bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Application of an Integrated Head Assembly Concept at Pressurized Water Reactor Commercial Nuclear Plants
Authors: Baliga Ravi , Watts Tom Neal , Kamath Harish 
Published: November 2014

In a typical pressurized water reactor commercial nuclear plant, a number of components such as CRDMs, a lift rig to lift the Reactor Vessel Closure Head (RVCH), seismic restraints, missile shield, and a cooling system with large air ducts are installed on or directly over the RVCH. These components and systems are typically designed and installed individually to perform designated functions during plant operation.
During refueling outages the removal of the RVCH from the pressure vessel and its subsequent re-installation on the pressure vessel for fuel loading requires individual dismantling and reassembly of these components resulting in an expensive and time-consuming process. Prior to detensioning the RVCH from the vessel, a lengthy series of steps or detailed procedures must be followed to safely remove the head area components and to store them in their designated spaces inside containment. The procedure generally includes: removal and storage of the concrete missile shield; removal and storage of CRDM cooling ducts; removal of seismic restraints; removal of head area cables; installation of the tripod assembly over the service structure; disconnecting the vent and level indicator lines; and installation of temporary lead blankets around the RVCH. Once the refueling is complete, these procedural steps are repeated in reverse order.
Each procedure in the refueling process contributes significantly to the total cost associated with personnel time required to perform the refueling, power plant down time and consequent loss of electricity production, radiation exposure to personnel, and risks and costs associated with potential human errors. In addition, these components require a large amount of storage space inside containment raising the risk of having inadvertent contamination of work and storage areas.
To reduce the outage duration and the associated radiation exposure to the workers, the authors have designed an Integrated Head Assembly (IHA) for Callaway nuclear plant based on Mr. Baliga’s patented design as disclosed in U.S. Patents. The IHA is an assembly of all head area components integrally attached to the RVCH so that all these components can be lifted with the RVCH in one assembly (see Figure 1). The IHA also provides a forced air convection system that improves the efficiency of the CRDM cooling. The IHA reduces a significant amount of critical path time and radiation dosage during refueling outages.
Mr. Baliga’s invention has been implemented at several commercial nuclear plants in the USA (Turkey Point Units 3 and 4; Salem Units 1 and 2; DC Cook Units 1 and 2; Diablo Canyon Units 1 and 2; Davis Besse Unit 1; and Callaway Unit 1). This paper provides details of the IHA design implemented at Callaway nuclear plant in the USA.
In-Service Inspection and On-Line Monitoring of Inaccessible Components in Nuclear Power Plants Using Guided Wave Technology
Authors: Turcu Florin , Cappelli Mauro , Mazzini Davide , Pistelli Sergio , Raugi Marco 
Published: November 2014

One of the most challenging problems in the on-line monitoring of critical parameters of nuclear plants is the inspection of components that result inaccessible or difficult to reach. In this context, there is an increasing interest of the scientific community and industry for the use of Ultrasonic Guided Waves (UGW) for addressing this issue.
In this work, the problem of the applicability of the UGW technique with magnetostrictive sensors to NPP structures is described, together with the outline of the related advantages as well as the main technical concerns that may arise from such applications. This methodology has been tested on experimental activities concerning high temperature applications. Results show the effectiveness of such an approach.
The ARCADIA Project in Support of the ALFRED Concept
Authors: Diaconu Daniela , Constantin Marin , Grasso Giacomo , Glinatsis Georgios , Di Gabriele Fosca , Alemberti Alessandro , De Bruyn Didier , Urbonavicius Egidijus 
Published: November 2014

