Academic literature on the topic 'Site-specific primary data'
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Journal articles on the topic "Site-specific primary data"
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Grzebisz, Witold. "Site-Specific Nutrient Management." Agronomy 11, no. 4 (April 13, 2021): 752. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11040752.
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The editorial introduces to a Special Issue entitled ”Site-Specific Nutrient Management. The concept of the nitrogen gap (NG) is as a core challenge for an effective realization of the so called “twin objectives” in sustainable agriculture. This special issue stresses on some hot spots in crop production, being responsible in the yield gap development, that farmers have to take control. The yield gap cannot be ameliorated without the synchronization of the in-season requirements of the currently grown crop for N with its three-dimensional variability in a supply on a field (temporal, spatial and vertical). A recognition of soil fertility status in the rooted zone, which includes availability of both mineral N and nutrients decisive for its uptake, is the first step in the NG amelioration. The sustainability in soil fertility, as a prerequisite of N fertilizer application, requires a wise strategy of organic matter management, based on farmyard manure, and/or cultivation of legumes. The soil fertility status, irrespectively of the World region determines ways of the N rate optimization. The division of a particular field into homogenous productive units is the primary step in the NG cover. It can be delineated, using both data on soil physico-chemical properties of the soil rooted zone, and then validated by using satellite spectral images of the crop biomass in a well-defined stage of its growth, decisive for yield. The proposed set of diagnostic tools is a basis for elaboration an effective agronomic decision support system.
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Pearson, Clare, Veronique Poirier, Karen Fitzgerald, Greg Rubin, and Willie Hamilton. "Cross-sectional study using primary care and cancer registration data to investigate patients with cancer presenting with non-specific symptoms." BMJ Open 10, no. 1 (January 2020): e033008. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2019-033008.
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IntroductionPatients presenting to primary care with site-specific alarm symptoms can be referred onto urgent suspected cancer pathways, whereas those with non-specific symptoms currently have no dedicated referral routes leading to delays in cancer diagnosis and poorer outcomes. Pilot Multidisciplinary Diagnostic Centres (MDCs) provide a referral route for such patients in England.ObjectivesThis work aimed to use linked primary care and cancer registration data to describe diagnostic pathways for patients similar to those being referred into MDCs and compare them to patients presenting with more specific symptoms.MethodsThis cross-sectional study linked primary care data from the National Cancer Diagnosis Audit (NCDA) to national cancer registration and Route to Diagnosis records. Patient symptoms recorded in the NCDA were used to allocate patients to one of two groups - those presenting with symptoms mirroring referral criteria of MDCs (non-specific but concerning symptoms (NSCS)) and those with at least one site-specific alarm symptom (non-NSCS). Descriptive analyses compared the two groups and regression analysis by group investigated associations with long primary care intervals (PCIs).ResultsPatients with NSCS were more likely to be diagnosed at later stage (32% stage 4, compared with 21% in non-NSCS) and via an emergency presentation (34% vs 16%). These patients also had more multiple pre-referral general practitioner consultations (59% vs 43%) and primary care-led diagnostics (blood tests: 57% vs 35%). Patients with NSCS had higher odds of having longer PCIs (adjusted OR: 1.24 (1.11 to 1.36)). Patients with lung and urological cancers also had higher odds of longer PCIs overall and in both groups.ConclusionsDifferences in the diagnostic pathway show that patients with symptoms mirroring the MDC referral criteria could benefit from a new referral pathway.
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Raza, Shaan M., Paul W. Gidley, Michael E. Kupferman, Ehab Y. Hanna, Shirley Y. Su, and Franco DeMonte. "Site-Specific Considerations in the Surgical Management of Skull Base Chondrosarcomas." Operative Neurosurgery 14, no. 6 (September 9, 2017): 611–19. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ons/opx171.
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Abstract BACKGROUND Numerous approaches have been reported in the management of skull base chondrosarcomas. Data are lacking for surgical outcomes by the tumor site of origin. OBJECTIVE To provide insight into outcomes by site of origin and factors affecting resection in order to aid in surgical approach selection. METHODS A retrospective review was conducted of 49 patients with chondrosarcoma treated at our institution. Charts were reviewed for tumor- and treatment-related factors. Extent of resection was the primary outcome, while neurological function and surgical complications were secondary outcomes. Statistical analyses were performed assessing variables for their impact on the primary outcome. RESULTS The gross total resection rate for the overall cohort was 67.3%, and 97.8% of patients were either neurologically stable or improved postoperatively. A petroclival site of origin had lower rates of resection vs all other sites (P < .05). Histology and previous surgery did not predict outcome (P > .05), while previous radiotherapy and cavernous sinus invasion correlated with a subtotal resection (P < .05). In the petroclival cohort, clival, jugular tubercle, and soft tissue involvement correlated with a subtotal resection (P < .05). An endoscopic endonasal transpterygoid approach alone or combined with a transcranial approach yielded the highest resection rates for petroclival tumors (P < .05). CONCLUSION Chondrosarcomas pose unique challenges based on the site of origin and pattern of extension. While current surgical strategies appear to yield adequate results at a majority of skull base sites, petroclival tumors represent a particular cohort in which improvement is needed. Based on our analysis, strategies incorporating both endoscopic and transcranial skull base approaches are likely necessary to achieve optimal outcomes.
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Molnar, Sheri, Stan E. Dosso, and John F. Cassidy. "Uncertainty of linear earthquake site amplification via Bayesian inversion of surface seismic data." GEOPHYSICS 78, no. 3 (May 1, 2013): WB37—WB48. http://dx.doi.org/10.1190/geo2012-0345.1.
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We examine uncertainty in predicted linear 1D site amplification due to uncertainty in shear-wave velocity ([Formula: see text]) structure quantified from Bayesian (probabilistic) inversion of microtremor array dispersion data. Based on a sample of [Formula: see text] profiles drawn from the posterior probability density of the microtremor inversion, probability distributions are computed for common predictors of site amplification including [Formula: see text] (traveltime average [Formula: see text] to a depth [Formula: see text]) and amplification spectra based on seismic impedance variations and full transverse shear-wave effects. These methods are applicable for any site, but the resulting probabilistic site amplification analyses are specific to the two sediment sites studied here with strongly contrasting geology in high population centers of British Columbia, Canada. The site amplification probability distributions for the two sites are shown to be more informative than amplification estimated for a single best-fit [Formula: see text] profile by characterizing the uncertainty and therefore level of confidence in the predictions. The shear-wave amplification probability spectra are evaluated by comparison to empirical earthquake and microtremor spectral ratios, with generally good agreement in resonant peak frequencies and amplification levels, providing confidence that the primary influence of site-specific structure is accounted for appropriately. The wider implication here is that proper characterization of the [Formula: see text] profile uncertainty distribution from inversion of cost-effective surface wave dispersion data is beneficial in the application of said profiles to the prediction of earthquake site response and its uncertainty, as required for probabilistic seismic hazard assessment.
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Samaržija, Ivana. "Site-Specific and Common Prostate Cancer Metastasis Genes as Suggested by Meta-Analysis of Gene Expression Data." Life 11, no. 7 (June 30, 2021): 636. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/life11070636.
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Anticancer therapies mainly target primary tumor growth and little attention is given to the events driving metastasis formation. Metastatic prostate cancer, in comparison to localized disease, has a much worse prognosis. In the work presented here, groups of genes that are common to prostate cancer metastatic cells from bones, lymph nodes, and liver and those that are site-specific were delineated. The purpose of the study was to dissect potential markers and targets of anticancer therapies considering the common characteristics and differences in transcriptional programs of metastatic cells from different secondary sites. To that end, a meta-analysis of gene expression data of prostate cancer datasets from the GEO database was conducted. Genes with differential expression in all metastatic sites analyzed belong to the class of filaments, focal adhesion, and androgen receptor signaling. Bone metastases undergo the largest transcriptional changes that are highly enriched for the term of the chemokine signaling pathway, while lymph node metastasis show perturbation in signaling cascades. Liver metastases change the expression of genes in a way that is reminiscent of processes that take place in the target organ. Survival analysis for the common hub genes revealed involvements in prostate cancer prognosis and suggested potential biomarkers.
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Deng, Yang, Aiqun Li, and Dongming Feng. "Fatigue performance investigation for hangers of suspension bridges based on site-specific vehicle loads." Structural Health Monitoring 18, no. 3 (July 17, 2018): 934–48. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1475921718786710.
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Hangers or suspenders of a suspension bridge are the primary load-carrying members and are vital to the structural integrity and service life of the bridge. Site-specific vehicle loads monitored by the weigh-in-motion system can assist to obtain the operational cyclic stresses of hangers. Differing from most existing studies, herein, a framework for fatigue performance investigation for hangers of suspension bridges is proposed utilizing the full information of the weigh-in-motion data. This framework includes four steps: (1) generate influence surfaces for hangers, (2) reconstruct vehicular loading flows based on the weigh-in-motion data, (3) calculate time histories of hanger tension forces, and (4) evaluate fatigue damages and predict fatigue lives. Critical issues, such as the loading configuration of trucks, the threshold of the gross vehicle weight, and the time step for stress calculation, have been studied and discussed in detail. Based on 8-month weigh-in-motion data of a prototype suspension bridge, it is shown that the fatigue damage of hangers can be evaluated day by day, and subsequently the fatigue lives can be predicted. The correlation between the fatigue damages and vehicular loads is also investigated in this study.
