591 research outputs found
Lattice benchmarking of deterministic, Monte Carlo and hybrid Monte Carlo reactor physics codes for the soluble-boron-free SMR cores
Since the use of deterministic transport code WIMS can significantly reduce the computational time compared to the Monte Carlo (MC) code Serpent and hybrid MC code MONK, one of the major objectives of this study is to observe whether deterministic code WIMS can provide accuracy in reactor physics calculations while comparing Serpent and MONK. Therefore, numerical benchmark calculations for a soluble-boron-free (SBF) small modular reactor (SMR) assembly have been performed using the WIMS, Serpent and MONK. Although computationally different in nature, these codes can solve the neutronic transport equations and calculate the required neutronic parameters. A comparison in neutronic parameters between the three codes has been carried out using two types of candidate fuels: 15%235U enriched homogeneously mixed all-UO2 fuel and 18%235U enriched micro-heterogeneous ThO2-UO2 duplex fuel in a 2D fuel assembly model using a 13Ă13 arrangement. The eigenvalue/reactivity (kâ) and 2D assembly pin power distribution at different burnup states in the assembly depletion are compared using three candidate nuclear data files: ENDF/B- VII, JEF2.2 and JEF3.1. A good agreement in kâ values was observed among the codes for both the candidate fuels. The differences in kâ between the codes are âŒ200 pcm when cross-sections based on the same nuclear data file are used. A higher difference (up to âŒ450 pcm) in the kâ values is observed among the codes using cross-sections based on different data files. Finally, it can be concluded from this study that the good agreement in the results between the codes found provides enhanced confidence that modeling of SBF, SMR propulsion core systems with micro-heterogeneous duplex fuel can be performed reliably using deterministic neutronics code WIMS, offering the advantage of less expensive computation than that of the MC Serpent and hybrid MC MONK codes
Obstructive sleep apnoea-related respiratory events and desaturation severity are associated with the cardiac response
Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) causes, among other things, intermittent blood oxygen desaturations, increasing the sympathetic tone. Yet the effect of desaturations on heart rate variability (HRV), a simple and noninvasive method for assessing sympathovagal balance, has not been comprehensively studied. We aimed to study whether desaturation severity affects the immediate HRV.MethodsWe retrospectively analysed the electrocardiography signals in 5-min segments (n=39â132) recorded during clinical polysomnographies of 642 patients with suspected OSA. HRV parameters were calculated for each segment. The segments were pooled into severity groups based on the desaturation severity (i.e.the integrated area under the blood oxygen saturation curve) and the respiratory event rate within the segment. Covariate-adjusted regression analyses were performed to investigate possible confounding effects.ResultsWith increasing respiratory event rate, the normalised high-frequency band power (HFNU) decreased from 0.517 to 0.364 (p<0.01), the normalised low-frequency band power (LFNU) increased from 0.483 to 0.636 (p<0.01) and the mean RR interval decreased from 915 to 869â
ms (p<0.01). Similarly, with increasing desaturation severity, the HFNUdecreased from 0.499 to 0.364 (p<0.01), the LFNUincreased from 0.501 to 0.636 (p<0.01) and the mean RR interval decreased from 952 to 854â
ms (p<0.01). Desaturation severity-related findings were confirmed by considering the confounding factors in the regression analyses.ConclusionThe short-term HRV response differs based on the desaturation severity and the respiratory event rate in patients with suspected OSA. Therefore, a more detailed analysis of HRV and desaturation characteristics could enhance OSA severity estimation
The analysis of freshwater pearl mussel shells using mu-XRF (micro-x-ray fluorescence) and the applicability for environmental reconstruction
Freshwater pearl mussel is a highly threatened species, and many populations are currently on the brink of local extinction. For example, in south Finland, only two populations are currently viable. Even though the reasons for the mussels' demise are relatively well known, the long-term impacts of water quality are not completely resolved. Here, mu-XRF analysis and historical records were used to evaluate whether the differences in water chemistry or past environmental changes in three rivers in southern Finland are visible in mussel shell chemistry. The results show that the cracks inside mussel shells, invisible to the naked eye, may greatly affect the elemental composition results. Further, anomalies which could be related to inclusion of detrital matter inside the shells were detected. Manganese (Mn) seems to be related to mussel growth dynamics, especially in the nacreous layer, while high values of iron (Fe) and Mn are also present at the top sections of the prismatic layer. Line scan analysis revealed high variation between replicates. The mu-XRF method could be used as prescreening method in mussel sclerochemistry studies, but more studies are needed to clarify the ability of FPM shells to reliably record the environmental conditions
Brain Source Correlates of Speech Perception and Reading Processes in Children With and Without Reading Difficulties