The FP7 Euratom project ARCADIA (Assessment of Regional CApabilities for new reactors Development through an Integrated Approach), launched in November 2013, has the aim to assess the regional capabilities of the EU New Member States (NMS) to effectively contribute in bringing closer the European research to ESNII (European Sustainable Nuclear Industrial Initiative) and NUGENIA (NUclearGEneration II&III Association) objectives. In particular, for the ESNII, the project will work in support to the ALFRED concept towards its realization in Romania, and for NUGENIA it will approach safety aspects of Gen III/III+.
The project focuses on the identification of the primary needs for the ALFRED project, mainly to what concerns engineering and technology, supporting infrastructures, competences and regulatory aspects. At the same time, it investigates the existing national and regional supporting structures — with a particular attention to the ones in Romania and in all the participating NMS — for defining a map of competences potentially eligible to satisfy the identified needs. Since the most of the existing competences and experiences rely on present generation systems, the review will also provide a frame for potential support to NUGENIA on Gen III/III+ systems, as well as the starting point for building the Gen IV culture and future capabilities.
On the other hand, ARCADIA takes the profit of the large participation to the project itself to carry out an advising activity to the ALFRED Consortium (FALCON), addressing recommendations regarding the national and international best practices and guidelines for the advancement of the ALFRED project.
Investigation of the existing Research Reactors, among the Project Partner, for their potential involvement in future (potential) experimental activities in support of both the ALFRED project realization and the Gen III/III+ safety activities will be also considered. Networking, Cooperation and Dissemination activities are also included in the project in order to provide the connection with the international scientific community, with the European institutional organizations and with the general public. This work gives an overview of the project objectives, structure and contents, with focus on the international effort towards the GenIV.
Modeling of a Reactor Trip System Using Markov Chains: Case Study
Authors: Butenko Valentina 
Published: November 2014

Markov models (MM) are widely used in dependability assessment of complex safety-critical systems, such as NPP I&C system. The main computational difficulties in case of using MM are model size and stiffness, which pose a problems in its construction, storage and solution. Selection of the solution approach and method, based on analysis of such MM features as stiffness and complexity, increases the assessment accuracy. Result of such analysis helps in making decision between direct and indirect research techniques and set of software packages (SP) to provide the high accurate assessment results.
This paper presents the case study for safety assessment of NPP I&Cs. This is a two-channel FPGA-based Reactor Trip System with three parallel tracks on voting logic “2-out-of-3” in each channel. Several solution techniques and SPs were used to analyze and describe the ways in which main modelling risks can be avoid. Analysis of case study results using different SP allows to formulate few application problems: importance of usability-oriented SP selection in case of solving complex MM; achieving an accurate result for stiff MM; support the results verification to ensure the needed level of confidence.
A 3D, Interactive Virtual Instruction Laboratory and a Virtual Model of a Reactor Control Room
Authors: Li Ye , Haddish Imran , Zhu Xuefeng , Satoh Yoshinori , Uddin Rizwan 
Published: November 2014

Efficient and effective education and training of nuclear engineering students, nuclear reactor operators, their supervisors, and other personnel are critical for the safe operation and maintenance of any nuclear reactor, whether for research or commercial power generation. Radiation and reactor laboratories are a very important part of such training. Recent increase in the student population in nuclear engineering programs has put strains on laboratory resources. This increase in student population, constraints on resources and qualitative improvements in gaming technology have led researchers in the field of radiological and nuclear engineering to explore virtual, game-like models to provide the needed experience [1–3]. Though virtual lab experience may never completely replace an actual physical lab experience in educational institutions, in some ways virtual labs may provide a better experience than limited cookbook style executions in a physical lab or reactor operator training course.
We have earlier reported our initial efforts toward the development of a generic virtual and interactive laboratory environment [3]. This virtual lab presents a fully immersive learning experience. We here report the specifics of a radiation lab in which half-life and shielding experiments can be conducted, and simulation-based real-physics data can be gathered.
Right ventricular strain analysis from three‐dimensional echocardiography by using temporally diffeomorphic motion estimation
Authors: Zhang Zhijun , Zhu Meihua , Ashraf Muhammad , Broberg Craig S. , Sahn David J. , Song Xubo 
Published: November 2014

