137 research outputs found
Recommended from our members
The characterization and risk assessment of the `Red Forest` radioactive waste burial site at Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant
The `Red Forest` radioactive waste burials created during emergency clean-up activities at Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant represent a serious source of radioactive contamination of the local ground water system with 9OSr concentration in ground water exceeding the drinking water standard by 3-4 orders of magnitude. In this paper we present results of our hydrogeological and radiological `Red Forest` site characterization studies, which allow us to estimate 9OSr subsurface migration parameters. We use then these parameters to assess long terrain radionuclide transport to groundwater and surface water, and to analyze associated health risks. Our analyses indicate that 9OSr transport via ground water pathway from `Red Forest` burials to the adjacent Pripyat River is relatively insignificant due to slow release of 9OSr from the waste burials (less than 1% of inventory per year) and due to long enough ground water residence time in the subsurface, which allows substantial decay of the radioactive contaminant. Tins result and our previous analyses indicate, that though conditions of radioactive waste storage in burials do not satisfy Ukrainian regulation on radiation protection, health risks caused by radionuclide migration to ground water from `Red Forest` burials do not justify application of expensive countermeasures
Circumstellar molecular line absorption and emission in the optical spectra of post-AGB stars
We present a list of post-AGB stars showing molecular line absorption and
emission in the optical spectrum. Two objects show CH+, one in emission and one
in absorption, and ten stars show C2 and CN in absorption. The Doppler
velocities of the C2 lines and the rotational temperatures indicate that the
line forming region is the AGB remnant. An analysis of the post-AGB stars of
which CO millimeter data is available suggests that the C2} expansion velocity
is of the same order as the CO expansion velocity. HD56126 has been studied in
detail and we find a mass-loss rate of Mdot=2.8e-4 Msol/yr, fC2=2.4e-8 and
fCN=1.3e-8. The mass loss derived from C2 is significantly larger than
Mdot=1.2e-5 Msol/yr derived from CO. We find that all objects with the 21mu
feature in emission show C2 and CN absorption, but not all objects with C2 and
CN detections show a 21mu feature.Comment: plain latex 8 pages, 4 postscript figures, uses psfig.st
Spectroscopic parameters for silacyclopropynylidene, SiC, from extensive astronomical observations toward CW Leo (IRC +10216) with the Herschel satellite
A molecular line survey has been carried out toward the carbon-rich
asymptotic giant branch star CW Leo employing the HIFI instrument on board of
the Herschel satellite. Numerous features from 480 GHz to beyond 1100 GHz could
be assigned unambiguously to the fairly floppy SiC molecule. However,
predictions from laboratory data exhibited large deviations from the observed
frequencies even after some lower frequency data from this survey were
incorporated into a fit. Therefore, we present a combined fit of all available
laboratory data together with data from radio-astronomical observations.Comment: 7 pages, 1 figure, J. Mol. Spectrosc., appeared; CDMS links corrected
(version 2; current version: 3; may be updated later this year
Mid-infrared interferometry of massive young stellar objects. I. VLTI and Subaru observations of the enigmatic object M8E-IR
Influence of storm surge on tidal range energy
The regular and predictable nature of the tide makes the generation of electricity with a tidal lagoon or barrage an attractive form of renewable energy, yet storm surges affect the total water-level. Here, we present the first assessment of the potential impact of storm surges on tidal-range power. Water-level data (2000–2012) at nine UK tide gauges, where tidal-range energy is suitable for development (e.g. Bristol Channel), was used to predict power. Storm surge affected annual resource estimates −5% to +3%, due to inter-annual variability, which is lower than other sources of uncertainty (e.g. lagoon design); therefore, annual resource estimation from astronomical tides alone appears sufficient. However, instantaneous power output was often significantly affected (Normalised Root Mean Squared Error: 3%–8%, Scatter Index: 15%–41%) and so a storm surge prediction system may be required for any future electricity generation scenario that includes large amounts of tidal-range generation. The storm surge influence to tidal-range power varied with the electricity generation strategy considered (flooding tide only, ebb-only or dual; both flood and ebb), but with some spatial and temporal variability. The flood-only strategy was most affected by storm surge, mostly likely because tide-surge interaction increases the chance of higher water-levels on the flooding tide
Evaluating outcomes of therapies offered by occupational therapists in adult mental health
Background:
Attitudes towards the use of outcome measures by professionals working in mental health have been shown to be variable. Occupational therapists appear to have difficulty specifying goals and measuring the outcomes of interventions.
