Results of an integration study of a diagnostics port plug in ITER

Diagnostics in ITER are mandatory to characterize the parameters of plasma and study its interactions with plasma-facing components. Diagnostics components in the vicinity of the plasma are supported by metallic structures called port plugs. At the tokamak mid-plane, these components are installed in port plugs through intermediate structures called drawers. Apart from hosting the diagnostics, the port plugs act as shielding against neutrons and gammas, in order to limit the nuclear loads in crucial components (such as diagnostics and superconducting coils) as well as the dose levels in the controlled zones of the tokamak. The radiation shielding function of the port plugs is ensured through an optimized mixture of heavy metallic materials and water, forming shielding blocks surrounding the diagnostics and called Diagnostic Shield Modules (DSMs). These DSMs constitute the rear part of the drawers (the front part being composed of the Diagnostic First Wall). This paper presents the main results of a study performed in Europe on the integration of a particular diagnostics port plug, the Equatorial Port Plug 1 (EPP1). The paper first provides the results of the EPP1 diagnostics integration analysis. In a second step it focuses on the design of the EPP1 DSMs and summarizes the major results of a thorough set of analyses aiming at studying the DSMs behaviour under different loads, suggesting recommendations to improve their current design.     

Spirituality, quality of life, and functional recovery after medical rehabilitation.

Objectives: To explore (a) how spiritual well-being (WB), emotional WB, life satisfaction, and functional status change during and after rehabilitation; (b) the relationships among these variables over time; and (c) associations with demographic and clinical characteristics. Study Design: Longitudinal assessment across 3 time points. Participants and Setting: 155 adults admitted to a freestanding rehabilitation hospital. Main Outcome Measures: Spiritual Well-Being Scale, Life Satisfaction Questionnaire, Short-Form Health Survey, and the Functional Independence MeasureTM. Results: Emotional WB increased during rehabilitation, whereas life satisfaction and spiritual WB did not change; however, substantial subgroups of individuals experienced changes in life satisfaction and spiritual WB over time. Measures of spiritual WB, emotional WB, and life satisfaction were moderately correlated within and across time points. Persons making smaller functional gains during inpatient rehabilitation were least likely to experience increased emotional WB. Although African Americans as a group reported greater spiritual WB than other racial-ethnic groups on admission, they were least likely to increase in emotional WB over time.… (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A 14-bit dual-path 2-0 MASH ADC with dual digital error correction

A dual-path 2-0 cascaded delta-sigma (MASH) ADC was implemented with fast digital correction of both DAC errors and MASH mismatch errors. The digital correction techniques greatly reduced the requirements on the analog circuits. The dual-path structure allows fast convergence and improved accuracy for the correction. Using a 20 MHz clock, the prototype chip achieved an 84 dB dynamic range in a 1.25 MHz signal band, when fabricated in CMOS 0.18 μm process.     

Wind turbine SCADA alarm analysis for improving reliability

Previous research for detecting incipient wind turbine failures, using condition monitoring algorithms, concentrated on wind turbine Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) signals, such as power output, wind speed and bearing temperatures, using power‐curve and temperature relationships. However, very little research effort has been made on wind turbine SCADA alarms. When wind turbines are operating in significantly sized wind farms, these alarm triggers are overwhelming for operators or maintainers alike because of large number occurring in a 10 min SCADA period. This paper considers these alarms originating in two large populations of modern onshore wind turbines over a period of 1–2 years. First, an analysis is made on where the alarms originate. Second, a methodology for prioritizing the alarms is adopted from an oil and gas industry standard to show the seriousness of the alarm data volume. Third, two methods of alarm analysis, time‐sequence and probability‐based, are proposed and demonstrated on the data from one of the wind turbine populations, considering pitch and converter systems with known faults. The results of this work show that alarm data require relatively little storage yet provide rich condition monitoring information. Both the time‐sequence and probability‐based analysis methods have the potential to rationalize and reduce alarm data, providing valuable fault detection, diagnosis and prognosis from the conditions under which the alarms are generated. These methods should be developed and integrated into an intelligent alarm handling system for wind farms, aimed at improving wind turbine reliability to reduce downtime, increase availability and leading to a well‐organized maintenance schedule. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Size-controlled model Co nanoparticle catalysts for CO₂ hydrogenation: synthesis, characterization, and catalytic reactions

Model cobalt catalysts for CO(2) hydrogenation were prepared using colloidal chemistry. The turnover frequency at 6 bar and at 200-300 °C increased with cobalt nanoparticle size from 3 to 10 nm. It was demonstrated that near monodisperse nanoparticles in the size range of 3-10 nm could be generated without using trioctylphosphine oxide, a capping ligand that we demonstrate results in phosphorus being present on the metal surface and poisoning catalyst activity in our application.     