Purpose:Quantitative analysis of right ventricle (RV) motion is important for study of the mechanism of congenital and acquired diseases. Unlike left ventricle (LV), motion estimation of RV is more difficult because of its complex shape and thin myocardium. Although attempts of finite element models on MR images and speckle tracking on echocardiography have shown promising results on RV strain analysis, these methods can be improved since the temporal smoothness of the motion is not considered.Methods:The authors have proposed a temporally diffeomorphic motion estimation method in which a spatiotemporal transformation is estimated by optimization of a registration energy functional of the velocity field in their earlier work. The proposed motion estimation method is a fully automatic process for general image sequences. The authors apply the method by combining with a semiautomatic myocardium segmentation method to the RV strain analysis of three‐dimensional (3D) echocardiographic sequences of five open‐chest pigs under different steady states.Results:The authors compare the peak two‐point strains derived by their method with those estimated from the sonomicrometry, the results show that they have high correlation. The motion of the right ventricular free wall is studied by using segmental strains. The baseline sequence results show that the segmental strains in their methods are consistent with results obtained by other image modalities such as MRI. The image sequences of pacing steady states show that segments with the largest strain variation coincide with the pacing sites.Conclusions:The high correlation of the peak two‐point strains of their method and sonomicrometry under different steady states demonstrates that their RV motion estimation has high accuracy. The closeness of the segmental strain of their method to those from MRI shows the feasibility of their method in the study of RV function by using 3D echocardiography. The strain analysis of the pacing steady states shows the potential utility of their method in study on RV diseases.
Pseudomonas Strains Naturally Associated with Potato Plants Produce Volatiles with High Potential for Inhibition of Phytophthora infestans
Authors: Hunziker Lukas , Bönisch Denise , Groenhagen Ulrike , Bailly Aurélien , Schulz Stefan , Weisskopf Laure 
Published: November 2014

ABSTRACT

Bacteria emit volatile organic compounds with a wide range of effects on bacteria, fungi, plants, and animals. The antifungal potential of bacterial volatiles has been investigated with a broad span of phytopathogenic organisms, yet the reaction of oomycetes to these volatile signals is largely unknown. For instance, the response of the late blight-causing agent and most devastating oomycete pathogen worldwide,
Phytophthora infestans
, to bacterial volatiles has not been assessed so far. In this work, we analyzed this response and compared it to that of selected fungal and bacterial potato pathogens, using newly isolated, potato-associated bacterial strains as volatile emitters.
P. infestans
was highly susceptible to bacterial volatiles, while fungal and bacterial pathogens were less sensitive. Cyanogenic
Pseudomonas
strains were the most active, leading to complete growth inhibition, yet noncyanogenic ones also produced antioomycete volatiles. Headspace analysis of the emitted volatiles revealed 1-undecene as a compound produced by strains inducing volatile-mediated
P. infestans
growth inhibition. Supplying pure 1-undecene to
P. infestans
significantly reduced mycelial growth, sporangium formation, germination, and zoospore release in a dose-dependent manner. This work demonstrates the high sensitivity of
P. infestans
to bacterial volatiles and opens new perspectives for sustainable control of this devastating pathogen.
Propionyl Coenzyme A (Propionyl-CoA) Carboxylase in Haloferax mediterranei: Indispensability for Propionyl-CoA Assimilation and Impacts on Global Metabolism
Authors: Hou Jing , Xiang Hua , Han Jing 
Published: November 2014

ABSTRACT

Propionyl coenzyme A (propionyl-CoA) is an important intermediate during the biosynthesis and catabolism of intracellular carbon storage of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-
co
-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) in haloarchaea. However, the haloarchaeal propionyl-CoA carboxylase (PCC) and its physiological significance remain unclear. In this study, we identified a PCC that catalyzed propionyl-CoA carboxylation with an acetyl-CoA carboxylation side activity in
Haloferax mediterranei
. Gene knockout/complementation demonstrated that the PCC enzyme consisted of a fusion protein of a biotin carboxylase and a biotin-carboxyl carrier protein (PccA [HFX_2490]), a carboxyltransferase component (PccB [HFX_2478]), and an essential small subunit (PccX [HFX_2479]). Knockout of
pccBX
led to an inability to utilize propionate and a higher intracellular propionyl-CoA level, indicating that the PCC enzyme is indispensable for propionyl-CoA utilization. Interestingly,
H. mediterranei
DBX (
pccBX
-deleted strain) displayed multiple phenotypic changes, including retarded cell growth, decreased glucose consumption, impaired PHBV biosynthesis, and wrinkled cells. A propionyl-CoA concentration equivalent to the concentration that accumulated in DBX cells was demonstrated to inhibit succinyl-CoA synthetase of the tricarboxylic acid cycle
in vitro
. Genome-wide microarray analysis showed that many genes for glycolysis, pyruvate oxidation, PHBV accumulation, electron transport, and stress responses were affected in DBX. This study not only identified the haloarchaeal PCC for the metabolism of propionyl-CoA, an important intermediate in haloarchaea, but also demonstrated that impaired propionyl-CoA metabolism affected global metabolism in
H. mediterranei
.
The Demons of Carpi: Exorcism, Witchcraft, and the Inquisition in a Seventeenth-Century Convent
Authors: Watt Jeffrey R. 
Published: November 2014

