described in the publications arising from this effort. We summarize our efforts related to each of the objectives.

  1. Hanford Waste End Effector Phase I Test Report

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

    Berglin, Eric J.; Hatchell, Brian K.; Mount, Jason C.

    This test plan describes the Phase 1 testing program of the Hanford Waste End Effector (HWEE) at the Washington River Protection Solutions’ Cold Test Facility (CTF) using a Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL)-designed testing setup. This effort fulfills the informational needs for initial assessment of the HWEE to support Hanford single-shell tank A-105 retrieval. This task will install the HWEE on a PNNL-designed robotic gantry system at CTF, install and calibrate instrumentation to measure reaction forces and process parameters, prepare and characterize simulant materials, and implement the test program. The tests will involve retrieval of water, sludge, and hardpan simulantsmore » to determine pumping rate, dilution factors, and screen fouling rate.« less

  2. Retrieval feedback in MEDLINE.

    PubMed Central

    Srinivasan, P

    1996-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To investigate a new approach for query expansion based on retrieval feedback. The first objective in this study was to examine alternative query-expansion methods within the same retrieval-feedback framework. The three alternatives proposed are: expansion on the MeSH query field alone, expansion on the free-text field alone, and expansion on both the MeSH and the free-text fields. The second objective was to gain further understanding of retrieval feedback by examining possible dependencies on relevant documents during the feedback cycle. DESIGN: Comparative study of retrieval effectiveness using the original unexpanded and the alternative expanded user queries on a MEDLINE test collection of 75 queries and 2,334 MEDLINE citations. MEASUREMENTS: Retrieval effectivenesses of the original unexpanded and the alternative expanded queries were compared using 11-point-average precision scores (11-AvgP). These are averages of precision scores obtained at 11 standard recall points. RESULTS: All three expansion strategies significantly improved the original queries in terms of retrieval effectiveness. Expansion on MeSH alone was equivalent to expansion on both MeSH and the free-text fields. Expansion on the free-text field alone improved the queries significantly less than did the other two strategies. The second part of the study indicated that retrieval-feedback-based expansion yields significant performance improvements independent of the availability of relevant documents for feedback information. CONCLUSIONS: Retrieval feedback offers a robust procedure for query expansion that is most effective for MEDLINE when applied to the MeSH field. PMID:8653452

  3. Trial-to-trial dynamics of selective long-term-memory retrieval with continuously changing retrieval targets.

    PubMed

    Kizilirmak, Jasmin M; Rösler, Frank; Khader, Patrick H

    2014-10-01

    How do we control the successive retrieval of behaviorally relevant information from long-term memory (LTM) without being distracted by other potential retrieval targets associated to the same retrieval cues? Here, we approach this question by investigating the nature of trial-by-trial dynamics of selective LTM retrieval, i.e., in how far retrieval in one trial has detrimental or facilitatory effects on selective retrieval in the following trial. Participants first learned associations between retrieval cues and targets, with one cue always being linked to three targets, forming small associative networks. In successive trials, participants had to access either the same or a different target belonging to either the same or a different cue. We found that retrieval times were faster for targets that had already been relevant in the previous trial, with this facilitatory effect being substantially weaker when the associative network changed in which the targets were embedded. Moreover, staying within the same network still had a facilitatory effect even if the target changed, which became evident in a relatively higher memory performance in comparison to a network change. Furthermore, event-related brain potentials (ERPs) showed topographically and temporally dissociable correlates of these effects, suggesting that they result from combined influences of distinct processes that aid memory retrieval when relevant and irrelevant targets change their status from trial to trial. Taken together, the present study provides insight into the different processing stages of memory retrieval when fast switches between retrieval targets are required. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Solid waste information and tracking system client-server conversion project management plan

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

    May, D.L.

    1998-04-15

    This Project Management Plan is the lead planning document governing the proposed conversion of the Solid Waste Information and Tracking System (SWITS) to a client-server architecture. This plan presents the content specified by American National Standards Institute (ANSI)/Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standards for software development, with additional information categories deemed to be necessary to describe the conversion fully. This plan is a living document that will be reviewed on a periodic basis and revised when necessary to reflect changes in baseline design concepts and schedules. This PMP describes the background, planning and management of the SWITS conversion.more » It does not constitute a statement of product requirements. Requirements and specification documentation needed for the SWITS conversion will be released as supporting documents.« less

  5. Apollo 11 Facts Project [Spacecraft Retrieval and the Crew in the Anti-Contamination Chamber

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1994-01-01

    Footage shows the launch of the Apollo 11 spacecraft and the retrieval of the module after reentering Earth's atmosphere and landing in the ocean (reentry and landing scenes not included). President Richard Nixon is seen greeting the crew of Apollo 11 while they are in the anti-contamination chamber.

  6. Granite disposal of U.S. high-level radioactive waste.

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

    Freeze, Geoffrey A.; Mariner, Paul E.; Lee, Joon H.

    This report evaluates the feasibility of disposing U.S. high-level radioactive waste in granite several hundred meters below the surface of the earth. The U.S. has many granite formations with positive attributes for permanent disposal. Similar crystalline formations have been extensively studied by international programs, two of which, in Sweden and Finland, are the host rocks of submitted or imminent repository license applications. This report is enabled by the advanced work of the international community to establish functional and operational requirements for disposal of a range of waste forms in granite media. In this report we develop scoping performance analyses, basedmore » on the applicable features, events, and processes (FEPs) identified by international investigators, to support generic conclusions regarding post-closure safety. Unlike the safety analyses for disposal in salt, shale/clay, or deep boreholes, the safety analysis for a mined granite repository depends largely on waste package preservation. In crystalline rock, waste packages are preserved by the high mechanical stability of the excavations, the diffusive barrier of the buffer, and favorable chemical conditions. The buffer is preserved by low groundwater fluxes, favorable chemical conditions, backfill, and the rigid confines of the host rock. An added advantage of a mined granite repository is that waste packages would be fairly easy to retrieve, should retrievability be an important objective. The results of the safety analyses performed in this study are consistent with the results of comprehensive safety assessments performed for sites in Sweden, Finland, and Canada. They indicate that a granite repository would satisfy established safety criteria and suggest that a small number of FEPs would largely control the release and transport of radionuclides. In the event the U.S. decides to pursue a potential repository in granite, a detailed evaluation of these FEPs would be needed to

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

    Carter, E.

    A new class of grout material based on molten wax offers a dramatic improvement in permeation grouting performance. This new material makes a perfect in situ containment of buried radioactive waste both feasible and cost effective. This paper describes various ways the material can be used to isolate buried waste in situ. Potential applications described in the paper include buried radioactive waste in deep trenches, deep shafts, Infiltration trenches, and large buried objects. Use of molten wax for retrieval of waste is also discussed. Wax can also be used for retrieval of air sensitive materials or drummed waste. This papermore » provides an analysis of the methods of application and the expected performance and cost of several potential projects. (authors)« less

  8. Knowledge Retrieval Solutions.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Khan, Kamran

    1998-01-01

    Excalibur RetrievalWare offers true knowledge retrieval solutions. Its fundamental technologies, Adaptive Pattern Recognition Processing and Semantic Networks, have capabilities for knowledge discovery and knowledge management of full-text, structured and visual information. The software delivers a combination of accuracy, extensibility,…

  9. User's operating procedures. Volume 2: Scout project financial analysis program

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Harris, C. G.; Haris, D. K.

    1985-01-01

    A review is presented of the user's operating procedures for the Scout Project Automatic Data system, called SPADS. SPADS is the result of the past seven years of software development on a Prime mini-computer located at the Scout Project Office, NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia. SPADS was developed as a single entry, multiple cross-reference data management and information retrieval system for the automation of Project office tasks, including engineering, financial, managerial, and clerical support. This volume, two (2) of three (3), provides the instructions to operate the Scout Project Financial Analysis program in data retrieval and file maintenance via the user friendly menu drivers.

  10. Successful approaches to recycling urban wood waste

    Treesearch

    Solid Waste Association of North America

    2002-01-01

    This report presents eight case studies of successful urban wood waste recycling projects and businesses. These studies document the success of recovered products such as lumber and lumber products, mulch, boiler fuel, and alternative cover for landfills. Overall, wood waste accounts for about 17% of the total waste received at municipal solid waste landfills in the...

  11. 2002 Report to Congress: Evaluating the Consensus Best Practices Developed through the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Collaborative Hazardous Waste Management Demonstration Project

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This report discusses a collaborative project initiated by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) to establish and evaluate a performance-based approach to management of hazardous wastes in the laboratories of academic research institutions.

  12. FY 1996 solid waste integrated life-cycle forecast characteristics summary. Volumes 1 and 2

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

    Templeton, K.J.

    1996-05-23

    on ranges provided by the waste generators, this baseline volume could fluctuate between a minimum of about 59,720 cubic meters and a maximum of about 152,170 cubic meters. The range is primarily due to uncertainties associated with the Tank Waste Remediation System (TWRS) program, including uncertainties regarding retrieval of long-length equipment, scheduling, and tank retrieval technologies.« less

  13. Prediction of the compression ratio for municipal solid waste using decision tree.

    PubMed

    Heshmati R, Ali Akbar; Mokhtari, Maryam; Shakiba Rad, Saeed

    2014-01-01

    The compression ratio of municipal solid waste (MSW) is an essential parameter for evaluation of waste settlement and landfill design. However, no appropriate model has been proposed to estimate the waste compression ratio so far. In this study, a decision tree method was utilized to predict the waste compression ratio (C'c). The tree was constructed using Quinlan's M5 algorithm. A reliable database retrieved from the literature was used to develop a practical model that relates C'c to waste composition and properties, including dry density, dry weight water content, and percentage of biodegradable organic waste using the decision tree method. The performance of the developed model was examined in terms of different statistical criteria, including correlation coefficient, root mean squared error, mean absolute error and mean bias error, recommended by researchers. The obtained results demonstrate that the suggested model is able to evaluate the compression ratio of MSW effectively.

  14. Topological Aspects of Information Retrieval.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Egghe, Leo; Rousseau, Ronald

    1998-01-01

    Discusses topological aspects of theoretical information retrieval, including retrieval topology; similarity topology; pseudo-metric topology; document spaces as topological spaces; Boolean information retrieval as a subsystem of any topological system; and proofs of theorems. (LRW)

  15. System for decision analysis support on complex waste management issues

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

    Shropshire, D.E.

    1997-10-01

    A software system called the Waste Flow Analysis has been developed and applied to complex environmental management processes for the United States Department of Energy (US DOE). The system can evaluate proposed methods of waste retrieval, treatment, storage, transportation, and disposal. Analysts can evaluate various scenarios to see the impacts to waste slows and schedules, costs, and health and safety risks. Decision analysis capabilities have been integrated into the system to help identify preferred alternatives based on a specific objectives may be to maximize the waste moved to final disposition during a given time period, minimize health risks, minimize costs,more » or combinations of objectives. The decision analysis capabilities can support evaluation of large and complex problems rapidly, and under conditions of variable uncertainty. The system is being used to evaluate environmental management strategies to safely disposition wastes in the next ten years and reduce the environmental legacy resulting from nuclear material production over the past forty years.« less

  16. Managing Waste Inventory and License Limits at the Perma-Fix Northwest Facility to Meet CH2M Hill Plateau Remediation Company (CHPRC) American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Deliverables - 12335

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

    Moak, Don J.; Grondin, Richard L.; Triner, Glen C.

    CH2M Hill Plateau Remediation Company (CHRPC) is a prime contractor to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) focused on the largest ongoing environmental remediation project in the world at the DOE Hanford Site Central Plateau, i.e. the DOE Hanford Plateau Remediation Contract. The East Tennessee Materials and Energy Corporation (M and EC); a wholly owned subsidiary of Perma-Fix Environmental Services, Inc. (PESI), is a small business team member to CHPRC. Our scope includes project management; operation and maintenance of on-site storage, repackaging, treatment, and disposal facilities; and on-site waste management including waste receipt from generators and delivery to on-site andmore » off-site treatment, storage, and disposal facilities. As part of this scope, M and EC staffs the centralized Waste Support Services organization responsible for all waste characterization and acceptance required to support CHPRC and waste generators across the Hanford Site. At the time of the CHPRC contract award (August 2008) slightly more than 9,000 cubic meters (m{sup 3}) of legacy waste was defined as 'no-path-forward waste'. A significant portion of this waste (7,650 m{sup 3}) comprised wastes with up to 50 grams of special nuclear materials (SNM) in oversized packages recovered during retrieval operations and large glove boxes removed from the Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP). Through a collaborative effort between the DOE, CHPRC, and Perma-Fix Environmental Services, Inc. (PESI), pathways for these problematic wastes were developed that took advantage of commercial treatment capabilities at a nearby vendor facility, Perma-Fix Northwest (PFNW). In the spring of 2009, CHPRC initiated a pilot program under which they began shipping large package, low gram suspect TRU (<15 g SNM per container), and large package contact and remote handled MLLW to the off-site PFNW facility for treatment. PFNW is restricted by the SNM limits set for the total quantity of SNM allowed at the

  17. International Arctic Seas Assessment Project.

    PubMed

    Sjöblom, K L; Salo, A; Bewers, J M; Cooper, J; Dyer, R S; Lynn, N M; Mount, M E; Povinec, P P; Sazykina, T G; Schwarz, J; Scott, E M; Sivintsev, Y V; Tanner, J E; Warden, J M; Woodhead, D

    1999-09-30

    The International Atomic Energy Agency responded to the news that the former Soviet Union had dumped radioactive wastes in the shallow waters of the Arctic Seas, by launching the International Arctic Seas Assessment Project in 1993. The project had two objectives: to assess the risks to human health and to the environment associated with the radioactive wastes dumped in the Kara and Barents Seas; and to examine possible remedial actions related to the dumped wastes and to advise on whether they are necessary and justified. The current radiological situation in the Arctic waters was examined to assess whether there is any evidence for releases from the dumped waste. Potential future releases from the dumped wastes were predicted, concentrating on the high-level waste objects containing the major part of the radionuclide inventory of the wastes. Environmental transport of released radionuclides was modelled and the associated radiological impact on humans and the biota was assessed. The feasibility, costs and benefits of possible remedial measures applied to a selected high-level waste object were examined. Releases from identified dumped objects were found to be small and localised to the immediate vicinity of the dumping sites. Projected future annual doses to members of the public in typical local population groups were very small, less than 1 microSv--corresponding to a trivial risk. Projected future doses to a hypothetical group of military personnel patrolling the foreshore of the fjords in which wastes have been dumped were higher, up to 4 mSv/year, which still is of the same order as the average annual natural background dose. Moreover, since any of the proposed remedial actions were estimated to cost several million US$ to implement, remediation was not considered justified on the basis of potentially removing a collective dose of 10 man Sv. Doses calculated to marine fauna were insignificant, orders of magnitude below those at which detrimental effects on

  18. Fossil energy waste management. Technology status report

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

    Bossart, S.J.; Newman, D.A.

    1995-02-01

    This report describes the current status and recent accomplishments of the Fossil Energy Waste Management (FE WM) projects sponsored by the Morgantown Energy Technology Center (METC) of the US Department of Energy (DOE). The primary goal of the Waste Management Program is to identify and develop optimal strategies to manage solid by-products from advanced coal technologies for the purpose of ensuring the competitiveness of advanced coal technologies as a future energy source. The projects in the Fossil Energy Waste Management Program are divided into three types of activities: Waste Characterization, Disposal Technologies, and Utilization Technologies. This technology status report includesmore » a discussion on barriers to increased use of coal by-products. Also, the major technical and nontechnical challenges currently being addressed by the FE WM program are discussed. A bibliography of 96 citations and a list of project contacts is included if the reader is interested in obtaining additional information about the FE WM program.« less

  19. Hanford Waste Physical and Rheological Properties: Data and Gaps

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

    Wells, Beric E.; Kurath, Dean E.; Mahoney, Lenna A.

    2011-08-01

    The Hanford Site in Washington State manages 177 underground storage tanks containing approximately 250,000 m3 of waste generated during past defense reprocessing and waste management operations. These tanks contain a mixture of sludge, saltcake and supernatant liquids. The insoluble sludge fraction of the waste consists of metal oxides and hydroxides and contains the bulk of many radionuclides such as the transuranic components and 90Sr. The saltcake, generated by extensive evaporation of aqueous solutions, consists primarily of dried sodium salts. The supernates consist of concentrated (5-15 M) aqueous solutions of sodium and potassium salts. The 177 storage tanks include 149 single-shellmore » tanks (SSTs) and 28 double -hell tanks (DSTs). Ultimately the wastes need to be retrieved from the tanks for treatment and disposal. The SSTs contain minimal amounts of liquid wastes, and the Tank Operations Contractor is continuing a program of moving solid wastes from SSTs to interim storage in the DSTs. The Hanford DST system provides the staging location for waste feed delivery to the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of River Protection’s (ORP) Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP). The WTP is being designed and constructed to pretreat and then vitrify a large portion of the wastes in Hanford’s 177 underground waste storage tanks.« less

  20. Urban Environmental Education Project, Curriculum Module VI: Solid Waste - Trash or Treasure?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Biglan, Barbara

    Included in this module are four activities dealing with issues of solid waste disposal relative to urban concerns. Included activities are: (1) sources and composition of solid waste; (2) a "garbage game"; (3) disposal options for solid waste; and (4) an example county plan for solid waste disposal. Also included are an overview, teacher…

  1. Satellite Ocean Aerosol Retrieval (SOAR) Algorithm Extension to S-NPP VIIRS as Part of the "Deep Blue" Aerosol Project

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sayer, A. M.; Hsu, N. C.; Lee, J.; Bettenhausen, C.; Kim, W. V.; Smirnov, A.

    2018-01-01

    The Suomi National Polar-Orbiting Partnership (S-NPP) satellite, launched in late 2011, carries the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) and several other instruments. VIIRS has similar characteristics to prior satellite sensors used for aerosol optical depth (AOD) retrieval, allowing the continuation of space-based aerosol data records. The Deep Blue algorithm has previously been applied to retrieve AOD from Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) measurements over land. The SeaWiFS Deep Blue data set also included a SeaWiFS Ocean Aerosol Retrieval (SOAR) algorithm to cover water surfaces. As part of NASA's VIIRS data processing, Deep Blue is being applied to VIIRS data over land, and SOAR has been adapted from SeaWiFS to VIIRS for use over water surfaces. This study describes SOAR as applied in version 1 of NASA's S-NPP VIIRS Deep Blue data product suite. Several advances have been made since the SeaWiFS application, as well as changes to make use of the broader spectral range of VIIRS. A preliminary validation against Maritime Aerosol Network (MAN) measurements suggests a typical uncertainty on retrieved 550 nm AOD of order ±(0.03+10%), comparable to existing SeaWiFS/MODIS aerosol data products. Retrieved Ångström exponent and fine-mode AOD fraction are also well correlated with MAN data, with small biases and uncertainty similar to or better than SeaWiFS/MODIS products.

  2. Controlled Landfill Project in Yolo County, California for Environmental Benefits of Waste Stabilization and Minimization of Greenhouse Gas Emissions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yazdani, R.; Augenstein, D.; Kieffer, J.; Cohen, K.

    2003-12-01

    The Department of Public Works of Yolo County, California, USA has been testing an advanced approach to landfill bioreactors, controlled (or "enhanced") landfilling, at its Yolo County Central Landfill site near Davis, CA, since 1994. Overall objectives have been the management of waste landfilling for: (1) rapid completion of total gas generation; (2) maximum, high-efficiency gas capture; (3) waste volume reduction; and (4) maximum greenhouse gas and carbon sequestration benefits. Methane generation is controlled and enhanced through carefully managed moisture additions, and by taking advantage of landfill temperature elevation. The generated landfill methane, an important greenhouse gas, is recovered with high efficiency through extraction from a porous recovery layer beneath a surface geomembrane cover. Instrumentation included a total of 56 moisture and 15 temperature sensors in the two cells, gas flow monitoring by positive displacement gas meters, and accurate quantification of liquid inputs and outputs. Gas composition, waste volume reduction, base hydrostatic head, and a range of environmental compliance parameters has been monitored since 1995. Partitioning gas tracer tests using the injection of two gases at dilute concentrations in the landfill have also been initiated to compute the fraction of pore space occupied by water between the points of tracer injection and tracer measurement. There has been rapid waste volume reduction in the enhanced cell that corresponds to the solids' reduction to gas. Monitoring is planned for the next several years, until stabilization parameters are determined complete. Encouraging performance is indicated by: (1) sensor data; (2) gas generation results; (3) data from landfill cores; and (4) decomposition-related indicators including rapid volume reduction. When data are synthesized, project results have attractive implications for new approaches to landfill management. Over seven-years, methane recoveries have averaged

  3. Accelerator driven reactors and nuclear waste management projects in the Czech Republic

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

    Janouch, Frantisek; Mach, Rostislav; Institute of Nuclear Physics, Rez near Prague

    1995-09-15

    The Czech Republic is almost the only country in the central Europe which continues with the construction of nuclear power reactors. Its small territory and dense population causes public worries concerning the disposal of the spent nuclear fuel. The Czech nuclear scientists and the power companies and the nuclear industries are therefore looking for alterative solutions. The Los Alamos ATW project had received a positive response in the Czech mass-media and even in the industrial and governmental quarters. The recent scientific symposium ''Accelerator driven reactors and nuclear waste management'' convened at the Liblice castle near Prague, 27-29.6. 1994 and sponsoredmore » by the Czech Energy Company CEZ, reviewed the competencies and experimental basis in the Czech republic and made the first attempt to formulate the national approach and to establish international collaboration in this area.« less

  4. Retrieving autobiographical memories: How different retrieval strategies associated with different cues explain reaction time differences.

    PubMed

    Uzer, Tugba

    2016-02-01

    Previous research has shown that memories cued by concrete concepts, such as objects, are retrieved faster than those cued by more abstract concepts, such as emotions. This effect has been explained by the fact that more memories are directly retrieved from object versus emotion cues. In the present study, we tested whether RT differences between memories cued by emotion versus object terms occur not only because object cues elicit direct retrieval of more memories (Uzer, Lee, & Brown, 2012), but also because of differences in memory generation in response to emotions versus objects. One hundred university students retrieved memories in response to basic-level (e.g. orange), superordinate-level (e.g. plant), and emotion (e.g. surprised) cues. Retrieval speed was measured and participants reported whether memories were directly retrieved or generated on each trial. Results showed that memories were retrieved faster in response to basic-level versus superordinate-level and emotion cues because a) basic-level cues elicited more directly retrieved memories, and b) generating memories was more difficult when cues were abstract versus concrete. These results suggest that generative retrieval is a cue generation process in which additional cues that provide contextual information including the target event are produced. Memories are retrieved more slowly in response to emotion cues in part because emotion labels are less effective cues of appropriate contextual information. This particular finding is inconsistent with the idea that emotion is a primary organizational unit for autobiographical memories. In contrast, the difficulty of emotional memory generation implies that emotions represent low-level event information in the organization of autobiographical memory. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Test plan for formulation and evaluation of grouted waste forms with shine process wastes

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

    Ebert, W. L.; Jerden, J. L.