Aims:
To measure the outcomes of therapies offered by occupational therapists and to assess concurrent validity of the Van du Toit Model of Creative Ability (VdT MoCA) assessment.
Method:
The Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF), VdT MoCA assessment and Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) were used. Changes in mean scores on the measures were assessed using appropriate tests. Correlations between measures were assessed using Spearman's non-parametric test.
Results:
Mean post-therapy scores were significantly higher than pre-therapy scores on all three measures. VdT MoCA assessment scores pre- and post-therapy were highly correlated with GAF scores. The COPM outcome scores were uncorrelated with VdT MoCA assessment and GAF scores.
Conclusions:
The results offer a promising indication that occupational therapy interventions may increase functioning and thus aid clients' recovery. The VdT MoCA assessment is promising as a measure of improvement in functioning. Further research is needed to confirm these results and to further explore issues around occupational therapists' use of outcome measures
Low-mass pre--main-sequence stars in the Magellanic Clouds
[Abridged] The stellar Initial Mass Function (IMF) suggests that sub-solar
stars form in very large numbers. Most attractive places for catching low-mass
star formation in the act are young stellar clusters and associations, still
(half-)embedded in star-forming regions. The low-mass stars in such regions are
still in their pre--main-sequence (PMS) evolutionary phase. The peculiar nature
of these objects and the contamination of their samples by the evolved
populations of the Galactic disk impose demanding observational techniques for
the detection of complete numbers of PMS stars in the Milky Way. The Magellanic
Clouds, the companion galaxies to our own, demonstrate an exceptional star
formation activity. The low extinction and stellar field contamination in
star-forming regions of these galaxies imply a more efficient detection of
low-mass PMS stars than in the Milky Way, but their distance from us make the
application of special detection techniques unfeasible. Nonetheless, imaging
with the Hubble Space Telescope yield the discovery of solar and sub-solar PMS
stars in the Magellanic Clouds from photometry alone. Unprecedented numbers of
such objects are identified as the low-mass stellar content of their
star-forming regions, changing completely our picture of young stellar systems
outside the Milky Way, and extending the extragalactic stellar IMF below the
persisting threshold of a few solar masses. This review presents the recent
developments in the investigation of PMS stars in the Magellanic Clouds, with
special focus on the limitations by single-epoch photometry that can only be
circumvented by the detailed study of the observable behavior of these stars in
the color-magnitude diagram. The achieved characterization of the low-mass PMS
stars in the Magellanic Clouds allowed thus a more comprehensive understanding
of the star formation process in our neighboring galaxies.Comment: Review paper, 26 pages (in LaTeX style for Springer journals), 4
figures. Accepted for publication in Space Science Review
Shadows cast on the transition disk of HD 135344B:Multiwavelength VLT/SPHERE polarimetric differential imaging
Measurements of branching fraction ratios and CP-asymmetries in suppressed B^- -> D(-> K^+ pi^-)K^- and B^- -> D(-> K^+ pi^-)pi^- decays
We report the first reconstruction in hadron collisions of the suppressed
decays B^- -> D(-> K^+ pi^-)K^- and B^- -> D(-> K^+ pi^-)pi^-, sensitive to the
CKM phase gamma, using data from 7 fb^-1 of integrated luminosity collected by
the CDF II detector at the Tevatron collider. We reconstruct a signal for the
B^- -> D(-> K^+ pi^-)K^- suppressed mode with a significance of 3.2 standard
deviations, and measure the ratios of the suppressed to favored branching
fractions R(K) = [22.0 \pm 8.6(stat)\pm 2.6(syst)]\times 10^-3, R^+(K) =
[42.6\pm 13.7(stat)\pm 2.8(syst)]\times 10^-3, R^-(K)= [3.8\pm 10.3(stat)\pm
2.7(syst]\times 10^-3, as well as the direct CP-violating asymmetry A(K) =
-0.82\pm 0.44(stat)\pm 0.09(syst) of this mode. Corresponding quantities for
B^- -> D(-> K^+ pi^-)pi^- decay are also reported.Comment: 8 pages, 1 figure, accepted by Phys.Rev.D Rapid Communications for
Publicatio
- …