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Shashni, Rajesh, M. Zuhaib Qayyum, V. Vishalini, Debashish Dey, and Ranjan Sen. "Redundancy of primary RNA-binding functions of the bacterial transcription terminator Rho." Nucleic Acids Research 42, no. 15 (July 31, 2014): 9677–90. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/nar/gku690.
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Abstract The bacterial transcription terminator, Rho, terminates transcription at half of the operons. According to the classical model derived from in vitro assays on a few terminators, Rho is recruited to the transcription elongation complex (EC) by recognizing specific sites (rut) on the nascent RNA. Here, we explored the mode of in vivo recruitment process of Rho. We show that sequence specific recognition of the rut site, in majority of the Rho-dependent terminators, can be compromised to a great extent without seriously affecting the genome-wide termination function as well as the viability of Escherichia coli. These terminators function optimally only through a NusG-assisted recruitment and activation of Rho. Our data also indicate that at these terminators, Rho-EC-bound NusG interaction facilitates the isomerization of Rho into a translocase-competent form by stabilizing the interactions of mRNA with the secondary RNA binding site, thereby overcoming the defects of the primary RNA binding functions.
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Mizukami, Takuro, Masaki Takahashi, Yu Sunakawa, Satoshi Yuki, Yoshinori Kagawa, Atsuo Takashima, Kyoko Kato, et al. "Identification of site-specific genome alterations in metastatic colorectal cancer: Sub-study 003 of the SCRUM-Japan GI-SCREEN." Journal of Clinical Oncology 37, no. 4_suppl (February 1, 2019): 578. http://dx.doi.org/10.1200/jco.2019.37.4_suppl.578.
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578 Background: Primary tumor sidedness is known to be an independent prognostic factor and a predictor for the efficacy of anti-EGFR antibody. However, limited information is available regarding the role of primary tumor site for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients (pts), including gene mutation profiles, prognosis, and prediction for treatment. This study was conducted as a sub-study of the SCRUM-Japan GI-SCREEN, the Nationwide Cancer Genome Screening Project in Japan. Methods: Among participants of the GI-Screen 2013-01-CRC, untreated pts with mCRC which samples were collected from primary site were eligible. DNA and RNA were extracted from FFPE tumor samples and then were analyzed by the Oncomine Cancer Research Panel detecting gene mutations, copy number variants (CNV), and fusions across 143 genes in a CLIA certified CAP accredited laboratory. The detected genomic variant data were classified according to genetic drivers of cancer including gain- and loss-of-function or single nucleotide variant based on the Oncomine Knowledgebase. Results: Among 1011 enrolled pts from Feb. 2015 to Mar 2017, a total of 561 samples were analyzed (median age, 66.0 years; 232 [41.4 %] female). Frequency of female, undifferentiated, mucinous or signet ring cell subtype were gradually increased as the primary site became the right side. Median site-specific survival was 22.4 months (m) in the cecum, 25.3 m in the ascending colon, 21.2 m in the transverse colon, 72.5 m in the descending colon, 36.5 m in the sigmoid colon, and 39.6 m in the rectum. Gene alterations differed in each primary site. Among frequently observed gene alterations, FBXW7 mutation in rectum, ATM mutation in transverse colon, BRAF and SMAD4 mutations in ascending colon significantly contributed to poor prognosis. Conclusions: This study revealed the site-specific survival and gene alterations in Japanese mCRC pts. These novel knowledges provide an intriguing background to investigate new targeted approaches in these pts and represent the progress toward precision medicine. We will analyze the site-specific therapeutic effect of molecular targeting agents, including anti-EGFR antibody. Clinical trial information: UMIN000031242.
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Sollazzo, Giuseppe, Sonia Longo, Maurizio Cellura, and Clara Celauro. "Impact Analysis Using Life Cycle Assessment of Asphalt Production from Primary Data." Sustainability 12, no. 24 (December 9, 2020): 10171. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su122410171.
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Road construction and maintenance have a great impact on the environment, owing to the huge volumes of resources involved. Consequently, current production procedures and technologies must be properly investigated, for identifying and quantifying the life cycle environmental impacts produced. In this paper, primary data, i.e., site-specific data directly collected or measured on a reference plant, are analyzed for calculating the impact of the production of a hot mix asphalt. The analysis is performed in a from “cradle to gate” approach to estimate the environmental burdens of the production process in an average plant, representative of the existing technology in Italy and Southern Europe. The research outcomes are useful to increase reliability in quantification of asphalt production impacts and the contribution of each component. The results represent a reference basis for producers, designers, and contractors in the decisional phases, identifying the most critical aspects in the current practice and the possible improvements for reducing impacts of road industries. In this regard, efficient energy technologies for reducing the production temperature (such as warm mix asphalt) and burned fuels are proven to assure relevant improvements in the environmental performance.
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Wanner, Miriam, Katarina L. Matthes, Dimitri Korol, Silvia Dehler, and Sabine Rohrmann. "Indicators of Data Quality at the Cancer Registry Zurich and Zug in Switzerland." BioMed Research International 2018 (June 13, 2018): 1–11. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2018/7656197.
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Data quality is an important issue in cancer registration. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the four main data quality indicators (comparability, validity, timeliness, and completeness) for the Cancer Registry Zurich and Zug (Switzerland). We extracted all malignant cancer cases (excluding non-melanoma skin cancer) diagnosed between 1980 and 2014 in the canton of Zurich. Methods included the proportion of morphologically verified cases (MV%), the proportion of DCN and DCO cases (2009–2014), cases with primary site uncertain (PSU%), the stability of incidence rates over time, age-specific incidence rates for childhood cancer, and mortality:incidence (MI) ratios. The DCO rate decreased from 6.4% in 1997 to 0.8% in 2014 and was <5% since 2000. MV% was 95.5% in 2014. PSU% was <3% over the whole period. The incidence rate of all tumours increased over time with site-specific fluctuations. The overall M:I ratio decreased from 0.58 in 1980 to 0.37 in 2014. Overall, data quality of the Cancer Registry Zurich and Zug was acceptable according to the methods presented in this review. Most indicators improved over time with low DCO rates, high MV%, low PSU%, relatively low M:I ratios and age-specific incidence of childhood cancer within reference ranges.
Dissertations / Theses on the topic "Site-specific primary data"
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NONINI, LUCA. "ASSESSMENT OF WOOD BIOMASS AND CARBON STOCK AND EVALUATION OF MACHINERY CHAINS PERFORMANCES IN ALPINE FORESTRY CONDITIONS: AN INNOVATIVE MODELLING APPROACH." Doctoral thesis, Università degli Studi di Milano, 2021. http://hdl.handle.net/2434/846415.
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The PhD Thesis focuses on two topics: (i) assessment of forest wood and carbon (C) stock and (ii) forestry mechanization applicable at the forest stand level for any given conditions among those found in the Italian Alpine and pre-Alpine mountainous areas. Both these topics aim to improve the use of forestry resources for climate change mitigation, starting from a bottom-up approach scaled on the information made available by Forest Management Plans (FMP).
After an introduction on the topics given in chapter 1, the first topic (assessment of forest wood and C stock) is investigated in chapters 2, 3, 4 and 5, by taking the Valle Camonica District (Lombardy Region, Italy) as Case Study Area. The aim is to develop a stand-level model to estimate the mass of wood (t·yr-1 dry matter, DM) and C (t·yr-1 C) in aboveground wood biomass, belowground wood biomass and dead organic matter (i.e., deadwood and litter), quantifying, at the same time, the mass of potentially available logging residues (i.e., branches and tops; t·yr-1 DM) for energy generation and the corresponding potentially generated energy (GJ·yr-1), under the assumption that wood replaces non-renewable energy sources.
Chapter 2 presents the first version of the model, called “WOody biomass and Carbon ASsessment” (WOCAS v1), aimed at the quantification of the mass of wood and C in the forest pools in a predefined reference year, by using a methodology already applied at the regional and national level. The model was tested on a dataset of 2019 public forest stands extracted from 45 FMPs (area: 37000 ha) covering the period from 1984 (year in which the oldest FMP came into force) to 2016 (most recent available data from the local FMPs). Preliminary results showed that, in 2016, the total C stock (given by the sum of C stock in aboveground wood biomass, belowground wood biomass, and dead organic matter) achieved 76.02 t·ha-1 C. The model also gives the possibility to analyze future scenarios based on the continuation of the current management practices rather than improved practices, to define a possible mitigation strategy for the activation of a local Voluntary Carbon Market.
