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Ventura Rodríguez, Ferran (escultor)Pla general d'una part del Fossar. Era Era una antiga pedrera que va es va destinar a enterrar víctimes dels bombardeigs de la guerra civil, de les execucions de la guerra i l'època franquista. A partir del 1979 passar a ser un memorial

DEVELOPMENT OF THE ALTERNATE PRESSURIZED THERMAL SHOCK RULE (10 CFR 50.61a) IN THE UNITED STATES

In the early 1980s, attention focused on the possibility that pressurized thermal shock (PTS) events could challenge the integrity of a nuclear reactor pressure vessel (RPV) because operational experience suggested that overcooling events, while not common, did occur, and because the results of in-reactor materials surveillance programs showed that RPV steels and welds, particularly those having high copper content, experience a loss of toughness with time due to neutron irradiation embrittlement. These recognitions motivated analysis of PTS and the development of toughness limits for safe operation. It is now widely recognized that state of knowledge and data limitations from this time necessitated conservative treatment of several key parameters and models used in the probabilistic calculations that provided the technical of the PTS Rule, 10 CFR 50.61. To remove the unnecessary burden imposed by these conservatisms, and to improve the NRC's efficiency in processing exemption and license exemption requests, the NRC undertook the PTS re-evaluation project. This paper provides a synopsis of the results of that project, and the resulting Alternate PTS rule, 10 CFR 50.61a

Relative compactness, cotopology and some other notions from the bitopological point of view

AbstractThe paper consists of two sections. Section 1 is the introduction which, in addition to the auxiliary information, contains some interesting results on Baire-like properties. Section 2 deals with the bitopological essence of the notions of relative compactness and cotopology in general topology, C-relation, subordination of topologies and closed neighborhoods condition in analysis. A generalization of Choquet's theorem on Baire spaces is given and the sufficient conditions for families of (i,j)-nowhere dense sets to coincide with families of (i,j)-first category sets are established using a finite measure. A bitopological solution of one of Ulam's problems is obtained. The corresponding relations are almost always studied using essentially the bitopological modifications of regularity, which, as seen in various problems of general topology, analysis and potential theory, are the most natural forms of relations of two topologies defined on the same set

Nature of Viscoelasticity in Lamellar Block Copolymers: Contraction Correlated to Strain Localization

We determined the local strain profile in sheared lamellar block copolymers. A trilayer model, based on elastic brushes separated by viscous interpenetration zones, captures the rheological response of these materials and provides a measure of the relative contributions of elastic versus viscous strain. The elastic chain distortions were evident from a reversible lamellar contraction, as measured from in situ small-angle x-ray scattering. The contraction was directly correlated to the elastic strain from our trilayer model; three distinct diblock copolymers conform to the predicted relationship, thus suggesting universal behavior

Environmental risk assessment studies on new plant protection products which have been elaborated from coniferous tree bark

ArticleNowadays there are still various chemical pesticides being applied in the course of ensuring plant protection. Since 2010, we have been working on the development of new, environmentally-friendly plant protection products which will provide an effective tool against pathogenic fungi and bacteria which cause disease in crop plants. The specific aim of this study was to evaluate a risk assessment for new plant protection products that have been elaborated on the basis of coniferous tree bark. Various products were tested which are extracted during the processing of wood bark from pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.). Ethanol extracts were formulated and applied during these experiments. Two formulations, which showed anti-fungal activity in vitro and in field trials on fruit crops (involving strawberries and raspberries) were selected for the risk assessment studies. The impact was studied of formulation treatment on crop plants and soil biological activity, and the accumulation of residues of active substances in crop plants and soil. The application of new formulations did not show any negative effect on the chlorophyll content and the chlorophyll fluorescence of plant leaves. The results showed that pine and spruce bark extract formulations contain active compounds (coumaric acid, quercetin, epicatechin, and ferulic acid) within the range of 5.1–5.9 mg kg-1 and 11.1– 443.9 mg kg-1 respectively. The amount of active substances which were determined in most cases was higher in the spruce bark extract formulation when compared to the pine bark extract formulation. Our results confirmed the presence of active compounds – epicatechin, quercetin, and coumaric acid – in strawberry fruits which remained untreated and in those that were treated with spruce ethanol extract formulation. Untreated raspberry fruits contained all four active substances within the range of 81–5,300 µg kg-1. We observed a significant increase of coumaric acid and quercetin in raspberries after their having been treated with spruce bark extract formulation in a 2% concentration, P < 0.05, and did not find any negative impact for spruce bark extract formulations when used on soil microbial biomass

How Geography and International Relations Shaped Economic Development in the Republic of Korea

Joan, PerePrimer pla contrapicat del relleu de sant Jordi que forma part de la decoració de la façana gòtica del Palau de la Generalitat. Apreciem el cavaller muntant el cavall i el drac. Fet en pedra de Montjuïc

Test Characteristics of Urinary Lipoarabinomannan and Predictors of Mortality among Hospitalized HIV-Infected Tuberculosis Suspects in Tanzania.

