A series of numerical analyses were carried out to assess the safety of spent fuel pool (SFP) of a pressurized water reactor (PWR) power plant in Taiwan. These analyses performed seismic force ...evaluation and 3D nonlinear finite element analysis (FEA) for the SFP under beyond design basis earthquake (BDBE). In addition, this study considered various in-structural response spectra (ISRS) with various damping ratios and the reduced factors to account for the partial cracking effects from BDBE. In the seismic force evaluation, the results show that the pool base takes the greatest uniform equivalent loading resulted from the cooling water, racks, and spent fuel components. For the walls, the south wall suffers the greatest equivalent force. The results of 3D FEA indicated that the largest values of stress and strain appear at the bottom corner near south wall of the channel between the main pool and cask loading pit for the overall SFP structure. It is also found that the influences of cracking effects on the seismic force calculation and structural analysis are significant. But comparing the results of numerical analysis by 5% damping ratio with 0.7 reduced factor and 10% damping ratio with 0.5 reduced factor, the impacts on the liner of the SFP are insignificant. Because the cooling water leakage depends on the liner failure, the influence on the leakage is small.
•This study assesses the structural safety of the spent fuel pool under BDBE.•It used various ISRS and reduced factors to account for the cracking effects.•The method can be more accurate and detailed to discuss the structural behavior.•It is found that the influences of cracking effects are significant.•The impacts of damping ratio on the liner are insignificant.
Several reports have suggested a high incidence of erectile dysfunction (ED) among patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation ...between OSAS and ED, or disease-specific quality of life (QOL) in patients with OSAS. In addition, we analyzed specific polysomnographic (PSG) parameters in predicting ED in OSAS patients. In total, 32 patients with OSAS and 27 normal controls were asked to complete the Korean versions of the International Index of Erectile Function questionnaire (KIIEF-5) and the Calgary Sleep Apnea Quality of Life Index (SAQLI). All patients then underwent a full-night in-laboratory PSG examination. Patients were diagnosed with OSAS if they had clinical symptoms suggestive of OSAS for at least 1 year and an apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) of more than 10 in PSG. Nineteen patients (59.3%) in the OSAS group showed ED, which was significantly higher than in the control group (8 patients, 29.6%, P=0.012). In addition, SAQLI scores worsened as AHI increased (r=0.327, P=0.011) and as the lowest oxygen saturation level decreased (r=0.420, P=0.001). ED was not significantly correlated with AHI (r=0.061, P=0.649); however, it was significantly correlated with the lowest oxygen saturation decreased (r=0.338, P=0.009). When the cutoff value for the lowest oxygen saturation level to predict ED was set at 77%, its positive predictive value was 88.9% (sensitivity=0.70, specificity=0.62). Thus, all male patients with OSAS should be screened for erectile dysfunction and more comprehensive consultation is needed, especially, if their lowest oxygen saturation levels are below 77%.
A catch-up campaign targeting children aged 8–16 years using measles–rubella (MR) vaccine was conducted during 2001 in Korea. To evaluate the impact of the campaign and assess mumps immunity, human ...IgG antibodies were detected using ELISA for measles (5826 samples) and mumps (5890 samples) in a national sample of opportunistically collected sera from a population aged 0–34 years. The measles immunity increased by 5–10% following the catch-up campaign in the targeted age group. Infants lost maternal antibodies rapidly and about 90% of infants were susceptible to measles and mumps at 6–8 months of life. The sero-prevalence of mumps antibody increased slowly with age and stabilized at a lower level when compared with that of measles. Despite an immediate reduction in susceptibility among the targeted age group of the catch-up campaign, continuous efforts to increase immunization coverage are needed to interrupt indigenous measles transmission. Furthermore, our results suggest continuous mumps outbreaks could occur because of the accumulation of susceptible individuals.
This cross-sectional study examined the level of hope among Hong Kong childhood cancer survivors and investigated the relationships among hope, depressive symptoms, self-esteem and health-related ...quality of life. We recruited 176 survivors aged 10–16 years who underwent medical follow-ups at the outpatient clinic. This study revealed that lower levels of hope were associated with an increase in depressive symptoms and reductions in self-esteem and health-related quality of life. Our results contribute to novel findings by demonstrating that hope may be a significant factor associated with health-related quality of life. This understanding could increase healthcare professionals’ awareness about the psychological needs of childhood cancer survivors.