    2015-09-01

    The objective of this experimental project is to demonstrate that waste streams generated during the production of Mo99 by the SHINE Medical Technologies (SHINE) process can be immobilized in cement-based grouted waste forms having physical, chemical, and radiological stabilities that meet regulatory requirements for handling, storage, transport, and disposal.

  6. Recollection-Based Retrieval Is Influenced by Contextual Variation at Encoding but Not at Retrieval

    PubMed Central

    Rosenstreich, Eyal; Goshen-Gottstein, Yonatan

    2015-01-01

    In this article, we investigated the effects of variations at encoding and retrieval on recollection. We argue that recollection is more likely to be affected by the processing that information undergoes at encoding than at retrieval. To date, manipulations shown to affect recollection were typically carried out at encoding. Therefore, an open question is whether these same manipulations would also affect recollection when carried out at retrieval, or whether there is an inherent connection between their effects on recollection and the encoding stage. We therefore manipulated, at either encoding or retrieval, fluency of processing (Experiment 1)—typically found not to affect recollection—and the amount of attentional resources available for processing (Experiments 2 and 3)—typically reported to affect recollection. We found that regardless of the type of manipulation, recollection was affected more by manipulations carried out at encoding and was essentially unaffected when these manipulations were carried out at retrieval. These findings suggest an inherent dependency between recollection-based retrieval and the encoding stage. It seems that because recollection is a contextual-based retrieval process, it is determined by the processing information undergoes at encoding—at the time when context is bound with the items—but not at retrieval—when context is only recovered. PMID:26135583

  7. Retrieval-induced forgetting without competition: testing the retrieval specificity assumption of the inhibition theory.

    PubMed

    Raaijmakers, Jeroen G W; Jakab, Emoke

    2012-01-01

    According to the inhibition theory of forgetting (Anderson, Journal of Memory and Language 49:415-445, 2003; Anderson, Bjork, & Bjork, Psychonomic Bulletin & Review 7:522-530, 2000), retrieval practice on a subset of target items leads to forgetting for the other, nontarget items, due to the fact that these other items interfere during the retrieval process and have to be inhibited in order to resolve the interference. In this account, retrieval-induced forgetting occurs only when competition takes place between target and nontarget items during target item practice, since only in such a case is inhibition of the nontarget items necessary. Strengthening of the target item without active retrieval should not lead to such an impairment. In two experiments, we investigated this assumption by using noncompetitive retrieval during the practice phase. We strengthened the cue-target item association during practice by recall of the category name instead of the target item, and thus eliminated competition between the different item types (as in Anderson et al., Psychonomic Bulletin & Review 7:522-530 2000). In contrast to the expectations of the inhibition theory, retrieval-induced forgetting occurred even without competition, and thus the present study does not support the retrieval specificity assumption.

  8. Graphite Waste Tank Cleanup and Decontamination under the Marcoule UP1 D and D Program - 13166

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

    Thomasset, Philippe; Chabeuf, Jean-Michel; Thiebaut, Valerie

    2013-07-01

    The UP1 plant in Marcoule reprocessed nearly 20,000 tons of used natural uranium gas cooled reactor fuel coming from the first generation of civil nuclear reactors in France. During more than 40 years, the decladding operations produced thousands of tons of processed waste, mainly magnesium and graphite fragments. In the absence of a French repository for the graphite waste, the graphite sludge content of the storage pits had to be retrieved and transferred into a newer and safer pit. After an extensive R and D program, the equipment and process necessary for retrieval operations were designed, built and tested. Themore » innovative process is mainly based on the use of two pumps (one to capture and the other one to transfer the sludge) working one after the other and a robotic arm mounted on a telescopic mast. A dedicated process was also set up for the removal of the biggest fragments. The retrieval of the most irradiating fragments was a challenge. Today, the first pit is totally empty and its stainless steel walls have been decontaminated using gels. In the second pit, the sludge retrieval and transfer operations have been almost completed. Most of the non-pumpable graphite fragments has been removed and transferred to a new storage pit. After more than 6 years of operations in sludge retrieval, a lot of experience was acquired from which important 'lessons learned' could be shared. (authors)« less

  9. Technical assistance for hazardous-waste reduction

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

    Thompson, F.M.; McComas, C.A.

    1987-12-01

    Minnesota's Waste Management Board has established, developed, and funded the Minnesota Technical Assistance Program (MnTAP). The MnTAP programs offers technical assistance to generators of hazardous waste by offering telephone and onsite consultation, a waste reduction resource bank, information dissemination, a student intern program, and research awards for waste reduction projects. The program has completed three years of successful operation. The increasing interest in and use of MnTAP's services by hazardous-waste generators has justified the belief that state technical assistance programs have an important role to play in helping generators to reduce their waste production.

  10. Current and potential uses of bioactive molecules from marine processing waste.

    PubMed

    Suleria, Hafiz Ansar Rasul; Masci, Paul; Gobe, Glenda; Osborne, Simone

    2016-03-15

    Food industries produce huge amounts of processing waste that are often disposed of incurring expenses and impacting upon the environment. For these and other reasons, food processing waste streams, in particular marine processing waste streams, are gaining popularity amongst pharmaceutical, cosmetic and nutraceutical industries as sources of bioactive molecules. In the last 30 years, there has been a gradual increase in processed marine products with a concomitant increase in waste streams that include viscera, heads, skins, fins, bones, trimmings and shellfish waste. In 2010, these waste streams equated to approximately 24 million tonnes of mostly unused resources. Marine processing waste streams not only represent an abundant resource, they are also enriched with structurally diverse molecules that possess a broad panel of bioactivities including anti-oxidant, anti-coagulant, anti-thrombotic, anti-cancer and immune-stimulatory activities. Retrieval and characterisation of bioactive molecules from marine processing waste also contributes valuable information to the vast field of marine natural product discovery. This review summarises the current use of bioactive molecules from marine processing waste in different products and industries. Moreover, this review summarises new research into processing waste streams and the potential for adoption by industries in the creation of new products containing marine processing waste bioactives. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

  11. The Community Cloud retrieval for CLimate (CC4CL) - Part 2: The optimal estimation approach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McGarragh, Gregory R.; Poulsen, Caroline A.; Thomas, Gareth E.; Povey, Adam C.; Sus, Oliver; Stapelberg, Stefan; Schlundt, Cornelia; Proud, Simon; Christensen, Matthew W.; Stengel, Martin; Hollmann, Rainer; Grainger, Roy G.

    2018-06-01

    The Community Cloud retrieval for Climate (CC4CL) is a cloud property retrieval system for satellite-based multispectral imagers and is an important component of the Cloud Climate Change Initiative (Cloud_cci) project. In this paper we discuss the optimal estimation retrieval of cloud optical thickness, effective radius and cloud top pressure based on the Optimal Retrieval of Aerosol and Cloud (ORAC) algorithm. Key to this method is the forward model, which includes the clear-sky model, the liquid water and ice cloud models, the surface model including a bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF), and the "fast" radiative transfer solution (which includes a multiple scattering treatment). All of these components and their assumptions and limitations will be discussed in detail. The forward model provides the accuracy appropriate for our retrieval method. The errors are comparable to the instrument noise for cloud optical thicknesses greater than 10. At optical thicknesses less than 10 modeling errors become more significant. The retrieval method is then presented describing optimal estimation in general, the nonlinear inversion method employed, measurement and a priori inputs, the propagation of input uncertainties and the calculation of subsidiary quantities that are derived from the retrieval results. An evaluation of the retrieval was performed using measurements simulated with noise levels appropriate for the MODIS instrument. Results show errors less than 10 % for cloud optical thicknesses greater than 10. Results for clouds of optical thicknesses less than 10 have errors up to 20 %.

  12. Information Retrieval: A Sequential Learning Process.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bookstein, Abraham

    1983-01-01

    Presents decision-theoretic models which intrinsically include retrieval of multiple documents whereby system responds to request by presenting documents to patron in sequence, gathering feedback, and using information to modify future retrievals. Document independence model, set retrieval model, sequential retrieval model, learning model,…

  13. DORS: DDC Online Retrieval System.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Liu, Songqiao; Svenonius, Elaine

    1991-01-01

    Describes the Dewey Online Retrieval System (DORS), which was developed at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), to experiment with classification-based search strategies in online catalogs. Classification structures in automated information retrieval are discussed; and specifications for a classification retrieval interface are…

  14. A Spanish model for quantification and management of construction waste.

    PubMed

    Solís-Guzmán, Jaime; Marrero, Madelyn; Montes-Delgado, Maria Victoria; Ramírez-de-Arellano, Antonio

    2009-09-01

    Currently, construction and demolition waste (C&D waste) is a worldwide issue that concerns not only governments but also the building actors involved in construction activity. In Spain, a new national decree has been regulating the production and management of C&D waste since February 2008. The present work describes the waste management model that has inspired this decree: the Alcores model implemented with good results in Los Alcores Community (Seville, Spain). A detailed model is also provided to estimate the volume of waste that is expected to be generated on the building site. The quantification of C&D waste volume, from the project stage, is essential for the building actors to properly plan and control its disposal. This quantification model has been developed by studying 100 dwelling projects, especially their bill of quantities, and defining three coefficients to estimate the demolished volume (CT), the wreckage volume (CR) and the packaging volume (CE). Finally, two case studies are included to illustrate the usefulness of the model to estimate C&D waste volume in both new construction and demolition projects.

  15. Installation and Setup of Whole School Food Waste Composting Program

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, A.; Forder, S. E.

    2014-12-01

    Hong Kong, one of the busiest trading harbors in the world, is also a city of 8 million of people. The biggest problem that the government faces is the lack of solid waste landfill space. Hong Kong produces around 13,500 tons of waste per day. There are three landfills in Hong Kong in operation. These three landfills will soon be exhausted in around 2020, and the solid waste in Hong Kong is still increasing. Out of the 13,500 tons of solid waste, 9,000 tons are organic solid waste or food waste. Food waste, especially domestic waste, is recyclable. The Independent Schools Foundation Academy has a project to collect domestic food waste (from the school cafeteria) for decomposition. Our school produces around 15 tons of food waste per year. The project includes a sub-project in the Primary school, which uses the organic soil produced by an aerobic food waste machine, the Rocket A900, to plant vegetables in school. This not only helps our school to process the waste, but also helps the Primary students to study agriculture and have greater opportunities for experimental learning. For this project, two types of machines will be used for food waste processing. Firstly, the Dehydra made by Tiny Planet reduces the volume and the mass of the food waste, by dehydrating the food waste and separating the ground food waste and the excessive water inside machine for further decomposition. Secondly, the A900 Rocket, also made by Tidy Planet; this is used to process the dehydrated ground food waste for around 14 days thereby producing usable organic soil. It grinds the food waste into tiny pieces so that it is easier to decompose. It also separates the wood chips inside the ground food waste. This machine runs an aerobic process, which includes O2 and will produce CO2 during the process and is less harmful to the environment. On the other hand, if it is an anaerobic process occurs during the operation, it will produce a greenhouse gas- CH4 -and smells bad.

  16. Port Granby Project Overview - 13208

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

    Smith, David W.; Vandergaast, Gary; Sungaila, Mark

    2013-07-01

    The Port Granby Project is an integral part of the Port Hope Area Initiative (PHAI), and is located approximately 14 kilometres west of the Municipality of Port Hope in the adjacent Municipality of Clarington, Ontario. The principal objective of the project is the excavation and relocation of low-level radioactive waste (LLRW) and marginally contaminated soils, which were deposited at the Port Granby Waste Management Facility (PGWMF) by Eldorado Nuclear Limited during the period 1955 to 1988, to a new, highly engineered above-ground Long-term Waste Management Facility (LTWMF) to be constructed on a nearby site. The Environmental Assessment for the Projectmore » was approved in 2009 August and the required Waste Nuclear Substance License was received in 2011 November. Once the detailed engineering design was completed, in 2011 March, the Port Granby Project was divided into three major contracts for construction implementation purposes. The first of these contracts was completed in late 2012 and the second is planned to start in early 2013. The contracting process for the third major contract is also expected to be completed during 2013. This paper provides an overview of the Port Granby Project as well as discussion on the status of the Project, including the regulatory approvals process, the approach to contracting the construction works and an update of work recently completed and soon to get underway. (authors)« less

  17. Retrieval of trace gas concentrations over Summit Station, Greenland using moderate-resolution spectral infrared radiances

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bahramvash Shams, S.; Walden, V. P.; Turner, D. D.

    2017-12-01

    Measurements of trace gases at high temporal resolution are important for understanding variations and trends at high latitudes. Trace gases over Greenland can be influenced by both long-range transport from pollution sources as well as local chemical processes. Satellite retrievals are an important data source in the polar regions, but accurate ground-based measurements are needed for proper validation, especially in data sparse regions. A moderate-resolution (0.5 cm-1) Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR), the Polar Atmospheric Emitted Radiance Interferometer (P-AERI), has been operated at Summit Station, Greenland as part of the ICECAPS project since 2010. In this study, trace gas concentrations, including ozone, nitrous oxide, and methane are retrieved using different optimal estimation retrieval codes. We first present results of retrieved gases using synthetic spectra (from a radiative transfer model) that mimic P-AERI measurements to evaluate systematic errors in the inverse models. We also retrieve time series of trace gas concentrations during periods of clear skies over Summit. We investigate the amount of vertical information that can be obtained with moderate resolution spectra for each of the trace gases, and also the impact of the seasonal variation of atmospheric water vapor on the retrievals. Data from surface observations and ozonesondes obtained by the NOAA Global Monitoring Division are used to improve the retrievals and as validation.

  18. Developing a Large Lexical Database for Information Retrieval, Parsing, and Text Generation Systems.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Conlon, Sumali Pin-Ngern; And Others

    1993-01-01

    Important characteristics of lexical databases and their applications in information retrieval and natural language processing are explained. An ongoing project using various machine-readable sources to build a lexical database is described, and detailed designs of individual entries with examples are included. (Contains 66 references.) (EAM)

  19. Enhanced Information Retrieval Using AJAX

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kachhwaha, Rajendra; Rajvanshi, Nitin

    2010-11-01

    Information Retrieval deals with the representation, storage, organization of, and access to information items. The representation and organization of information items should provide the user with easy access to the information with the rapid development of Internet, large amounts of digitally stored information is readily available on the World Wide Web. This information is so huge that it becomes increasingly difficult and time consuming for the users to find the information relevant to their needs. The explosive growth of information on the Internet has greatly increased the need for information retrieval systems. However, most of the search engines are using conventional information retrieval systems. An information system needs to implement sophisticated pattern matching tools to determine contents at a faster rate. AJAX has recently emerged as the new tool such the of information retrieval process of information retrieval can become fast and information reaches the use at a faster pace as compared to conventional retrieval systems.

  20. 2D and 3D X-ray phase retrieval of multi-material objects using a single defocus distance.

    PubMed

    Beltran, M A; Paganin, D M; Uesugi, K; Kitchen, M J

    2010-03-29

    A method of tomographic phase retrieval is developed for multi-material objects whose components each has a distinct complex refractive index. The phase-retrieval algorithm, based on the Transport-of-Intensity equation, utilizes propagation-based X-ray phase contrast images acquired at a single defocus distance for each tomographic projection. The method requires a priori knowledge of the complex refractive index for each material present in the sample, together with the total projected thickness of the object at each orientation. The requirement of only a single defocus distance per projection simplifies the experimental setup and imposes no additional dose compared to conventional tomography. The algorithm was implemented using phase contrast data acquired at the SPring-8 Synchrotron facility in Japan. The three-dimensional (3D) complex refractive index distribution of a multi-material test object was quantitatively reconstructed using a single X-ray phase-contrast image per projection. The technique is robust in the presence of noise, compared to conventional absorption based tomography.

  1. Greater-than-Class C low-level radioactive waste characterization: Estimated volumes, radionuclide activities, and other characteristics

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

    Hulse, R.A.

    1991-08-01

    Planning for storage or disposal of greater-than-Class C low-level radioactive waste (GTCC LLW) requires characterization of that waste to estimate volumes, radionuclide activities, and waste forms. Data from existing literature, disposal records, and original research were used to estimate the characteristics and project volumes and radionuclide activities to the year 2035. GTCC LLW is categorized as: nuclear utilities waste, sealed sources waste, DOE-held potential GTCC LLW; and, other generator waste. It has been determined that the largest volume of those wastes, approximately 57%, is generated by nuclear power plants. The Other Generator waste category contributes approximately 10% of the totalmore » GTCC LLW volume projected to the year 2035. Waste held by the Department of Energy, which is potential GTCC LLW, accounts for nearly 33% of all waste projected to the year 2035; however, no disposal determination has been made for that waste. Sealed sources are less than 0.2% of the total projected volume of GTCC LLW.« less

  2. Academia's Garbage: Campus/Community Solid Waste Projects.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Boyles, Marcia

    The nation's overall efforts in solid waste management are noted, and suggestions and examples are presented concerning activities that can be undertaken by institutions of higher education to assist their communities to achieve safer and cleaner environments. The federal regulatory agency, The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is concerned…

  3. Implicit Prosody and Cue-based Retrieval: L1 and L2 Agreement and Comprehension during Reading

    PubMed Central

    Pratt, Elizabeth; Fernández, Eva M.

    2016-01-01

    This project focuses on structural and prosodic effects during reading, examining their influence on agreement processing and comprehension in native English (L1) and Spanish–English bilingual (L2) speakers. We consolidate research from several distinct areas of inquiry—cognitive processing, reading fluency, and L1/L2 processing—in order to support the integration of prosody with a cue-based retrieval mechanism for subject-verb agreement. To explore this proposal, the experimental design manipulated text presentation to influence implicit prosody, using sentences designed to induce subject-verb agreement attraction errors. Materials included simple and complex relative clauses with head nouns and verbs that were either matched or mismatched for number. Participants read items in one of three presentation formats (whole sentence, word-by-word, or phrase-by-phrase), rated each item for grammaticality, and responded to a comprehension probe. Results indicated that while overall, message comprehension was prioritized over subject-verb agreement computation, presentation format differentially affected both measures in the L1 and L2 groups. For the L1 participants, facilitating the projection of phrasal prosody onto text (phrase-by-phrase presentation) enhanced performance in agreement processing, while disrupting prosodic projection via word-by-word presentation decreased comprehension accuracy. For the L2 participants, however, phrase-by-phrase presentation was not significantly beneficial for agreement processing, and additionally resulted in lower comprehension accuracy. These differences point to a significant role of prosodic phrasing during agreement processing in both L1 and L2 speakers, additionally suggesting that it may contribute to a cue-based retrieval agreement model, either acting as a cue directly, or otherwise scaffolding the retrieval process. The discussion and results presented provide support both for a cue-based retrieval mechanism in

  4. Implicit Prosody and Cue-based Retrieval: L1 and L2 Agreement and Comprehension during Reading.

    PubMed

    Pratt, Elizabeth; Fernández, Eva M

    2016-01-01

    This project focuses on structural and prosodic effects during reading, examining their influence on agreement processing and comprehension in native English (L1) and Spanish-English bilingual (L2) speakers. We consolidate research from several distinct areas of inquiry-cognitive processing, reading fluency, and L1/L2 processing-in order to support the integration of prosody with a cue-based retrieval mechanism for subject-verb agreement. To explore this proposal, the experimental design manipulated text presentation to influence implicit prosody, using sentences designed to induce subject-verb agreement attraction errors. Materials included simple and complex relative clauses with head nouns and verbs that were either matched or mismatched for number. Participants read items in one of three presentation formats (whole sentence, word-by-word, or phrase-by-phrase), rated each item for grammaticality, and responded to a comprehension probe. Results indicated that while overall, message comprehension was prioritized over subject-verb agreement computation, presentation format differentially affected both measures in the L1 and L2 groups. For the L1 participants, facilitating the projection of phrasal prosody onto text (phrase-by-phrase presentation) enhanced performance in agreement processing, while disrupting prosodic projection via word-by-word presentation decreased comprehension accuracy. For the L2 participants, however, phrase-by-phrase presentation was not significantly beneficial for agreement processing, and additionally resulted in lower comprehension accuracy. These differences point to a significant role of prosodic phrasing during agreement processing in both L1 and L2 speakers, additionally suggesting that it may contribute to a cue-based retrieval agreement model, either acting as a cue directly, or otherwise scaffolding the retrieval process. The discussion and results presented provide support both for a cue-based retrieval mechanism in agreement

  5. A comparison of Boolean-based retrieval to the WAIS system for retrieval of aeronautical information

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Marchionini, Gary; Barlow, Diane

    1994-01-01

    An evaluation of an information retrieval system using a Boolean-based retrieval engine and inverted file architecture and WAIS, which uses a vector-based engine, was conducted. Four research questions in aeronautical engineering were used to retrieve sets of citations from the NASA Aerospace Database which was mounted on a WAIS server and available through Dialog File 108 which served as the Boolean-based system (BBS). High recall and high precision searches were done in the BBS and terse and verbose queries were used in the WAIS condition. Precision values for the WAIS searches were consistently above the precision values for high recall BBS searches and consistently below the precision values for high precision BBS searches. Terse WAIS queries gave somewhat better precision performance than verbose WAIS queries. In every case, a small number of relevant documents retrieved by one system were not retrieved by the other, indicating the incomplete nature of the results from either retrieval system. Relevant documents in the WAIS searches were found to be randomly distributed in the retrieved sets rather than distributed by ranks. Advantages and limitations of both types of systems are discussed.

  6. Middle Term Achievements of Project 5322: Retrieval Of Key Eco-Hydrological Parameters From Remote Sensing In The Watershed Allied Telemetry Experimental Research (Water)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Xin; Menenti, Massimo

    2010-10-01

    The general objective of project 5322 in the Dragon 2 programme is to quantitatively retrieve some key eco- hydrological parameters by using remote sensed data, especially from ESA, Chinese, and the Third Party Mission (TPM). To achieve this goal, a comprehensive observation experiment, Watershed Allied Telemetry Experimental Research (WATER) was carried out. WARER is a simultaneously airborne, satellite-borne, and ground-based remote sensing experiment took place in the Heihe River Basin, a typical inland river basin in the northwest of China. This paper introduces the background and implementation of WATER. Data have been obtained so far are described in details. After a period of data analysis for two years, numerous results have also been achieved. This paper presents some early results of WATER as well.

  7. Use of information-retrieval languages in automated retrieval of experimental data from long-term storage

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Khovanskiy, Y. D.; Kremneva, N. I.

    1975-01-01

    Problems and methods are discussed of automating information retrieval operations in a data bank used for long term storage and retrieval of data from scientific experiments. Existing information retrieval languages are analyzed along with those being developed. The results of studies discussing the application of the descriptive 'Kristall' language used in the 'ASIOR' automated information retrieval system are presented. The development and use of a specialized language of the classification-descriptive type, using universal decimal classification indices as the main descriptors, is described.