ZUSAMMENFASSUNG
In den späten 1630er Jahren gerieten vierzehn Frauen im Kloster Santa Chiara in Carpi bei Modena aufgrund ihres merkwürdigen Verhaltens in Verdacht, vom Teufel besessen zu sein. Während des daraufhin eingeleiteten Exorzismus hörten die Priester aus dem Mund der Frauen die sie angeblich beherrschenden Dämonen sprechen und die Namen von zwei Personen nennen, die die Frauen verzaubert haben sollten: Dealta Martinelli, eine unbeliebte Nonne, und Fra Angelo Bellacappa, der ehemalige Beichtvater der Nonnen. Bei ihren Vernehmungen durch die Inquisition von Modena lieferten die Exorzisten detaillierte Beweise dafür, daß die Frauen Opfer sowohl von Teufelsbesessenheit als auch von Hexerei waren. Auch die vernommenen Nonnen hatten die zeitgenössischen Annahmen über Hexerei und Besessenheit internalisiert. Die angeblich besessenen Frauen kooperierten aktiv mit den Exorzisten, indem sie den Exorzismus als das einzige Mittel für die Besserung ihres Zustandes ansahen. Nur die Kardina ¨ le der Heiligen Kongregation in Rom waren skeptisch, verwarfen die Hexenanklagen und machten die Exorzisten für die entstandene Panik verantwortlich.
THE EFFECT OF FETAL CALF SERUM ON HUMAN DENTAL PULP STEM CELLS
Authors: Suchánek Jakub , Suchánková Kleplová Tereza , Kapitán Martin , Soukup Tomáš 
Published: November 2014

Aims: Authors studied potential side effects of fetal calf serum (FCS) in cultivation media on human dental pulp stem cells (DPSC) during long term cultivation. Methods: Two lines of DPSC obtained healthy donors (male 22 years, female 23 years) were used. Both lines were cultivated under standard cultivation conditions in four different media containing 10% or 2% FCS and substituted with growth factors. During long term cultivation proliferation ability, karyotype and phenotype of DPSC were measured. Results: Both lines of DPSC cultivated in a media containing 2% FCS and ITS supplement showed the highest number of population doublings. On the other hand the proliferation rate of DPSC cultivated in a media with 2% FCS without ITS supplement was slowest. Proliferation rate of DPSC cultivated in 10% FCS media with or without FGF-2 was comparable. DPSC cultivated in a media with 10% FCS showed a significantly higher amount of chromosomal aberrations. These chromosomal aberrations do not seem to be clonal but surprisingly we found large amounts of tetraploid cells in the 9th passage in both media containing 10% FCS. Conclusions: Our study proved that cultivation of DPSC in media containing higher concentration of FCS has critical side effects on cell chromosomal stability.
Criterion-concurrent Validity of Spinal Mobility Tests in Ankylosing Spondylitis: A Systematic Review of the Literature
Authors: Castro Marcelo P. , Stebbings Simon M. , Milosavljevic Stephan , Bussey Melanie D. 
Published: November 2014

