Intergrowth of crystal structures in “β-alumina”

Crystallites from shattered and ion-beam-etched specimens of β-alumina ceramics have been examined in the electron microscope and shown to consist of disordered intergrowths of a variety of structural types.     

Colour fastness to industrial laundering: an international inter‐laboratory trial of the proposed ISO 105‐C12 test procedure†

A new laboratory single‐wash test procedure that describes four test conditions, ISO 105‐C12, has been developed to assess the colour fastness of textiles under industrial laundry conditions. Following an international trial, the intra‐laboratory repeatability and the inter‐laboratory reproducibility of the test were found to be fully acceptable. The results obtained under two of the laboratory test conditions were compared with five washes in an industrial laundry under similar conditions and acceptable correlations were found.     

Managing violence on the railways

This paper describes the findings of a series of targeted inspections that considered the arrangements and measures for managing and preventing work-related violence in train-operating companies (TOCs). In general, TOCs manage the risk of violence to their staff in the same way as other personal risks. Hence, the inspection considered risk assessments, reporting measures and investigation reports, and evaluated the preventive, protective and response measures in place. A number of deficiencies were identified, the most serious of which concerned the arrangements and measures in place for contract staff employed in checking tickets or in security activities. Action was taken by HM Railway Inspectorate (HMRI) to ensure the TOCs and the employers of the contract staff resolved this issue.     

The desorption of chemisorbed oxygen from activated carbons and its relationship to ageing and methyl iodide retention efficiency

KI impregnated carbons are used to prevent emission of traces of radioactive iodine compounds from British gas-cooled nuclear reactors. Commercial activated carbons, both with and without potassium iodide impregnant, have been compared in terms of the carbon dioxide and monoxide evolved when they are subjected to a linear temperature rise under inert gas. The desorption patterns obtained have been related to the type of carbon, the effect of aqueous impregnation and the effect of increasing surface oxidation with time (ageing). A strong relationship between the level of combined surface oxygen and methyl iodide retention efficiency is proposed and it is shown that those surface groups which decompose to carbon dioxide have the most deleterious effect on the retention efficiency of methyl iodide. Carboxylic acid and anhydride groups are the most likely source of carbon dioxide and prevention or reduction of the rate of formation of these groups is a necessary step in maintaining carbon performance.     

Testing colour fading of cotton fabrics by activated oxygen bleach-ontaining detergent an interlaboratory trial

A single diagnostic wash test to identify coloured cotton fabrics susceptible to activated oxygen bleach was subjected to an interlaboratory trial (ring test). The results from the trial are described and a procedure developed for use as a British Standard is outlined.     

Efficient uncertainty analyses using fast probability integration

Fast probability integration (FPI) algorthms are adapted, extended and used to perform nuclear engineering uncertainty analyses. Methods are presented to improve the efficiency and precision of FPI for frequently encountered input distributions, to permit quick estimates of extreme model output quantiles and to provide appropriate sensitivity and uncertainty importance measures. Advantages and disadvantages of FPI as a stand-alone method are explored in two demonstration applications. FPI is first applied to estimate extreme (0.95, 0.99, 0.999 and 0.9999) quantiles of the frequency of a dominant station blackout accident. Sensitivity measures are quantified to indicate how the relative importance of each model input changes at progressively more extreme output quantiles. FPI is next applied to analyze uncertainties in fire damage times predicted by . Alternative FPI-based uncertainty importance measures are compared and shown to consistently rank the input contributions to the output uncertainty. FPI results are compared with results obtained from Monte Carlo sampling to demonstrate the computational advantage that clearly favors FPI, especially at the more extreme output quantiles.In a third application, Latin hypercube sampling (LHS) is combined with FPI to determine extreme quantiles of peak cladding temperature during the blowdown phase of a large-break loss of coolant accident as modeled by . The 0.95 quantile peak cladding temperature is reproducibly determined to within 2 K in one LHS-FPI iteration, which is based on only 21 runs. To demonstrate convergence for a more extreme case, LHS-FPI is also applied to estimate the 0.999 quantile peak cladding temperature. In each LHS-FPI iteration a final code run is performed to assure that the code-calculated peak cladding temperature agrees with that predicted by LHS-FPI at the most probable point. Importance measures are quantified at this point to identify dominant input-output relationships. Compared with past code scaling, applicability and uncertainty (CSAU) analyses, LHS-FPI offers a significant reduction in the number of best-estimate code runs required while providing additional checks and insights.     

Colour fastness of optionally aftertreated acid levelling and milling dyes on nylon 6.6 during washing in an activated oxygen‐bleach containing detergent. Part 1: Fading observed in the UK‐TO test and after repeated domestic laundering†

Previous studies examining the fading exhibited by different classes of cellulosic dyes on cotton, during washing in an oxidative‐bleach containing detergent, have been extended to acid levelling and the higher wet fast acid half‐milling dyes and acid milling dyes on nylon 6.6. It has been shown that acid levelling dyes exhibit a much higher level of fading, both in the single cycle, stressed UK‐TO test and after repeated domestic laundering, than acid milling dyes. The observed fading in each case was due to wash‐down/desorption of dye rather than an oxidative‐bleaching effect.     

The colour fastness of dyed fabrics to activated oxygen bleach-containing detergents: an international interlaboratory trial

The UK-TO single wash test procedure, developed to be diagnostic of the oxidative bleach response of dyed articles to repeated washing in activated oxygen bleach-containing detergents, has been subjected to extensive interlaboratory trials. The results indicate that both its repeatability and reproducibility are fully acceptable for the purpose of interlaboratory comparisons.     

Trousseau's syndrome in association with ovarian carcinoma

BACKGROUND: The association of neoplastic disease and thromboembolic disorders was first recognized by Trousseau in 1865. Abnormalities of blood coagulation tests have been reported in the majority of patients with cancer, including ovarian carcinoma. However, Trousseau's syndrome has rarely been reported in women with ovarian carcinoma. METHODS: A literature search for cases of Trousseau's syndrome in association with ovarian carcinoma was performed using the MEDLINE database. Case notes of patients with ovarian carcinoma treated at St. George's Hospital were reviewed and cases of Trousseau's syndrome identified. RESULTS: We report a series of 4 cases of Trousseau's syndrome in association with ovarian carcinoma occurring over a 3- to 4-year period, and highlight the particular difficulties associated with the management of these thromboembolic effects. CONCLUSIONS: Trousseau's syndrome can impair quality of life in patients with advanced ovarian carcinoma and enhanced anticoagulation regimens may be required for effective palliation.