  8. The 2007 Projected Impacts to Clark County and Local Government Public Safety Agencies Resulting from the Transportation of High- Level Nuclear Waste to Yucca Mountain

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

    Mushkatel, A.H.; Conway, P.H.D.S.; Navis, I.

    2008-07-01

    This paper focuses on projecting fiscal impacts to public safety agencies from the proposed high-level nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. The efforts made by Clark County Nevada, to develop a fiscal model of impacts for public safety agencies are described in this paper. In addition, the scenarios used in the study are discussed, as well as a discussion of the plume models provided for each community's scenario that result from the efforts of the National Atmospheric Release Advisory Center (NARAC). Some of the difficulties in constructing a fiscal model of impacts for the entire 24 year high-level nuclearmore » waste transportation shipping campaign are identified, and a refined methodology is provided to accomplish this task. Finally, a comparison of the fiscal impact projections for public safety agencies that Clark County developed in 2001, 2005 are discussed, and the fiscal impact cost projections for the entire 24 year transportation campaign are provided. (authors)« less

  9. Application of information-retrieval methods to the classification of physical data

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mamotko, Z. N.; Khorolskaya, S. K.; Shatrovskiy, L. I.

    1975-01-01

    Scientific data received from satellites are characterized as a multi-dimensional time series, whose terms are vector functions of a vector of measurement conditions. Information retrieval methods are used to construct lower dimensional samples on the basis of the condition vector, in order to obtain these data and to construct partial relations. The methods are applied to the joint Soviet-French Arkad project.

  10. Using Induction to Refine Information Retrieval Strategies

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Baudin, Catherine; Pell, Barney; Kedar, Smadar

    1994-01-01

    Conceptual information retrieval systems use structured document indices, domain knowledge and a set of heuristic retrieval strategies to match user queries with a set of indices describing the document's content. Such retrieval strategies increase the set of relevant documents retrieved (increase recall), but at the expense of returning additional irrelevant documents (decrease precision). Usually in conceptual information retrieval systems this tradeoff is managed by hand and with difficulty. This paper discusses ways of managing this tradeoff by the application of standard induction algorithms to refine the retrieval strategies in an engineering design domain. We gathered examples of query/retrieval pairs during the system's operation using feedback from a user on the retrieved information. We then fed these examples to the induction algorithm and generated decision trees that refine the existing set of retrieval strategies. We found that (1) induction improved the precision on a set of queries generated by another user, without a significant loss in recall, and (2) in an interactive mode, the decision trees pointed out flaws in the retrieval and indexing knowledge and suggested ways to refine the retrieval strategies.

  11. I-NERI-2007-004-K, DEVELOPMENT AND CHARACTERIZATION OF NEW HIGH-LEVEL WASTE FORMS FOR ACHIEVING WASTE MINIMIZATION FROM PYROPROCESSING

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

    S.M. Frank

    Work describe in this report represents the final year activities for the 3-year International Nuclear Energy Research Initiative (I-NERI) project: Development and Characterization of New High-Level Waste Forms for Achieving Waste Minimization from Pyroprocessing. Used electrorefiner salt that contained actinide chlorides and was highly loaded with surrogate fission products was processed into three candidate waste forms. The first waste form, a high-loaded ceramic waste form is a variant to the CWF produced during the treatment of Experimental Breeder Reactor-II used fuel at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). The two other waste forms were developed by researchers at the Korean Atomicmore » Energy Research Institute (KAERI). These materials are based on a silica-alumina-phosphate matrix and a zinc/titanium oxide matrix. The proposed waste forms, and the processes to fabricate them, were designed to immobilize spent electrorefiner chloride salts containing alkali, alkaline earth, lanthanide, and halide fission products that accumulate in the salt during the processing of used nuclear fuel. This aspect of the I-NERI project was to demonstrate 'hot cell' fabrication and characterization of the proposed waste forms. The outline of the report includes the processing of the spent electrorefiner salt and the fabrication of each of the three waste forms. Also described is the characterization of the waste forms, and chemical durability testing of the material. While waste form fabrication and sample preparation for characterization must be accomplished in a radiological hot cell facility due to hazardous radioactivity levels, smaller quantities of each waste form were removed from the hot cell to perform various analyses. Characterization included density measurement, elemental analysis, x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and the Product Consistency Test, which is a leaching method to measure chemical durability. Favorable results from this demonstration

  12. Activities of information retrieval in Daicel Corporation : The roles and efforts of information retrieval team

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yamazaki, Towako

    In order to stabilize and improve quality of information retrieval service, the information retrieval team of Daicel Corporation has given some efforts on standard operating procedures, interview sheet for information retrieval, structured format for search report, and search expressions for some technological fields of Daicel. These activities and efforts will also lead to skill sharing and skill tradition between searchers. In addition, skill improvements are needed not only for a searcher individually, but also for the information retrieval team totally when playing searcher's new roles.

  13. Semantic-based surveillance video retrieval.

    PubMed

    Hu, Weiming; Xie, Dan; Fu, Zhouyu; Zeng, Wenrong; Maybank, Steve

    2007-04-01

    Visual surveillance produces large amounts of video data. Effective indexing and retrieval from surveillance video databases are very important. Although there are many ways to represent the content of video clips in current video retrieval algorithms, there still exists a semantic gap between users and retrieval systems. Visual surveillance systems supply a platform for investigating semantic-based video retrieval. In this paper, a semantic-based video retrieval framework for visual surveillance is proposed. A cluster-based tracking algorithm is developed to acquire motion trajectories. The trajectories are then clustered hierarchically using the spatial and temporal information, to learn activity models. A hierarchical structure of semantic indexing and retrieval of object activities, where each individual activity automatically inherits all the semantic descriptions of the activity model to which it belongs, is proposed for accessing video clips and individual objects at the semantic level. The proposed retrieval framework supports various queries including queries by keywords, multiple object queries, and queries by sketch. For multiple object queries, succession and simultaneity restrictions, together with depth and breadth first orders, are considered. For sketch-based queries, a method for matching trajectories drawn by users to spatial trajectories is proposed. The effectiveness and efficiency of our framework are tested in a crowded traffic scene.

  14. Comparison of infectious waste management in European hospitals.

    PubMed

    Mühlich, M; Scherrer, M; Daschner, F D

    2003-12-01

    A research project sponsored by the EC-LIFE programme was conducted to compare waste management in five different European hospitals. A comparison of the regulations governing current waste management revealed different strategies for defining infectious hospital waste. The differences in the infrastructure were examined and the consequences for waste segregation and disposal were discussed under economic and ecological aspects. In this context the definition of infectious waste is very important.

  15. Accelerator driven reactors and nuclear waste management projects in the Czech Republic

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

    Janouch, F.; Mach, R.

    1995-10-01

    The Czech Republic is almost the only country in the central Europe which continues with the construction of nuclear power reactors. Its small territory and dense population causes public worries concerning the disposal of the spent nuclear fuel. The Czech nuclear scientists and the power companies and the nuclear industries are therefore looking for alternative solutions. The Los Alamos ATW project had received a positive response in the Czech mass-media and even in the industrial and governmental quarters. The recent scientific symposium {open_quotes}Accelerator driven reactors and nuclear waste management{close_quotes} convened at the Liblice castle near Prague, 27-29. 6. 1994 andmore » sponsored by the Czech Energy Company CEZ, reviewed the competencies and experimental basis in the Czech republic and made the first attempt to formulate the national approach and to establish international collaboration in this area.« less

  16. A Method to Retrieve Rainfall Rate over Land from TRMM Observations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Prabhakara, C.; Iacovazzi, R., Jr.; Yoo, J.-M.

    2002-01-01

    Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Precipitation Radar (PR) observations over mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) reveal that there are localized maxima in the rain rate with a scale of about 10 to 20 km that represent thunderstorms (Cbs). Some of these Cbs are developing or intense, while others are decaying or weak. These Cbs constitute only about 20 % of the rain area of a given MCS. Outside of Cbs, the average rain rate is much weaker than that within Cbs. From an analysis of the PR data, we find that the spatial distribution of rain and its character, convective or stratiform, is highly inhomogeneous. This complex nature of rain exists on a scale comparable to that of a Cb. The 85 GHz brightness temperature, T85, observations of the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI) radiometer taken over an MCS reflect closely the PR rain rate pattern over land. Local maxima in rain rate shown by PR are observed as local minima in T85. Where there are no minima in T85, PR observations indicate there is light rain. However, the TMI brightness temperature measurements (Tbs) have poor ability to discriminate convective rain from stratiform rain. For this reason, a TMI rain retrieval procedure that depends primarily on the magnitude of Tbs performs poorly. In order to retrieve rain rate from TMI data on land one has to include the spatial distribution information deduced from the T85 data in the retrieval method. Then, quantitative estimation of rain rate can be accomplished. A TMI rain retrieval method developed along these lines can yield estimates of rain rate and its frequency distribution which agree closely with that given by PR. We find the current TRMM project TMI (Version 5) rain retrieval algorithm on land could be improved with the retrieval scheme developed here. To support the conceptual frame work of the rain retrieval method developed here, a theoretical analysis of the TMI brightness temperatures in convective and stratiform regions is presented.

  17. The GRAPE aerosol retrieval algorithm

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thomas, G. E.; Poulsen, C. A.; Sayer, A. M.; Marsh, S. H.; Dean, S. M.; Carboni, E.; Siddans, R.; Grainger, R. G.; Lawrence, B. N.

    2009-11-01

    The aerosol component of the Oxford-Rutherford Aerosol and Cloud (ORAC) combined cloud and aerosol retrieval scheme is described and the theoretical performance of the algorithm is analysed. ORAC is an optimal estimation retrieval scheme for deriving cloud and aerosol properties from measurements made by imaging satellite radiometers and, when applied to cloud free radiances, provides estimates of aerosol optical depth at a wavelength of 550 nm, aerosol effective radius and surface reflectance at 550 nm. The aerosol retrieval component of ORAC has several incarnations - this paper addresses the version which operates in conjunction with the cloud retrieval component of ORAC (described by Watts et al., 1998), as applied in producing the Global Retrieval of ATSR Cloud Parameters and Evaluation (GRAPE) data-set. The algorithm is described in detail and its performance examined. This includes a discussion of errors resulting from the formulation of the forward model, sensitivity of the retrieval to the measurements and a priori constraints, and errors resulting from assumptions made about the atmospheric/surface state.

  18. The GRAPE aerosol retrieval algorithm

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thomas, G. E.; Poulsen, C. A.; Sayer, A. M.; Marsh, S. H.; Dean, S. M.; Carboni, E.; Siddans, R.; Grainger, R. G.; Lawrence, B. N.

    2009-04-01

    The aerosol component of the Oxford-Rutherford Aerosol and Cloud (ORAC) combined cloud and aerosol retrieval scheme is described and the theoretical performance of the algorithm is analysed. ORAC is an optimal estimation retrieval scheme for deriving cloud and aerosol properties from measurements made by imaging satellite radiometers and, when applied to cloud free radiances, provides estimates of aerosol optical depth at a wavelength of 550 nm, aerosol effective radius and surface reflectance at 550 nm. The aerosol retrieval component of ORAC has several incarnations - this paper addresses the version which operates in conjunction with the cloud retrieval component of ORAC (described by Watts et al., 1998), as applied in producing the Global Retrieval of ATSR Cloud Parameters and Evaluation (GRAPE) data-set. The algorithm is described in detail and its performance examined. This includes a discussion of errors resulting from the formulation of the forward model, sensitivity of the retrieval to the measurements and a priori constraints, and errors resulting from assumptions made about the atmospheric/surface state.

  19. Dissociating retrieval success from incidental encoding activity during emotional memory retrieval, in the medial temporal lobe

    PubMed Central

    Shafer, Andrea T.; Dolcos, Florin

    2014-01-01

    The memory-enhancing effect of emotion has been linked to the engagement of emotion- and memory-related medial temporal lobe (MTL) regions (amygdala-AMY; hippocampus-HC; parahippocampus-PHC), during both encoding and retrieval. However, recognition tasks used to investigate the neural correlates of retrieval make it difficult to distinguish MTL engagement linked to retrieval success (RS) from that linked to incidental encoding success (ES) during retrieval. This issue has been investigated for retrieval of non-emotional memories, but not for emotional memory retrieval. To address this, we used event-related functional MRI in conjunction with an emotional distraction and two episodic memory tasks (one testing memory for distracter items and the other testing memory for new/lure items presented in the first memory task). This paradigm allowed for dissociation of MTL activity specifically linked to RS from that linked to both RS and incidental ES during retrieval. There were two novel findings regarding the neural correlates of emotional memory retrieval. First, greater emotional RS was identified bilaterally in AMY, HC, and PHC. However, AMY activity was most impacted when accounting for ES activity, as only RS activity in left AMY was dissociated from ES activity during retrieval, whereas portions of HC and PHC showing greater emotional RS were largely uninvolved in ES. Second, an earlier and more anteriorly spread response (left AMY and bilateral HC, PHC) was linked to greater emotional RS activity, whereas a later and more posteriorly localized response (right posterior PHC) was linked to greater neutral RS activity. These findings shed light on MTL mechanisms subserving the memory-enhancing effect of emotion at retrieval. PMID:24917798

  20. Converting campus waste into renewable energy - a case study for the University of Cincinnati.

    PubMed

    Tu, Qingshi; Zhu, Chao; McAvoy, Drew C

    2015-05-01

    This paper evaluates the implementation of three waste-to-energy projects at the University of Cincinnati: waste cooking oil-to-biodiesel, waste paper-to-fuel pellets and food waste-to-biogas, respectively. The implementation of these waste-to-energy (WTE) projects would lead to the improvement of campus sustainability by minimizing waste management efforts and reducing GHG emissions via the displacement of fossil fuel usage. Technical and economic aspects of their implementation were assessed and the corresponding GHG reduction was estimated. Results showed that on-site implementation of these projects would: (1) divert 3682L (974 gallons) of waste cooking oil to 3712L (982 gallons) of biodiesel; (2) produce 138tonnes of fuel pellets from 133tonnes of waste paper (with the addition of 20.75tonnes of plastics) to replace121tonnes of coal; and (3) produce biogas that would be enough to replace 12,767m(3) natural gas every year from 146tonnes of food waste. The economic analysis determined that the payback periods for the three projects would be 16months for the biodiesel, 155months for the fuel pellet, and 74months for the biogas projects. The reduction of GHG emission from the implementation of the three WTE projects was determined to be 9.37 (biodiesel), 260.49 (fuel pellets), and 11.36 (biogas) tonnes of CO2-eq per year, respectively. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Impact of an inferior vena cava filter retrieval algorithm on filter retrieval rates in a cancer population.

    PubMed

    Litwin, Robert J; Huang, Steven Y; Sabir, Sharjeel H; Hoang, Quoc B; Ahrar, Kamran; Ahrar, Judy; Tam, Alda L; Mahvash, Armeen; Ensor, Joe E; Kroll, Michael; Gupta, Sanjay

    2017-09-01

    Our primary purpose was to assess the impact of an inferior vena cava filter retrieval algorithm in a cancer population. Because cancer patients are at persistently elevated risk for development of venous thromboembolism (VTE), our secondary purpose was to assess the incidence of recurrent VTE in patients who underwent filter retrieval. Patients with malignant disease who had retrievable filters placed at a tertiary care cancer hospital from August 2010 to July 2014 were retrospectively studied. A filter retrieval algorithm was established in August 2012. Patients and referring physicians were contacted in the postintervention period when review of the medical record indicated that filter retrieval was clinically appropriate. Patients were classified into preintervention (August 2010-July 2012) and postintervention (August 2012-July 2014) study cohorts. Retrieval rates and clinical pathologic records were reviewed. Filter retrieval was attempted in 34 (17.4%) of 195 patients in the preintervention cohort and 66 (32.8%) of 201 patients in the postintervention cohort (P < .01). The median time to filter retrieval in the preintervention and postintervention cohorts was 60 days (range, 20-428 days) and 107 days (range, 9-600 days), respectively (P = .16). In the preintervention cohort, 49 of 195 (25.1%) patients were lost to follow-up compared with 24 of 201 (11.9%) patients in the postintervention cohort (P < .01). Survival was calculated from the date of filter placement to death, when available. The overall survival for patients whose filters were retrieved was longer compared with the overall survival for patients whose filters were not retrieved (P < .0001). Of the 80 patients who underwent successful filter retrieval, two patients (2.5%) suffered from recurrent VTE (n = 1 nonfatal pulmonary embolism; n = 1 deep venous thrombosis). Both patients were treated with anticoagulation without filter replacement. Inferior vena cava filter retrieval rates can be

  2. Cloud property datasets retrieved from AVHRR, MODIS, AATSR and MERIS in the framework of the Cloud_cci project

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stengel, Martin; Stapelberg, Stefan; Sus, Oliver; Schlundt, Cornelia; Poulsen, Caroline; Thomas, Gareth; Christensen, Matthew; Carbajal Henken, Cintia; Preusker, Rene; Fischer, Jürgen; Devasthale, Abhay; Willén, Ulrika; Karlsson, Karl-Göran; McGarragh, Gregory R.; Proud, Simon; Povey, Adam C.; Grainger, Roy G.; Fokke Meirink, Jan; Feofilov, Artem; Bennartz, Ralf; Bojanowski, Jedrzej S.; Hollmann, Rainer

    2017-11-01

    New cloud property datasets based on measurements from the passive imaging satellite sensors AVHRR, MODIS, ATSR2, AATSR and MERIS are presented. Two retrieval systems were developed that include components for cloud detection and cloud typing followed by cloud property retrievals based on the optimal estimation (OE) technique. The OE-based retrievals are applied to simultaneously retrieve cloud-top pressure, cloud particle effective radius and cloud optical thickness using measurements at visible, near-infrared and thermal infrared wavelengths, which ensures spectral consistency. The retrieved cloud properties are further processed to derive cloud-top height, cloud-top temperature, cloud liquid water path, cloud ice water path and spectral cloud albedo. The Cloud_cci products are pixel-based retrievals, daily composites of those on a global equal-angle latitude-longitude grid, and monthly cloud properties such as averages, standard deviations and histograms, also on a global grid. All products include rigorous propagation of the retrieval and sampling uncertainties. Grouping the orbital properties of the sensor families, six datasets have been defined, which are named AVHRR-AM, AVHRR-PM, MODIS-Terra, MODIS-Aqua, ATSR2-AATSR and MERIS+AATSR, each comprising a specific subset of all available sensors. The individual characteristics of the datasets are presented together with a summary of the retrieval systems and measurement records on which the dataset generation were based. Example validation results are given, based on comparisons to well-established reference observations, which demonstrate the good quality of the data. In particular the ensured spectral consistency and the rigorous uncertainty propagation through all processing levels can be considered as new features of the Cloud_cci datasets compared to existing datasets. In addition, the consistency among the individual datasets allows for a potential combination of them as well as facilitates studies on the

  3. Application of Rough Sets to Information Retrieval.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Miyamoto, Sadaaki

    1998-01-01

    Develops a method of rough retrieval, an application of the rough set theory to information retrieval. The aim is to: (1) show that rough sets are naturally applied to information retrieval in which categorized information structure is used; and (2) show that a fuzzy retrieval scheme is induced from the rough retrieval. (AEF)

  4. Extinction learning, which consists of the inhibition of retrieval, can be learned without retrieval.

    PubMed

    de Carvalho Myskiw, Jociane; Furini, Cristiane Regina Guerino; Schmidt, Bianca; Ferreira, Flávia; Izquierdo, Ivan

    2015-01-13

    In the present study we test the hypothesis that extinction is not a consequence of retrieval in unreinforced conditioned stimulus (CS) presentation but the mere perception of the CS in the absence of a conditioned response. Animals with cannulae implanted in the CA1 region of hippocampus were subjected to extinction of contextual fear conditioning. Muscimol infused intra-CA1 before an extinction training session of contextual fear conditioning (CFC) blocks retrieval but not consolidation of extinction measured 24 h later. Additionally, this inhibition of retrieval does not affect early persistence of extinction when tested 7 d later or its spontaneous recovery after 2 wk. Furthermore, both anisomycin, an inhibitor of ribosomal protein synthesis, and rapamycin, an inhibitor of extraribosomal protein synthesis, given into the CA1, impair extinction of CFC regardless of whether its retrieval was blocked by muscimol. Therefore, retrieval performance in the first unreinforced session is not necessary for the installation, maintenance, or spontaneous recovery of extinction of CFC.

  5. Taiwan`s experience with municipal waste recycling

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

    Lee, C.H.

    1998-12-31

    Currently, each person on the average produces 1.15 kg of the municipal waste per day and a total of 9 million metric tons were generated annually in Taiwan. The disposal of such a huge amount of waste presents tremendous challenge for the island due to the scarcity of landfills and incineration facilities available locally. EPA of Taiwan, R.O.C. thus takes an active role in promoting waste recycling to reduce the garbage produced in municipalities. In order to efficiently utilize the government`s human and financial resources used in recycling, started from January 31, 1989, EPA has mandated the producer responsibility recyclingmore » program for several designated post-consumer products such as PET, PVC bottles, scrap tires, scrap motor vehicles, etc. Producer responsibility recycling program specifies that the manufacturers, importers and sellers of these designated products have the responsibility to retrieve their products and recycle them properly. Several negative effects have been encountered while the implementation of this producer responsibility recycling program in Taiwan which resulted in a modification of this recycling program recently. This paper presents the encountered experiences on the implementation of municipal waste recycling program in Taiwan.« less

  6. Pulling History from the Waste Stream: Identification and Collection of Manhattan Project and Cold War Era Artifacts on the Hanford Site

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

    Marceau, Thomas E.; Watson, Thomas L.

