Non destructive testing of medium and high voltage cables with a transportable radiography system

A power cable is the most important part in a power transmission system. The cables must be total quality dedicated andcertified for development, manufacturing and installation, however are exposed to a corrosive environment. The purpose ofthis paper is to show that the fast neutron radiography with a transportable system is a solution to find defects in the cablesand reduce the cost of inspection. The design, regarding the materials considered, was compatible with the European UnionDirective on “Restriction of Hazardous Substances” (RoHS) 2002/95/EC, hence excluding the use of cadmium and lead.Wide width values for the collimator ratio were calculated. With suitable collimator design it was possibly to optimize theneutron radiography parameters. Finally the shielding design was examined closely. The proposed system has been simulatedusing the MCNPX code

Quality Assurance Unit of Kavala Institute of Technology (MODIP)

There are three levels of institutionalized education in Greece: primary, secondary and tertiary education. Higher education is divided in accordance with the Bologna Declaration in three cycles. The three cycles are the bachelor, the MSc and PhD qualifications. In Greece, higher education is offered by the Universities and Institutes of Technology. Higher education is very essential for active participation in the knowledge societies which in turn accelerates economic growth. Quality education is a prerequisite to gain access to knowledge which guarantees economic development. This makes the condition of higher education in Greece a very critical issue. The Quality Insurance Unit of the Kavala Institute of Technology (MODIP) was created for the improvement of education. The purpose of this paper is to present MODIP and its integrated information system and services provided through it, both for students and faculty through the prism of higher education. Its innovation lies in the fact that for the first time ever in higher education in Greece, an information system that will gather all this information is implemented

Study of a Wind/PV/Battery hybrid system – Case study at Plaka in Greece

The primary objective of this study is to determine the optimum hybrid system able to supply the necessary electrical load of a typical community in a remote location in Greece. The renewable energy systems were comprised of different combinations of PV modules and wind turbines supplemented with battery storage. A software tool, HOMER is used for the analysis. The hybrid system analysis has showed that the minimum cost of energy is 0.268 $/kWh with 10% annual capacity of shortage. The optimum hybrid system is comprised of 1.5 kW PV array, 1 wind generator, 3 kW power converter and 14 storage batteries

On 3D Reconstruction of Porous Media by Using Spatial Correlation Functions

The challenging process of 3D porous media reconstruction from a single 2D image is investigated in this paper. The reconstruction of the 3D model is based on the statistical information derived from a 2D thin image of the material, by applying a spatial correlation function. For the first time, this paper reviews the commonly used auto-correlation functions for material characterization and discusses their properties making them useful for 3D porous media reconstruction. A set of experiments is conducted in order to analyze the reconstruction capabilities of the studied correlation functions, while some useful conclusions are drawn. Finally, by taking into account the reconstruction performance of the existed correlation functions, some desirable properties that need to be satisfied by an ideal correlation function towards the improvement of the reconstruction accuracy are determined

Tumor Heterogeneity of Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor 3 (FGFR3) Mutations in Invasive Bladder Cancer: Implications for Peri-Operative anti-FGFR3 Treatment

