Flaw density examinations of a clad boiling water reactor pressure vessel segment

As part of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Heavy-Section Steel Technology Program, studies have been conducted to determine flaw density in a section of reactor pressure vessel cut from the Hope Creek Unit 2 vessel. This boiling water reactor vessel was never in service. One objective was to evaluate the approximate 0.7- by 3-m (2- by 10-ft) segment of the vessel provided using ultrasonic flaw detection methods performed with both ASME Code techniques and supplemental ultrasonic methods. A second objective was to evaluate the inner surface stainless steel cladding for cracks with a high sensitivity penetrant examination. Both objectives were successfully completed. Five Code-recordable indications were detected ultrasonically; however, all were found to be anomalies associated with the cladding. One flaw was detected by the supplemental ultrasonic tests, and it was analyzed destructively. This flaw was pipelike indication, about 20 mm (0.8 in.) long extending along the length of the longitudinal weld in which it was located and was about 20 mm below the cladding surface. The flaw had a through-wall dimension (or length) of about 6 mm (0.24 in.) for an approximate 3-mm (0.1-in.) distance along the 20-mm major length. No flaws were detected by the penetrant examination of the cladding surface.     

Tissue fixation security in transosseous rotator cuff repairs: a mechanical comparison of simple versus mattress sutures

The primary purpose of this investigation was to compare tissue fixation security by simple sutures versus mattress sutures in transosseous rotator cuff repair. These two repair techniques were each performed in 17 human cadaver shoulders, with two bone tunnels being used for the repair by two simple sutures and two other bone tunnels being used for the repair by one mattress suture. The repairs were loaded to failure in a servohydraulic materials test system. Rotator cuff repair by simple sutures was found to be significantly stronger than repair by mattress sutures (P = .0007). The average ultimate load to failure for the simple suture construct (189.62 N) was 39.72% greater than that for the mattress suture construct (135.71 N). Most of the failures occurred by suture breakage at the knot. Load-sharing by multiple suture tails and multiple knots in the simple suture configuration likely contributed to its superior strength characteristics compared with the mattress suture configuration.     

Sporadic visceral myopathy with inclusion bodies. A light-microscopic and ultrastructural study

We report the clinical and pathologic findings of two patients with sporadic visceral myopathy. Both presented with chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction that necessitated colectomy. Microscopically, typical changes of primary visceral myopathy were present, including variable fibrous replacement of the muscularis externa and vacuolar degeneration of myocytes. In addition, the muscle cells contained cytoplasmic inclusions that have only been recently reported in visceral myopathy. These inclusions were numerous and easily visible in routine hematoxylin-eosin-stained sections but greatly enhanced by periodic acid-Schiff staining. They were reactive immunohistochemically at their periphery and were seen to be myofibrils at various stages of degeneration on electron microscopy. Inclusions were present in both muscularis externae and muscularis mucosae and were identified in mucosal biopsy specimens, providing a means of diagnosing this type of myopathic change on endoscopic biopsies.     

A probe for making near-field measurements with minimaldisturbance: the optically modulated scatterer

We describe an optically modulated scatterer as an electric-field probe for measuring radio-frequency and microwave fields. It has a high spatial resolution and the ability to operate very close to conducting and dielectric objects without appreciable distortion of the field to be measured. Thus, it can scan close to antennas and diffracting metal structures. We describe how the electric field is deduced from the measurements and present gain measurements and far-field patterns deduced from near-field scans of antennas. The results are tested by comparing them with those obtained by established measurement techniques     

The diastolic debate: is it time to discard Korotkoff phase IV in favour of phase V for blood pressure measurements in pregnancy?

The IgE-mediated allergic response involves a series of physiological pathways that result in the array of symptoms commonly associated with allergy. This article describes the mediators that prompt specific clinical responses and identifies those at risk for latex hypersensitivity.     

The course and outcome of viral hepatitis B in drug-addicted patients

In this paper, characterization is given of clinical and biochemical features of VH B course against the background of narcomania. Recordable in such patient populations are high percentage of delta hepatitis (14.2%), unusual severity of the intoxication syndrome, protracted course with exacerbations (12.2%) and recurrences (8%), outcome being a chronic hepatitis (14.2%), slower normalization of biochemical indicators, persistently low ratio of AIAT activity in diluted and whole blood sera. The persistence of viral markers in drug addicts discharged from the hospital (68%) is fraught with danger of spreading viral hepatitis of prophylactic measures are not strictly observed.     

Spatial distribution of femoral bone mineral in dual energy X-ray absorptiometry images: a possible technique to improve discrimination between normal and osteoporotic patients

The measurement of bone mineral density (BMD) using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) provides an indicator of subsequent risk of hip fracture, but because of the significant overlap of measurements obtained from osteoporotic and control groups its predictive power is limited. The radiographic technique of Singh grading for the assessment of femoral osteoporosis utilizes information about the distribution of trabecular bundles, but the morphological information available in the DXA image has not previously been analysed. In this study of DXA images from 64 individuals (32 controls and 32 classified as osteoporotic) a subjective grading technique analogous to Singh grading is proposed, and quantitative measurements are made of image features corresponding to two of the categories. Discrimination was assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves: the best discrimination was by spinal BMD (Az = 0.85 +/- 0.05) a performance equalled by one of the new parameters; the subjective grading method (Az = 0.79 +/- 0.07) performed as well as measurements of BMD in the femur. These results suggest that although the alternative measures do not improve on the discrimination possible using spinal BMD, morphological information from the hip itself may in the future have a place in the assessment of bone quality.     

On system design

The general, multiple attribute system design problem is formulated in total quality space which includes all of the microeconomic factors that influence the net value of a product to society. A hypothetical system design task—the development of improved system specifications and new subsystem requirements for the redesign of an automobile—is used to illustrate the approach. A new format is also given for describing design of experiment arrays which facilitates their use in spreadsheet calculations.     

Complexity theory of parallel time and hardware

The parallel resources time and hardware and the complexity classes defined by them are studied using the aggregate model. The equivalence of complexity classes defined by sequential space and uniform aggregate hardware is established. Aggregate time is related to (bounded fanin) circuit depth and, similarly, aggregate hardware is related to circuit width. Interelationships between aggregate time and hardware follow as corollaries. Aggregate time is related to the sequential resource reversal. Simultaneous relationships from aggregate hardware and time to sequential space and reversal are shown (and conversely), and these are used as evidence for an “extended parallel computation thesis.” These simultaneous relationships provide new characterizations for the simultaneous parallel complexity class NC and for the complementary class SC. The evaluation of monotone planar circuits is shown to be in NC, in fact in LOGCFL.