    One man's trash is another man's treasure. Not everything called "waste" is meant for the refuse pile. The mission of the Curation Program is at direct odds with the remediation objectives of the Hanford Site. While others are busily tearing down and burying the Site's physical structures and their associated contents, the Curation Program seeks to preserve the tangible elements of the Site's history from these structures for future generations before they flow into the waste stream. Under the provisions of a Programmatic Agreement, Cultural Resources staff initiated a project to identify and collect artifacts and archives that have historicmore » or interpretive value in documenting the role of the Hanford Site throughout the Manhattan Project and Cold War Era. The genesis of Hanford's modern day Curation Program, its evolution over nearly two decades, issues encountered, and lessons learned along the way -- particularly the importance of upper management advocacy, when and how identification efforts should be accomplished, the challenges of working within a radiological setting, and the importance of first hand information -- are presented.« less

  7. Technology Projects for the Classroom [and] Teacher's Guide.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kaufman, Allan; Flowers, Jim

    This book presents 20 projects for technology education students. The emphasis is on problem solving and hands-on learning through projects dealing with a wide variety of technologies/industries, including the following: robotics, information storage and retrieval, communications, transportation, electronics, manufacturing, construction, materials…

  8. Striatal contributions to declarative memory retrieval

    PubMed Central

    Scimeca, Jason M.; Badre, David

    2012-01-01

    Declarative memory is known to depend on the medial temporal lobe memory system. Recently, there has been renewed focus on the relationship between the basal ganglia and declarative memory, including the involvement of striatum. However, the contribution of striatum to declarative memory retrieval remains unknown. Here, we review neuroimaging and neuropsychological evidence for the involvement of the striatum in declarative memory retrieval. From this review, we propose that, along with the prefrontal cortex (PFC), the striatum primarily supports cognitive control of memory retrieval. We conclude by proposing three hypotheses for the specific role of striatum in retrieval: (1) Striatum modulates the re-encoding of retrieved items in accord with their expected utility (adaptive encoding), (2) striatum selectively admits information into working memory that is expected to increase the likelihood of successful retrieval (adaptive gating), and (3) striatum enacts adjustments in cognitive control based on the outcome of retrieval (reinforcement learning). PMID:22884322

  9. Selection and Cataloging for an Automated Retrieval Collection: Viewpoint of a Cataloger

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Skinner, Debra G.

    2010-01-01

    In the summer of 2004, Georgia Southern University began a library construction project that was to last 4 years. An important aspect was the installation of an Automated Retrieval System (ARC) to house a substantial portion of the library collections so that more space could be available for students, faculty, and the services to meet their…

  10. Online Search Services in the Public Library: Project Dialib.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ahlgren, Alice E.

    Lockheed has undertaken Project DIALIB to determine whether online retrieval services could be useful to the general public, and if the public library could serve as the linking agent for these services. As part of the study, DIALOG, Lockheed's online reference retrieval system, has been made available to the public through four public libraries…

  11. Paged GIRS (Graph Information Retrieval System) Users Manual.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1981-05-01

    AD-Ag" in DAVID W TAYLOR NAVAL SHIP RESEARCH AND OEVELOPMENT CE--ETC F/9 5/2 PAGED GIRS (GRAPWN ZORM4ATION RETRIEVAL SYSTEM) USERS MANUAL.(U) MAY 61...PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME AND ADDRESS 10. PROGRAM ELEMENT. PROJECT. TASK AREA A WORK UNIT MBESS David W . Taylor Naval Ship Research and Development...CURAG(2) - 1 0060 J =0 0061 CALL LVFPEX(J,: ’,J,J) C C NO MORE CONTINUANTS " 0062 IF(MSARET ,IE. O) GO TO S0 90 AD-A*" &1*5 DAVID W TAYLOR NAVAL. SHIP

  12. Liquid secondary waste: Waste form formulation and qualification

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

    Cozzi, A. D.; Dixon, K. L.; Hill, K. A.

    The Hanford Site Effluent Treatment Facility (ETF) currently treats aqueous waste streams generated during site cleanup activities. When the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) begins operations, including Direct Feed Low Activity Waste (DFLAW) vitrification, a liquid secondary waste (LSW) stream from the WTP will need to be treated. The volume of effluent for treatment at the ETF will increase significantly. The powdered salt waste form produced by the ETF will be replaced by a stabilized solidified waste form for disposal in Hanford’s Integrated Disposal Facility (IDF). Washington River Protection Solutions is implementing a Secondary Liquid Waste Immobilizationmore » Technology Development Plan to address the technology needs for a waste form and solidification process to treat the increased volume of waste planned for disposal at the IDF. Waste form testing to support this plan is composed of work in the near term to provide data as input to a performance assessment (PA) for Hanford’s IDF. In 2015, three Hanford Liquid Secondary Waste simulants were developed based on existing and projected waste streams. Using these waste simulants, fourteen mixes of Hanford Liquid Secondary Waste were prepared and tested varying the waste simulant, the water-to-dry materials ratio, and the dry materials blend composition.1 In FY16, testing was performed using a simulant of the EMF process condensate blended with the caustic scrubber—from the Low Activity Waste (LAW) melter—, processed through the ETF. The initial EMF-16 simulant will be based on modeling efforts performed to determine the mass balance of the ETF for the DFLAW.2 The compressive strength of all of the mixes exceeded the target of 3.4 MPa (500 psi) to meet the requirements identified as potential IDF Waste Acceptance Criteria in Table 1 of the Secondary Liquid Waste Immobilization Technology Development Plan.3 The hydraulic properties of the waste forms tested (hydraulic

  13. Project CAREER/CAN. Final Evaluation Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National Educational Evaluation Services, Inc., Chestnut Hill, MA.

    A description and evaluation of (1) the development of the 4-column process which completes the behavioral objective data base, (2) the development of the computer retrieval capability, and (3) the pilot testing of the product in high school classrooms are included in this summative evaluation of Project CAREER/CAN. (Goals of Project CAREER/CAN,…

  14. Retrieval-Induced vs. Context-Induced Forgetting: Does Retrieval-Induced Forgetting Depend on Context Shifts?

    PubMed Central

    Soares, Julia S.; Polack, Cody W.; Miller, Ralph R.

    2015-01-01

    Retrieval-induced forgetting (RIF) is the observation that retrieval of target information causes forgetting of related non-target information. A number of accounts of this phenomenon have been proposed, including a context-shift based account (Jonker, Seli, & Macleod, 2013). This account proposes that RIF occurs due to the context shift from study to retrieval practice, provided there is little context shift between retrieval practice and test phases. We tested both claims put forth by this context account. In Experiment 1, we degraded the context shift between study and retrieval practice by implementing a generative study condition that was highly similar to retrieval practice. We observed no degradation of RIF for these generated exemplars relative to a conventional study control. In Experiment 2, we conceptually replicated the finding of RIF following generative study, and tested whether context differences between each of the three phases affected the size of RIF. Our findings were again contrary to the predictions of the context account. Conjointly, the two experiments refute arguments about the potential inadequacy of our context shifts that could be used to explain either result alone. Overall, our results are most consistent with an inhibitory account of RIF (e.g., Anderson, 2003). PMID:26389628

  15. Infrared Retrievals of Ice Cloud Properties and Uncertainties with an Optimal Estimation Retrieval Method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, C.; Platnick, S. E.; Meyer, K.; Zhang, Z.

    2014-12-01

    We developed an optimal estimation (OE)-based method using infrared (IR) observations to retrieve ice cloud optical thickness (COT), cloud effective radius (CER), and cloud top height (CTH) simultaneously. The OE-based retrieval is coupled with a fast IR radiative transfer model (RTM) that simulates observations of different sensors, and corresponding Jacobians in cloudy atmospheres. Ice cloud optical properties are calculated using the MODIS Collection 6 (C6) ice crystal habit (severely roughened hexagonal column aggregates). The OE-based method can be applied to various IR space-borne and airborne sensors, such as the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and the enhanced MODIS Airborne Simulator (eMAS), by optimally selecting IR bands with high information content. Four major error sources (i.e., the measurement error, fast RTM error, model input error, and pre-assumed ice crystal habit error) are taken into account in our OE retrieval method. We show that measurement error and fast RTM error have little impact on cloud retrievals, whereas errors from the model input and pre-assumed ice crystal habit significantly increase retrieval uncertainties when the cloud is optically thin. Comparisons between the OE-retrieved ice cloud properties and other operational cloud products (e.g., the MODIS C6 and CALIOP cloud products) are shown.

  16. Does retrieval intentionality really matter? Similarities and differences between involuntary memories and directly and generatively retrieved voluntary memories.

    PubMed

    Barzykowski, Krystian; Staugaard, Søren Risløv

    2016-08-01

    Theories of autobiographical memory distinguish between involuntary and voluntary retrieval as a consequence of conscious intention (i.e., wanting to remember). Another distinction can be made between direct and generative retrieval, which reflects the effort involved (i.e., trying to remember). However, it is unclear how intention and effort interacts. For example, involuntary memories and directly retrieved memories have been used interchangeably in the literature to refer to the same phenomenon of effortless, non-strategic retrieval. More recent theoretical advances suggest that they are separate types of retrieval, one unintentional (involuntary), another intentional and effortless (direct voluntary retrieval), and a third intentional and effortful (generative voluntary retrieval). Whether this also entails differing phenomenological characteristics, such as vividness, rehearsal, or emotional valence, has not been previously investigated. In the current study, participants reported memories in an experimental paradigm designed to elicit voluntary and involuntary memories and rated them on a number of characteristics. If intention affects the retrieval process, then we should expect differences between the characteristics of involuntary and directly retrieved memories. The results imply that retrieval intention seems to differentiate how a memory appears in a person's mind. Furthermore, we argue that these differences in part could result from differences in encoding and consolidation. © 2015 The British Psychological Society.

  17. Quantifying construction and demolition waste: An analytical review

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

    Wu, Zezhou; Yu, Ann T.W., E-mail: bsannyu@polyu.edu.hk; Shen, Liyin

    2014-09-15

    Highlights: • Prevailing C and D waste quantification methodologies are identified and compared. • One specific methodology cannot fulfill all waste quantification scenarios. • A relevance tree for appropriate quantification methodology selection is proposed. • More attentions should be paid to civil and infrastructural works. • Classified information is suggested for making an effective waste management plan. - Abstract: Quantifying construction and demolition (C and D) waste generation is regarded as a prerequisite for the implementation of successful waste management. In literature, various methods have been employed to quantify the C and D waste generation at both regional and projectmore » levels. However, an integrated review that systemically describes and analyses all the existing methods has yet to be conducted. To bridge this research gap, an analytical review is conducted. Fifty-seven papers are retrieved based on a set of rigorous procedures. The characteristics of the selected papers are classified according to the following criteria - waste generation activity, estimation level and quantification methodology. Six categories of existing C and D waste quantification methodologies are identified, including site visit method, waste generation rate method, lifetime analysis method, classification system accumulation method, variables modelling method and other particular methods. A critical comparison of the identified methods is given according to their characteristics and implementation constraints. Moreover, a decision tree is proposed for aiding the selection of the most appropriate quantification method in different scenarios. Based on the analytical review, limitations of previous studies and recommendations of potential future research directions are further suggested.« less

  18. Retrieval Cues on Tests: A Strategy for Helping Students Overcome Retrieval Failure

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gallagher, Kristel M.

    2017-01-01

    Students often struggle to recall information on tests, frequently claiming to experience a "retrieval failure" of learned information. Thus, the retrieval of information from memory may be a roadblock to student success. I propose a relatively simple adjustment to the wording of test items to help eliminate this potential barrier.…

  19. Joint Retrieval Of Surface Reflectance And Aerosol Properties: Application To MSG/SEVIRI in the framework of the aerosol_cci project

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Luffarelli, Marta; Govaerts, Yves; Goossens, Cedric

    2017-04-01

    A new versatile algorithm for the joint retrieval of surface reflectance and aerosol properties has been developed and tested at Rayference. This algorithm, named Combined Inversion of Surface and Aerosols (CISAR), includes a fast physically-based Radiative Transfer Model (RTM) accounting for the surface reflectance anisotropy and its coupling with aerosol scattering. This RTM explicitly solves the radiative transfer equation during the inversion process, without relying on pre-calculated integrals stored in LUT, allowing for a continuous variation of the state variables in the solution space. The inversion is based on a Optimal Estimation (OE) approach, which seeks for the best balance between the information coming from the observation and the a priori information. The a priori information is any additional knowledge on the observed system and it can concern the magnitude of the state variable or constraints on temporal and spectral variability. Both observations and priori information are provided with the corresponding uncertainty. For each processed spectral band, CISAR delivers the surface Bidirectional Reflectance Factor (BRF) and aerosol optical thickness, discriminating the effects of small and large particles. It also provides the associated uncertainty covariance matrix for every processed pixels. In the framework of the ESA aerosol_cci project, CISAR is applied on TOA BRF acquired by SEVIRI onboard Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) in the VIS0.6, VIS0.8 and NIR1.6 spectral bands. SEVIRI observations are accumulated during several days to document the surface anisotropy and minimize the impact of clouds. While surface radiative properties are supposed constant during this accumulation period, aerosol properties are derived on an hourly basis. The information content of each MSG/SEVIRI band will be provided based on the analysis of the posterior uncertainty covariance matrix. The analysis will demonstrate in particular the capability of CISAR to decouple

  20. Technology Readiness Assessment of a Large DOE Waste Processing Facility

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2007-09-12

    Waste Generation at Hanford – Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant ( WTP ) Project • Motivation to Conduct TRA • TRA Approach • Actions to ensure...Hanford’s WTP will be the world’s largest radioactive waste treatment plant to treat Hanford’s underground tank waste Waste Treatment Plant ( WTP ) Major...Mass Maximize Activity WTP Flow Sheet – Key Process Flows Hanford Tank Waste 10 How is the Vitrified Waste Dispositioned? High Level Waste Canisters

  1. Community Air Sensor Network CAIRSENSE Project: Lower ...

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Presentation slides on the CAIRSENSE project, Atlanta field study testing low cost air sensors against FEM instruments. To be presented at the Air and Waste Management Association conference. Presentation slides on the CAIRSENSE project, Atlanta field study testing low cost air sensors against FEM instruments. To be presented at the Air and Waste Management Association conference.

  2. Microbial population dynamics during startup of a full-scale anaerobic digester treating industrial food waste in Kyoto eco-energy project.

    PubMed

    Ike, Michihiko; Inoue, Daisuke; Miyano, Tomoki; Liu, Tong Tong; Sei, Kazunari; Soda, Satoshi; Kadoshin, Shiro

    2010-06-01

    The microbial community in a full-scale anaerobic digester (2300m3) treating industrial food waste in the Kyoto Eco-Energy Project was analyzed using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism for eubacterial and archaeal 16S rRNA genes. Both thermophilic and mesophilic sludge of treated swine waste were seeded to the digestion tank. During the 150-day startup period, coffee grounds as a main food waste, along with potato, kelp and boiled beans, tofu, bean curd lees, and deep-fried bean curd were fed to the digestion process step-by-step (max. 40t/d). Finally, the methane yield reached 360m3/t-feed with 40days' retention time, although temporary accumulation of propionate was observed. Eubacterial communities that formed in the thermophilic digestion tank differed greatly from both thermophilic and mesophilic types of seed sludge. Results suggest that the Actinomyces/Thermomonospora and Ralstonia/Shewanella were contributors for hydrolyzation and degradation of food waste into volatile fatty acids. Acetate-utilizing methanogens, Methanosaeta, were dominant in seed sludges of both types, but they decreased drastically during processing in the digestion tank. Methanosarcina and Methanobrevibacter/Methanobacterium were, respectively, possible main contributors for methane production from acetate and H2 plus CO2. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. WastePlan model implementation for New York State. Final report

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

    Visalli, J.R.; Blackman, D.A.

    1995-07-01

    WastePlan is a computer software tool that models solid waste quantities, costs, and other parameters on a regional basis. The software was developed by the Tellus Institute, a nonprofit research and consulting firm. The project`s objective was to provide local solid waste management planners in New York State responsible to develop and implement comprehensive solid waste management plans authorized by the Solid Waste Management Act of 1988, with a WastePlan model specifically tailored to fit the demographic and other characteristics of New York State and to provide training and technical support to the users. Two-day workshops were held in 1992more » to introduce planners to the existing versions; subsequently, extensive changes were made to the model and a second set of two-day workshops were held in 1993 to introduce planners to the enhanced version of WastePlan. Following user evaluations, WastePlan was further modified to allow users to model systems using a simplified version, and to incorporate report forms required by New York State. A post-project survey of trainees revealed limited regular use of software. Possible reasons include lack of synchronicity with NYSDEC planning process; lack of computer literacy and aptitude among trainees; hardware limitations; software user-friendliness; and the work environment of the trainees. A number of recommendations are made to encourage use of WastePlan by local solid waste management planners.« less

  4. From Solid Waste to Energy.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wisely, F. E.; And Others

    A project designed to convert solid waste to energy is explained in this paper. In April, 1972, an investor-owned utility began to burn municipal solid waste as fuel for the direct production of electric power. This unique venture was a cooperative effort between the City of St. Louis, Missouri, and the Union Electric Company, with financial…

  5. An Information Storage and Retrieval System for Biological and Geological Data. Interim Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Squires, Donald F.

    A project is being conducted to test the feasibility of an information storage and retrieval system for museum specimen data, particularly for natural history museums. A pilot data processing system has been developed, with the specimen records from the national collections of birds, marine crustaceans, and rocks used as sample data. The research…

  6. Infrastructure Task Force Tribal Solid Waste Management

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    These documents describe 1) issues to consider when planning and designing community engagement approaches for tribal integrated waste management programs and 2) a proposed approach to improve tribal open dumps data and solid waste projects, and 3) an MOU.

  7. MINE WASTE TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM; PHOSPHATE STABILIZATION OF HEAVY METALS CONTAMINATED MINE WASTE YARD SOILS, JOPLIN, MISSOURI NPL SITE

    EPA Science Inventory

    This document summarizes the results of Mine Waste Technology Project 22-Phosphate Stabilization of Heavy Metals-Contaminated Mine Waste Yard Soils. Mining, milling, and smelting of ores near Joplin, Missouri, have resulted in heavy metal contamination of the area. The Joplin s...

  8. Dissociating the Electrophysiological Correlates between Item Retrieval and Associative Retrieval in Associative Recognition: From the Perspective of Directed Forgetting.

    PubMed

    Wang, Yujuan; Mao, Xinrui; Li, Bingbing; Wang, Wei; Guo, Chunyan

    2016-01-01

    Although many behavioral studies have reported associative memory was different from item memory, evidence coming from ERP researches has been in debate. In addition, directed forgetting effect for items has been fully discussed, but whether association between items can be directed-forgotten was unclear. The directed forgetting effect was important for dissociating the item retrieval and associative retrieval because of the one-to-one mapping relationship both between item retrieval and familiarity and between associative retrieval and recollection. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the dissociation between item retrieval and associative retrieval and test directed forgetting effect for associative information. Associative recognition paradigm combined with directed forgetting paradigm by ERP recording was employed. Old/rearranged effect in to-be-remembered condition, which was associated with associative memory, was significant at 500-800 ms (LPC) but not at 300-500 ms interval (FN400), indicating that item information was retrieved prior to associative information. The ERP wave calculated by subtracting the to-be-forgotten old pairs with "old" response from those with "rearranged" response, which reflected associative retrieval in the to-be-forgotten condition, was negative from 500 to 800 ms (reversed old/new effect), indicating that association between items can be directed-forgotten. Similar evidence was obtained by contrasting "rearranged" responses aimed to the to-be-forgotten old pairs with those aimed to the to-be-remembered rearranged pairs, which actually represented the complete failure of associative retrieval. Therefore, item retrieval and associative retrieval were indexed by FN400 and LPC respectively, with associative retrieval more inhibited than item retrieval.

  9. Space augmentation of military high-level waste disposal

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    English, T.; Lees, L.; Divita, E.

    1979-01-01

    Space disposal of selected components of military high-level waste (HLW) is considered. This disposal option offers the promise of eliminating the long-lived radionuclides in military HLW from the earth. A space mission which meets the dual requirements of long-term orbital stability and a maximum of one space shuttle launch per week over a period of 20-40 years, is a heliocentric orbit about halfway between the orbits of earth and Venus. Space disposal of high-level radioactive waste is characterized by long-term predictability and short-term uncertainties which must be reduced to acceptably low levels. For example, failure of either the Orbit Transfer Vehicle after leaving low earth orbit, or the storable propellant stage failure at perihelion would leave the nuclear waste package in an unplanned and potentially unstable orbit. Since potential earth reencounter and subsequent burn-up in the earth's atmosphere is unacceptable, a deep space rendezvous, docking, and retrieval capability must be developed.

  10. Web Mining for Web Image Retrieval.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chen, Zheng; Wenyin, Liu; Zhang, Feng; Li, Mingjing; Zhang, Hongjiang

    2001-01-01

    Presents a prototype system for image retrieval from the Internet using Web mining. Discusses the architecture of the Web image retrieval prototype; document space modeling; user log mining; and image retrieval experiments to evaluate the proposed system. (AEF)

  11. Analysis on carbon dioxide emission reduction during the anaerobic synergetic digestion technology of sludge and kitchen waste: Taking kitchen waste synergetic digestion project in Zhenjiang as an example.

    PubMed

    Guo, Qia; Dai, Xiaohu

    2017-11-01

    With the popularization of municipal sewage treatment facilities, the improvement of sewage treatment efficiency and the deepening degree of sewage treatment, the sludge production of sewage plant has been sharply increased. Carbon emission during the process of municipal sewage treatment and disposal has become one of the important sources of greenhouse gases that cause greenhouse effect. How to reduce carbon dioxide emissions during sewage treatment and disposal process is of great significance for reducing air pollution. Kitchen waste and excess sludge, as two important organic wastes, once uses anaerobic synergetic digestion technology in the treatment process can on the one hand, avoid instability of sludge individual anaerobic digestion, improve sludge degradation rate and marsh gas production rate, and on the other hand, help increase the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions to a great extent. The paper uses material balance method, analyzes and calculates the carbon dioxide emissions from kitchen waste and sludge disposed by the anaerobic synergetic digestion technology, compares the anaerobic synergetic digestion technology with traditional sludge sanitary landfill technology and works out the carbon dioxide emission reductions after synergetic digestion. It takes the kitchen waste and sludge synergetic digestion engineering project of Zhenjiang city in Jiangsu province as an example, makes material balance analysis using concrete data and works out the carbon dioxide daily emission reductions. The paper analyzes the actual situation of emission reduction by comparing the data, and found that the synergetic digestion of kitchen waste and sludge can effectively reduce the carbon dioxide emission, and the reduction is obvious especially compared with that of sludge sanitary landfill, which has a certain effect on whether to promote the use of the technology. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Design implications for task-specific search utilities for retrieval and re-engineering of code

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Iqbal, Rahat; Grzywaczewski, Adam; Halloran, John; Doctor, Faiyaz; Iqbal, Kashif

    2017-05-01

    The importance of information retrieval systems is unquestionable in the modern society and both individuals as well as enterprises recognise the benefits of being able to find information effectively. Current code-focused information retrieval systems such as Google Code Search, Codeplex or Koders produce results based on specific keywords. However, these systems do not take into account developers' context such as development language, technology framework, goal of the project, project complexity and developer's domain expertise. They also impose additional cognitive burden on users in switching between different interfaces and clicking through to find the relevant code. Hence, they are not used by software developers. In this paper, we discuss how software engineers interact with information and general-purpose information retrieval systems (e.g. Google, Yahoo!) and investigate to what extent domain-specific search and recommendation utilities can be developed in order to support their work-related activities. In order to investigate this, we conducted a user study and found that software engineers followed many identifiable and repeatable work tasks and behaviours. These behaviours can be used to develop implicit relevance feedback-based systems based on the observed retention actions. Moreover, we discuss the implications for the development of task-specific search and collaborative recommendation utilities embedded with the Google standard search engine and Microsoft IntelliSense for retrieval and re-engineering of code. Based on implicit relevance feedback, we have implemented a prototype of the proposed collaborative recommendation system, which was evaluated in a controlled environment simulating the real-world situation of professional software engineers. The evaluation has achieved promising initial results on the precision and recall performance of the system.