WOCAS v1 was implemented into a second version (WOCAS v2), by introducing, first of all, an improved methodology to calculate the mass of wood (t·yr-1 DM) and C (t·yr-1 C) within the forest pools from the year in which the FMPs entry into force until a predefined reference year (chapter 3). The main innovative aspect of the improved methodology is that the gross annual increment of each stand is calculated through an age-independent theoretical non-linear growth function based on the merchantable stem mass, solving the limitation of WOCAS v1 in which the gross annual increment of the stand is assumed as constant, as reported by the FMPs. This improved methodology was applied to the same dataset used for WOCAS 1 (i.e., 2019 forest stands, 45 FMPs; forest area: 37000 ha; period: 1984-2016). The total weighted average wood yield, calculated as the sum of wood yield in all the above-mentioned forest pools, ranged from 53.36±53.13 t∙ha-1∙yr-1 DM (1984) to 156.38±79.76 t∙ha-1∙yr-1 DM (2016). The total weighted average C yield ranged from 26.63±26.80 t∙ha-1∙yr-1 C (1984) to 77.45±40.19 t∙ha-1∙yr-1 C (2016). The average C yield related to the whole analyzed period (1984-2016) was 66.04 t∙ha-1 C. Of this, C yield in the aboveground wood biomass, belowground wood biomass and dead organic matter was equal to 72.0%, 15.8% and 12.2%, respectively.
Validation of the results at the stand level was performed by comparing the value of the gross annual increment provided by the FMPs with the one predicted by WOCAS v2. The model caused, in some cases, an overestimation and, in other cases, an underestimation. For example, for Larix decidua Mill. and for Picea abies L., the Pearson coefficient of correlation (r2) between predicted and provided increments was r2 = 0.69 and r2 = 0.46, respectively. This was due to the fact that the methodology currently implemented into WOCAS v2 is based on average values of growth parameters valid for the whole Lombardy Region, and does not consider the productivity class of the stands since specific information was not always made available by the FMPs.
WOCAS v2 also includes an innovative methodology (chapter 4 and chapter 5) to quantify – as an additional climate change mitigation strategy – the mass of potentially available residues (t·yr-1 DM) for energy generation, the potentially generated heat and electricity (GJ·yr-1) and the potentially avoided CO2 emissions into the atmosphere related to the final combustion process (t·yr-1 CO2), under the assumption that wood substituted non-renewable energy sources. In chapter 4, since not all the required data were initially made available for the Case Study Area, the mass of residues was computed by considering only the stand’s function and the stand’s management system, covering the period from 1994 (year in which the first wood cut was performed) to 2016.
The calculation was then improved (chapter 5) by taking into account also the stand’s accessibility, the forest roads’ transitability and the energy market demand. Information on topographic features, landscape morphology and characteristics of the forest roads were collected by combining the FMPs data coming from WOCAS v2 and a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) in a Geographic Information System (GIS) software. The georeferenced stands were characterized by both single contiguous areas (single stands), as well as different non-contiguous areas (sub-stands). Overall, 2157 polygons – consisting of both single and sub-stands – were analyzed, covering the period from 2009 (most recent available data on forest roads’ transitability) and 2016.
The mass of potentially available residues calculated for the analyzed period was used to estimate the current sustainable supply (i.e., 1.82∙103±6.61∙102 t·yr-1 DM). Under the hypothesis that these residues were prepared into woodchips to feed the Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) unit of the local centralized heating plant of Ponte di Legno, the potentially generated heat and electricity (GJ·yr-1) and the potentially avoided CO2 emissions into the atmosphere (t∙yr-1 CO2) for the final combustion process were estimated by assuming that: (i) heat generated by the ORC unit replaced the one produced by natural gas-based heating plants; (ii) electricity generated by the ORC unit replaced the one generated by the Italian natural gas-based plants-mix for combined heat and electricity production and distributed through the National grid. Results showed that if only the current sustainable mass of residues was used to feed the ORC unit of the plant, the potentially generated heat and electricity would represent at most 28.7% of that generated by the unit in the year 2019. The thermal and electric power would be equal to 0.70 MW and 0.17 MW, with an average power load of the ORC unit of 23.6%.
Experimental tests are needed to collect information on the harvesting method, used machines and technologies – which considerably affect the mass of available resides – as well as the currently harvested mass of residues for the validation of the results, that up to now is not possible since no measured data are available yet at the stand level.
The second topic (forestry mechanization) is investigated in chapter 6. The aim is to develop an innovative approach in order to: (i) select the most suitable Forestry Machinery Chain (FMC) to adopt at the stand level for wood collection (harvesting and transport) and (ii) compute the economic costs (€·h-1; €·t-1 DM; €) of the selected FMC.
To make the selection feasible, a user-friendly stand-level model called “FOREstry MAchinery chain selection” (FOREMA v1) was developed. FOREMA v1 supports the user in selecting the FMC according to seven technical parameters that characterize the stand. For each FMC, the model defines the sequence of the operations and the types of machines that can be used. The economic costs of the selected FMC are then quantified by taking into account the fixed and the variable costs. The approach was applied for a Case Study concerning the collection of woodchips from a coppice stand in the Italian Alps for energy generation. The analyzed FMC was made up of the following operations: (i) felling, (ii) bunching and extraction, (iii) chipping and (iv) loading and transport. For the whole FMC, the cost per unit of time was 669.3 €·h-1; the cost per unit of product was 113.0 €·t DM, whereas the cost of production amounted to 6893.2 €. Results provided by FOREMA v1 still need to be validated; experimental tests are required to collect information on the operating conditions in which the machines are actually used and, consequently, on the corresponding economic costs. Obtained results on the costs of the operations were compared with that reported in literature and related to studies performed under similar forestry and operating conditions.
Book chapters on the topic "Site-specific primary data"
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Nonini, Luca, Calogero Schillaci, and Marco Fiala. "Assessment of Forest Biomass and Carbon Stocks at Stand Level Using Site-Specific Primary Data to Support Forest Management." In Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering, 501–8. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2020. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-39299-4_56.
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Vega-Coloma, Mabel, and Claudio Zaror. "The Life Cycle Sustainability Indicators for Electricity Generation in Chile: Challenges in the Use of Primary Information." In Towards a Sustainable Future - Life Cycle Management, 229–39. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2021. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-77127-0_21.
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AbstractThe need to get an appropriate quantification of the sustainability indicators involves the use of site-specific information that could come from several sources, affecting its quality. This study analyses the quality and sources to build eight environmental, seven social and four economic indicators for eight electricity generation technologies in 2005, 2009 and 2015 as reference years, following the ISO 14.040-44:2006 life cycle assessment approach. The results show for the three dimensions important differences among the periods, reaching over 400% of reduction in 2015 in case of acidification for coal power plants, thanks to environmental regulations. For levelized electricity cost and corruption index, the variations reach around 40% and 30%, mainly for fossil fuel-based power plants. These changes support the need to have a centralized, reliable and accurate data system of registration, in order to contribute to the sustainability of the electricity system in Chile.
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Obinna U. Ozumba, Aghaegbuna, and Winston Shakantu. "Adaptation: A Lens for Viewing Technology Transfer in Construction Site Management." In Product Design. IntechOpen, 2020. http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.93264.
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This book chapter presents the results from a series of studies which explored the use of the technology transfer (TT) subconcept of adaptation to explain the uptake of recent information and communication technologies (ICT) in the construction industry. The specific focus is the management of construction site processes. The studies explored the need for management process enhancement, availability of relevant information and communication technologies, occurrence of such technologies in construction site management (CSM), influencing factors, and challenges to their adoption in construction site management. Results from stages in the phased methodology are used to generate certain hypotheses that are based on analysis of primary and secondary data. Insights from testing the hypotheses and findings from the series of studies are used to model an adaptation-based understanding of the transfer of information and communication technologies in construction site management. While using site management as the specific focus, the study contributes an understanding that is relevant to the construction industry and other project-related environments.
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Passy, Florence, and Gian-Andrea Monsch. "Synchronized Minds." In Contentious Minds, 82–125. Oxford University Press, 2020. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190078010.003.0003.
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The first of the book’s four empirical chapters use the survey data to examine three issues empirically: first, we show that activists rely on a specific understanding of common good and politics that departs from that held by the general population. Second, we consider how their inclusion in a specific commitment community provides them with a particular understanding of common good and politics. Activists of a specific commitment community hence see both common good and politics through particular cognitive lenses. Third, we show that activists who evolve in the same commitment site but are members of different organizations, as well as active and passive members involved in the same organization, rely on similar views about common good and politics. From these primary analyses, we demonstrate that activists rely on socially shared meanings that are distinct from one commitment community to another. Their minds are synchronized with that of their peers and enable them to perform and sustain joint action.
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Crouch, Dora P. "Discoveries About Greek Water Management." In Water Management in Ancient Greek Cities. Oxford University Press, 1993. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780195072808.003.0037.