Objective.To examine the level of evidence for criterion-concurrent validity of spinal mobility assessments in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS).Methods.Guidelines proposed in the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses were used to undertake a search strategy involving 3 sets of keywords: accura*, truth, valid*; ankylosing spondylitis, spondyloarthritis, spondyloarthropathy, spondylarthritis; mobility, spinal measure*, (a further 16 keywords with similar meaning were used). Seven databases were searched from their inception to February 2014: AMED, Embase, ProQuest, PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, and Web of Science. The Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies (with modifications) was used to assess the quality of articles reviewed. An article was considered high quality when it received “yes” in at least 9 of the 13 items.Results.From the 741 records initially identified, 10 articles were retained for our systematic review. Only 1 article was classified as high quality, and this article suggests that 3 variants of the Schober test (original, modified, and modified-modified) poorly reflect lumbar range of motion where radiographs were used as the reference standard.Conclusion.The level of evidence considering criterion-concurrent validity of clinical tests used to assess spinal mobility in patients with AS is low. Clinicians should be aware that current practice when measuring spinal mobility in AS may not accurately reflect true spinal mobility.
The H. Winslow Fegley Collection at the Schwenkfelder Library and Heritage Center
Authors: Perry Candace Kintzer 
Published: November 2014

Abstract
In 1952 ninety-year-old Daisy Gery of Upper Hanover Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, donated photographer Harry Winslow Fegley's glass plate negatives and photographic prints to the Schwenkfelder Historical Library in Pennsburg, Montgomery County. Over the intervening sixty-plus years, this collection has become one of the most significant at the Schwenkfelder Library and Heritage Center (SLHC), as the institution is now known. The author provides a brief history of the photographer, journalist, and business owner H. Winslow Fegley that describes his activities beyond what he is most recognized for—photographs of rural Pennsylvania landscape and the lives of its inhabitants at the turn of the twentieth century. The article concludes with a discussion of current cataloging and digitization efforts of the collection at the SLHC.
Theoretical study of the ionospheric plasma cave in the equatorial ionization anomaly region
Authors: Chen Yu‐Tsung , Lin C. H. , Chen C. H. , Liu J. Y. , Huba J. D. , Chang L. C. , Liu H.‐L. , Lin J. T. , Rajesh P. K. 
Published: November 2014

AbstractThis paper investigates the physical mechanism of an unusual equatorial electron density structure, plasma cave, located underneath the equatorial ionization anomaly by using theoretical simulations. The simulation results provide important new understanding of the dynamics of the equatorial ionosphere. It has been suggested previously that unusual drifts might be responsible for the observed plasma cave structure, but model simulations in this paper suggest that the more likely cause is latitudinal meridional neutral wind variations. The neutral winds are featured by two divergent wind regions at off‐equator latitudes and a convergent wind region around the magnetic equator, resulting in plasma divergences and convergence, respectively, to form the plasma caves structure. The tidal‐decomposition analysis further suggests that the cave related meridional neutral winds and the intensity of plasma cave are highly associated with the migrating terdiurnal tidal component of the neutral winds.
Suspected seismo‐ionospheric coupling observed by satellite measurements and GPS TEC related to the M7.9 Wenchuan earthquake of 12 May 2008
Authors: Ryu K. , Parrot M. , Kim S. G. , Jeong K. S. , Chae J. S. , Pulinets S. , Oyama K.‐I. 
Published: November 2014

AbstractAnomalous changes in the ionospheric conditions related to the Wenchuan earthquake of 12 May 2008 are investigated using electron density (Ne) from Detection of Electro‐Magnetic Emissions Transmitted from Earthquake Regions (DEMETER) and CHAMP satellites, electric field from DEMETER, and GPS‐total electron content (TEC) maps. The normalized Ne from the DEMETER satellite reveal that the previously reported TEC increments before the earthquake can be considered as fragments of the gradual equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA) enhancements near the epicenter longitude that began approximately 1 month before the earthquake and reached its maximum with an exceptionally large strength index 8 days prior to the main shock. This feature is indirectly confirmed through the CHAMP Ne and GPS TEC data. Following the EIA intensity peak, disturbances in the Ne and O+ density were observed in the nightside. Based on the concurrent electric field and Ne changes, it is suggested that EIA intensification could be triggered by the E field disturbances over the epicenter.