  13. Knowledge-Based Information Retrieval.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ford, Nigel

    1991-01-01

    Discussion of information retrieval focuses on theoretical and empirical advances in knowledge-based information retrieval. Topics discussed include the use of natural language for queries; the use of expert systems; intelligent tutoring systems; user modeling; the need for evaluation of system effectiveness; and examples of systems, including…

  14. Waste Management and Disposal for Artists and Schools.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Babin, Angela; McCann, Michael

    Artists, art teachers, and students need to understand the problems associated with disposing of waste materials, some of which may be hazardous. The waste products of art projects, even if non-hazardous, also use up space in overloaded landfills. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets forth guidelines for disposing of hazardous wastes.…

  15. Development of dog-like retrieving capability in a ground robot

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    MacKenzie, Douglas C.; Ashok, Rahul; Rehg, James M.; Witus, Gary

    2013-01-01

    This paper presents the Mobile Intelligence Team's approach to addressing the CANINE outdoor ground robot competition. The competition required developing a robot that provided retrieving capabilities similar to a dog, while operating fully autonomously in unstructured environments. The vision team consisted of Mobile Intelligence, the Georgia Institute of Technology, and Wayne State University. Important computer vision aspects of the project were the ability to quickly learn the distinguishing characteristics of novel objects, searching images for the object as the robot drove a search pattern, identifying people near the robot for safe operations, correctly identify the object among distractors, and localizing the object for retrieval. The classifier used to identify the objects will be discussed, including an analysis of its performance, and an overview of the entire system architecture presented. A discussion of the robot's performance in the competition will demonstrate the system's successes in real-world testing.

  16. Fuel Pond Sludge - Lessons Learned from Initial De-sludging of Sellafield's Pile Fuel Storage Pond - 12066

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

    Carlisle, Derek; Adamson, Kate

    2012-07-01

    facilities to allow the fuel to be reprocessed or conditioned for long term storage. - Sludge Retrieval: In excess of 300 m{sup 3} of sludge has accumulated in the pond over many years and is made up of debris arising from fuel and metallic corrosion, wind blown debris and bio-organic materials. The Sludge Retrieval Project has provided the equipment necessary to retrieve the sludge, including skip washer and tipper machines for clearing sludge from the pond skips, equipment for clearing sludge from the pond floor and bays, along with an 'in pond' corral for interim storage of retrieved sludge. Two further projects are providing new plant processing routes, which will initially store and eventually passivate the sludge. - Metal Fuel Retrieval: Metal Fuel from early Windscale Pile operations and various other sources is stored within the pond; the fuel varies considerably in both form and condition. A retrieval project is planned which will provide fuel handling, conditioning, sentencing and export equipment required to remove the metal fuel from the pond for export to on site facilities for interim storage and disposal. - Solid Waste Retrieval: A final retrieval project will provide methods for handling, retrieval, packaging and export of the remaining solid Intermediate Level Waste within the pond. This includes residual metal fuel pieces, fuel cladding (Magnox, aluminium and zircaloy), isotope cartridges, reactor furniture, and miscellaneous activated and contaminated items. Each of the waste streams requires conditioning to allow it to be and disposed of via one of the site treatment plants. - Pond Dewatering and Dismantling: Delivery of the above projects will allow operations to progressively remove the radiological inventory, thereby reducing the hazard/risk posed by the plant. This will then allow subsequent dewatering of the pond and dismantling of the structure. (authors)« less

  17. A BIM-based system for demolition and renovation waste estimation and planning.

    PubMed

    Cheng, Jack C P; Ma, Lauren Y H

    2013-06-01

    Due to the rising worldwide awareness of green environment, both government and contractors have to consider effective construction and demolition (C&D) waste management practices. The last two decades have witnessed the growing importance of demolition and renovation (D&R) works and the growing amount of D&R waste disposed to landfills every day, especially in developed cities like Hong Kong. Quantitative waste prediction is crucial for waste management. It can enable contractors to pinpoint critical waste generation processes and to plan waste control strategies. In addition, waste estimation could also facilitate some government waste management policies, such as the waste disposal charging scheme in Hong Kong. Currently, tools that can accurately and conveniently estimate the amount of waste from construction, renovation, and demolition projects are lacking. In the light of this research gap, this paper presents a building information modeling (BIM) based system that we have developed for estimation and planning of D&R waste. BIM allows multi-disciplinary information to be superimposed within one digital building model. Our system can extract material and volume information through the BIM model and integrate the information for detailed waste estimation and planning. Waste recycling and reuse are also considered in our system. Extracted material information can be provided to recyclers before demolition or renovation to make recycling stage more cooperative and more efficient. Pick-up truck requirements and waste disposal charging fee for different waste facilities will also be predicted through our system. The results could provide alerts to contractors ahead of time at project planning stage. This paper also presents an example scenario with a 47-floor residential building in Hong Kong to demonstrate our D&R waste estimation and planning system. As the BIM technology has been increasingly adopted in the architectural, engineering and construction industry

  18. Automatic Processing of Metallurgical Abstracts for the Purpose of Information Retrieval. Final Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Melton, Jessica S.

    Objectives of this project were to develop and test a method for automatically processing the text of abstracts for a document retrieval system. The test corpus consisted of 768 abstracts from the metallurgical section of Chemical Abstracts (CA). The system, based on a subject indexing rational, had two components: (1) a stored dictionary of words…

  19. Scalable ranked retrieval using document images

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jain, Rajiv; Oard, Douglas W.; Doermann, David

    2013-12-01

    Despite the explosion of text on the Internet, hard copy documents that have been scanned as images still play a significant role for some tasks. The best method to perform ranked retrieval on a large corpus of document images, however, remains an open research question. The most common approach has been to perform text retrieval using terms generated by optical character recognition. This paper, by contrast, examines whether a scalable segmentation-free image retrieval algorithm, which matches sub-images containing text or graphical objects, can provide additional benefit in satisfying a user's information needs on a large, real world dataset. Results on 7 million scanned pages from the CDIP v1.0 test collection show that content based image retrieval finds a substantial number of documents that text retrieval misses, and that when used as a basis for relevance feedback can yield improvements in retrieval effectiveness.

  20. Retrievals of heavy ozone with MIPAS

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jonkheid, Bastiaan; Röckmann, Thomas; Glatthor, Norbert; Janssen, Christof; Stiller, Gabriele; von Clarmann, Thomas

    2016-12-01

    A method for retrieval of 18O-substituted isotopomers of O3 in the stratosphere with the Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding (MIPAS) is presented. Using a smoothing regularisation constraint, volume mixing ratio profiles are retrieved for the main isotopologue and the symmetric and asymmetric isotopomers of singly substituted O3. For the retrieval of the heavy isotopologues, two microwindows in the MIPAS A band (685-970 cm-1) and six in the AB band (1020-1170 cm-1) are used. As the retrievals are performed as perturbations on the previously retrieved a priori profiles, the vertical resolution of the individual isotopomer profiles is very similar, which is important when calculating the ratio between two isotopomers. The performance of the method is evaluated using 1044 vertical profiles recorded with MIPAS on 1 July 2003. The mean values are separated by latitude bands, along with estimates of their uncertainties. The asymmetric isotopomer shows a mean enrichment of ˜ 8 %, with a vertical profile that increases up to 33 km and decreases at higher altitudes. This decrease with altitude is a robust result that does not depend on retrieval settings, and it has not been reported clearly in previously published datasets. The symmetric isotopomer is considerably less enriched, with mean values around 3 % and with a large spread. In individual retrievals the uncertainty of the enrichment is dominated by the measurement noise (2-4 %), which can be reduced by averaging multiple retrievals; systematic uncertainties linked to the retrieval are generally small at ˜ 0.5 %, but this is likely underestimated because the uncertainties in key spectroscopic parameters are unknown. The variabilities in the retrieval results are largest for the Southern Hemisphere.

  1. MPEG-7 audio-visual indexing test-bed for video retrieval

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gagnon, Langis; Foucher, Samuel; Gouaillier, Valerie; Brun, Christelle; Brousseau, Julie; Boulianne, Gilles; Osterrath, Frederic; Chapdelaine, Claude; Dutrisac, Julie; St-Onge, Francis; Champagne, Benoit; Lu, Xiaojian

    2003-12-01

    This paper reports on the development status of a Multimedia Asset Management (MAM) test-bed for content-based indexing and retrieval of audio-visual documents within the MPEG-7 standard. The project, called "MPEG-7 Audio-Visual Document Indexing System" (MADIS), specifically targets the indexing and retrieval of video shots and key frames from documentary film archives, based on audio-visual content like face recognition, motion activity, speech recognition and semantic clustering. The MPEG-7/XML encoding of the film database is done off-line. The description decomposition is based on a temporal decomposition into visual segments (shots), key frames and audio/speech sub-segments. The visible outcome will be a web site that allows video retrieval using a proprietary XQuery-based search engine and accessible to members at the Canadian National Film Board (NFB) Cineroute site. For example, end-user will be able to ask to point on movie shots in the database that have been produced in a specific year, that contain the face of a specific actor who tells a specific word and in which there is no motion activity. Video streaming is performed over the high bandwidth CA*net network deployed by CANARIE, a public Canadian Internet development organization.

  2. Advantages of phase retrieval for fast x-ray tomographic microscopy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mokso, R.; Marone, F.; Irvine, S.; Nyvlt, M.; Schwyn, D.; Mader, K.; Taylor, G. K.; Krapp, H. G.; Skeren, M.; Stampanoni, M.

    2013-12-01

    In near-field imaging with partially coherent x-rays, the phase shifting properties of the sample are encoded in the diffraction fringes that appear as an additional intensity modulation in the x-ray projection images. These Fresnel fringes are often regarded as purely an enhancement of the visibility at the interfaces. We show that retrieving the phase information contained in these patterns significantly advances the developments in fast micro-tomography. Improving temporal resolution without intensifying radiation damage implies a shortening of the exposure time rather than increasing the photon flux on the sample. Phase retrieval, to a large extent, compensates the consequent photon count moderation in the images, by fully exploiting the stronger refraction effect as compared with absorption. Two single-distance phase retrieval methods are evaluated for the case of an in situ 3 Hz micro-tomography of a rapidly evolving liquid foam, and an in vivo 6 Hz micro-tomography of a blowfly. A new dual-detector setup is introduced for simultaneous acquisition of two near-field diffraction patterns. Our goal is to couple high temporal, spatial and density resolution in a single imaging system in a dose-efficient manner, opening further options for dynamic four-dimensional studies.

  3. Inhibition of the mesoamygdala dopaminergic pathway impairs the retrieval of conditioned fear associations.

    PubMed

    Nader, K; LeDoux, J E

    1999-10-01

    Previous findings have demonstrated that systemic dopaminergic manipulations impair the retrieval of Pavlovian conditioned fear. A second-order fear-conditioning paradigm was used to test whether the dopaminergic projection from the ventral tegmental area (VTA) to the lateral and basal amygdala (LBA) can affect conditioned fear. Phase 1 entailed conditioned stimulus-unconditioned stimulus (CS1-US) pairings. In Phase 2, drugs were infused in either the LBA or VTA prior to pairings of CS2 (a second cue) with CS1. In Phase 3, freezing behavior elicited by CS2 was tested without drugs. Infusions of the D2 agonist quinpirole into the VTA or of the D1 antagonist SCH 23390 into the LBA caused a decrease in freezing to CS2. Both manipulations decrease D1 receptor activation in the LBA. Infusions of the D1 agonist SKF 38393 into the LBA had no effect. This pattern of results is consistent with the hypothesis that the VTA-LBA dopaminergic projection modulates the retrieval of an association between a CS and footshock US.

  4. Memory retrieval as a self-propagating process.

    PubMed

    Bäuml, Karl-Heinz T; Schlichting, Andreas

    2014-07-01

    Retrieval of a subset of studied items and the presentation of those items as retrieval cues typically impair retrieval of the other items. Previous research on this self-limiting property of memory retrieval has relied heavily on short retention intervals and similar context between encoding and test. Here, we examined retrieval dynamics also after a prolonged retention interval with different spatial and social context between encoding and test, conditions that mimic people's remembering in many situations of daily life. For both unrelated word lists and more integrated prose material, we found retrieval and cuing to impair recall of other studied items after a short retention interval, but to improve recall in the prolonged retention interval condition. The results demonstrate that retrieval dynamics depend critically on situation, indicating that quite often in daily life, retrieval may be a self-propagating, rather than a self-limiting process. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. The information retrieval system of {open_quotes}heat abd nass transfer{close_quotes} software complexes

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

    Tsitsin, A.G.

    A project is discussed which is aimed at creating the International Center for certification of software complexes (SC), intended to for soling various heat and mass transfer problems. Information on the experience gained in the operation of an information retrieval SC system is presented.

  6. WASTE MINIMIZATION OPPORTUNITY ASSESSMENT: PHILADELPHIA NAVAL SHIPYARD

    EPA Science Inventory

    The Waste Reduction Evaluation at Federal Sites (WREAFS) Program consists of a series of demonstration and evaluation projects for waste reduction conducted cooperatively by EPA and various parts of the Department of Defense (DOD), Department of Energy (DOE), and other Federal ag...

  7. Construction and demolition waste generation rates for high-rise buildings in Malaysia.

    PubMed

    Mah, Chooi Mei; Fujiwara, Takeshi; Ho, Chin Siong

    2016-12-01

    Construction and demolition waste continues to sharply increase in step with the economic growth of less developed countries. Though the construction industry is large, it is composed of small firms with individual waste management practices, often leading to the deleterious environmental outcomes. Quantifying construction and demolition waste generation allows policy makers and stakeholders to understand the true internal and external costs of construction, providing a necessary foundation for waste management planning that may overcome deleterious environmental outcomes and may be both economically and environmentally optimal. This study offers a theoretical method for estimating the construction and demolition project waste generation rate by utilising available data, including waste disposal truck size and number, and waste volume and composition. This method is proposed as a less burdensome and more broadly applicable alternative, in contrast to waste estimation by on-site hand sorting and weighing. The developed method is applied to 11 projects across Malaysia as the case study. This study quantifies waste generation rate and illustrates the construction method in influencing the waste generation rate, estimating that the conventional construction method has a waste generation rate of 9.88 t 100 m -2 , the mixed-construction method has a waste generation rate of 3.29 t 100 m -2 , and demolition projects have a waste generation rate of 104.28 t 100 m -2 . © The Author(s) 2016.

  8. Retrieval of Emotional Memories

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Buchanan, Tony W.

    2007-01-01

    Long-term memories are influenced by the emotion experienced during learning as well as by the emotion experienced during memory retrieval. The present article reviews the literature addressing the effects of emotion on retrieval, focusing on the cognitive and neurological mechanisms that have been revealed. The reviewed research suggests that the…

  9. Waste minimization for commercial radioactive materials users generating low-level radioactive waste

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

    Fischer, D.K.; Gitt, M.; Williams, G.A.

    1991-07-01

    The objective of this document is to provide a resource for all states and compact regions interested in promoting the minimization of low-level radioactive waste (LLW). This project was initiated by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and Massachusetts waste streams have been used as examples; however, the methods of analysis presented here are applicable to similar waste streams generated elsewhere. This document is a guide for states/compact regions to use in developing a system to evaluate and prioritize various waste minimization techniques in order to encourage individual radioactive materials users (LLW generators) to consider these techniques in their own independent evaluations.more » This review discusses the application of specific waste minimization techniques to waste streams characteristic of three categories of radioactive materials users: (1) industrial operations using radioactive materials in the manufacture of commercial products, (2) health care institutions, including hospitals and clinics, and (3) educational and research institutions. Massachusetts waste stream characterization data from key radioactive materials users in each category are used to illustrate the applicability of various minimization techniques. The utility group is not included because extensive information specific to this category of LLW generators is available in the literature.« less

  10. Elaborative retrieval: Do semantic mediators improve memory?

    PubMed

    Lehman, Melissa; Karpicke, Jeffrey D

    2016-10-01

    The elaborative retrieval account of retrieval-based learning proposes that retrieval enhances retention because the retrieval process produces the generation of semantic mediators that link cues to target information. We tested 2 assumptions that form the basis of this account: that semantic mediators are more likely to be generated during retrieval than during restudy and that the generation of mediators facilitates later recall of targets. Although these assumptions are often discussed in the context of retrieval processes, we noted that there was little prior empirical evidence to support either assumption. We conducted a series of experiments to measure the generation of mediators during retrieval and restudy and to examine the effect of the generation of mediators on later target recall. Across 7 experiments, we found that the generation of mediators was not more likely during retrieval (and may be more likely during restudy), and that the activation of mediators was unrelated to subsequent free recall of targets and was negatively related to cued recall of targets. The results pose challenges for both assumptions of the elaborative retrieval account. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

  11. Waste Management Strategy for Dismantling Waste to Reduce Costs for Power Plant Decommissioning - 13543

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

    Larsson, Arne; Lidar, Per; Bergh, Niklas

    2013-07-01

    . Bottle-necks in the process causes increased space requirements and will have negative impact on the project schedule, which increases not only the cost but also the dose exposure to personnel. For these reasons it is critical to create a process that transfers material into conditioned waste ready for disposal as quickly as possible. To a certain extent the decommissioning program should be led by the waste management process. With the objective to reduce time for handling of dismantled material at site and to efficiently and environmental-friendly use waste management methods (clearance for re-use followed by clearance for recycling), the costs for the plant decommissioning could be reduced as well as time needed for performing the decommissioning project. Also, risks for delays would be reduced with a well-defined handling scheme which limits surprises. Delays are a major cost driver for decommissioning projects. (authors)« less

  12. Validating a Geographical Image Retrieval System.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zhu, Bin; Chen, Hsinchun

    2000-01-01

    Summarizes a prototype geographical image retrieval system that demonstrates how to integrate image processing and information analysis techniques to support large-scale content-based image retrieval. Describes an experiment to validate the performance of this image retrieval system against that of human subjects by examining similarity analysis…

  13. A Logic Basis for Information Retrieval.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Watters, C. R.; Shepherd, M. A.

    1987-01-01

    Discusses the potential of recent work in artificial intelligence, especially expert systems, for the development of more effective information retrieval systems. Highlights include the role of an expert bibliographic retrieval system and a prototype expert retrieval system, PROBIB-2, that uses MicroProlog to provide deductive reasoning…

  14. Retrieve polarization aberration from image degradation: a new measurement method in DUV lithography

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xiang, Zhongbo; Li, Yanqiu

    2017-10-01

    Detailed knowledge of polarization aberration (PA) of projection lens in higher-NA DUV lithographic imaging is necessary due to its impact to imaging degradations, and precise measurement of PA is conductive to computational lithography techniques such as RET and OPC. Current in situ measurement method of PA thorough the detection of degradations of aerial images need to do linear approximation and apply the assumption of 3-beam/2-beam interference condition. The former approximation neglects the coupling effect of the PA coefficients, which would significantly influence the accuracy of PA retrieving. The latter assumption restricts the feasible pitch of test masks in higher-NA system, conflicts with the Kirhhoff diffraction model of test mask used in retrieving model, and introduces 3D mask effect as a source of retrieving error. In this paper, a new in situ measurement method of PA is proposed. It establishes the analytical quadratic relation between the PA coefficients and the degradations of aerial images of one-dimensional dense lines in coherent illumination through vector aerial imaging, which does not rely on the assumption of 3-beam/2- beam interference and linear approximation. In this case, the retrieval of PA from image degradation can be convert from the nonlinear system of m-quadratic equations to a multi-objective quadratic optimization problem, and finally be solved by nonlinear least square method. Some preliminary simulation results are given to demonstrate the correctness and accuracy of the new PA retrieving model.

  15. Elaborative Retrieval: Do Semantic Mediators Improve Memory?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lehman, Melissa; Karpicke, Jeffrey D.

    2016-01-01

    The elaborative retrieval account of retrieval-based learning proposes that retrieval enhances retention because the retrieval process produces the generation of semantic mediators that link cues to target information. We tested 2 assumptions that form the basis of this account: that semantic mediators are more likely to be generated during…

  16. Clustering Methods; Part IV of Scientific Report No. ISR-18, Information Storage and Retrieval...

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY. Dept. of Computer Science.

    Two papers are included as Part Four of this report on Salton's Magical Automatic Retriever of Texts (SMART) project report. The first paper: "A Controlled Single Pass Classification Algorithm with Application to Multilevel Clustering" by D. B. Johnson and J. M. Laferente presents a single pass clustering method which compares favorably…

  17. Transportable, university-level educational programs in interactive information storage and retrieval systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dominick, Wayne D.; Roquemore, Leroy

    1984-01-01

    Pursuant to the specifications of a research contract entered into in December, 1983 with NASA, the Computer Science Departments of the University of Southwestern Louisiana and Southern University will be working jointly to address a variety of research and educational issues relating to the use, by non-computer professionals, of some of the largest and most sophiticated interactive information storage and retrieval systems available. Over the projected 6 to 8 year life of the project, in addition to NASA/RECON, the following systems will be examined: Lockheed DIALOG, DOE/RECON, DOD/DTIC, EPA/CSIN, and LLNL/TIS.

  18. A passage retrieval method based on probabilistic information retrieval model and UMLS concepts in biomedical question answering.

    PubMed

    Sarrouti, Mourad; Ouatik El Alaoui, Said

    2017-04-01

    Passage retrieval, the identification of top-ranked passages that may contain the answer for a given biomedical question, is a crucial component for any biomedical question answering (QA) system. Passage retrieval in open-domain QA is a longstanding challenge widely studied over the last decades. However, it still requires further efforts in biomedical QA. In this paper, we present a new biomedical passage retrieval method based on Stanford CoreNLP sentence/passage length, probabilistic information retrieval (IR) model and UMLS concepts. In the proposed method, we first use our document retrieval system based on PubMed search engine and UMLS similarity to retrieve relevant documents to a given biomedical question. We then take the abstracts from the retrieved documents and use Stanford CoreNLP for sentence splitter to make a set of sentences, i.e., candidate passages. Using stemmed words and UMLS concepts as features for the BM25 model, we finally compute the similarity scores between the biomedical question and each of the candidate passages and keep the N top-ranked ones. Experimental evaluations performed on large standard datasets, provided by the BioASQ challenge, show that the proposed method achieves good performances compared with the current state-of-the-art methods. The proposed method significantly outperforms the current state-of-the-art methods by an average of 6.84% in terms of mean average precision (MAP). We have proposed an efficient passage retrieval method which can be used to retrieve relevant passages in biomedical QA systems with high mean average precision. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Retrieval induces forgetting, but only when nontested items compete for retrieval: Implication for interference, inhibition, and context reinstatement.