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Looking back through twenty years of work on this topic, I can sum up what I have learned under two major categories: general truths and site-specific insights. Within each of these categories, I differentiate between items that were not known by me when I started and items that as far as I can tell were not known at all. First let us consider the findings that have general application. Primary are findings connected with the geological basis of Greek settlement. The ones in italics have not been known before at all, as far as I can tell. For each discovery, there is a brief discussion. 1. Relation of karst patterns to settlement in the ancient Greek world. In Part IV of this volume we have discussed this topic in a preliminary fashion. As is the case with so many details of the human situation, the relevant knowledge is in the hands of two disciplines that rarely perceive that they have any questions in common. Karst has been studied by hydrogeologists and ancient Greek settlements by classicists, with an impenetrable membrane separating the two fields of knowledge. Nevertheless, my study has conclusively demonstrated that one cannot understand either the choice of an ancient Greek site or the subsequent history of the settlement without factoring in the geological base and the water resources this base provided (Fig. 7.1). It is a pity that the lead of the noted classicist Judeich (1905 and 1931) was not followed sooner, since he illustrated his section on water supply with a geological map and section. 2. Utilization of karst in urban water systems. The work of modern engineers and geologists in such countries as Yugoslavia makes us aware that karst waters can be tapped or, to put it more strongly, harnessed for settlements. Many of their modern solutions are not dependent on advanced technology but rather on careful observation and clever manipulation. The ancient Greeks were fully capable of both. The famous pinecone experiment on the Tripoli plain of the sixth century B.C. is strong indication that the ancient engineers were examining data with an eye to manipulating karst for human purposes, and in fact we have a story, from the same area, of water being diverted down a sinkhole to drown out an unsuspecting enemy settlement.
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Chochliouros, Ioannis, Anastasia S. Spiliopoulou, and Stergios P. Chochliouros. "Developing Content Delivery Networks." In Encyclopedia of Multimedia Technology and Networking, Second Edition, 341–48. IGI Global, 2009. http://dx.doi.org/10.4018/978-1-60566-014-1.ch047.
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Over the past decades, the expansion of the converged Web-based facilities/infrastructures, together with new business perspectives, have created new needs for all (potential) categories of end-users. Although various effects were significant in most sectors (European Commission, 2005) the fast progress has, however, promoted more complex issues, especially for the delivery of multimedia-based applications. It is now a common view that there is a growing need for delivering high-quality services in the scope of liberalized and competitive markets, where multiple factors of different origin (i.e., technological, business, economic, regulatory, social, etc.) can drastically affect further deployment, establishment or upgrading of existing infrastructures and of any possible (innovative) services offered through them, especially if considering the continuous expansion of the broadband perspective (Chochliouros, & Spiliopoulou, 2005). Furthermore, multimedia applications are bandwidth consuming and new applications for absorbing the available assets appear. As the “converged” sector of information technologies, communication, and media industries is currently on the “edge” of a crucial phase of growth, several challenges appear in the global scene: Appropriate infrastructures for delivering mails, exchanging data files (of various forms of content) and simple Web browsing are now required to be adopted and used, to support the streaming of multimedia content and, simultaneously, to “compose” a reliable means of transmitting information between several entities (physical and legal persons) using digital facilities. Although technological advances have enhanced the deployment of faster (lesser latency) and greater (more bandwidth) “network lines” possessing significant advantages, the demands of the extravagant use of Internet from users worldwide (Dilley, Maggs, Parikh, Prokop, Sitaraman, & Weihl, 2002; Shoniregun, Chochliouros, Laperche, Logvynovskiy, & Spiliopoulou-Chochliourou, 2004), together with an extensive variance of services offered, were primary motives for researchers to develop a specific category of modern infrastructures, known as content distribution (or delivery) networks (CDNs) (Hull, 2002; Verma, 2002). The development of suitable content delivery networking comprises one of the most important challenges in the global networking area, together with the expansion of various IP trends. Content networks influence high-layer network intelligence to efficiently manage the delivery of various forms of data (which is becoming progressively more multimedia in nature). At an initial stage, they were built upon the structure of the public Internet (Saroiu, Gummadi, Dunn, Gribble, & Levy, 2002), to accelerate Web site performance (Johnson, Carr, Day, & Frans Kaashoek, 2000). This option has been fulfilled in numerous cases, and such intelligent network tools can be applied in other beneficial and profitable ways.
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Gurau, Cãlin. "Negotiating Online Privacy Rights." In Information Security and Ethics, 3222–28. IGI Global, 2008. http://dx.doi.org/10.4018/978-1-59904-937-3.ch216.
Full textAbstract:
The Privacy Journal (2003), a print newsletter and Web site devoted to privacy matters, defines the present-day use of the word privacy as “the right of individuals to control the collection and use of personal information about themselves.” Similar definitions are provided by law specialists (Gavison, 1980; Warren & Brandies, 1890). The networked society changes the way in which privacy rights are defined, used and interpreted, because: a. The IT-enabled channels of communication change the rules of personal and commercial interaction; b. The participation in the networked society implies a diminishing of individual privacy rights. The fundamental principle of the networked society is information sharing and processing (Kling & Allen, 1996). Advances in computing technology—that represents the infrastructure of the networked society—make possible to collect, store, analyze, and retrieve personal information created in the process of participation. The manifestation and the protection of individual privacy rights represent the field of conflict between various disciplines and social events. The heterogeneous nature of this phenomenon is mirrored in this paper, which aims to present the complex nature of privacy rights in the context of the networked society. The study proposes a negotiating model of online privacy rights, and analyses the necessary conditions for the implementation of this model on the Internet. The new economy is redefined on the basis of information entrepreneurism (Kling & Allen, 1996; Zwick & Dholakia, 1999). This cultural paradigm emphasizes the use of data-intensive analysis techniques for designing and implementing effective marketing and management strategies. This has as a direct consequence the use of an information superpanopticon–a concept derived from Foucault’s panopticon, a system of perfect surveillance and control. Online privacy is a major concern for Internet users (Ackerman, Cranor, & Reagle, 1999). For the individual Internet user, the privacy threats fall into two main categories: a. Web tracking devices that collect information about the online behavior of the user (e.g., cookies); b. The misuse of the personal information provided by the online user in exchange of specific benefits: increased personalization, Web group membership, etc. The databases, intelligent agents and tracking devices are surrounding the Internet users with a Web of surveillance, which is often hidden and unknown to the users. The surveillance is initiated by the simple act of presence on the Internet. Specialized software applications, such as cookies are tracking the online behavior of Internet users, feeding the data into databases, which create and permanently update a profile of online consumers. These profiles are then used for segmenting the market and targeting the most profitable consumers. A company can use cookies for various valid reasons: security, personalization, marketing, customer service, etc., however, there is an important distinction between cookies, which are active only within a specific Web site, and the ones that can track the user’s activity across unrelated Web sites. Recently, some aggregator networks have deployed hidden ‘pixel beacon’ technology that allows ad-serving companies to connect unrelated sites and overcome the site-specific nature of traditional cookies (Mabley, 2000). Additionally, some companies are now connecting this aggregated data with offline demographic and credit card data. Eventually, these resulting databases can be used or sold as powerful marketing tools. Exercising control of information, after it was voluntarily released, presents another critical problem. The misuse of personal information covers many possible aspects, which can be defined as any use which is not explicitly defined in the company’s privacy disclaimer, or which is not approved by the informed customer. For example, in 2000, Toysurus.com was subject to intense debate and controversy, when it was discovered that shoppers’ personal information was transferred through an unmarked Internet channel to a data processing firm, for analysis and aggregation. This operation was not disclosed in the company’s privacy disclaimer, and therefore, online customers were not aware of it. Regulators and legislators have addressed the controversial privacy issue quite differently across the world (Nakra, 2001). The USA, the largest world’s financial and Internet market, has not yet adopted a national, standard-setting privacy law (Jarvis, 2001). U.S. privacy statutes have primarily focused so far on protecting consumers’ financial data, health information, and children’s personal information (Desai, Richards, & Desai, 2003; Frye, 2001). In comparison with the American official opinion that online privacy protection is a matter of voluntary self-regulation by market-driven companies, the Europeans consider that it is more effective to enforce specific legislation regarding this issue. The current European approach is based on three basic tenets: 1. Individuals have the right to access any data relating to them and have it kept accurate and up-to-date; 2. Data cannot be retained for longer than the purpose for which it was obtained, nor used or disclosed “in a matter incompatible with that purpose”, and must be kept only for “lawful purposes”; 3. Those who control data have “a special duty of care” in relation to the individuals whose data they keep. Data commissioners oversee these rights in each European country and require most “data controllers”—people who handle data—to register with them to track what information is being collected and where. They are charged also with investigating all complaints from citizens. These principles have been incorporated in the European Data Directive, which came into effect in 1998, and more recently, in the European Directive on Privacy and Electronic Communications, adopted in 2002. Despite these legislative efforts, it is not yet clear how effective are the measures implemented by EU States. The direct involvement of governmental institutions can be considered as a form of censorship that can undermine the freedom and the flexibility of the Internet domain.