Objectives. To (1) compare the bone strength, lower limb muscular strength, functional balance performance, and balance self-efficacy between Ving Tsun (VT) martial art practitioners and ...nonpractitioners and (2) identify the associations between lower limb muscular strength, functional balance performance, and balance self-efficacy among the VT-trained participants. Methods. Thirty-five VT practitioners (mean age ± SD = 62.7 ± 13.3 years) and 49 nonpractitioners (mean age ± SD = 65.9 ± 10.5 years) participated in the study. The bone strength of the distal radius, lower limb muscular strength, functional balance performance, and balance self-efficacy were assessed using an ultrasound bone sonometer, the five times sit-to-stand test (FTSTS), the Berg balance scale (BBS), and the Chinese version of the activities-specific balance confidence scale, respectively. A multivariate analysis of covariance was performed to compare all the outcome variables between the two groups. Results. Elderly VT practitioners had higher radial bone strength on the dominant side ( P < 0.05 ) , greater lower limb muscular strength ( P = 0.001 ) , better functional balance performance ( P = 0.003 ) , and greater balance confidence ( P < 0.001 ) than the nonpractitioners. Additionally, only the FTSTS time revealed a significant association with the BBS score ( r = - 0.575 , P = 0.013 ) . Conclusions. VT may be a suitable health-maintenance exercise for the elderly. Our findings may inspire the development of VT fall-prevention exercises for the community-dwelling healthy elderly.
Background/Aims Exposure to HBV leads to a distinct clinical course which is partially pertained to host genetic variability. We aimed to study polymorphisms of type I interferon receptor 1 (IFNAR1) ...promoter and their potential effects on chronic HBV infection. Methods Polymorphisms of IFNAR1 promoter were identified in 320 chronic hepatitis B patients, 148 spontaneously recovered individuals, 148 healthy Chinese donors and 114 Caucasians. Their functional capability in driving reporter gene expression was analyzed. Results Four polymorphic alleles were identified at loci −568, −408, −77 and −3. Association analysis revealed that carriers of alleles −568G, −408C and their related haplotype I were less susceptible to chronic HBV infection whereas those of alleles −568C, −408T and related haplotype III were significantly associated with higher risk to chronic hepatitis B ( P < 0.01). In a reporter-driven system, the promoter variants with alleles −408C and −3C could drive higher expression of the reporter gene than those with alleles −408T and −3T ( P < 0.01). Interestingly, an allele with 9 GT repeats at −77 that was rarely found in Chinese but prevalent in Caucasian exhibited the highest transcriptional ability. Conclusions Our results showed that polymorphisms of IFNAR1 promoter may affect, at least in part, the outcomes of HBV infection.
Interaction protocols for cross-organisational workflows Corrêa da Silva, Flávio Soares; Fernández Venero, Mirtha Lina; David, Diego Mira ...
Knowledge-based systems,
January 2013, 2013-1-00, 20130101, Letnik:
37
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Workflow technologies are widely used in industry and commerce to assist in the specification, execution and completion of well defined processes within organisations. As industrial and commercial ...relations have evolved, based on advances on information and communications technologies, cross-organisational workflow integration has become an important issue. Since organisations can have very different workflows, the creation of compatible workflows so that organisations can collaborate and/or carry out mutual transactions automatically in an integrated fashion can be a very complex and time consuming process. As a consequence, the development of technologies to support the creation and execution of compatible workflows is a most relevant issue. In the present article we introduce the JamSession coordination platform as a tool to implement cross-organisational workflow integration. JamSession is declarative and based on algebraic specification methods, and therefore workflow integration implemented using this platform can profit from formal behavioural analysis, based on which desired features and properties can be verified and/or obtained.
One of key objectives of tokamak experiments is the exploration of enhanced confinement regimes, and the access of the internal transport barrier (ITB) formation is dealt with an important physics ...issue in the most of major tokamaks. Also, the advanced tokamak scenario with ITB is expected to lead to a continuous reactor with high fusion power density. From that point of view, the formation of the ITB in KSTAR which is designed for long pulse operation capability is very important although its heating and current drive systems are not fully equipped yet. We have therefore assumed that an early injection of the full NBI power ( 5.5 MW) during the current ramp-up would give a chance to form an internal barrier if the plasma could stay in the L-mode. To avoid the H-mode transition, we have produced inboard limited plasmas with detaching from the both upper and lower divertors. Using this approach, an ITB formation during L-mode has been observed which shows improved core confinement. Ion and electron temperature profiles show the barrier clearly in the temperature, and it was sustained for about 7 s in the dedicated experiment. This is the first stationary ITB observed in a full superconducting tokamak. This operation scenario with the ITB could be an alternative way to achieve a high performance regime in KSTAR, and the length of the ITB discharge could be extended even longer. In this paper, we present the formation of the ITB using measured and simulated characteristic profiles.
Abstract
In April 2020, manufacturing of the ITER vacuum vessel (VV) first sector has been completed by the Korean domestic agency, manufacturing having started in February 2012. The ITER VV sector ...is the largest fusion VV structure in the world. Each step of the manufacturing was a challenge as a first-of-a-kind, and a French nuclear pressure vessel. The paper provides an overview of the major challenges which were overcome over the last 10 years.
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