    PubMed

    Chan, Jason C K; Erdman, Matthew R; Davis, Sara D

    2015-09-01

    The mechanism responsible for retrieval-induced forgetting has been the subject of rigorous theoretical debate, with some researchers postulating that retrieval-induced forgetting can be explained by interference (J. G .W. Raaijmakers & E. Jakab, 2013) or context reinstatement (T. R. Jonker, P. Seli, & C. M. MacLeod, 2013), whereas others claim that retrieval-induced forgetting is better explained by inhibition (M. C. Anderson, 2003). A fundamental assumption of the inhibition account is that nonpracticed items are suppressed because they compete for retrieval during initial testing. In the current study, we manipulated competition in a novel interpolated testing paradigm by having subjects learn the nonpracticed items either before (high-competition condition) or after (low-competition condition) they practiced retrieval of the target items. We found retrieval-induced forgetting for the nonpracticed competitors only when they were studied before retrieval practice. This result provides support for a critical assumption of the inhibition account. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

  20. Practice patterns of retrievable inferior vena cava filters and predictors of filter retrieval in patients with pulmonary embolism.

    PubMed

    Kang, Jieun; Ko, Heung-Kyu; Shin, Ji Hoon; Ko, Gi-Young; Jo, Kyung-Wook; Huh, Jin Won; Oh, Yeon-Mok; Lee, Sang-Do; Lee, Jae Seung

    2017-12-01

    Retrievable inferior vena cava (IVC) filters are increasingly used in patients with venous thromboembolism (VTE) who have contraindications to anticoagulant therapy. However, previous studies have shown that many retrievable filters are left permanently in patients. This study aimed to identify the common indications for IVC filter insertion, the filter retrieval rate, and the predictive factors for filter retrieval attempts. To this end, a retrospective cohort study was performed at a tertiary care center in South Korea between January 2010 and May 2016. Electronic medical charts were reviewed for patients with pulmonary embolism (PE) who underwent IVC filter insertion. A total of 439 cases were reviewed. The most common indication for filter insertion was a preoperative/procedural aim, followed by extensive iliofemoral deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Retrieval of the IVC filter was attempted in 44.9% of patients. The retrieval success rate was 93.9%. History of cerebral hemorrhage, malignancy, and admission to a nonsurgical department were the significant predictive factors of a lower retrieval attempt rate in multivariate analysis. With the increased use of IVC filters, more issues should be addressed before placing a filter and physicians should attempt to improve the filter retrieval rate.

  1. High Level Waste System Impacts from Small Column Ion Exchange Implementation

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

    McCabe, D. J.; Hamm, L. L.; Aleman, S. E.

    2005-08-18

    The objective of this task is to identify potential waste streams that could be treated with the Small Column Ion Exchange (SCIX) and perform an initial assessment of the impact of doing so on the High-Level Waste (HLW) system. Design of the SCIX system has been performed as a backup technology for decontamination of High-Level Waste (HLW) at the Savannah River Site (SRS). The SCIX consists of three modules which can be placed in risers inside underground HLW storage tanks. The pump and filter module and the ion exchange module are used to filter and decontaminate the aqueous tank wastesmore » for disposition in Saltstone. The ion exchange module contains Crystalline Silicotitanate (CST in its engineered granular form is referred to as IONSIV{reg_sign} IE-911), and is selective for removal of cesium ions. After the IE-911 is loaded with Cs-137, it is removed and the column is refilled with a fresh batch. The grinder module is used to size-reduce the cesium-loaded IE-911 to make it compatible with the sludge vitrification system in the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF). If installed at the SRS, this SCIX would need to operate within the current constraints of the larger HLW storage, retrieval, treatment, and disposal system. Although the equipment has been physically designed to comply with system requirements, there is also a need to identify which waste streams could be treated, how it could be implemented in the tank farms, and when this system could be incorporated into the HLW flowsheet and planning. This document summarizes a preliminary examination of the tentative HLW retrieval plans, facility schedules, decontamination factor targets, and vitrified waste form compatibility, with recommendations for a more detailed study later. The examination was based upon four batches of salt solution from the currently planned disposition pathway to treatment in the SCIX. Because of differences in capabilities between the SRS baseline and SCIX, these four

  2. Information retrieval for the Cochrane systematic reviews: the case of breast cancer surgery.

    PubMed

    Cognetti, Gaetana; Grossi, Laura; Lucon, Antonio; Solimini, Renata

    2015-01-01

    Systematic reviews are fundamental sources of knowledge on the state-of-the-art interventions for various clinical problems. One of the essential components in carrying out a systematic review is that of developing a comprehensive literature search. Three Cochrane systematic reviews published in 2012 were retrieved using the MeSH descriptor breast neoplasms/surgery, and analyzed with respect to the information sources used and the search strategies adopted. In March 2014, an update of one of the reviews retrieved was also considered in the study. The number of databases queried for each review ranged between three and seven. All the reviews reported the search strategies adopted, however some only partially. All the reviews explicitly claimed that the searches applied no language restriction although sources such as the free database Lilacs (in Spanish and Portuguese) was not consulted. To improve the quality it is necessary to apply standards in carrying out systematic reviews (as laid down in the MECIR project). To meet these standards concerning literature searching, professional information retrieval specialist staff should be involved. The peer review committee in charge of evaluating the publication of a systematic review should also include specialists in information retrieval for assessing the quality of the literature search.

  3. Potential for cadaveric organ retrieval in New South Wales.

    PubMed Central

    Hibberd, A. D.; Pearson, I. Y.; McCosker, C. J.; Chapman, J. R.; Macdonald, G. J.; Thompson, J. F.; O'Connell, D. L.; Mohacsi, P. J.; McLoughlin, M. P.; Spratt, P. M.

    1992-01-01

    OBJECTIVES--To measure the potential for cadaver organ retrieval in New South Wales and to determine the reasons for potential donors failing to become actual donors. DESIGN--Prospective audit of all patients dying in five hospitals in New South Wales between 1 December 1989 and 30 November 1990; quality assurance of the data by independent medical specialist and if disagreement by study committee. PATIENTS--2879 patients (100% of all deaths) yielding 364 patients with coma and 181 potential donors. OUTCOME MEASURES--Realistic medically suitable potential donor rate, missed potential donor rate, rate of potential donors with permission refused, donor rate, reasons for realistic medically suitable potential donors failing to become actual donors. RESULTS--2879 deaths yielded 73 medically suitable potential donors, resulting in 19 actual donors, 30 missed potential donors, 19 potential donors with permission refused, and five in whom adequate resuscitation failed. The most common reason for a potential donor failing to become an actual donor was a decision by the senior medical practitioner to withdraw or not to institute ventilatory or haemodynamic support (26/73). The second major obstacle was refusal of permission by the next of kin (17/73). Assuming that the potential donor rate was that implied by the observed donor rate (13/million population/year) the projected missed potential donor rate was 9/million population/year (95% confidence interval 4 to 15) and the projected rate of potential donors with permission refused was 13/million population/year (95% confidence interval 5 to 22). Assuming that the rate of potential donors in the study hospitals was the same as in the other New South Wales hospitals, the projected donor rate for New South Wales was 18/million population/year (10 to 26); the projected missed potential donor rate was 15/million population/year (7 to 23); and the projected rate of potential donors with permission refused was 18/million

  4. Potential for cadaveric organ retrieval in New South Wales.

    PubMed

    Hibberd, A D; Pearson, I Y; McCosker, C J; Chapman, J R; Macdonald, G J; Thompson, J F; O'Connell, D L; Mohacsi, P J; McLoughlin, M P; Spratt, P M

    1992-05-23

    To measure the potential for cadaver organ retrieval in New South Wales and to determine the reasons for potential donors failing to become actual donors. Prospective audit of all patients dying in five hospitals in New South Wales between 1 December 1989 and 30 November 1990; quality assurance of the data by independent medical specialist and if disagreement by study committee. 2879 patients (100% of all deaths) yielding 364 patients with coma and 181 potential donors. Realistic medically suitable potential donor rate, missed potential donor rate, rate of potential donors with permission refused, donor rate, reasons for realistic medically suitable potential donors failing to become actual donors. 2879 deaths yielded 73 medically suitable potential donors, resulting in 19 actual donors, 30 missed potential donors, 19 potential donors with permission refused, and five in whom adequate resuscitation failed. The most common reason for a potential donor failing to become an actual donor was a decision by the senior medical practitioner to withdraw or not to institute ventilatory or haemodynamic support (26/73). The second major obstacle was refusal of permission by the next of kin (17/73). Assuming that the potential donor rate was that implied by the observed donor rate (13/million population/year) the projected missed potential donor rate was 9/million population/year (95% confidence interval 4 to 15) and the projected rate of potential donors with permission refused was 13/million population/year (95% confidence interval 5 to 22). Assuming that the rate of potential donors in the study hospitals was the same as in the other New South Wales hospitals, the projected donor rate for New South Wales was 18/million population/year (10 to 26); the projected missed potential donor rate was 15/million population/year (7 to 23); and the projected rate of potential donors with permission refused was 18/million population/year (10 to 27). The donor rate could be increased 70

  5. Transboundary hazardous waste management. Part I: Waste management policy of importing countries.

    PubMed

    Fan, Kuo-Shuh; Chang, Tien Chin; Ni, Shih-Piao; Lee, Ching-Hwa

    2005-12-01

    Mixed metal-containing waste, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) containing capacitors, printed circuit boards, steel mill dust and metal sludge were among the most common wastes exported from Taiwan. Before the implementation of the self-monitoring model programme of the Basel Convention (secretariat of the Basel Convention 2001) in the Asia region, Taiwan conducted a comprehensive 4-year follow-up project involving government authorities and the waste disposal facilities of the importing countries. A total of five countries and nine plants were visited in 2001-2002. The following outcomes can be drawn from these investigations. The Chinese government adopts the strategies of 'on-site processing' and 'relative centralization' on the waste management by tightening permitting and increasing site inspection. A three-level reviewing system is adopted for the import application. The United States have not signed the Basel Convention yet; the procedures of hazardous waste import rely on bilateral agreements. Importers are not required to provide official notification from the waste exporting countries. The operation, administration, monitoring and licensing of waste treatment plants are governed by the state environmental bureau. Finland, France and Belgium are members of the European Union. The procedures and policies of waste import are similar. All of the documents associated with transboundary movement require the approval of each government involved. Practically, the notification forms and tracking forms effectively manage the waste movement.

  6. Abyssal seafloor waste isolation: the concept

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Valent, Philip J.; Young, David K.; Sawyer, William B.; Wright, Thomas D.

    1998-05-01

    The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), with industry and university participation, conducted an assessment of the concept of isolating certain wastes (i.e., sewage sludge, fly ash from municipal incinerators, and contaminated dredged material) on the oceans' abyssal seafloor. In this assessment the advantages, disadvantages, and economic and environmental viability of potential engineering methods for achieving abyssal waste isolation were identified and compared. This paper presents background to the Abyssal Plains Waste Isolation (APWI) Project, describes the characteristics of the waste streams and quantities potentially available for disposal via the abyssal isolation concept, summarizes regulations affecting use of the abyssal seafloor for disposal of wastes, and introduces the technical and scientific premises underlying implementation of the concept.

  7. Evidence for encoding versus retrieval scheduling in the hippocampus by theta phase and acetylcholine

    PubMed Central

    Douchamps, Vincent; Jeewajee, Ali; Blundell, Pam; Burgess, Neil; Lever, Colin

    2013-01-01

    The formation of new memories requires new information to be encoded in the face of proactive interference from the past. Two solutions have been proposed for hippocampal region CA1: 1) acetylcholine, released in novelty, selectively suppresses excitatory projections to CA1 from CA3 (mediating the products of retrieval), while sparing entorhinal inputs (mediating novel sensory information); 2) encoding preferentially occurs at the pyramidal-layer theta peak, coincident with input from entorhinal cortex, and retrieval occurs at the trough, coincident with input from CA3, consistent with theta-phase-dependent synaptic plasticity. We examined three predictions of these models: 1) In novel environments, the preferred theta phase of CA1 place cell firing should shift closer to the CA1 pyramidal-layer theta peak, shifting the encoding-retrieval balance towards encoding; 2) The encoding-related shift in novel environments should be disrupted by cholinergic antagonism; 3) In familiar environments, cholinergic antagonism should shift the preferred theta firing phase closer to the theta trough, shifting the encoding-retrieval balance even further towards retrieval. We tested these predictions by recording from CA1 pyramidal cells in freely moving rats as they foraged in open field environments under the influence of scopolamine (an amnestic cholinergic antagonist) or vehicle (saline). Results confirmed all three predictions, supporting both the theta phase and cholinergic models of encoding-vs-retrieval dynamics. Also consistent with cholinergic enhancement of encoding, scopolamine attenuated the formation of distinct spatial representations in a new environment, reducing the extent of place cell “remapping”. PMID:23678113

  8. The 100-C-7 Remediation Project. An Overview of One of DOE's Largest Remediation Projects - 13260

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

    Post, Thomas C.; Strom, Dean; Beulow, Laura

    The U.S. Department of Energy Richland Operations Office (RL), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Washington Closure Hanford LLC (WCH) completed remediation of one of the largest waste sites in the U.S. Department of Energy complex. The waste site, 100-C-7, covers approximately 15 football fields and was excavated to a depth of 85 feet (groundwater). The project team removed a total of 2.3 million tons of clean and contaminated soil, concrete debris, and scrap metal. 100-C-7 lies in Hanford's 100 B/C Area, home to historic B and C Reactors. The waste site was excavated in two parts as 100-C-7 andmore » 100-C-7:1. The pair of excavations appear like pit mines. Mining engineers were hired to design their tiered sides, with safety benches every 17 feet and service ramps which allowed equipment access to the bottom of the excavations. The overall cleanup project was conducted over a span of almost 10 years. A variety of site characterization, excavation, load-out and sampling methodologies were employed at various stages of remediation. Alternative technologies were screened and evaluated during the project. A new method for cost effectively treating soils was implemented - resulting in significant cost savings. Additional opportunities for minimizing waste streams and recycling were identified and effectively implemented by the project team. During the final phase of cleanup the project team applied lessons learned throughout the entire project to address the final, remaining source of chromium contamination. The C-7 cleanup now serves as a model for remediating extensive deep zone contamination sites at Hanford. (authors)« less

  9. Care episode retrieval: distributional semantic models for information retrieval in the clinical domain.

    PubMed

    Moen, Hans; Ginter, Filip; Marsi, Erwin; Peltonen, Laura-Maria; Salakoski, Tapio; Salanterä, Sanna

    2015-01-01

    Patients' health related information is stored in electronic health records (EHRs) by health service providers. These records include sequential documentation of care episodes in the form of clinical notes. EHRs are used throughout the health care sector by professionals, administrators and patients, primarily for clinical purposes, but also for secondary purposes such as decision support and research. The vast amounts of information in EHR systems complicate information management and increase the risk of information overload. Therefore, clinicians and researchers need new tools to manage the information stored in the EHRs. A common use case is, given a--possibly unfinished--care episode, to retrieve the most similar care episodes among the records. This paper presents several methods for information retrieval, focusing on care episode retrieval, based on textual similarity, where similarity is measured through domain-specific modelling of the distributional semantics of words. Models include variants of random indexing and the semantic neural network model word2vec. Two novel methods are introduced that utilize the ICD-10 codes attached to care episodes to better induce domain-specificity in the semantic model. We report on experimental evaluation of care episode retrieval that circumvents the lack of human judgements regarding episode relevance. Results suggest that several of the methods proposed outperform a state-of-the art search engine (Lucene) on the retrieval task.

  10. Care episode retrieval: distributional semantic models for information retrieval in the clinical domain

    PubMed Central

    2015-01-01

    Patients' health related information is stored in electronic health records (EHRs) by health service providers. These records include sequential documentation of care episodes in the form of clinical notes. EHRs are used throughout the health care sector by professionals, administrators and patients, primarily for clinical purposes, but also for secondary purposes such as decision support and research. The vast amounts of information in EHR systems complicate information management and increase the risk of information overload. Therefore, clinicians and researchers need new tools to manage the information stored in the EHRs. A common use case is, given a - possibly unfinished - care episode, to retrieve the most similar care episodes among the records. This paper presents several methods for information retrieval, focusing on care episode retrieval, based on textual similarity, where similarity is measured through domain-specific modelling of the distributional semantics of words. Models include variants of random indexing and the semantic neural network model word2vec. Two novel methods are introduced that utilize the ICD-10 codes attached to care episodes to better induce domain-specificity in the semantic model. We report on experimental evaluation of care episode retrieval that circumvents the lack of human judgements regarding episode relevance. Results suggest that several of the methods proposed outperform a state-of-the art search engine (Lucene) on the retrieval task. PMID:26099735

  11. Geochemical behavior of ultramafic waste rocks with carbon sequestration potential: a case study of the Dumont Nickel Project, Amos, Québec.

    PubMed

    Kandji, El Hadji Babacar; Plante, Benoit; Bussière, Bruno; Beaudoin, Georges; Dupont, Pierre-Philippe

    2017-04-01

    The geochemical behavior of ultramafic waste rocks and the effect of carbon sequestration by these waste rocks on the water drainage quality were investigated using laboratory-scale kinetic column tests on samples from the Dumont Nickel Project (RNC Minerals, QC, Canada). The test results demonstrated that atmospheric CO 2 dissolution induced the weathering of serpentine and brucite within the ultramafic rocks, generating high concentrations of Mg and HCO 3 - with pH values ranging between 9 and 10 in the leachates that promote the precipitation of secondary Mg carbonates. These alkaline pH values appear to have prevented the mobilization of many metals; Fe, Ni, Cu, and Zn were found at negligible concentrations in the leachates. Posttesting characterization using chemical analyses, diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform (DRIFT), and scanning electron microscope (SEM) observations confirmed the precipitation of secondary hydrated Mg carbonates as predicted by thermodynamic calculations. The formation of secondary Mg carbonates induced cementation of the waste particles, resulting in the development of a hardpan.

  12. Reuse and Securing of Mining Waste : Need of the hour

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mehta, Neha; Dino, Giovanna; Ajmone-Marsan, Franco; De Luca, Domenico Antonio

    2016-04-01

    agricultural soils can depend on Bio-accumulation factor, Translocation factor of heavy metals, species of plant grown and type of the natural biota of the surroundings and effect of different exposure routes. This also leads to the fact that more research is required in this area. Accordingly the same problem statement was chosen as part of a PhD research Project. The PhD research is part of REMEDIATE project (A Marie Sklodowska-Curie Action Initial Training Network for Improved decision making in contaminated land site investigation and risk assessment, Grant Agreement No. 643087). In this project the researcher will select a mining site in Italy to find possible solutions to the environmental impact of mining waste collected there. The project will focus on 1) physical and chemical characterization of waste 2)environmental risk assessment study of the mining waste 3) impact of mining waste on water bodies and soil 4) to discover possible routes of reuse and recovery of minerals from the waste. Thus project focuses on environmental sustainability of mining waste reuse and clean up. Keywords : Mining waste ; environmental risk assessment ;reuse and recovery.

  13. River Protection Project (RPP) Readiness to Proceed 2 Internal Independent Review Team Final Report

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

    SCHAUS, P.S.

    This report describes the results of an independent review team brought in to assess CH2M Hill Hanford Group's readiness and ability to support the RPP's move into its next major phase - retrieval and delivery of tank waste to the Privatization Contractor

  14. Information Content and Sensitivity of the 3β+2α Lidar Measurement System for Microphysical Retrievals

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Burton, S. P.; Liu, X.; Chemyakin, E.; Hostetler, C. A.; Stamnes, S.; Moore, R.; Sawamura, P.; Ferrare, R. A.; Knobelspiesse, K. D.

    2015-12-01

    There is considerable interest in retrieving aerosol effective radius, number concentration and refractive index from lidar measurements of extinction and backscatter at several wavelengths. The 3 backscatter + 2 extinction (3β+2α) combination is particularly important since the planned NASA Aerosol-Clouds-Ecosystem (ACE) mission recommends this combination of measurements. The 2nd-generation NASA Langley airborne High Spectral Resolution Lidar (HSRL-2) has been making 3β+2α measurements since 2012. Here we develop a deeper understanding of the information content and sensitivities of the 3β+2α system in terms of aerosol microphysical parameters of interest. We determine best case results using a retrieval-free methodology. We calculate information content and uncertainty metrics from Optimal Estimation techniques using only a simplified forward model look-up table, with no explicit inversion. Simplifications include spherical particles, mono-modal log-normal size distributions, and wavelength-independent refractive indices. Since we only use the forward model with no retrieval, our results are applicable as a best case for all existing retrievals. Retrieval-dependent errors due to mismatch between the assumptions and true atmospheric aerosols are not included. The sensitivity metrics allow for identifying (1) information content of the measurements versus a priori information; (2) best-case error bars on the retrieved parameters; and (3) potential sources of cross-talk or "compensating" errors wherein different retrieval parameters are not independently captured by the measurements. These results suggest that even in the best case, this retrieval system is underdetermined. Recommendations are given for addressing cross-talk between effective radius and number concentration. A potential solution to the under-determination problem is a combined active (lidar) and passive (polarimeter) retrieval, which is the subject of a new funded NASA project by our team.

  15. Cortisol effects on autobiographic memory retrieval in PTSD: an analysis of word valence and time until retrieval.

    PubMed

    Wingenfeld, Katja; Driessen, Martin; Schlosser, Nicole; Terfehr, Kirsten; Carvalho Fernando, Silvia; Wolf, Oliver Tobias

    2013-09-01

    In healthy participants, cortisol administration has been found to impair autobiographic memory retrieval. We recently reported that administration of 10 mg of hydrocortisone had enhancing effects on autobiographical memory retrieval, i.e. more specific memory retrieval, in patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), while in healthy controls the impairing effects were replicated. We here report a re-analysis of these data with respect to cue-word valence and retrieval time. In a placebo-controlled cross-over study, 43 patients with PTSD and 43 age- and sex-matched healthy controls received either placebo or hydrocortisone orally before the autobiographical memory test was performed. We found that the effects of cortisol on memory retrieval depended on cue-word valence and group (significant interaction effects of drug by group and drug by valence by group). The enhancing effect of cortisol on memory retrieval in PTSD seemed to be relatively independent of cue-word valence, while in the control group the impairing effects of cortisol were only seen in response to neutral cue-words. The second result of the study was that in patients as well as in controls, cortisol administration led to faster memory retrieval compared to placebo. This was seen in response to positive and (to lesser extend) to neutral cue-words, but not in response to negative cue-words. Our findings illustrate that the opposing effects of cortisol on autobiographical memory retrieval in PTSD patients and controls are further modulated by the emotionality of the cue-words.