Medical image reconstruction,processing, visualization,and analysis: the MIPG perspective. Medical Image Processing Group

In this paper, we identify and describe the key ideas, concepts and software related to Medical Imaging that emerged from our research group, which is commonly known by the acronym MIPG, denoting Medical Image Processing Group. For the purpose of our presentation, we consider the entire discipline of Medical Imaging to consist of the areas of acquisition, postprocessing, evaluation, and application. We are indeed fortunate to be able to discuss seminal research from our group in each of these areas. In Section II, we identify relevant moments of inception and describe our past contributions. Our achievements, current activities, and future directions are summarized in Section III, Section IV, and Section V, respectively; the keys to our success are listed in Section V     

Sphingosine 1-phosphate pKa and binding constants: intramolecular and intermolecular influences

The dissociation constant for an ionizable ligand binding to a receptor is dependent on its charge and therefore on its environmentally-influenced pKa value. The pKa values of sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) were studied computationally in the context of the wild type S1P1 receptor and the following mutants: E3.29Q, E3.29A, and K5.38A. Calculated pKa values indicate that S1P binds to S1P1 and its site mutants with a total charge of -1, including a +1 charge on the ammonium group and a -2 charge on the phosphate group. The dissociation constant of S1P binding to these receptors was studied as well. The models of wild type and mutant proteins originated from an active receptor model that was developed previously. We used ab initio RHF/6-31+G(d) to optimize our models in aqueous solution, where the solvation energy derivatives are represented by conductor-like polarizable continuum model (C-PCM) and integral equation formalism polarizable continuum model (IEF-PCM). Calculation of the dissociation constant for each mutant was determined by reference to the experimental dissociation constant of the wild type receptor. The computed dissociation constants of the E3.29Q and E3.29A mutants are three to five orders of magnitude higher than those for the wild type receptor and K5.38A mutant, indicating vital contacts between the S1P phosphate group and the carboxylate group of E3.29. Computational dissociation constants for K5.38A, E3.29A, and E3.29Q mutants were compared with experimentally determined binding and activation data. No measurable binding of S1P to the E3.29A and E3.29Q mutants was observed, supporting the critical contacts observed computationally. These results validate the quantitative accuracy of the model.     

EDGeS: Bridging EGEE to BOINC and XtremWeb

Desktop Grids, such as XtremWeb and BOINC, and Service Grids, such as EGEE, are two different approaches for science communities to gather computing power from a large number of computing resources. Nevertheless, little work has been done to combine these two Grid technologies in order to establish a seamless and vast Grid resource pool. In this paper we present the EGEE Service Grid, the BOINC and XtremWeb Desktop Grids. Then, we present the EDGeS solution to bridge the EGEE Service Grid with the BOINC and XtremWeb Desktop Grids.     

Cognitive-Behavioral Analysis System of Psychotherapy as a Maintenance Treatment for Chronic Depression.

Although the efficacy of maintenance pharmacotherapy for the prevention of recurrence in major depressive disorder (MDD) is well documented, few studies have tested the efficacy of psychotherapy as a maintenance treatment. The authors examined the efficacy of the cognitive-behavioral analysis system of psychotherapy (CBASP) as a maintenance treatment for chronic forms of MDD. Eighty-two patients who had responded to acute and continuation phase CBASP were randomized to monthly CBASP or assessment only for 1 year. Significantly fewer patients in the CBASP than assessment only condition experienced a recurrence. The 2 conditions also differed significantly on change in depressive symptoms over time. These findings support the use of CBASP as a maintenance treatment for chronic forms of MDD. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)