Tuberculosis is the most common cause of death among patients with HIV infection living in tuberculosis endemic countries, but many cases are not diagnosed pre-mortem. We assessed the test characteristics of urinary lipoarabinomannan (LAM) and predictors of mortality among HIV-associated tuberculosis suspects in Tanzania. We prospectively enrolled hospitalized HIV-infected patients in Dar es Salaam, with ≥2 weeks of cough or fever, or weight loss. Subjects gave 2 mLs of urine to test for LAM using a commercially available ELISA, ≥2 sputum specimens for concentrated AFB smear and solid media culture, and 40 mLs of blood for culture. Among 212 evaluable subjects, 143 (68%) were female; mean age was 36 years; and the median CD4 count 86 cells/mm(3). 69 subjects (33%) had culture confirmation of tuberculosis and 65 (31%) were LAM positive. For 69 cases of sputum or blood culture-confirmed tuberculosis, LAM sensitivity was 65% and specificity 86% compared to 36% and 98% for sputum smear. LAM test characteristics were not different in patients with bacteremia but showed higher sensitivity and lower specificity with decreasing CD4 cell count. Two month mortality was 64 (53%) of 121 with outcomes available. In multivariate analysis there was significant association of mortality with absence of anti-retroviral therapy (p = 0.004) and a trend toward association with a positive urine LAM (p = 0.16). Among culture-negative patients mortality was 9 (75%) of 12 in LAM positive patients and 27 (38%) of 71 in LAM negative patients (p = 0.02). Urine LAM is more sensitive than sputum smear and has utility for the rapid diagnosis of culture-confirmed tuberculosis in this high-risk population. Mortality data raise the possibility that urine LAM may also be a marker for culture-negative tuberculosis

Clinical and electrophysiological characterization of myokymia and neuromyotonia in Jack Russell Terriers.

BACKGROUND: Generalized myokymia and neuromyotonia (M/NM) in Jack Russell Terriers (JRTs) is related to peripheral nerve hyperexcitability syndrome in humans, a symptom complex resulting from diverse etiologies. OBJECTIVE: Clinical and electrodiagnostic evaluation is used to narrow the list of possible etiological diagnoses in JRTs with M/NM. ANIMALS: Nine healthy JRTs and 8 affected JRTs. METHODS: A prospective study was conducted comparing clinical and electrophysiological characteristics in 8 JRTs affected by M/NM with 9 healthy JRT controls. RESULTS: All affected dogs except 1 had clinical signs typical of hereditary ataxia (HA). In 6 dogs, neuromyotonic discharges were recorded during electromyogram. Motor nerve conduction studies showed an axonal neuropathy in only 1 affected dog. Compared with controls, brainstem auditory-evoked potentials (BAEP) showed prolonged latencies (P<.05) accompanied by the disappearance of wave components in 3 dogs. Onset latencies of tibial sensory-evoked potentials (SEP) recorded at the lumbar intervertebral level were delayed in the affected group (P<.001). The BAEP and SEP results of the only neuromyotonic dog without ataxia were normal. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: The BAEP and spinal SEP abnormalities observed in JRTs with M/NM were associated with the presence of HA. Therefore, these electrophysiological findings presumably arise from the neurodegenerative changes characterizing HA and do not directly elucidate the pathogenesis of M/NM. An underlying neuronal ion channel dysfunction is thought to be the cause of M/NM in JRTs

Shear induced instabilities in layered liquids

Motivated by the experimentally observed shear-induced destabilization and reorientation of smectic A like systems, we consider an extended formulation of smectic A hydrodynamics. We include both, the smectic layering (via the layer displacement u and the layer normal p) and the director n of the underlying nematic order in our macroscopic hydrodynamic description and allow both directions to differ in non equilibrium situations. In an homeotropically aligned sample the nematic director does couple to an applied simple shear, whereas the smectic layering stays unchanged. This difference leads to a finite (but usually small) angle between n and p, which we find to be equivalent to an effective dilatation of the layers. This effective dilatation leads, above a certain threshold, to an undulation instability of the layers. We generalize our earlier approach [Rheol. Acta, vol.39(3), 15] and include the cross couplings with the velocity field and the order parameters for orientational and positional order and show how the order parameters interact with the undulation instability. We explore the influence of various material parameters on the instability. Comparing our results to recent experiments and molecular dynamic simulations, we find a good qualitative agreement.Comment: 15 pages, 12 figures, accepted for publication in PR