  16. Model-based magnetization retrieval from holographic phase images.

    PubMed

    Röder, Falk; Vogel, Karin; Wolf, Daniel; Hellwig, Olav; Wee, Sung Hun; Wicht, Sebastian; Rellinghaus, Bernd

    2017-05-01

    The phase shift of the electron wave is a useful measure for the projected magnetic flux density of magnetic objects at the nanometer scale. More important for materials science, however, is the knowledge about the magnetization in a magnetic nano-structure. As demonstrated here, a dominating presence of stray fields prohibits a direct interpretation of the phase in terms of magnetization modulus and direction. We therefore present a model-based approach for retrieving the magnetization by considering the projected shape of the nano-structure and assuming a homogeneous magnetization therein. We apply this method to FePt nano-islands epitaxially grown on a SrTiO 3 substrate, which indicates an inclination of their magnetization direction relative to the structural easy magnetic [001] axis. By means of this real-world example, we discuss prospects and limits of this approach. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Upstream Optioneering: Optimising Higher Activity Waste Management

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

    McTeer, Jennifer; Morris, Jenny; Wickham, Stephen

    2013-07-01

    The Upstream Optioneering project was created by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) Radioactive Waste Management Directorate (RWMD) to support the development and implementation of opportunities to optimise the management of UK higher activity waste, spent fuel and other materials that may be disposed of in a geological disposal facility. The project works in an integrative manner with the NDA, RWMD and waste producers, and was split into three phases: - In Phase 1 waste management opportunities were identified and collated from across the NDA estate. - In Phase 2, opportunities collated during Phase 1, were further consolidated, analysed and prioritisedmore » to develop a three year work programme. Prioritisation ensured that resources were deployed appropriately and opportunities can be realised before the potential benefit diminishes. - Phase 3, which began in April 2012, comprises a three year work programme to address the prioritised opportunities. Work varies from direct implementation of opportunities to scoping studies that may pave the way for more detailed subsequent work by Site Licence Companies. The work programme is flexible and, subject to change control, varies depending on the needs of project sponsors (RWMD, NDA Strategy and NDA Delivery). This paper provides an overview of the Upstream Optioneering project (focusing particularly on Phases 2 and 3), summarises work carried out to date within the three year work programme, and provides some examples of the main findings concerning specific opportunities from Year One of the Phase 3 work programme. (authors)« less

  18. A single center experience with retrievable IVC filters.

    PubMed

    Renno, Anas; Khateeb, Faisal; Kazan, Viviane; Qu, Weikai; Gollapudi, Anurekha; Aplin, Brett; Abbas, Jihad; Zelenock, Gerald; Nazzal, Munier

    2015-08-01

    To evaluate retrievable IVC filters in our institution and assess their retrieval following a well-structured follow up program. Retrospective cohort study. The medical records of patients implanted with retrievable IVC filters were reviewed. All retrievable filter insertions between July 2007 and August 2011 at our institution were reviewed. Data was analyzed for age, gender, indication, complications, retrieval rate, and brand of filter inserted. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS software v19. Chi-square was used to compare discrete data and t-test for continuous data. P < 0.05 was significant. A total of 484 patients were reviewed of which 258 (53.1%) had a complete medical record. And 96 (37.2%) filters were placed as permanent at the time of insertion. An additional 40 (15.5%) filters were converted to permanent (total permanent filters 136; 52.7%). Death was reported in 26 (10%) patients and 96 (37.2%) out of the remaining 232 patients presented for potential retrieval. Also, 73 (28.2%) had an attempt to retrieve the filters, 69 (94.5%) were successful and 4 (5.4%) failed to retrieve. The remaining 23 (8.9%) patients declined retrieval. Filters studied include Celect (38%), Bard (31.4%), Option (26.2%), Tulip (4.1%), and Recovery (0.2%). Bard was more commonly used as a retrievable filter (80.9%). Retrieval on the first attempt was 90.4% (n = 66) successful. Of the remaining seven filters, three were successfully retrieved on a second attempt, and four failed to retrieve due to filter tilt. The success rates of retrieval for Celect and Tulip were significantly lower than for Bard (p = 0.04 and 0.023, respectively). Our study showed that a variety of IVC filters can be retrieved successfully with minimal complication rates. In more than half of our patients, IVC filters were used as permanent. Failure of retrieval was most frequently due to filter tilting. © The Author(s) 2014.

  19. Ice surface temperature retrieval from AVHRR, ATSR, and passive microwave satellite data: Algorithm development and application

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Key, Jeff; Maslanik, James; Steffen, Konrad

    1995-01-01

    During the second phase project year we have made progress in the development and refinement of surface temperature retrieval algorithms and in product generation. More specifically, we have accomplished the following: (1) acquired a new advanced very high resolution radiometer (AVHRR) data set for the Beaufort Sea area spanning an entire year; (2) acquired additional along-track scanning radiometer(ATSR) data for the Arctic and Antarctic now totalling over eight months; (3) refined our AVHRR Arctic and Antarctic ice surface temperature (IST) retrieval algorithm, including work specific to Greenland; (4) developed ATSR retrieval algorithms for the Arctic and Antarctic, including work specific to Greenland; (5) developed cloud masking procedures for both AVHRR and ATSR; (6) generated a two-week bi-polar global area coverage (GAC) set of composite images from which IST is being estimated; (7) investigated the effects of clouds and the atmosphere on passive microwave 'surface' temperature retrieval algorithms; and (8) generated surface temperatures for the Beaufort Sea data set, both from AVHRR and special sensor microwave imager (SSM/I).

  20. Fluidized bed steam reformed mineral waste form performance testing to support Hanford Supplemental Low Activity Waste Immobilization Technology Selection

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

    Jantzen, C. M.; Pierce, E. M.; Bannochie, C. J.

    This report describes the benchscale testing with simulant and radioactive Hanford Tank Blends, mineral product characterization and testing, and monolith testing and characterization. These projects were funded by DOE EM-31 Technology Development & Deployment (TDD) Program Technical Task Plan WP-5.2.1-2010-001 and are entitled “Fluidized Bed Steam Reformer Low-Level Waste Form Qualification”, Inter-Entity Work Order (IEWO) M0SRV00054 with Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS) entitled “Fluidized Bed Steam Reforming Treatability Studies Using Savannah River Site (SRS) Low Activity Waste and Hanford Low Activity Waste Tank Samples”, and IEWO M0SRV00080, “Fluidized Bed Steam Reforming Waste Form Qualification Testing Using SRS Low Activity Wastemore » and Hanford Low Activity Waste Tank Samples”. This was a multi-organizational program that included Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL), THOR® Treatment Technologies (TTT), Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Office of River Protection (ORP), and Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS). The SRNL testing of the non-radioactive pilot-scale Fluidized Bed Steam Reformer (FBSR) products made by TTT, subsequent SRNL monolith formulation and testing and studies of these products, and SRNL Waste Treatment Plant Secondary Waste (WTP-SW) radioactive campaign were funded by DOE Advanced Remediation Technologies (ART) Phase 2 Project in connection with a Work-For-Others (WFO) between SRNL and TTT.« less

  1. Retrieval-travel-time model for free-fall-flow-rack automated storage and retrieval system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Metahri, Dhiyaeddine; Hachemi, Khalid

    2018-03-01

    Automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RSs) are material handling systems that are frequently used in manufacturing and distribution centers. The modelling of the retrieval-travel time of an AS/RS (expected product delivery time) is practically important, because it allows us to evaluate and improve the system throughput. The free-fall-flow-rack AS/RS has emerged as a new technology for drug distribution. This system is a new variation of flow-rack AS/RS that uses an operator or a single machine for storage operations, and uses a combination between the free-fall movement and a transport conveyor for retrieval operations. The main contribution of this paper is to develop an analytical model of the expected retrieval-travel time for the free-fall flow-rack under a dedicated storage assignment policy. The proposed model, which is based on a continuous approach, is compared for accuracy, via simulation, with discrete model. The obtained results show that the maximum deviation between the continuous model and the simulation is less than 5%, which shows the accuracy of our model to estimate the retrieval time. The analytical model is useful to optimise the dimensions of the rack, assess the system throughput, and evaluate different storage policies.

  2. Retrieval dynamics in self-terminated memory search.

    PubMed

    Hussey, Erika K; Dougherty, Michael R; Harbison, J Isaiah; Davelaar, Eddy J

    2014-02-01

    Most free-recall experiments employ a paradigm in which participants are given a preset amount of time to retrieve items from a list. While much has been learned using this paradigm, it ignores an important component of many real-world retrieval tasks: the decision to terminate memory search. The present study examines the temporal characteristics underlying memory search by comparing within subjects a standard retrieval paradigm with a finite, preset amount of time (closed interval) to a design that allows participants to terminate memory search on their own (open interval). Calling on the results of several presented simulations, we anticipated that the threshold for number of retrieval failures varied as a function of the nature of the recall paradigm, such that open intervals should result in lower thresholds than closed intervals. Moreover, this effect was expected to manifest in interretrieval times (IRTs). Although retrieval-interval type did not significantly impact the number of items recalled or error rates, IRTs were sensitive to the manipulation. Specifically, the final IRTs in the closed-interval paradigm were longer than those of the open-interval paradigm. This pattern suggests that providing participants with a preset retrieval interval not only masks an important component of the retrieval process (the memory search termination decision), but also alters temporal retrieval dynamics. Task demands may compel people to strategically control aspects of their retrieval by implementing different stopping rules.

  3. Safe Management of Waste Generated during Shale Gas Operations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kukulska-Zając, Ewa; Król, Anna; Holewa-Rataj, Jadwiga

    2017-04-01

    Exploration and exploitation of hydrocarbon deposits, regardless of their type, are connected with the generation of waste, which may have various environmental effects. Such wastes may pose a serious risk to the surrounding environment and public health because they usually contain numerous potentially toxic chemicals. Waste associated with exploration and exploitation of unconventional hydrocarbon deposits is composed of a mixture of organic and inorganic materials, the qualitative and quantitative composition of which changes widely over time, depending on numerous factors. As a result the proper characteristic of this type of waste is very important. Information gained from detailed chemical analyses of drilling chemicals, drilling wastes, and flowback water can be used to manage shale gas-related wastes more appropriately, to develop treatment methods, to store the waste, and assess the potential environmental and health risk. The following paper will focus mainly on the results of research carried out on waste samples coming from the unconventional hydrogen exploration sites. Additionally, regulatory frameworks applicable to the management of wastes produced during this type of works will be discussed. The scope of research concerning physicochemical parameters for this type of wastes will also be presented. The presented results were obtained during M4ShaleGas project realization. The M4ShaleGas project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement no. 640715.

  4. System Scope for Library Automation and Generalized Information Storage and Retrieval at Stanford University.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cady, Glee; And Others

    The scope of a manual-automated system serving the 40 libraries and the teaching and research community of Stanford University is defined. Also defined are the library operations to be supported and the bibliographic information storage and retrieval capabilities to be provided in the system. Two major projects have been working jointly on library…

  5. The Water Reuse project: Sustainable waste water re-use technologies for irrigated land in NIS and southern European states; project overview and results.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    van den Elsen, E.; Doerr, S.; Ritsema, C. J.

    2009-04-01

    In irrigated areas in the New Independent States (NIS) and southern European States, inefficient use of conventional water resources occurs through incomplete wetting of soils, which causes accelerated runoff and preferential flow, and also through excessive evaporation associated with unhindered capillary rise. Furthermore, a largely unexploited potential exists to save conventional irrigation water by supplementation with organic-rich waste water, which, if used appropriately, can also lead to improvements to soil physical properties and soil nutrient and organic matter content. This project aims to (a) reduce irrigation water losses by developing, evaluating and promoting techniques that improve the wetting properties of soils, and (b) investigate the use of organic-rich waste water as a non-conventional water resource in irrigation and, in addition, as a tool in improving soil physical properties and soil nutrient and organic matter content. Key activities include (i) identifying, for the NIS and southern European partner countries, the soil type/land use combinations, for which the above approaches are expected to be most effective and their implementation most feasible, using physical and socio-economic research methods, and (ii) examining the water saving potential, physical, biological and chemical effects on soils of the above approaches, and also their impact on performance. Expected outputs include techniques for sustainable improvements in soil wettability management as a novel approach in water saving, detailed evaluation of the prospects and effects of using supplemental organic-rich waste waters in irrigation, an advanced process-based numerical hydrological model, fully adapted to quantify and upscale resulting water savings and nutrient and potential contaminant fluxes for irrigated areas, and identification of suitable areas in the NIS and Mediterranean (in soil, land use, legislative and socio-economic terms) for implementation.

  6. Management of healthcare waste: developments in Southeast Asia in the twenty-first century.

    PubMed

    Kühling, Jan-Gerd; Pieper, Ute

    2012-09-01

    In many Southeast Asian countries, significant challenges persist with regard to the proper management and disposal of healthcare waste. The amount of healthcare waste in these countries is continuously increasing as a result of the expansion of healthcare systems and services. In the past, healthcare waste, if it was treated at all, was mainly incinerated. In the last decade more comprehensive waste management systems were developed for Southeast Asian countries and implementation started. This also included the establishment of alternative healthcare waste treatment systems. The developments in the lower-middle-income countries are of special interest, as major investments are planned. Based upon sample projects, a short overview of the current development trends in the healthcare waste sector in Laos, Indonesia and Vietnam is provided. The projects presented include: (i) Lao Peoples Democratic Republic (development of the national environmental health training system to support the introduction of environmental health standards and improvement of healthcare waste treatment in seven main hospitals by introducing steam-based treatment technologies); (ii) Indonesia (development of a provincial-level healthcare waste-management strategy for Province Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam (NAD) and introduction of an advanced waste treatment system in a tertiary level hospital in Makassar); and (iii) Vietnam (development of a healthcare waste strategy for five provinces in Vietnam and a World Bank-financed project on healthcare waste in Vietnam).

  7. A Unified Mathematical Definition of Classical Information Retrieval.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dominich, Sandor

    2000-01-01

    Presents a unified mathematical definition for the classical models of information retrieval and identifies a mathematical structure behind relevance feedback. Highlights include vector information retrieval; probabilistic information retrieval; and similarity information retrieval. (Contains 118 references.) (Author/LRW)

  8. Montana Faxnet Project. Final Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brander, Linda L.

    This report summarizes the activities and accomplishments of the Montana Faxnet Project, which was created to design and demonstrate a statewide document delivery network utilizing telefacsimile equipment that would create equitable access for all Montanans accessing and retrieving information, and reduce the waiting time for requested materials…

  9. Accuracy of retrieving temperature and humidity profiles by ground-based microwave radiometry in truly complex terrain

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Massaro, G.; Stiperski, I.; Pospichal, B.; Rotach, M. W.

    2015-03-01

    Within the Innsbruck Box project, a ground-based microwave radiometer (RPG-HATPRO) was operated in the Inn Valley (Austria), in very complex terrain, between September 2012 and May 2013 to obtain temperature and humidity vertical profiles of the full troposphere with a specific focus on the valley boundary layer. The profiles obtained by the radiometer with different retrieval algorithms based on different climatologies, are compared to local radiosonde data. A retrieval that is improved with respect to the one provided by the manufacturer, based on better resolved data, shows a significantly smaller root mean square error (RMSE), both for the temperature and humidity profiles. The improvement is particularly substantial at the heights close to the mountaintop level and in the upper troposphere. Lower level inversions, common in an alpine valley, are resolved to a satisfactory degree. On the other hand, upper level inversions (above 1200 m) still pose a significant challenge for retrieval. For this purpose, specialized retrieval algorithms were developed by classifying the radiosonde climatologies into specialized categories according to different criteria (seasons, daytime, nighttime) and using additional regressors (e.g., measurements from mountain stations). The training and testing on the radiosonde data for these specialized categories suggests that a classification of profiles that reproduces meaningful physical characteristics can yield improved targeted specialized retrievals. A really new and very promising method of improving the profile retrieval in a mountain region is adding further information in the retrieval, such as the surface temperature at fixed levels along a topographic slope or from nearby mountain tops.

  10. PLUTONIUM/HIGH-LEVEL VITRIFIED WASTE BDBE DOSE CALCULATION

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

    D.C. Richardson

    2003-03-19

    In accordance with the Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act of 1987, Yucca Mountain was designated as the site to be investigated as a potential repository for the disposal of high-level radioactive waste. The Yucca Mountain site is an undeveloped area located on the southwestern edge of the Nevada Test Site (NTS), about 100 miles northwest of Las Vegas. The site currently lacks rail service or an existing right-of-way. If the Yucca Mountain site is found suitable for the repository, rail service is desirable to the Office of Civilian Waste Management (OCRWM) Program because of the potential of rail transportation tomore » reduce costs and to reduce the number of shipments relative to highway transportation. A Preliminary Rail Access Study evaluated 13 potential rail spur options. Alternative routes within the major options were also developed. Each of these options was then evaluated for potential land use conflicts and access to regional rail carriers. Three potential routes having few land use conflicts and having access to regional carriers were recommended for further investigation. Figure 1-1 shows these three routes. The Jean route is estimated to be about 120 miles long, the Carlin route to be about 365 miles long, and Caliente route to be about 365 miles long. The remaining ten routes continue to be monitored and should any of the present conflicts change, a re-evaluation of that route will be made. Complete details of the evaluation of the 13 routes can be found in the previous study. The DOE has not identified any preferred route and recognizes that the transportation issues need a full and open treatment under the National Environmental Policy Act. The issue of transportation will be included in public hearings to support development of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) proceedings for either the Monitored Retrievable Storage Facility or the Yucca Mountain Project or both.« less

  11. Radiative transfer codes for atmospheric correction and aerosol retrieval: intercomparison study.

    PubMed

    Kotchenova, Svetlana Y; Vermote, Eric F; Levy, Robert; Lyapustin, Alexei

    2008-05-01

    Results are summarized for a scientific project devoted to the comparison of four atmospheric radiative transfer codes incorporated into different satellite data processing algorithms, namely, 6SV1.1 (second simulation of a satellite signal in the solar spectrum, vector, version 1.1), RT3 (radiative transfer), MODTRAN (moderate resolution atmospheric transmittance and radiance code), and SHARM (spherical harmonics). The performance of the codes is tested against well-known benchmarks, such as Coulson's tabulated values and a Monte Carlo code. The influence of revealed differences on aerosol optical thickness and surface reflectance retrieval is estimated theoretically by using a simple mathematical approach. All information about the project can be found at http://rtcodes.ltdri.org.

  12. Radiative transfer codes for atmospheric correction and aerosol retrieval: intercomparison study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kotchenova, Svetlana Y.; Vermote, Eric F.; Levy, Robert; Lyapustin, Alexei

    2008-05-01

    Results are summarized for a scientific project devoted to the comparison of four atmospheric radiative transfer codes incorporated into different satellite data processing algorithms, namely, 6SV1.1 (second simulation of a satellite signal in the solar spectrum, vector, version 1.1), RT3 (radiative transfer), MODTRAN (moderate resolution atmospheric transmittance and radiance code), and SHARM (spherical harmonics). The performance of the codes is tested against well-known benchmarks, such as Coulson's tabulated values and a Monte Carlo code. The influence of revealed differences on aerosol optical thickness and surface reflectance retrieval is estimated theoretically by using a simple mathematical approach. All information about the project can be found at http://rtcodes.ltdri.org.

  13. Toward an expert project management system

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Silverman, Barry G.; Murray, Arthur; Diakite, Coty; Feggos, Kostas

    1987-01-01

    The purpose of the research effort is to prescribe a generic reusable shell that any project office can install and customize for the purposes of advising, guiding, and supporting project managers in that office. The prescribed shell is intended to provide both: a component that generates prescriptive guidance for project planning and monitoring activities, and an analogy (intuition) component that generates descriptive insights of previous experience of successful project managers. The latter component is especially significant in that it has the potential to: retrieve insights, not just data, and provide a vehicle for expert PMs to easily transcribe their current experiences in the course of each new project managed.

  14. Retrievable Inferior Vena Cava Filters for Venous Thromboembolism

    PubMed Central

    Win, Lei Lei

    2013-01-01

    Inferior vena cava (IVC) filters are used as an alternative to anticoagulants for prevention of fatal pulmonary embolism (PE) in venous thromboembolic disorders. Retrievable IVC filters have become an increasingly attractive option due to the long-term risks of permanent filter placement. These devices are shown to be technically feasible in insertion and retrieval percutaneously while providing protection from PE. Nevertheless, there are complications and failed retrievals with these retrievable filters. The aim of the paper is to review the retrievable filters and their efficacy, safety, and retrievability. PMID:24967292

  15. Alcohol and Memory: Retrieval Processes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Birnbaum, Isabel M.; And Others

    1978-01-01

    The influence of alcohol intoxication on the retrieval of information from memory was investigated in nonalcoholic subjects Intoxicated subjects recalled fewer categories and words within categories. The retrieval stage of memory did not appear to be affected by alcohol. (SW)

  16. User Feedback Procedures; Part III of Scientific Report No. ISR-18, Information Storage and Retrieval...

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY. Dept. of Computer Science.

    Part Three of this five part report on Salton's Magical Automatic Retriever of Texts (SMART) project contains four papers. The first: "Variations on the Query Splitting Technique with Relevance Feedback" by T. P. Baker discusses some experiments in relevance feedback performed with variations on the technique of query splitting. The…

  17. PGIS (Project Grant Information System) Taxonomy [Rough Draft].

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    North American Rockwell Information Systems Co., Arlington, VA.

    The Project Grant Information System (PGIS) is a computerized information indexing and retrieval system which supports the U.S. Office of Education. Its purpose is to provide OE officials with up-to-date information about the Office's discretionary grant programs and projects. The purpose of the Taxonomy is to provide: (1) those individuals who…

  18. Recycled industrial and construction waste for mutual beneficial use.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2016-08-01

    Instead of going to landfills, certain waste materials from industry and building construction can be recycled in transportation infrastructure projects, such as roadway paving. The beneficial use of waste materials in the construction of transportat...

  19. Frequency and causes of failed MODIS cloud property retrievals for liquid phase clouds over global oceans.

    PubMed

    Cho, Hyoun-Myoung; Zhang, Zhibo; Meyer, Kerry; Lebsock, Matthew; Platnick, Steven; Ackerman, Andrew S; Di Girolamo, Larry; C-Labonnote, Laurent; Cornet, Céline; Riedi, Jerome; Holz, Robert E

    2015-05-16

    Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) retrieves cloud droplet effective radius ( r e ) and optical thickness ( τ ) by projecting observed cloud reflectances onto a precomputed look-up table (LUT). When observations fall outside of the LUT, the retrieval is considered "failed" because no combination of τ and r e within the LUT can explain the observed cloud reflectances. In this study, the frequency and potential causes of failed MODIS retrievals for marine liquid phase (MLP) clouds are analyzed based on 1 year of Aqua MODIS Collection 6 products and collocated CALIOP and CloudSat observations. The retrieval based on the 0.86 µm and 2.1 µm MODIS channel combination has an overall failure rate of about 16% (10% for the 0.86 µm and 3.7 µm combination). The failure rates are lower over stratocumulus regimes and higher over the broken trade wind cumulus regimes. The leading type of failure is the " r e too large" failure accounting for 60%-85% of all failed retrievals. The rest is mostly due to the " r e too small" or τ retrieval failures. Enhanced retrieval failure rates are found when MLP cloud pixels are partially cloudy or have high subpixel inhomogeneity, are located at special Sun-satellite viewing geometries such as sunglint, large viewing or solar zenith angles, or cloudbow and glory angles, or are subject to cloud masking, cloud overlapping, and/or cloud phase retrieval issues. The majority (more than 84%) of failed retrievals along the CALIPSO track can be attributed to at least one or more of these potential reasons. The collocated CloudSat radar reflectivity observations reveal that the remaining failed retrievals are often precipitating. It remains an open question whether the extremely large r e values observed in these clouds are the consequence of true cloud microphysics or still due to artifacts not included in this study.

