337 research outputs found
The cost and risk impacts of rerouting railroad shipments of hazardous materials
Cataloged from PDF version of article.Rail shipments of hazardous materials expose the population near the routes to the possibility of an accident resulting in a spill. Rail routes are
determined by economic concerns such as route length and the revenue generated for the originating carrier. In this paper we consider an alternate
routing strategy that takes accident risks into account. We employ a model to quantify rail transport risk and then use a weighted combination of
cost and risk and generate alternate routes. In some cases the alternate routes achieve significantly lower risk values than the practical routes at a
small incremental cost. While there are generally fewer rerouting alternatives for rail than for road transport, considering the possible consequences
of a train derailment we argue that risk should be taken into account when selecting rail routes and that the cost–risk tradeoffs should be evaluated.
© 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved
An International Classification of Inherited Metabolic Disorders (ICIMD)
Several initiatives at establishing a classification of inherited metabolic disorders have been published previously, some focusing on pathomechanisms, others on clinical manifestations, while yet another attempted a simplified approach of a comprehensive nosology. Some of these classifications suffered from shortcomings, such as lack of a mechanism for continuous update in light of a rapidly‐evolving field, or lack of widespread input from the metabolic community at large. Our classification – the International Classification of Inherited Metabolic Disorders, or ICIMD – includes 1,450 disorders, and differs from prior approaches in that it benefited from input by a large number of experts in the field, and was endorsed by major metabolic societies around the globe. Several criteria such as pathway involvement and pathomechanisms were considered. The main purpose of the hierarchical, group‐based approach of the ICIMD is an improved understanding of the interconnections between many individual conditions that may share functional, clinical and diagnostic features. The ICIMD aims to include any primary genetic condition in which alteration of a biochemical pathway is intrinsic to specific biochemical, clinical and/or pathophysiological features. As new disorders are discovered, we will seek the opinion of experts in the advisory board prior to inclusion in the appropriate group of the ICIMD, thus guaranteeing the continuing relevance of this classification via regular curation and expert advice
Impact of Nucleon Mass Shift on the Freeze Out Process
The freeze out of a massive nucleon gas through a finite layer with time-like
normal is studied. The impact of in-medium nucleon mass shift on the freeze out
process is investigated. A considerable modification of the thermodynamical
variables temperature, flow-velocity, energy density and particle density has
been found. Due to the nucleon mass shift the freeze out particle distribution
functions are changed noticeably in comparison with evaluations, which use
vacuum nucleon mass.Comment: submitted to Physical Review
Direction of light propagation to order G^2 in static, spherically symmetric spacetimes: a new derivation
A procedure avoiding any integration of the null geodesic equations is used
to derive the direction of light propagation in a three-parameter family of
static, spherically symmetric spacetimes within the post-post-Minkowskian
approximation. Quasi-Cartesian isotropic coordinates adapted to the symmetries
of spacetime are systematically used. It is found that the expression of the
angle formed by two light rays as measured by a static observer staying at a
given point is remarkably simple in these coordinates. The attention is mainly
focused on the null geodesic paths that we call the "quasi-Minkowskian light
rays". The vector-like functions characterizing the direction of propagation of
such light rays at their points of emission and reception are firstly obtained
in the generic case where these points are both located at a finite distance
from the centre of symmetry. The direction of propagation of the
quasi-Minkowskian light rays emitted at infinity is then straightforwardly
deduced. An intrinsic definition of the gravitational deflection angle relative
to a static observer located at a finite distance is proposed for these rays.
The expression inferred from this definition extends the formula currently used
in VLBI astrometry up to the second order in the gravitational constant G.Comment: 19 pages; revised introduction; added references for introduction;
corrected typos; published in Class. Quantum Gra
Study of in-medium meson properties in Ap, pA and AA collisions
We propose to investigate the in-medium properties of vector mesons
at the normal nuclear density in Ap(pA) collisions and at higher density in AA
collisions at the ITEP accelerator facility TWAC. Using of the inverse Ap
kinematics will permit us to study the meson production in a wide
momentum interval included the not yet explored range of small meson momenta
relative to the projectile nuclei where the mass modification effect in nuclear
matter is expected to be the strongest. Momentum dependence of the in-medium
meson width will be studied in the traditional pA kinematics. We
intend to use the electromagnetic calorimeter for reconstruction of the
meson invariant mass by detecting photons from the decay. The model calculations and simulations with
RQMD generator show feasibility of the proposed experiment. Available now
intensity of the ion beams provides a possibility to collect large statistics
and make decisive conclusion about the meson properties at density of
normal nuclei. At the second stage of the investigation the meson
properties will be studied in AA collisions at higher density. Interpretation
of these measurements will be based on the results obtained in Ap(pA)
interactions. Further investigation of the in-medium properties of light
unflavored and charmed mesons can be performed at ITEP and at GSI(FAIR) where
higher ion energies will be accessible in near future.Comment: 26 pages, 10 figures, 2 table
Absorption of phi mesons in near-threshold proton-nucleus reactions
In the framework of the nuclear spectral function approach for incoherent
primary proton--nucleon and secondary pion--nucleon production processes we
study the inclusive meson production in the interaction of 2.83 GeV
protons with nuclei. In particular, the A-dependences of the absolute and
relative meson yields are investigated within the different scenarios
for its in-medium width as well as for the cross section ratio . Our model calculations take into account
the acceptance window of the ANKE facility used in a recent experiment
performed at COSY. They show that the pion--nucleon production channel
contributes distinctly to the creation in heavy nuclei in the chosen
kinematics and, hence, has to be taken into consideration on close examination
of the dependences of the phi meson yields on the target mass number with the
aim to get information on its width in the medium. They also demonstrate that
the experimentally unknown ratio has a weak effect on the A-dependence of the relative meson
production cross section at incident energy of present interest, whereas it is
found to be appreciably sensitive to the phi in-medium width, which means that
this relative observable can indeed be useful to help determine the above width
from the direct comparison the results of our calculations with the future data
from the respective ANKE-at-COSY experiment.Comment: 16 pages, 9 figure
Analysis of the doubly heavy baryons in the nuclear matter with the QCD sum rules
In this article, we study the doubly heavy baryon states ,
, and in the nuclear matter using the QCD
sum rules, and derive three coupled QCD sum rules for the masses, vector
self-energies and pole residues. The predictions for the mass-shifts in the
nuclear matter , , and
can be confronted with the
experimental data in the future.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figure
The spectral function of the omega meson in nuclear matter from a coupled-channel resonance model
We calculate the spectral function of the omega meson in nuclear matter at
zero temperature by means of the low-density theorem. The omega N forward
scattering amplitude is calculated within a unitary coupled-channel effective
Lagrangian model that has been applied successfully to the combined analysis of
pion- and photon-induced reactions. While the peak of the omega spectral
distribution is shifted only slightly, we find a considerable broadening of the
omega meson due to resonance-hole excitations. For omega mesons at rest with
respect to the surrounding nuclear medium, we find an additional width of about
60 MeV at saturation density.Comment: 26 pages, 10 figures, added short discussio
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