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"Context Types of site Figurines have been found in four broad categories of sites: village sites in the open (30 figurines, 18 sites); occupied caves (11 figurines, 3 sites); caves and rock-shelters used for burial and other cult purposes (8 figurines, 5 sites); other funerary sites (11 figurines, 4 sites). There seems to be a clear chronological distinction in the types of context. In the earlier period the vast majority of figurines come from settlement contexts — either open villages or occupied caves — while a few come from cult caves. By contrast, all but one of the 12 figurines of the later period (Late Neolithic and Copper Age) come from burials, mostly individual, either from the tombs themselves or from votive pits closely associated with graves. As we shall see, there are also typological distinctions between the types of figurines found in different contexts. Some of these may represent chronological rather than (or as well as) contextual differences, but a possible difference may also be detected between the figurines from settlement sites and those from cult caves within the earlier Neolithic time range. There are also regional differences in the proportions of different types of context occurring. In northern Italy, 13 sites have produced figurines; of these 8 are village sites, 2 are occupied caves, 1 is a tomb and the other 2 are either certainly or possibly cult cave/ rockshelter sites. In central Italy only 4 sites, all settlements, have produced figurines, while in southern Italy, 9 sites have produced figurines; of these 6 sites are settlements, 1 is a tomb and 2 are cult caves. The situation in Sicily stands out as markedly different in many ways: here 5 sites have produced figurines, of which only 2, both Neolithic, are occupation sites (one cave, one village), 2 are cemetery sites of Copper Age date, and 1 is a cult cave, used in both the Neolithic and the Copper Age (but yielding 2 figurines one definitely, the other presumptively, from Neolithic levels). Specific contexts Unfortunately we have specific evidence of location for very few of the figurines. For those coming from settlement sites, none seem to have been associated with buildings of any kind, domestic or other. Some are unstratified surface finds, while others were found in residual layers, redeposited from earlier levels. The only clear contexts in which figurines have been found is in pits (Rivoli, Vhò), a hollow (Alba) and a compound ditch (Passo di Corvo) and in all cases these may represent secondary depositions, as rubbish. In the occupied caves the figurines, when stratified at all, are found either in original occupation layers or in later layers with other redeposited material. The situation is a little better with the cult caves/rock-shelters. While two figurines, one from Grotta di Ponte di Vara (no. 17) and one from Grotta di San Calogero (no. 51), are unstratified, those from Riparo Gaban (nos 8-10) and Grotta di San Calogero (no. 50) come from stratified Neolithic deposits. Moreover, we have two examples from primary and significant depositions: these are the two distinctive clay heads from the central Apulian cult caves of Grotta di Cala Scizzo (no. 39) and Grotta Pacelli (no. 40). The first was found placed in the corner of an artificial stone enclosure at the back of a small cave used for cult purposes, in a layer with late Serra d'Alto and Diana wares and a C date of c.4340 - 3710 cal.BC (lc). The second was placed face downwards on a hearth inside a limestone slab-built monument; the pottery from this level was of Serra d'Alto type, typologically slightly earlier than that from Grotta di Cala Scizzo. On the basis of their contexts, it seems reasonable to interpret these two figurines as performing some function in the rituals carried out in these caves. This is discussed further below. For some of the 11 figurines from cemeteries or individual tombs we have more detailed evidence of context. Of the two stone figurines attributed to the Late-Final Neolithic, the one from Arnesano (no. 46) in southeast Italy apparently came from a rock-cut tomb of." In Gender & Italian Archaeology, 109–10. Routledge, 2016. http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781315428178-20.
Full textConference papers on the topic "Site-specific primary data"
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Jeans, Gus, Marc Prevosto, Liam Harrington-Missin, Christophe Maisondieu, Christelle Herry, and José Antonio M. Lima. "Deepwater Current Profile Data Sources for Riser Engineering Offshore Brazil." In ASME 2012 31st International Conference on Ocean, Offshore and Arctic Engineering. American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 2012. http://dx.doi.org/10.1115/omae2012-83400.
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A variety of current profile data sources are compared for a deepwater site offshore Brazil. These data were gathered for consideration as part of the Worldwide Approximations of Current Profiles (WACUP) Joint Industry Project, described separately in OMAE2012-83348. The primary source of data for current profile characterisation is site specific full water column measurement. Sufficiently high vertical and temporal resolutions are required to capture the dominant oceanographic processes. Such in-situ data are generally expensive and time consuming to collect, so there is an increasing tendency for numerical model current data to be considered for engineering applications. In addition to being relatively inexpensive and quick to obtain, model data are also typically of much longer duration. This potentially allows inter-annual variability and rare extreme events to be captured. However, the accuracy and reliability of numerical model data remains questionable, or unproven, in many deepwater development regions. This paper explores the suitability of such models to represent a deepwater site offshore Brazil, in relation to the key oceanographic processes revealed within the in-situ data.
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Jeans, Gus, Liam Harrington-Missin, Mark Calverley, Christophe Maisondieu, Cyril Frelin, and Valerie Quiniou. "Deepwater Current Profile Data Sources for Riser Engineering Offshore West Africa." In ASME 2013 32nd International Conference on Ocean, Offshore and Arctic Engineering. American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 2013. http://dx.doi.org/10.1115/omae2013-10540.
Full textAbstract:
Reliable quantification of current profiles is required for safe and cost effective offshore exploration and field development. The current regime offshore West Africa is often considered benign, compared to some regions of oil and gas activity, but still presents challenges to reliable quantification. A key challenge to all offshore developments is acquisition of appropriate data. The primary source of data for riser design is site specific full water column measurement. Such in-situ data are generally expensive and time consuming to collect, so there is an increasing tendency for numerical model current data to be considered. Model data are often relatively quick and inexpensive to obtain, with the added benefit of a much longer duration, potentially allowing inter-annual variability and extreme events to be captured. However, the accuracy and reliability of numerical model data remains questionable, or unproven, in many deepwater development regions. This paper explores the suitability of such models to represent a deepwater site offshore West Africa, in relation to the key oceanographic processes revealed within the in-situ data.
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Jeans, Gus, Joe Fox, and Claire Channelliere. "Current Profile Data Sources for Engineering Design West of Shetlands." In ASME 2014 33rd International Conference on Ocean, Offshore and Arctic Engineering. American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 2014. http://dx.doi.org/10.1115/omae2014-24114.
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Current profile data sources considered for derivation of engineering design criteria West of Shetland are described. The region is impacted by a variety of oceanographic processes that combine to produce a complex current regime. Reliable quantification of the resulting current profiles is required for safe and cost effective offshore exploration and field development. A key challenge to all offshore developments is acquisition of appropriate data. Site specific measurement remains the primary current profile data source for engineering applications, with full water column coverage at sufficient resolution required for riser design. Such in-situ data are generally expensive and time consuming to collect, so there is an increasing tendency for numerical model current data to be considered. Model data are often relatively quick and inexpensive to obtain, with the added benefit of a much longer duration, potentially allowing inter-annual variability and extreme events to be captured. However, the accuracy and reliability of numerical model data remains questionable, or unproven, in many deepwater development regions. This paper describes a recent study in which in-situ data remained the primary source for derivation of current profile criteria for engineering design. Short duration proprietary data were supplemented by additional public domain data from nearby sites in a regional synthesis, with critical results. The performance and benefits of readily available model data are also considered.
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Li, Xinpeng, and Sheng Fang. "Assessment of Control Room Radiological Habitability of High-Temperature Reactor Pebble-Bed Module in Shidao Bay Multi-Reactor Nuclear Power Site." In 2018 26th International Conference on Nuclear Engineering. American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 2018. http://dx.doi.org/10.1115/icone26-82448.
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The control room radiological habitability (CRRH) is important for staff safety in a nuclear power plant, which is also a licensing requirement of the High-temperature Reactor Pebble-bed Module (HTR-PM) in China. Meanwhile, the complexity of the dose assessment increases for the multi-reactor site, which put forward higher requirements for building layout. The CRRH is investigated comprehensively for the multi-reactor site at Shidao Bay in this study. For a large-break loss of coolant accident of HTR-PM and CAP1000 in Shidao Bay nuclear power site, this study estimates doses of body, thyroid and skin due to three exposure pathways using NRC-recommended ARCON96 and dose calculation method in RG 1.195. To perform a realistic evaluation, the latest design and site-specific information are utilized as the input parameters, including the unique accidental source term of HTR-PM and the RG1.183-recommended source term of CAP1000, the release and ventilation parameters, the final layout and the meteorological data in a whole year. The evaluation results demonstrate that the individual dose level of staff in the control room is far below the requirement of the regulatory guide, which guarantees the CRRH of HTR-PM. The contribution of primary radionuclides suggests that tellurium and iodine are primary contributors of the inhalation dose of body and thyroid, which is worthy of paying particular attention to the CRRH design in HTR-PM.
