High-pressure mechanical properties of an Area 12, Nevada Test Site tuff

The mechanical properties of tuff from instrument hole UG3, tunnel U12e.06 at the Nevada Test Site have been investigated to 1400 MPa, The shear strength increases from about 5 MHa unconfined to 12 MPa at 300 MPa mean pressure. A brittle-ductile transition was indicated at about 250 MPa. In uniaxial strain, the sample loads to the vicinity of the failure envelope and then is parallel to that envelope up to the highest stresses, 420 MPa. Hydrostatic pressure of 1400 MPa produces about 9% volume compression and 1.3% permanent compaction in this apparently saturated tuff. (auth

Stressmeter Placement at Spent Fuel Test in Climax Granite

Vibrating wire stressmeters were installed in the Spent Fuel Facility at the Nevada Test Site. These stressmeters will measure the changes in in situ stress during the five-year spent fuel test. Before installation, laboratory tests were conducted to study reproducibility of placement and to develop a program hopefully to reduce corrosion of the stressmeters while in place at the Spent Fuel Facility. These laboratory tests are discussed along with the installation of the stressmeters at the Spent Fuel Facility

A family of Nikishin systems with periodic recurrence coefficients

Suppose we have a Nikishin system of $p$ measures with the $k$th generating measure of the Nikishin system supported on an interval \Delta_k\subset\er with $\Delta_k\cap\Delta_{k+1}=\emptyset$ for all $k$. It is well known that the corresponding staircase sequence of multiple orthogonal polynomials satisfies a $(p+2)$-term recurrence relation whose recurrence coefficients, under appropriate assumptions on the generating measures, have periodic limits of period $p$. (The limit values depend only on the positions of the intervals $\Delta_k$.) Taking these periodic limit values as the coefficients of a new $(p+2)$-term recurrence relation, we construct a canonical sequence of monic polynomials $\{P_{n}\}_{n=0}^{\infty}$, the so-called \emph{Chebyshev-Nikishin polynomials}. We show that the polynomials $P_{n}$ themselves form a sequence of multiple orthogonal polynomials with respect to some Nikishin system of measures, with the $k$th generating measure being absolutely continuous on $\Delta_{k}$. In this way we generalize a result of the third author and Rocha \cite{LopRoc} for the case $p=2$. The proof uses the connection with block Toeplitz matrices, and with a certain Riemann surface of genus zero. We also obtain strong asymptotics and an exact Widom-type formula for the second kind functions of the Nikishin system for $\{P_{n}\}_{n=0}^{\infty}$.Comment: 30 pages, minor change

Frailty of Māori, Pasifika, and non-Māori/non-Pasifika older people in New Zealand: a national population study of older people referred for home care services

Little is known about the prevalence of frailty in indigenous populations. We developed a frailty index for older New Zealand Māori and Pasifika who require publicly funded support services.A frailty index (FI) was developed for New Zealand adults aged ≥65 years who had an interRAI-Home Care assessment between 1 June 2012 and 30 October 2015. A frailty score for each participant was calculated by summing the number of deficits recorded and dividing by the total number of possible deficits. This created a FI with a potential range from 0 to 1. Linear regression models for FIs with ethnicity were adjusted for age and sex. Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess the association between the FI and mortality for Māori, Pasifika, and non-Māori/non-Pasifika.Of 54,345 participants, 3,096 (5.7%) identified as Māori, 1,846 (3.4%) were Pasifika, and 49,415 (86.7%) identified as neither Māori nor Pasifika. New Zealand Europeans (48,178, 97.5%) constituted most of the latter group. Within each sex, the mean FIs for Māori and Pasifika were greater than the mean FIs for non-Māori and non-Pasifika, with the difference being more pronounced in females. The FI was associated with mortality (Māori SHR 2.53, 95% CI 1.63 to 3.95; Pasifika SHR 6.03, 95% CI 3.06 to 11.90; non-Māori and non-Pasifika SHR 2.86, 95% 2.53 to 3.25).This study demonstrated differences in FI between the ethnicities in this select cohort. After adjustment for age and sex, increases in FI were associated with increased mortality. This suggests that FI is predictive of poor outcomes in these ethnic groups

Oral microbe-host interactions: influence of β-glucans on gene expression of inflammatory cytokines and metabolome profile