  20. Frequency and causes of failed MODIS cloud property retrievals for liquid phase clouds over global oceans

    PubMed Central

    Cho, Hyoun‐Myoung; Meyer, Kerry; Lebsock, Matthew; Platnick, Steven; Ackerman, Andrew S.; Di Girolamo, Larry; C.‐Labonnote, Laurent; Cornet, Céline; Riedi, Jerome; Holz, Robert E.

    2015-01-01

    Abstract Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) retrieves cloud droplet effective radius (r e) and optical thickness (τ) by projecting observed cloud reflectances onto a precomputed look‐up table (LUT). When observations fall outside of the LUT, the retrieval is considered “failed” because no combination of τ and r e within the LUT can explain the observed cloud reflectances. In this study, the frequency and potential causes of failed MODIS retrievals for marine liquid phase (MLP) clouds are analyzed based on 1 year of Aqua MODIS Collection 6 products and collocated CALIOP and CloudSat observations. The retrieval based on the 0.86 µm and 2.1 µm MODIS channel combination has an overall failure rate of about 16% (10% for the 0.86 µm and 3.7 µm combination). The failure rates are lower over stratocumulus regimes and higher over the broken trade wind cumulus regimes. The leading type of failure is the “r e too large” failure accounting for 60%–85% of all failed retrievals. The rest is mostly due to the “r e too small” or τ retrieval failures. Enhanced retrieval failure rates are found when MLP cloud pixels are partially cloudy or have high subpixel inhomogeneity, are located at special Sun‐satellite viewing geometries such as sunglint, large viewing or solar zenith angles, or cloudbow and glory angles, or are subject to cloud masking, cloud overlapping, and/or cloud phase retrieval issues. The majority (more than 84%) of failed retrievals along the CALIPSO track can be attributed to at least one or more of these potential reasons. The collocated CloudSat radar reflectivity observations reveal that the remaining failed retrievals are often precipitating. It remains an open question whether the extremely large r e values observed in these clouds are the consequence of true cloud microphysics or still due to artifacts not included in this study. PMID:27656330

  1. Human memory retrieval as Lévy foraging

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rhodes, Theo; Turvey, Michael T.

    2007-11-01

    When people attempt to recall as many words as possible from a specific category (e.g., animal names) their retrievals occur sporadically over an extended temporal period. Retrievals decline as recall progresses, but short retrieval bursts can occur even after tens of minutes of performing the task. To date, efforts to gain insight into the nature of retrieval from this fundamental phenomenon of semantic memory have focused primarily upon the exponential growth rate of cumulative recall. Here we focus upon the time intervals between retrievals. We expected and found that, for each participant in our experiment, these intervals conformed to a Lévy distribution suggesting that the Lévy flight dynamics that characterize foraging behavior may also characterize retrieval from semantic memory. The closer the exponent on the inverse square power-law distribution of retrieval intervals approximated the optimal foraging value of 2, the more efficient was the retrieval. At an abstract dynamical level, foraging for particular foods in one's niche and searching for particular words in one's memory must be similar processes if particular foods and particular words are randomly and sparsely located in their respective spaces at sites that are not known a priori. We discuss whether Lévy dynamics imply that memory processes, like foraging, are optimized in an ecological way.

  2. Dissociating the two faces of selective memory retrieval.

    PubMed

    Dobler, Ina M; Bäuml, Karl-Heinz T

    2012-07-01

    Research in the past four decades has repeatedly shown that selective retrieval of some (non-target) memories can impair subsequent retrieval of other (target) information, a finding known as retrieval-induced forgetting. More recently, however, there is evidence that selective retrieval can both impair and enhance recall of related memories (K-H. T. Bäuml & Samenieh, 2010). To identify possible experimental dissociations between the detrimental and the beneficial effects of memory retrieval, we examined retrieval dynamics in listwise directed forgetting, varying the delay between preceding non-target and subsequent target recall. When target recall immediately followed non-target recall, we replicated the prior work and found detrimental effects of memory retrieval on to-be-remembered items but beneficial effects on to-be-forgotten items. In contrast, when a delay was introduced between non-target and target recall, the detrimental effects were present but the beneficial effects were absent. The results demonstrate a first experimental dissociation between the two effects of memory retrieval. They are consistent with a recent two-factor account of the two faces of selective memory retrieval.

  3. Retrievals of ice cloud microphysical properties of deep convective systems using radar measurements: Convective Cloud Microphysical Retrieval

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

    Tian, Jingjing; Dong, Xiquan; Xi, Baike

    This study presents new algorithms for retrieving ice cloud microphysical properties (ice water content (IWC) and median mass diameter (Dm)) for the stratiform and thick anvil regions of Deep Convective Systems (DCSs) using Next-Generation Radar (NEXRAD) reflectivity and recently developed empirical relationships from aircraft in situ measurements during the Midlatitude Continental Convective Clouds Experiment (MC3E). A classic DCS case on 20 May 2011 is used to compare the retrieved IWC profiles with other retrieval and cloud-resolving model simulations. The mean values of each retrieved and simulated IWC fall within one standard derivation of the other two. The statistical results frommore » six selected cases during MC3E show that the aircraft in situ derived IWC and Dm are 0.47 ± 0.29 g m-3 and 2.02 ± 1.3 mm, while the mean values of retrievals have a positive bias of 0.16 g m-3 (34%) and a negative bias of 0.39 mm (19%). To validate the newly developed retrieval algorithms from this study, IWC and Dm are performed with other DCS cases during Bow Echo and Mesoscale Convective Vortex Experiment (BAMEX) field campaign using composite gridded NEXRAD reflectivity and compared with in situ IWC and Dm from aircraft. A total of 64 1-min collocated aircraft and radar samples are available for comparisons, and the averages of radar retrieved and aircraft in situ measured IWCs are 1.22 g m-3 and 1.26 g m-3 with a correlation of 0.5, and their averaged Dm values are 2.15 and 1.80 mm. These comparisons have shown that the retrieval algorithms 45 developed during MC3E can retrieve similar ice cloud microphysical properties of DCS to aircraft in situ measurements during BAMEX with median errors of ~40% and ~25% for IWC and Dm retrievals, respectively. This is indicating our retrieval algorithms are suitable for other midlatitude continental DCS ice clouds, especially at stratiform rain and thick anvil regions. In addition, based on the averaged IWC and Dm values during

  4. Condensed listing of surface boreholes at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Project through 31 December 1995

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

    Hill, L.R.; Aguilar, R.; Mercer, J.W.

    This report contains a condensed listing of Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) project surface boreholes drilled for the purpose of site selection and characterization through 31 December 1995. The US Department of Energy (DOE) sponsored the drilling activities, which were conducted primarily by Sandia National Laboratories. The listing provides physical attributes such as location (township, range, section, and state-plane coordinates), elevation, and total borehole depth, as well as the purpose for the borehole, drilling dates, and information about extracted cores. The report also presents the hole status (plugged, testing, monitoring, etc.) and includes salient findings and references. Maps with boreholemore » locations and times-of-drilling charts are included.« less

  5. NASA develops teleoperator retrieval system

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1978-01-01

    The teleoperator retrieval system vehicle was designed to reboost and/or deorbit the Skylab; however, usefulness in survey, stabilization, retrieval and delivery was examined. Thrusters, designed for cold gas propulsion, were adapted to hydrazine propulsion. Design specifications and cost analysis are given.

  6. Retrieval-Induced versus Context-Induced Forgetting: Does Retrieval-Induced Forgetting Depend on Context Shifts?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Soares, Julia S.; Polack, Cody W.; Miller, Ralph R.

    2016-01-01

    Retrieval-induced forgetting (RIF) is the observation that retrieval of target information causes forgetting of related nontarget information. A number of accounts of this phenomenon have been proposed, including a context-shift-based account (Jonker, Seli, & Macleod, 2013). This account proposes that RIF occurs as a result of the context…

  7. Soil moisture retrieval from Sentinel-1 satellite data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Benninga, Harm-Jan; van der Velde, Rogier; Su, Zhongbo

    2016-04-01

    Reliable up-to-date information on the current water availability and models to evaluate management scenarios are indispensable for skilful water management. The Sentinel-1 radar satellite programme provides an opportunity to monitor water availability (as surface soil moisture) from space on an operational basis at unprecedented fine spatial and temporal resolutions. However, the influences of soil roughness and vegetation cover complicate the retrieval of soil moisture states from radar data. In this contribution, we investigate the sensitivity of Sentinel-1 radar backscatter to soil moisture states and vegetation conditions. The analyses are based on 105 Sentinel-1 images in the period from October 2014 to January 2016 covering the Twente region in the Netherlands. This area is almost flat and has a heterogeneous landscape, including agricultural (mainly grass, cereal and corn), forested and urban land covers. In-situ measurements at 5 cm depth collected from the Twente soil moisture monitoring network are used as reference. This network consists of twenty measurement stations (most of them at agricultural fields) distributed across an area of 50 km × 40 km. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) derived from optical images is adopted as proxy to represent seasonal variability in vegetation conditions. The results from this sensitivity study provide insight into the potential capability of Sentinel-1 data for the estimation of soil moisture states and they will facilitate the further development of operational retrieval methods. An operationally applicable soil moisture retrieval method requires an algorithm that is usable without the need for area specific model calibration with detailed field information (regarding roughness and vegetation). Because it is not yet clear which method provides the most reliable soil moisture retrievals from Sentinel-1 data, multiple soil moisture retrieval methods will be studied in which the fine spatiotemporal

  8. Apatite and sodalite based glass-bonded waste forms for immobilization of 129I and mixed halide radioactive wastes

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

    Goel, Ashutosh; McCloy, John S.; Riley, Brian J.

    The goal of the project was to utilize the knowledge accumulated by the team, in working with minerals for chloride wastes and biological apatites, toward the development of advanced waste forms for immobilizing 129I and mixed-halide wastes. Based on our knowledge, experience, and thorough literature review, we had selected two minerals with different crystal structures and potential for high chemical durability, sodalite and CaP/PbV-apatite, to form the basis of this project. The focus of the proposed effort was towards: (i) low temperature synthesis of proposed minerals (iodine containing sodalite and apatite) leading to the development of monolithic waste forms, (ii)more » development of a fundamental understanding of the atomic-scale to meso-scale mechanisms of radionuclide incorporation in them, and (iii) understanding of the mechanism of their chemical corrosion, alteration mechanism, and rates. The proposed work was divided into four broad sections. deliverables. 1. Synthesis of materials 2. Materials structural and thermal characterization 3. Design of glass compositions and synthesis glass-bonded minerals, and 4. Chemical durability testing of materials.« less

  9. Atmospheric Retrievals from Exoplanet Observations and Simulations with BART

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Harrington, Joseph

    This project will determine the observing plans needed to retrieve exoplanet atmospheric composition and thermal profiles over a broad range of planets, stars, instruments, and observing modes. Characterizing exoplanets is hard. The dim planets orbit bright stars, giving orders of magnitude more relative noise than for solar-system planets. Advanced statistical techniques are needed to determine what the data can - and more importantly cannot - say. We therefore developed Bayesian Atmospheric Radiative Transfer (BART). BART explores the parameter space of atmospheric chemical abundances and thermal profiles using Differential-Evolution Markov-Chain Monte Carlo. It generates thousands of candidate spectra, integrates over observational bandpasses, and compares to data, generating a statistical model for an atmosphere's composition and thermal structure. At best, it gives abundances and thermal profiles with uncertainties. At worst, it shows what kinds of planets the data allow. It also gives parameter correlations. BART is open-source, designed for community use and extension (http://github.com/exosports/BART). Three arXived PhD theses (papers in publication) provide technical documentation, tests, and application to Spitzer and HST data. There are detailed user and programmer manuals and community support forums. Exoplanet analysis techniques must be tested against synthetic data, where the answer is known, and vetted by statisticians. Unfortunately, this has rarely been done, and never sufficiently. Several recent papers question the entire body of Spitzer exoplanet observations, because different analyses of the same data give different results. The latest method, pixel-level decorrelation, produces results that diverge from an emerging consensus. We do not know the retrieval problem's strengths and weaknesses relative to low SNR, red noise, low resolution, instrument systematics, or incomplete spectral line lists. In observing eclipses and transits, we assume

  10. Staff exchange with Chemical Waste Management. Final project report

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

    Harrer, B.J.; Barak, D.W.

    1993-12-01

    Original objective was transfer of PNL technology and expertise in computational chemistry and waste flow/treatment modeling to CWM. Identification and characterization of a broader portfolio of PNL`s environmental remediation technologies with high potential for rapid application became the focus of the exchange, which included E-mail exchanges. Of the 14 technologies discussed, the following were identified as being of high interest to CWM: six phase soil heating (in-situ heating), high energy electrical corona, RAAS/ReOpt{trademark} (remedial, expert system), TEES{trademark} (catalytic production of methane from biological wastes), PST (process for treating petroleum sludge). CWM`s reorganization and downsizing reduced the potential benefits to industry,more » but a proposal for transfer and application of PST to Wheelabrator was made.« less

  11. A Comparison of Retrievability: Celect versus Option Filter.

    PubMed

    Ryu, Robert K; Desai, Kush; Karp, Jennifer; Gupta, Ramona; Evans, Alan Emerson; Rajeswaran, Shankar; Salem, Riad; Lewandowski, Robert J

    2015-06-01

    To compare the retrievability of 2 potentially retrievable inferior vena cava filter devices. A retrospective, institutional review board-approved study of Celect (Cook, Inc, Bloomington, Indiana) and Option (Rex Medical, Conshohocken, Pennsylvania) filters was conducted over a 33-month period at a single institution. Fluoroscopy time, significant filter tilt, use of adjunctive retrieval technique, and strut perforation in the inferior vena cava were recorded on retrieval. Fisher exact test and Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon test were used for comparison. There were 99 Celect and 86 Option filters deployed. After an average of 2.09 months (range, 0.3-7.6 mo) and 1.94 months (range, 0.47-9.13 mo), respectively, 59% (n = 58) of patients with Celect filters and 74.7% (n = 65) of patients with Option filters presented for filter retrieval. Retrieval failure rates were 3.4% for Celect filters versus 7.7% for Option filters (P = .45). Median fluoroscopy retrieval times were 4.25 minutes for Celect filters versus 6 minutes for Option filters (P = .006). Adjunctive retrieval techniques were used in 5.4% of Celect filter retrievals versus 18.3% of Option filter retrievals (P = .045). The incidence of significant tilting was 8.9% for Celect filters versus 16.7% for Option filters (P = .27). The incidence of strut perforation was 43% for Celect filters versus 0% for Option filters (P < .0001). Retrieval rates for the Celect and Option filters were not significantly different. However, retrieval of the Option filter required a significantly increased amount of fluoroscopy time compared with the Celect filter, and there was a significantly greater usage of adjunctive retrieval techniques for the Option filter. The Celect filter had a significantly higher rate of strut perforation. Copyright © 2015 SIR. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Music to knowledge: A visual programming environment for the development and evaluation of music information retrieval techniques

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ehmann, Andreas F.; Downie, J. Stephen

    2005-09-01

    The objective of the International Music Information Retrieval Systems Evaluation Laboratory (IMIRSEL) project is the creation of a large, secure corpus of audio and symbolic music data accessible to the music information retrieval (MIR) community for the testing and evaluation of various MIR techniques. As part of the IMIRSEL project, a cross-platform JAVA based visual programming environment called Music to Knowledge (M2K) is being developed for a variety of music information retrieval related tasks. The primary objective of M2K is to supply the MIR community with a toolset that provides the ability to rapidly prototype algorithms, as well as foster the sharing of techniques within the MIR community through the use of a standardized set of tools. Due to the relatively large size of audio data and the computational costs associated with some digital signal processing and machine learning techniques, M2K is also designed to support distributed computing across computing clusters. In addition, facilities to allow the integration of non-JAVA based (e.g., C/C++, MATLAB, etc.) algorithms and programs are provided within M2K. [Work supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and NSF Grants No. IIS-0340597 and No. IIS-0327371.

  13. Processing Plan for Potentially Reactive/Ignitable Remote Handled Transuranic Waste at the Idaho Cleanup Project - 12090

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

    Troescher, Patrick D.; Hobbes, Tammy L.; Anderson, Scott A.

    Remote Handle Transuranic (RH-TRU) Waste generated at Argonne National Laboratory - East, from the examination of irradiated and un-irradiated fuel pins and other reactor materials requires a detailed processing plan to ensure reactive/ignitable material is absent to meet WIPP Waste Acceptance Criteria prior to shipping and disposal. The Idaho Cleanup Project (ICP) approach to repackaging Lot 2 waste and how we ensure prohibited materials are not present in waste intended for disposal at Waste Isolation Pilot Plant 'WIPP' uses an Argon Repackaging Station (ARS), which provides an inert gas blanket. Opening of the Lot 2 containers under an argon gasmore » blanket is proposed to be completed in the ARS. The ARS is an interim transition repackaging station that provides a mitigation technique to reduce the chances of a reoccurrence of a thermal event prior to rendering the waste 'Safe'. The consequences, should another thermal event be encountered, (which is likely) is to package the waste, apply the reactive and or ignitable codes to the container, and store until the future treatment permit and process are available. This is the same disposition that the two earlier containers in the 'Thermal Events' were assigned. By performing the initial handling under an inert gas blanket, the waste can sorted and segregate the fines and add the Met-L-X to minimize risk before it is exposed to air. The 1-gal cans that are inside the ANL-E canister will be removed and each can is moved to the ARS for repackaging. In the ARS, the 1-gal can is opened in the inerted environment. The contained waste is sorted, weighed, and visually examined for non compliant items such as unvented aerosol cans and liquids. The contents of the paint cans are transferred into a sieve and manipulated to allow the fines, if any, to be separated into the tray below. The fines are weighed and then blended with a minimum 5:1 mix of Met-L-X. Other debris materials found are segregated from the cans into

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

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Eells, Jean Crim; And Others

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

  15. Intelligent Information Retrieval: An Introduction.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gauch, Susan

    1992-01-01

    Discusses the application of artificial intelligence to online information retrieval systems and describes several systems: (1) CANSEARCH, from MEDLINE; (2) Intelligent Interface for Information Retrieval (I3R); (3) Gausch's Query Reformulation; (4) Environmental Pollution Expert (EP-X); (5) PLEXUS (gardening); and (6) SCISOR (corporate…

  16. Mobile medical visual information retrieval.

    PubMed

    Depeursinge, Adrien; Duc, Samuel; Eggel, Ivan; Müller, Henning

    2012-01-01

    In this paper, we propose mobile access to peer-reviewed medical information based on textual search and content-based visual image retrieval. Web-based interfaces designed for limited screen space were developed to query via web services a medical information retrieval engine optimizing the amount of data to be transferred in wireless form. Visual and textual retrieval engines with state-of-the-art performance were integrated. Results obtained show a good usability of the software. Future use in clinical environments has the potential of increasing quality of patient care through bedside access to the medical literature in context.

  17. Retrieving fear memories, as time goes by…

    PubMed Central

    Do Monte, Fabricio H.; Quirk, Gregory J.; Li, Bo; Penzo, Mario A.

    2016-01-01

    Fear conditioning researches have led to a comprehensive picture of the neuronal circuit underlying the formation of fear memories. In contrast, knowledge about the retrieval of fear memories is much more limited. This disparity may stem from the fact that fear memories are not rigid, but reorganize over time. To bring clarity and raise awareness on the time-dependent dynamics of retrieval circuits, we review current evidence on the neuronal circuitry participating in fear memory retrieval at both early and late time points after conditioning. We focus on the temporal recruitment of the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus, and its BDNFergic efferents to the central nucleus of the amygdala, for the retrieval and maintenance of fear memories. Finally, we speculate as to why retrieval circuits change across time, and the functional benefits of recruiting structures such as the paraventricular nucleus into the retrieval circuit. PMID:27217148

  18. Low-Activity Waste Pretreatment System Additional Engineering-Scale Integrated Test Report

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

    Landon, Matt R.; Wilson, Robert A.

    Washington River Protections Solutions, LLC’s (WRPS) Low Activity Waste Pretreatment System (LAWPS) Project provides for the early production of immobilized low-activity waste (ILAW) by feeding LAW directly from Tank Farms to the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) LAW Facility, bypassing the WTP Pretreatment Facility. Prior to the transfer of feed to the WTP LAW Vitrification Facility, tank supernatant waste will be pretreated in the LAWPS to meet the WTP LAW waste acceptance criteria (WAC). Full-scale and engineering-scale testing of critical technology elements, as part of the technology maturation process, are components of the overall LAWPS Project. WRPS awarded themore » engineering-scale integrated testing scope to AECOM via WRPS Subcontract 58349. This report is deliverable MSR-008 of the subcontract.« less

  19. Special cases of AIRS v4.0.x retrievals: missing forecast surface pressure and regression-only retrieval

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hearty, Thomas; Manning, Evan

    2005-01-01

    This memo examines the differences that can be expected when performing two special cases of retrievals with the v.4.0.x PGE: (1) retrivals without the surface pressure from the NOAA Global Forecast System (GFS) and (2) regression only retrievals. An understanding of these differences is important for users who may want to give up some accuracy in the retrieval in exchange for a rapid solution.

  20. Compact binary hashing for music retrieval

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Seo, Jin S.

    2014-03-01

    With the huge volume of music clips available for protection, browsing, and indexing, there is an increased attention to retrieve the information contents of the music archives. Music-similarity computation is an essential building block for browsing, retrieval, and indexing of digital music archives. In practice, as the number of songs available for searching and indexing is increased, so the storage cost in retrieval systems is becoming a serious problem. This paper deals with the storage problem by extending the supervector concept with the binary hashing. We utilize the similarity-preserving binary embedding in generating a hash code from the supervector of each music clip. Especially we compare the performance of the various binary hashing methods for music retrieval tasks on the widely-used genre dataset and the in-house singer dataset. Through the evaluation, we find an effective way of generating hash codes for music similarity estimation which improves the retrieval performance.