Background: Fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3) is an actionable target in bladder cancer. Preclinical studies show that anti-FGFR3 treatment slows down tumor growth, suggesting that this tyrosine kinase receptor is a candidate for personalized bladder cancer treatment, particularly in patients with mutated FGFR3. We addressed tumor heterogeneity in a large multicenter, multi-laboratory study, as this may have significant impact on therapeutic response. Patients: and methods We evaluated possible FGFR3 heterogeneity by the PCR-SNaPshot method in the superficial and deep compartments of tumors obtained by transurethral resection (TUR, n = 61) and in radical cystectomy (RC, n = 614) specimens and corresponding cancer-positive lymph nodes (LN+, n = 201).Results: We found FGFR3 mutations in 13/34 (38%) T1 and 8/27 (30%) ≥T2-TUR samples, with 100% concordance between superficial and deeper parts in T1-TUR samples. Of eight FGFR3 mutant ≥T2-TUR samples, only 4 (50%) displayed the mutation in the deeper part. We found 67/614 (11%) FGFR3 mutations in RC specimens. FGFR3 mutation was associated with pN0 (P < 0.001) at RC. In 10/201 (5%) LN+, an FGFR3 mutation was found, all concordant with the corresponding RC specimen. In the remaining 191 cases, RC and LN+ were both wild type.Conclusions: FGFR3 mutation status seems promising to guide decision-making on adjuvant anti-FGFR3 therapy as it appeared homogeneous in RC and LN+. Based on the results of TUR, the deep part of the tumor needs to be assessed if neoadjuvant anti-FGFR3 treatment is considered. We conclude that studies on the heterogeneity of actionable molecular targets should precede clinical trials with these drugs in the perioperative setting

Administration of zoledronic acid enhances the effects of docetaxel on growth of prostate cancer in the bone environment

BACKGROUND: After development of hormone-refractory metastatic disease, prostate cancer is incurable. The recent history of chemotherapy has shown that with difficult disease targets, combinatorial therapy frequently offers the best chance of a cure. In this study we have examined the effects of a combination of zoledronic acid (ZOL), a new-generation bisphosphonate, and docetaxel on LuCaP 23.1, a prostate cancer xenograft that stimulates the osteoblastic reaction when grown in the bone environment. METHODS: Intra-tibial injections of LuCaP 23.1 cells were used to generate tumors in the bone environment, and animals were treated with ZOL, docetaxel, or a combination of these. Effects on bone and tumor were evaluated by measurements of bone mineral density and histomorphometrical analysis. RESULTS: ZOL decreased proliferation of LuCaP 23.1 in the bone environment, while docetaxel at a dose that effectively inhibited growth of subcutaneous tumors did not show any effects in the bone environment. The combination of the drugs significantly inhibited the growth of LuCaP 23.1 tumors in the bone. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the use of the osteolysis-inhibitory agent ZOL in combination with docetaxel inhibits growth of prostate tumors in bone and represents a potential treatment option

AN EVALUATION OF THE FACTORS INFLUENCE THE ELECTRIC POWER PRODUCTION FROM BIOMASS IN THE CERTAIN AREA OF KAVALA-GREECE

ABSTRACT This paper deals with the issue of whether then are benefits in establishing an electric power production plant (EPPP) using biomass as fuel in a certain geographical area (prefecture of Kavala/ Greece) taking into account nine certain factors that strongly influence and determine the final decision about the capacity/size and viability/feasibility of the EPPP unit proposed. Using the M. Falia Model we concluded that a certain capacity&apos;s EPPP can be established in prefecture of Kavala being viable and profitable. The nine factors used in the model are: 1. The extent of area capable to produce the biomass required for the EPPP operation; 2. The quantity of biomass required; 3. The plant mix of biomass; 4. The quality of biomass defined international standards; 5. The net thermal value 6. The ex-factory total unit cost of biomass used as «fuel»; 7. The environmental benefits quantified by us; 8. The total investment cost for the EPPP; 9. The real discount rate or International Rate of Return (IRR). The model uses the EPPP capacity as dependent variable and the nine factors as independent ones, resulted in an optimal solution about the feasibility of establishing an EPPP unit in the certain area of Kavala prefecture

Low Cost Optical Sensing Device for Fuel Detection in Ships

In the present work the development of a new, very low cost, simple to manufacture and use, optical sensing device for remote, on line detection of the type of fuels used in ships, is presented. The main goal of this optical sensing device is the on line detection of the fuel optical absorption that is used by the ship. The basic operating principle of the proposed sensor is based on different absorption in the range of visible spectrum between bunker diesel and fuel oil. Experimental measurements, using monochromatic laser light or white led light, have shown that the proposed sensor can distinguish very accurately the difference between the two types of oil, giving the advantage to detect the type of fuel