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Erickson, L. A., P. W. Bergum, E. V. Hubert, N. Y. Theriault, E. F. Rehberg, D. P. Palermo, G. A. W. deMunk, J. H. Verheijen, and K. R. Marotti. "ENHANCEMENT AND INHIBITION OF THE ACTIVITY OF RECOMBINANT ANALOGS OF TISSUE PLASMINOGEN ACTIVATOR." In XIth International Congress on Thrombosis and Haemostasis. Schattauer GmbH, 1987. http://dx.doi.org/10.1055/s-0038-1643844.
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Both the affinity of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) for fibrin, which is associated with enhancement of its activity, and its susceptibility to inhibition contribute to the ability of this molecule to initiate vascular fibrinolysis. Full-length tPA is thought to consist of five structural regions designated the finger (F), growth factor-like (G), kringle 1 (K1), kringle 2 (K2), and protease (P) domains. Previous studies have suggested that the interaction of tPA with fibrin is primarily dependent upon the presence of the F and K2 domains, with its inhibition minimally requiring an intact active site. We have generated analogs of tPA with which to study further the relationship between the structure and the function of these domains. Synthetic DNA molecules, encoding specific tPA analogs and containing unique restriction sites in the interdomain regions, were expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells. Serum-free media conditioned by transfected cells were then analyzed for both tPA antigen and activity. Analogs studied thus far include the full-length molecule FGK1K2P, GK1K2P, FK1K2P, FGK2P, FGK1P, FGK2K1P, and FK2P. In each case, samples of conditioned medium contained from 100 to 200 ng of tPA-like material per ml. Based on active-site titration of immunopurified analogs with 3H-DFP and assessment of tPA activity in the presence of CNBr-digested fibrinogen, the specific activities of analogs containing the K2 domain adjacent to the P domain were similar to that of native full-length tPA. In contrast, the specific activities of analogs with the K2 domain deleted (FGK1P) or transposed (FGK2K1P) were significantly reduced, indicative of the decreased ability of the fibrinogen fragments to enhance their respective activities. The extent of neutralization of the activity of each analog by platelet-derived PA inhibitor appeared to be similar to that of full-length tPA, confirming that the P domain contains the primary site of interaction between tPA and inhibitor. These data suggest that not only the presence of but also the position of the K2 domain are important for proper expression of tPA's activity.
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Hartwell, William T., and David S. Shafer. "The Community Environmental Monitoring Program: A Model for Stakeholder Involvement in Environmental Monitoring." In The 11th International Conference on Environmental Remediation and Radioactive Waste Management. ASMEDC, 2007. http://dx.doi.org/10.1115/icem2007-7180.
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Since 1981, the Community Environmental Monitoring Program (CEMP) has involved stakeholders directly in its daily operation and data collection, as well as in dissemination of information on radiological surveillance in communities surrounding the Nevada Test Site (NTS), the primary location where the United States (US) conducted nuclear testing until 1992. The CEMP is funded by the US Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration, and is administered by the Desert Research Institute (DRI) of the Nevada System of Higher Education. The CEMP provides training workshops for stakeholders involved in the program, and educational outreach to address public concerns about health risk and environmental impacts from past and ongoing NTS activities. The network includes 29 monitoring stations located across an approximately 160,000 km2 area of Nevada, Utah and California in the southwestern US. The principal radiological instruments are pressurized ion chambers for measuring gamma radiation, and particulate air samplers, primarily for alpha/beta detection. Stations also employ a full suite of meteorological instruments, allowing for improved interpretation of the effects of meteorological events on background radiation levels. Station sensors are wired to state-of-the-art dataloggers that are capable of several weeks of on-site data storage, and that work in tandem with a communications system that integrates DSL and wireless internet, land line and cellular phone, and satellite technologies for data transfer. Data are managed through a platform maintained by the Western Regional Climate Center (WRCC) that DRI operates for the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The WRCC platform allows for near real-time upload and display of current monitoring information in tabular and graphical formats on a public web site. Archival data for each station are also available on-line, providing the ability to perform trending analyses or calculate site-specific exposure rates. This configuration also allows for remote programming and troubleshooting of sensors. Involvement of stakeholders in the monitoring process provides a number of benefits, including increased public confidence in monitoring results, as well as decreasing costs by more than 50 percent from when the program was managed entirely by U.S. federal employees. Additionally, the CEMP provides an ideal platform for testing new environmental sensors.
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Lux, C. Ray, Kevin R. O’Kula, Michael G. Wentink, Ryan E. Jones, Jean E. Collin, and David J. Gross. "Quantitative Risk Analysis of Hydrogen Events at WTP: Part 1 of 2 — The Operational Frequency Analysis Model." In ASME 2012 Pressure Vessels and Piping Conference. American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 2012. http://dx.doi.org/10.1115/pvp2012-78378.
Full textAbstract:
A Quantitative Risk Analysis (QRA) model has been developed to determine the frequency and severity (potential combustion loads) of postulated hydrogen event types in piping systems and proposed as a design-informing tool for the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) at the Hanford Site near Richland, Washington. Specifically, the QRA provides a systematic, comprehensive methodology for assessing hydrogen events, including deflagrations, detonations, and deflagration-to-detonation transition (DDT) types in piping systems containing legacy nuclear waste streams being processed for vitrification. The events considered include normal operations as well as postulated upset conditions as a result of internal and external accidents. The QRA approach incorporates three sequential phases, including Operational Frequency Analysis (OFA), Gas Pocket Formation (GPF) and Event Progression Logic (EPL) models in the form of an integrated logic framework. The WTP piping design will be evaluated on a specific piping route basis using a probabilistic sampling approach, with the QRA providing the quantitative dynamic loads for evaluation according to the frequency and type of hydrogen event. The OFA is based on an industry standard fault tree computer model, CAFTA, and analyzes the frequency of combustible gas pocket formation in a piping system from three primary sources: (1) normal operations; (2) piping system-specific upset conditions affecting transfer operations; and (3) plant-wide initiating events such as fire and seismic accidents. A second output from the OFA is duration time for each event, quantifying the length of time that a gas pocket is likely to develop before the initiating event is terminated, with the information provided directly to QRA event tree models for assessing gas pocket growth. A team of safety, operations and engineering, developed the underlying logic of the fault tree model with the overall modeling approach following applicable nuclear/chemical industry guidance and standards for performing QRA applications. Primary inputs to the OFA module are initiating event, equipment reliability, and human/operator error data and their characteristic distributions, and are drawn from Hanford Site safety documentation, government and commercial sector sources, and related nuclear/chemical industry experience. This paper discusses the overall OFA module, its inputs, the outputs to the GPF and EPL modules, the relative importance of different initiating event conditions, key insights obtained to date, upcoming supporting uncertainty/sensitivity analyses, and summarizes technical peer review assessments.
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Fellingham, Lorimar, Andrew Graham, and Steven Stiff. "Characterisation and Remediation of Beryllium Waste Pits in the Southern Storage Area at Harwell." In ASME 2003 9th International Conference on Radioactive Waste Management and Environmental Remediation. ASMEDC, 2003. http://dx.doi.org/10.1115/icem2003-4861.
Full textAbstract:
The Southern Storage Area at UKAEA’s Harwell site was used from the late 1940’s through until the late 1980’s for the storage, packaging and disposal of various radioactive and chemical wastes. These included beryllium-contaminated wastes arising primarily from the decommissioning of redundant beryllium fabrication facilities. The latter were buried in five unlined, shallow trenches, each being ∼40–50 m long by 6 m wide and 3–4 m deep. An environmental assessment identified three feasible options for the future of these “Beryllium” Pits. These were full excavation with removal of their contents and surroundings, capping and long-term care and maintenance. These options were studied more extensively to select the best practicable environmental option (BPEO), which was excavation. This paper describes in detail the characterisation and remediation approaches used in identifying, planning and successfully implementing that option. It also compares the actual waste arisings in nature, form and quantities with the expectations from the characterisation investigations. At the project commencement limited information existed from records and past trial pitting on the form and contents of the pits. Thus much more extensive characterisation was necessary to determine their dimensions, identify waste types, volumes and disposal routes and quantify potential hazards for any excavations. The characterisation programme involved planning, setting up a site infrastructure, site clearance, non-intrusive surveying and intrusive characterisation by coring. The pit areas and their immediate surroundings were monitored for radiological contamination, followed by geophysical surveys using magnetometry and ground penetrating radar. Primary and secondary containment systems were then constructed over the pits before coring, sampling and analysis on a predefined grid. There was significant beryllium contamination in all pits with some limited contamination by heavy metals, including mercury, and radionuclides. There were also trace levels of volatile organic solvents. These data provided the basis for planning the remediation. The remediation was successfully undertaken to achieve as a minimum a set of remediation targets for residual chemical and radioactive contamination. These targets were determined from site-specific risk assessments, best practice and waste limits. Each pit was remediated within a sealed and ventilated primary containment inside a secondary weatherproof containment building. A horizontal mining approach was adopted to pit excavation with a small excavator initially placed in a launch pit constructed immediately outside the pit. The excavator worked along the pit removing thin layers of waste from an inclined face ahead of it. The waste was placed into bags on trolleys on rails. It was removed via a posting port. After removal of all of the contents and hazardous materials, the containment was removed. Any further excavation required to meet the remediation targets was undertaken in bulk in the open. After verification sampling the remediation was completed by inserting a low permeability barrier of clay and a bentonite geotextile into the base of the pit and backfilling with compacted clean soil. The remediation was completed with successful achievement of all remediation criteria and minimal impacts on the operators, public and environment.