Neural correlates in reading and speech processing have been addressed extensively in the literature. While reading skills and speech perception have been shown to be associated with each other, their relationship remains debatable. In this study, we investigated reading skills, speech perception, reading, and their correlates with brain source activity in auditory and visual modalities. We used high-density event-related potentials (ERPs), fixation-related potentials (FRPs), and the source reconstruction method. The analysis was conducted on 12â13-year-old schoolchildren who had different reading levels. Brain ERP source indices were computed from frequently repeated Finnish speech stimuli presented in an auditory oddball paradigm. Brain FRP source indices were also computed for words within sentences presented in a reading task. The results showed significant correlations between speech ERP sources and reading scores at the P100 (P1) time range in the left hemisphere and the N250 time range in both hemispheres, and a weaker correlation for visual word processing N170 FRP source(s) in the posterior occipital areas, in the vicinity of the visual word form areas (VWFA). Furthermore, significant brain-to-brain correlations were found between the two modalities, where the speech brain sources of the P1 and N250 responses correlated with the reading N170 response. The results suggest that speech processes are linked to reading fluency and that brain activations to speech are linked to visual brain processes of reading. These results indicate that a relationship between language and reading systems is present even after several years of exposure to print
Infant event-related potentials to speech are associated with prelinguistic development
Neural auditory processing and prelinguistic communication build the foundation for later language development, but how these two are associated is not well known. The current study investigated how neural speech processing is associated with the level and development of prelinguistic skills in 102 infants. We recorded event-related potentials (ERPs) in 6-months-olds to assess the neural detection of a pseudoword (obligatory responses), as well as the neural discrimination of changes in the pseudoword (mismatch responses, MMRs). Prelinguistic skills were assessed at 6 and 12 months of age with a parental questionnaire (Infant-Toddler Checklist). The association between the ERPs and prelinguistic skills was examined using latent change score models, a method specifically constructed for longitudinal analyses and explicitly modeling intra-individual change. The results show that a large obligatory P1 at 6 months of age predicted strong improvement in prelinguistic skills between 6 and 12 months of age. The MMR to a frequency change was associated with the concurrent level of prelinguistic skills, but not with the improvement of the skills. Overall, our results highlight the strong association between ERPs and prelinguistic skills, possibly offering opportunities for early detection of atypical linguistic and communicative development.Peer reviewe
The structure of the magnetic field in the massive star-forming region W75N
A debated topic in star formation theory is the role of magnetic fields
during the protostellar phase of high-mass stars. It is still unclear how
magnetic fields influence the formation and dynamics of massive disks and
outflows. Most current information on magnetic fields close to high-mass
protostars comes from polarized maser emissions, which allows us to investigate
the magnetic field on small scales by using very long-baseline interferometry.
The massive star-forming region W75N contains three radio continuum sources
(VLA1, VLA2, and VLA3), at three different evolutionary stages, and associated
masers, while a large-scale molecular bipolar outflow is also present. Very
recently, polarization observations of the 6.7 GHz methanol masers at
milliarsecond resolution have been able to probe the strength and structure of
the magnetic field over more than 2000 AU around VLA1. The magnetic field is
parallel to the outflow, suggesting that VLA1 is its powering source. The
observations of water masers at 22 GHz can give more information about the gas
dynamics and the magnetic fields around VLA1 and VLA2. The NRAO Very Long
Baseline Array was used to measure the linear polarization and the
Zeeman-splitting of the 22 GHz water masers in the star-forming region W75N. We
detected 124 water masers, 36 around VLA1 and 88 around VLA2 of W75N, which
indicate two different physical environments around the two sources, where VLA1
is in a more evolved state. The linear polarization of the masers confirms the
tightly ordered magnetic field around VLA1, which is aligned with the
large-scale molecular outflow, and also reveals an ordered magnetic field
around VLA2, which is not parallel to the outflow. [abridged]Comment: 11 pages, 5 figures, 2 Tables, accepted by Astronomy & Astrophysic
Performance of HPGe Detectors in High Magnetic Fields
A new generation of high-resolution hypernuclear gamma$-spectroscopy
experiments with high-purity germanium detectors (HPGe) are presently designed
at the FINUDA spectrometer at DAPhiNE, the Frascati phi-factory, and at PANDA,
the antiproton proton hadron spectrometer at the future FAIR facility. Both,
the FINUDA and PANDA spectrometers are built around the target region covering
a large solid angle. To maximise the detection efficiency the HPGe detectors
have to be located near the target, and therefore they have to be operated in
strong magnetic fields B ~ 1 T. The performance of HPGe detectors in such an
environment has not been well investigated so far. In the present work VEGA and
EUROBALL Cluster HPGe detectors were tested in the field provided by the ALADiN
magnet at GSI. No significant degradation of the energy resolution was found,
and a change in the rise time distribution of the pulses from preamplifiers was
observed. A correlation between rise time and pulse height was observed and is
used to correct the measured energy, recovering the energy resolution almost
completely. Moreover, no problems in the electronics due to the magnetic field
were observed.Comment: submitted to Nucl. Instrum. Meth. Phys. Res. A, LaTeX, 19 pages, 9
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