5,225 research outputs found
Monitoring the Thermal Power of Nuclear Reactors with a Prototype Cubic Meter Antineutrino Detector
In this paper, we estimate how quickly and how precisely a reactor's
operational status and thermal power can be monitored over hour to month time
scales, using the antineutrino rate as measured by a cubic meter scale
detector. Our results are obtained from a detector we have deployed and
operated at 25 meter standoff from a reactor core. This prototype can detect a
prompt reactor shutdown within five hours, and monitor relative thermal power
to three percent within seven days. Monitoring of short-term power changes in
this way may be useful in the context of International Atomic Energy Agency's
(IAEA) Reactor Safeguards Regime, or other cooperative monitoring regimes.Comment: 10 pages, 9 figure
Buckling of swelling gels
The patterns arising from the differential swelling of gels are investigated
experimentally and theoretically as a model for the differential growth of
living tissues. Two geometries are considered: a thin strip of soft gel clamped
to a stiff gel, and a thin corona of soft gel clamped to a disk of stiff gel.
When the structure is immersed in water, the soft gel swells and bends out of
plane leading to a wavy periodic pattern which wavelength is measured. The
linear stability of the flat state is studied in the framework of linear
elasticity using the equations for thin plates. The flat state is shown to
become unstable to oscillations above a critical swelling rate and the computed
wavelengths are in quantitative agreement with the experiment
Stochastic theory of large-scale enzyme-reaction networks: Finite copy number corrections to rate equation models
Chemical reactions inside cells occur in compartment volumes in the range of
atto- to femtolitres. Physiological concentrations realized in such small
volumes imply low copy numbers of interacting molecules with the consequence of
considerable fluctuations in the concentrations. In contrast, rate equation
models are based on the implicit assumption of infinitely large numbers of
interacting molecules, or equivalently, that reactions occur in infinite
volumes at constant macroscopic concentrations. In this article we compute the
finite-volume corrections (or equivalently the finite copy number corrections)
to the solutions of the rate equations for chemical reaction networks composed
of arbitrarily large numbers of enzyme-catalyzed reactions which are confined
inside a small sub-cellular compartment. This is achieved by applying a
mesoscopic version of the quasi-steady state assumption to the exact
Fokker-Planck equation associated with the Poisson Representation of the
chemical master equation. The procedure yields impressively simple and compact
expressions for the finite-volume corrections. We prove that the predictions of
the rate equations will always underestimate the actual steady-state substrate
concentrations for an enzyme-reaction network confined in a small volume. In
particular we show that the finite-volume corrections increase with decreasing
sub-cellular volume, decreasing Michaelis-Menten constants and increasing
enzyme saturation. The magnitude of the corrections depends sensitively on the
topology of the network. The predictions of the theory are shown to be in
excellent agreement with stochastic simulations for two types of networks
typically associated with protein methylation and metabolism.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figures; published in The Journal of Chemical Physic
Resistance to oxidative stress is not associated with the exceptional longevity of the freshwater pearl mussel, Margaritifera margaritifera nor three unionid species
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Implementing a perioperative efficiency initiative for orthopedic surgery instrumentation at an academic center: A comparative before-and-after study.
Optimizing surgical instrumentation may contribute to value-based care, particularly in commonly performed procedures. We report our experience in implementing a perioperative efficiency program in 2 types of orthopedic surgery (primary total-knee arthroplasty, TKA, and total-hip arthroplasty, THA).A comparative before-and-after study with 2 participating surgeons, each performing both THA and TKA, was conducted. Our objective was to evaluate the effect of surgical tray optimization on operating and processing time, cost, and waste associated with preparation, delivery, and staging of sterile surgical instruments. The study was designed as a prospective quality improvement initiative with pre- and postimplementation operational measures and a provider satisfaction survey.A total of 96 procedures (38 preimplementation and 58 postimplementation) were assessed using time-stamped performance endpoints. The number and weight of trays and instruments processed were reduced substantially after the optimization intervention, particularly for TKA. Setup time was reduced by 23% (6 minutes, P = .01) for TKA procedures but did not differ for THA. The number of survey respondents was small, but satisfaction was high overall among personnel involved in implementation.Optimizing instrumentation trays for orthopedic procedures yielded reduction in processing time and cost. Future research should evaluate patient outcomes and incremental/additive impact on institutional quality measures
Attitude Control Performance of IRVE-3
The Inflatable Reentry Vehicle Experiment 3 (IRVE-3) launched July 23, 2012, from NASA Wallops Flight Facility and successfully performed its mission, demonstrating both the survivability of a hypersonic inflatable aerodynamic decelerator in the reentry heating environment and the effect of an offset center of gravity on the aeroshell's flight L/D. The reentry vehicle separated from the launch vehicle, released and inflated its aeroshell, reoriented for atmospheric entry, and mechanically shifted its center of gravity before reaching atmospheric interface. Performance data from the entire mission was telemetered to the ground for analysis. This paper discusses the IRVE-3 mission scenario, reentry vehicle design, and as-flown performance of the attitude control system in the different phases of the mission
Breakdown of disordered media by surface loads
We model an interface layer connecting two parts of a solid body by N
parallel elastic springs connecting two rigid blocks. We load the system by a
shear force acting on the top side. The springs have equal stiffness but are
ruptured randomly when the load reaches a critical value. For the considered
system, we calculate the shear modulus, G, as a function of the order
parameter, \phi, describing the state of damage, and also the ``spalled''
material (burst) size distribution. In particular, we evaluate the relation
between the damage parameter and the applied force and explore the behaviour in
the vicinity of material breakdown. Using this simple model for material
breakdown, we show that damage, caused by applied shear forces, is analogous to
a first-order phase transition. The scaling behaviour of G with \phi is
explored analytically and numerically, close to \phi=0 and \phi=1 and in the
vicinity of \phi_c, when the shear load is close but below the threshold force
that causes material breakdown. Our model calculation represents a first
approximation of a system subject to wear induced loads.Comment: 15 pages, 7 figure
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