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Anand, A. K., C. S. Cook, J. C. Corman, and A. R. Smith. "New Technology Trends for Improved IGCC System Performance." In ASME 1995 International Gas Turbine and Aeroengine Congress and Exposition. American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 1995. http://dx.doi.org/10.1115/95-gt-227.
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The application of gas turbine technology to IGCC systems requires careful consideration of the degree and type of integration used during the system design phase. Although gas turbines provide the primary output and efficiency gains for IGCC systems, as compared with conventional coal fired power generation systems, they are commercially available only in specific size ranges. Therefore, it is up to the IGCC system designer to optimize the IGCC power plant within the required output, efficiency and site conditions by selecting the system configuration carefully, particularly for air separation unit (ASU) integration incorporated with oxygen blown gasification systems. An IGCC system, based on a generic, entrained flow, oxygen blown gasification system and a GE STAG 109FA combined cycle has been evaluated with varying degrees of ASU integration, two fuel equivalent heating values and two gas turbine firing temperatures to provide net plant output and efficiency results. The data presented illustrate the system flexibility afforded by variation of ASU integration and the potential performance gains available through the continued use of gas turbine advances. Emphasis is place on system design choices which favor either low initial investment cost or low operating cost for a given IGCC system output.
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Jeans, Gus, Oliver Jones, Michael Zhang, Christopher R. Jackson, Nataliya Stashchuk, Alfred R. Osborne, Ole Svenstrup Petersen, and José da Silva. "A New Method for Deriving Soliton Design Criteria." In ASME 2019 38th International Conference on Ocean, Offshore and Arctic Engineering. American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 2019. http://dx.doi.org/10.1115/omae2019-96637.
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Abstract A new method for deriving extreme soliton current criteria for offshore engineering applications is described. The primary data source was site specific measurement close to the continental shelf break where metocean criteria were required. A dedicated oceanographic mooring was designed to quantify solitons, with rapidly sampled measurement of seawater temperature and velocities through the vertical. As described in two previous OMAE papers, quantification of soliton velocity profiles was achieved via temperature measurement and theory, with measured velocities playing a secondary role in critical validation. The previous methodology was extended in the present study, with separate contributions quantified from variations in soliton amplitude and water column density structure. The nonlinear Fourier techniques first described in OMAE 2017 were again used to reduce uncertainty in estimates of extreme soliton amplitude. In a new development, the long-term distribution of the density structure contribution was quantified using a calibrated hindcast of seawater temperature. Extreme conditions were defined at the boundary of a MITgcm model domain. This sophisticated model was then used to estimate extreme soliton velocities, through the water column and a few metres above the seabed, at a wide range of shallower target locations.
Reports on the topic "Site-specific primary data"
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Allegretto, Sylvia A., and Dave Graham-Squire. Monopsony in Professional Labor Markets: Hospital System Concentration and Nurse Wages. Institute for New Economic Thinking Working Paper Series, January 2023. http://dx.doi.org/10.36687/inetwp197.
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Rolling waves of consolidation have significantly decreased the number of hospital systems in the U.S. potentially affecting industry quality, prices, efficiency, wages and more. This research concerns the growth in hospital system consolidation in local labor markets and its effect on registered nurse wages. We first use a nonparametric preprocessing data step via matching methods to define MSA-specific samples of workers analogous to nurses outside of the hospital sector. This step enables an accounting of heterogeneous MSA-specific baseline wage growth, and yields a standardized measure of nurse wage growth across MSAs used to set up a multi-site quasi-experiment. We then run a parsimonious linear model; market size matters, for every 0.1 increase in consolidation in smaller-MSAs, real hourly nurse wage growth decreased by $0.70 (p-value of 0.038). Though not the primary aim of this study, a secondary finding is that real hourly wages for nurses grew less than that of comparable workers by $4.08.
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Heifetz, Yael, and Michael Bender. Success and failure in insect fertilization and reproduction - the role of the female accessory glands. United States Department of Agriculture, December 2006. http://dx.doi.org/10.32747/2006.7695586.bard.
Full textAbstract:
The research problem. Understanding of insect reproduction has been critical to the design of insect pest control strategies including disruptions of mate-finding, courtship and sperm transfer by male insects. It is well known that males transfer proteins to females during mating that profoundly affect female reproductive physiology, but little is known about the molecular basis of female mating response and no attempts have yet been made to interfere with female post-mating responses that directly bear on the efficacy of fertilization. The female reproductive tract provides a crucial environment for the events of fertilization yet thus far those events and the role of the female tract in influencing them are poorly understood. For this project, we have chosen to focus on the lower reproductive tract because it is the site of two processes critical to reproduction: sperm management (storage, maintenance, and release from storage) and fertilization. E,fforts during this project period centered on the elucidation of mating responses in the female lower reproductive tract The central goals of this project were: 1. To identify mating-responsive genes in the female lower reproductive tract using DNA microarray technology. 2. In parallel, to identify mating-responsive genes in these tissues using proteomic assays (2D gels and LC-MS/MS techniques). 3. To integrate proteomic and genomic analyses of reproductive tract gene expression to identify significant genes for functional analysis. Our main achievements were: 1. Identification of mating-responsive genes in the female lower reproductive tract. We identified 539 mating-responsive genes using genomic and proteomic approaches. This analysis revealed a shift from gene silencing to gene activation soon after mating and a peak in differential gene expression at 6 hours post-mating. In addition, comparison of the two datasets revealed an expression pattern consistent with the model that important reproductive proteins are pre-programmed for synthesis prior to mating. This work was published in Mack et al. (2006). Validation experiments using real-time PCR techniques suggest that microarray assays provide a conservativestimate of the true transcriptional activity in reproductive tissues. 2.lntegration of proteomics and genomics data sets. We compared the expression profiles from DNA microarray data with the proteins identified in our proteomic experiments. Although comparing the two data sets poses analyical challenges, it provides a more complete view of gene expression as well as insights into how specific genes may be regulated. This work was published in Mack et al. (2006). 3. Development of primary reproductive tract cell cultures. We developed primary cell cultures of dispersed reproductive tract cell types and determined conditions for organ culture of the entire reproductive tract. This work will allow us to rapidly screen mating-responsive genes for a variety of reproductive-tract specifi c functions. Scientific and agricultural significance. Together, these studies have defined the genetic response to mating in a part of the female reproductive tract that is critical for successful fertllization and have identified alarge set of mating-responsive genes. This work is the first to combine both genomic and proteomic approaches in determining female mating response in these tissues and has provided important insights into insect reproductive behavior.
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Heitman, Joshua L., Alon Ben-Gal, Thomas J. Sauer, Nurit Agam, and John Havlin. Separating Components of Evapotranspiration to Improve Efficiency in Vineyard Water Management. United States Department of Agriculture, March 2014. http://dx.doi.org/10.32747/2014.7594386.bard.