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of β-glucan on the expression of inflammatory mediators and metabolomic profile of oral cells [keratinocytes (OBA-9) and fibroblasts (HGF-1) in a dual-chamber model] infected by Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans. The periodontopathogen was applied and allowed to cross the top layer of cells (OBA-9) to reach the bottom layer of cells (HGF-1) and induce the synthesis of immune factors and cytokines in the host cells. β-glucan (10 μg/mL or 20 μg/mL) were added, and the transcriptional factors and metabolites produced were quantified in the remaining cell layers and supernatant. Results: The relative expression of interleukin (IL)-1-α and IL-18 genes in HGF-1 decreased with 10 μg/mL or 20 μg/mL of β-glucan, where as the expression of PTGS-2 decreased only with 10 μg/mL. The expression of IL-1-α increased with 20 μg/mL and that of IL-18 increased with 10 μg/mL in OBA-9; the expression of BCL 2, EP 300, and PTGS-2 decreased with the higher dose of β-glucan. The production of the metabolite 4-aminobutyric acid presented lower concentrations under 20 μg/mL, whereas the concentrations of 2-deoxytetronic acid NIST and oxalic acid decreased at both concentrations used. Acetophenone, benzoic acid, and pinitol presented reduced concentrations only when treated with 10 μg/mL of β-glucan. Conclusions: Treatment with β-glucans positively modulated the immune response and production of metabolites

Use of a General Nonlinear Least-Squares Curve Fitting Program With Nonclosed Form Relationships. [GNLS, in FORTRAN for CDC Computers]

A use for GNLS, a general nonlinear least-squares curve fitting program, is presented. In this use GNLS determines a set of best parameters for relationships that cannot be written in closed form. This program can be useful for experimenters who need to determine experimental parameters by fitting nonclosed-form relationships to experimental data. Two examples are given to indicate how GNLS can be used for this type of problem. 11 figures

Thermal conductivity and diffusivity of climax stock quartz monzonite at high pressure and temperature

Measurements of thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity have been made on two samples of Climax Stock quartz monzonite at pressures between 3 and 50 MPa and temperatures between 300 and 523{sup 0}K. Following those measurements the apparatus was calibrated with respect to the thermal conductivity measurement using a reference standard of fused silica. Corrected thermal conductivity of the rock indicates a value at room temperature of 2.60 +- 0.25 W/mK at 3 MPa increasing linearly to 2.75 +- 0.25 W/mK at 50 MPa. These values are unchanged (+- 0.07 W/mK) by heating under 50-MPa pressure to as high as 473{sup 0}K. The conductivity under 50-MPa confining pressure falls smoothly from 2.75 +- 0.25 W/mK at 313{sup 0}K to 2.15 +- 0.25 W/mK at 473{sup 0}K. Thermal diffusivity at 300{sup 0}K was found to be 1.2 +- 0.4 X 10{sup -6} m{sup 2}/s and shows approximately the same pressure and temperature dependencies as the thermal conductivity

Thermal Properties of Rock Salt and Quartz Monzonite to 573{Sup 0}K and 50-MPa Confining Pressure

Measurements of thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, and thermal linear expansion have been made on two rock types, a rock salt and a quartz monzonite, at temperatures from 300 to 573{sup 0}K and confining pressures from 10 to 50 MPa. The samples were taken from deep rock formations under consideration as possible sites for a nuclear waste repository - the rock salt from a domal salt formation at Avery Island, Louisiana, and the quartz monzonite from the Climax Stock, Nevada Test Site, Nevada. The testing temperature and pressures are meant to bracket conditions expected in the repository. In both rock types, the thermal properties show a strong dependence upon temperature and a weak or non-dependence upon confining pressure. Thermal conductivity and diffusivity both decrease with increasing temperature in approximately linear fashion for samples which have not been previously heated. At 50 MPa in both rocks this decrease closely matches the measured or expected intrinsic (crack-free) behavior of the material. Preliminary indications from the quartz monzonite suggest that conductivity and diffusivity at low pressure and temperature may decrease as a result of heat treatment above 400{sup 0}K

Stressmeter placement at spent fuel test in climax granite

Vibrating wire stressmeters were installed in the Spent Fuel Facility at the Nevada Test Site. These stressmeters will measure the changes in in situ stress during the five-year spent fuel test. Before installation, laboratory tests were conducted to study reproducibility of placement and to develop a program hopefully to reduce corrosion of the stressmeters while in place at the Spent Fuel Facility. These laboratory tests are discussed along with the installation of the stressmeters at the Spent Fuel Facility