Full textAbstract:
Vineyards are found on six of seven continents, producing a crop of high economic value with much historic and cultural significance. Because of the wide range of conditions under which grapes are grown, management approaches are highly varied and must be adapted to local climatic constraints. Research has been conducted in the traditionally prominent grape growing regions of Europe, Australia, and the western USA, but far less information is available to guide production under more extreme growing conditions. The overarching goal of this project was to improve understanding of vineyard water management related to the critical inter-row zone. Experiments were conducted in moist temperate (North Carolina, USA) and arid (Negev, Israel) regions in order to address inter-row water use under high and low water availability conditions. Specific objectives were to: i) calibrate and verify a modeling technique to identify components of evapotranspiration (ET) in temperate and semiarid vineyard systems, ii) evaluate and refine strategies for excess water removal in vineyards for moist temperate regions of the Southeastern USA, and iii) evaluate and refine strategies for water conservation in vineyards for semi-arid regions of Israel. Several new measurement and modeling techniques were adapted and assessed in order to partition ET between favorable transpiration by the grapes and potentially detrimental water use within the vineyard inter-row. A micro Bowen ratio measurement system was developed to quantify ET from inter-rows. The approach was successful at the NC site, providing strong correlation with standard measurement approaches and adding capability for continuous, non-destructive measurement within a relatively small footprint. The environmental conditions in the Negev site were found to limit the applicability of the technique. Technical issues are yet to be solved to make this technique sufficiently robust. The HYDRUS 2D/3D modeling package was also adapted using data obtained in a series of intense field campaigns at the Negev site. The adapted model was able to account for spatial variation in surface boundary conditions, created by diurnal canopy shading, in order to accurately calculate the contribution of interrow evaporation (E) as a component of system ET. Experiments evaluated common practices in the southeastern USA: inter-row cover crops purported to reduce water availability and thereby favorably reduce grapevine vegetative growth; and southern Israel: drip irrigation applied to produce a high value crop with maximum water use efficiency. Results from the NC site indicated that water use by the cover crop contributed a significant portion of vineyard ET (up to 93% in May), but that with ample rainfall typical to the region, cover crop water use did little to limit water availability for the grape vines. A potential consequence, however, was elevated below canopy humidity owing to the increased inter-row evapotranspiration associated with the cover crops. This creates increased potential for fungal disease occurrence, which is a common problem in the region. Analysis from the Negev site reveals that, on average, E accounts for about10% of the total vineyard ET in an isolated dripirrigated vineyard. The proportion of ET contributed by E increased from May until just before harvest in July, which could be explained primarily by changes in weather conditions. While non-productive water loss as E is relatively small, experiments indicate that further improvements in irrigation efficiency may be possible by considering diurnal shading effects on below canopy potential ET. Overall, research provided both scientific and practical outcomes including new measurement and modeling techniques, and new insights for humid and arid vineyard systems. Research techniques developed through the project will be useful for other agricultural systems, and the successful synergistic cooperation amongst the research team offers opportunity for future collaboration.
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Lers, Amnon, Majid R. Foolad, and Haya Friedman. genetic basis for postharvest chilling tolerance in tomato fruit. United States Department of Agriculture, January 2014. http://dx.doi.org/10.32747/2014.7600014.bard.
Full textAbstract:
ABSTRACT Postharvest losses of fresh produce are estimated globally to be around 30%. Reducing these losses is considered a major solution to ensure global food security. Storage at low temperatures is an efficient practice to prolong postharvest performance of crops with minimal negative impact on produce quality or human health and the environment. However, many fresh produce commodities are susceptible to chilling temperatures, and the application of cold storage is limited as it would cause physiological chilling injury (CI) leading to reduced produce quality. Further, the primary CI becomes a preferred site for pathogens leading to decay and massive produce losses. Thus, chilling sensitive crops should be stored at higher minimal temperatures, which curtails their marketing life and in some cases necessitates the use of other storage strategies. Development of new knowledge about the biological basis for chilling tolerance in fruits and vegetables should allow development of both new varieties more tolerant to cold, and more efficient postharvest storage treatments and storage conditions. In order to improve the agricultural performance of modern crop varieties, including tomato, there is great potential in introgression of marker-defined genomic regions from wild species onto the background of elite breeding lines. To exploit this potential for improving tomato fruit chilling tolerance during postharvest storage, we have used in this research a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population derived from a cross between the red-fruited tomato wild species SolanumpimpinellifoliumL. accession LA2093 and an advanced Solanum lycopersicumL. tomato breeding line NCEBR-1, developed in the laboratory of the US co-PI. The original specific objectives were: 1) Screening of RIL population resulting from the cross NCEBR1 X LA2093 for fruit chilling response during postharvest storage and estimation of its heritability; 2) Perform a transcriptopmic and bioinformatics analysis for the two parental lines following exposure to chilling storage. During the course of the project, we learned that we could measure greater differences in chilling responses among specific RILs compared to that observed between the two parental lines, and thus we decided not to perform transcriptomic analysis and instead invest our efforts more on characterization of the RILs. Performing the transcriptomic analysis for several RILs, which significantly differ in their chilling tolerance/sensitivity, at a later stage could result with more significant insights. The RIL population, (172 lines), was used in field experiment in which fruits were examined for chilling sensitivity by determining CI severity. Following the field experiments, including 4 harvest days and CI measurements, two extreme tails of the response distribution, each consisting of 11 RILs exhibiting either high sensitivity or tolerance to chilling stress, were identified and were further examined for chilling response in greenhouse experiments. Across the RILs, we found significant (P < 0.01) correlation between field and greenhouse grown plants in fruit CI. Two groups of 5 RILs, whose fruits exhibited reproducible chilling tolerant/sensitive phenotypes in both field and greenhouse experiments, were selected for further analyses. Numerous genetic, physiological, biochemical and molecular variations were investigated in response to postharvest chilling stress in the selected RILs. We confirmed the differential response of the parental lines of the RIL population to chilling stress, and examined the extent of variation in the RIL population in response to chilling treatment. We determined parameters which would be useful for further characterization of chilling response in the RIL population. These included chlorophyll fluorescence Fv/Fm, water loss, total non-enzymatic potential of antioxidant activity, ascorbate and proline content, and expression of LeCBF1 gene, known to be associated with cold acclimation. These parameters could be used in continuation studies for the identification and genetic mapping of loci contributing to chilling tolerance in this population, and identifying genetic markers associated with chilling tolerance in tomato. Once genetic markers associated with chilling tolerance are identified, the trait could be transferred to different genetic background via marker-assisted selection (MAS) and breeding. The collaborative research established in this program has resulted in new information and insights in this area of research and the collaboration will be continued to obtain further insights into the genetic, molecular biology and physiology of postharvest chilling tolerance in tomato fruit. The US Co-PI, developed the RIL population that was used for screening and measurement of the relevant chilling stress responses and conducted statistical analyses of the data. Because we were not able to grow the RIL population under field conditions in two successive generations, we could not estimate heritability of response to chilling temperatures. However, we plan to continue the research, grow the RIL progeny in the field again, and determine heritability of chilling tolerance in a near future. The IS and US investigators interacted regularly and plan to continue and expand on this study, since combing the expertise of the Co-PI in genetics and breeding with that of the PI in postharvest physiology and molecular biology will have great impact on this line of research, given the significant findings of this one-year feasibility project.
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Ostersetzer-Biran, Oren, and Alice Barkan. Nuclear Encoded RNA Splicing Factors in Plant Mitochondria. United States Department of Agriculture, February 2009. http://dx.doi.org/10.32747/2009.7592111.bard.
Full textAbstract:
Mitochondria are the site of respiration and numerous other metabolic processes required for plant growth and development. Increased demands for metabolic energy are observed during different stages in the plants life cycle, but are particularly ample during germination and reproductive organ development. These activities are dependent upon the tight regulation of the expression and accumulation of various organellar proteins. Plant mitochondria contain their own genomes (mtDNA), which encode for a small number of genes required in organellar genome expression and respiration. Yet, the vast majority of the organellar proteins are encoded by nuclear genes, thus necessitating complex mechanisms to coordinate the expression and accumulation of proteins encoded by the two remote genomes. Many organellar genes are interrupted by intervening sequences (introns), which are removed from the primary presequences via splicing. According to conserved features of their sequences these introns are all classified as “group-II”. Their splicing is necessary for organellar activity and is dependent upon nuclear-encoded RNA-binding cofactors. However, to-date, only a tiny fraction of the proteins expected to be involved in these activities have been identified. Accordingly, this project aimed to identify nuclear-encoded proteins required for mitochondrial RNA splicing in plants, and to analyze their specific roles in the splicing of group-II intron RNAs. In non-plant systems, group-II intron splicing is mediated by proteins encoded within the introns themselves, known as maturases, which act specifically in the splicing of the introns in which they are encoded. Only one mitochondrial intron in plants has retained its maturaseORF (matR), but its roles in organellar intron splicing are unknown. Clues to other proteins required for organellar intron splicing are scarce, but these are likely encoded in the nucleus as there are no other obvious candidates among the remaining ORFs within the mtDNA. Through genetic screens in maize, the Barkan lab identified numerous nuclear genes that are required for the splicing of many of the introns within the plastid genome. Several of these genes are related to one another (i.e. crs1, caf1, caf2, and cfm2) in that they share a previously uncharacterized domain of archaeal origin, the CRM domain. The Arabidopsis genome contains 16 CRM-related genes, which contain between one and four repeats of the domain. Several of these are predicted to the mitochondria and are thus postulated to act in the splicing of group-II introns in the organelle(s) to which they are localized. In addition, plant genomes also harbor several genes that are closely related to group-II intron-encoded maturases (nMats), which exist in the nucleus as 'self-standing' ORFs, out of the context of their cognate "host" group-II introns and are predicted to reside within the mitochondria. The similarity with known group-II intron splicing factors identified in other systems and their predicted localization to mitochondria in plants suggest that nuclear-encoded CRM and nMat related proteins may function in the splicing of mitochondrial-encoded introns. In this proposal we proposed to (i) establish the intracellular locations of several CRM and nMat proteins; (ii) to test whether mutations in their genes impairs the splicing of mitochondrial introns; and to (iii) determine whether these proteins are bound to the mitochondrial introns in vivo.