Identification Of Critical Areas Research Articles

Using Finite Element Simulation to Optimize the Heat Treatment of Tire Protection Chains

The heat treatment of tire protection chains has a major influence on the final product because the high local stresses that arise during quenching may lead to material failure, i.e., quench cracks. The investigations presented in this paper aim at the identification of critical areas in the design of a tire chain link made of 50CrV4 (DIN 1.8159) steel. Parametric studies were conducted by means of finite element (FE) simulation. The FE model enables the calculation of the stress evolution in the chain link during heat treatment. The position of the cracks produced in laboratory quench experiments coincided with the position where the FE simulation model predicted the maximum tensile stress at the end of the quench. Hence, geometry optimization of the chain links is now possible by means of parametric FE studies aiming to minimize these tensile stresses. To identify the influence of the various input parameters on the calculated stress evolution during the quenching, a sensitivity analysis was performed. The influence of the mesh size, the heat transfer at the surface, and the thermo-mechanical properties of the material phases on the stress calculation was evaluated and trends were identified. Temperature measurements during quenching experiments were used to determine the heat transfer parameters. X-ray residual stress measurements on pre-defined positions after an instrumented laboratory quenching were used to validate the simulation results.

Method to determine electrochemical potential gradients without reinforcement connection in concrete structures

A suitable condition assessment of a structure is usually based on comprehensive non-destructive measurements to locate the relevant critical areas. Electrochemical potential mapping is an approved method to detect areas with a high risk of chloride induced corrosion in concrete structures. A novel approach has been developed to locate critical areas without a reinforcement connection by using three external electrodes. As result a vector is calculated which points directly to the critical area near the sensor position, comparable with a compass. This method allows an immediate identification of critical areas on site. In this paper the methodology is explained and measuring results are compared to the conventional method.

Stability of synchronization clusters and seizurability in temporal lobe epilepsy.

PurposeIdentification of critical areas in presurgical evaluations of patients with temporal lobe epilepsy is the most important step prior to resection. According to the “epileptic focus model”, localization of seizure onset zones is the main task to be accomplished. Nevertheless, a significant minority of epileptic patients continue to experience seizures after surgery (even when the focus is correctly located), an observation that is difficult to explain under this approach. However, if attention is shifted from a specific cortical location toward the network properties themselves, then the epileptic network model does allow us to explain unsuccessful surgical outcomes.MethodsThe intraoperative electrocorticography records of 20 patients with temporal lobe epilepsy were analyzed in search of interictal synchronization clusters. Synchronization was analyzed, and the stability of highly synchronized areas was quantified. Surrogate data were constructed and used to statistically validate the results. Our results show the existence of highly localized and stable synchronization areas in both the lateral and the mesial areas of the temporal lobe ipsilateral to the clinical seizures. Synchronization areas seem to play a central role in the capacity of the epileptic network to generate clinical seizures. Resection of stable synchronization areas is associated with elimination of seizures; nonresection of synchronization clusters is associated with the persistence of seizures after surgery.DiscussionWe suggest that synchronization clusters and their stability play a central role in the epileptic network, favoring seizure onset and propagation. We further speculate that the stability distribution of these synchronization areas would differentiate normal from pathologic cases.

Evaluation of instantaneous characteristics of guided ultrasonic waves for structural quality and health monitoring

The analysis and extraction of the appropriate signal's features in structural health monitoring applications is one of the major challenges on which the robustness of the designed systems relies. Many strategies have been developed in the past, which utilise the identification of amplitude-based parameters for the evaluation of structural integrity. However, these parameters usually require a baseline reference, which might be extensively affected by noise, environmental or mounting conditions. This paper illustrates the applicability of Hilbert transform and Hilbert–Huang transform on the postprocessing of guided ultrasonic waves for evaluating the condition of relatively complex structural health monitoring applications. Two case studies are presented to demonstrate the suitability of the techniques, namely, the damage monitoring of an aluminium repaired panel and the cure level monitoring of symmetric carbon fibre–epoxy composite laminates. In the first case study, the technique exhibits sensitivity in propagation paths within damaged areas and shows good agreement with the developed damage, enabling the identification of critical areas. In the second study, the technique demonstrates a significant advantage over the traditionally adopted approaches and predicts accurately the cure level of the polymeric composite system. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Integration of GIS and remote sensing for estimation of soil loss and prioritization of critical sub-catchments: a case study of Tapacurá catchment

Mapping of erosion risk areas is an important tool for the planning of natural resources management, allowing researchers to propose the modification of land use properly and implement more sustainable long-term management strategies. The objective of this study was to assess and identify critical sub-catchments for soil conservation management using the USLE, GIS, and remote sensing techniques. The Tapacura catchment is one of the planning units for water resource management of the Recife Metropolitan Region. Maps of the erosivity (R), erodibility (K), slope (LS), cover-management (C), and support practice (P) factors were derived from the climate database, digital elevation model, and soil and land-use maps. In order to validate the simulation process, total sediment delivery ratio was estimated. The results showed a mean sediment delivery ratio (SDR) of around 11.5 % and a calculated mean sediment yield of 0.108 t ha−1 year−1, which is close to the observed one, 0.169 t ha−1 year−1. The obtained soil loss map could be considered as a useful tool for environmental monitoring and water resources management. The methodology applied showed acceptable precision and allowed the identification of the most susceptible areas to soil erosion by water, constituting an important predictive tool for soil and environmental management in this region, which is highly relevant for the prediction of varying development scenarios for Tapacura catchment. This approach can be applied to other areas for simple and reliable identification of critical areas of soil erosion in catchments.

Risk analysis in research environment

Available risk analysis techniques are well adapted to industry since they were developed for its purpose. All hazards met in industry are also present in research/academia (although quantities of some hazardous substances are smaller). Still, because of its characteristics (high turnover of collaborators, rapid reorientation of research programs, freedom of research, equipment often in development stage, difficulty to obtain accidents statistics, not well-established processes, etc.), research/academia is an environment whose risks are difficult to analyze by conventional techniques. In this paper, we discuss various risk analysis methods in the light of their adequacy for an academic environment. Finally, we propose the bases for the development of a new risk analysis methodology for complex areas such as academia/research. This method should be fast, intuitive, semi quantitative, and easy to use. It should lead to risk-ranking providing the identification of critical areas and prioritization of safety actions. It is suggested to estimate this ranking as a combination of severity, probability of accident, hazard detectability, and worsening factors (where academia/research specificities are considered). The formula, in which risk is a nonlinear function of the constituting elements, will have a general form allowing getting a risk index for all hazard categories in the same manner.

Spatial distribution and epidemiological profile of scorpion accidents in Natal/RN

Introduction: Scorpion poisoning constitutes a public health problem due to the high number and severity of cases. Objective: To map the areas of occurrence of accidents caused by scorpions in Natal/RN. Methods: An epidemiologic study with an ecological descriptive approach was conducted. It uses data registered in the Information System for Notifiable Diseases, which were processing in Excel spreadsheet, and subsequently the areas were mapped with Arcview 3.2 software. Results: We identified 1,698 cases of scorpions poisoning throughout the year, and the spatial distribution revealed that the West region was the most affected. The incidence was higher in females, which accounted for a total of 1,103 accidents, corresponding to 65% (X2: 10.87, p = 0.02). The age group between 21 and 30 years was the most affected. Conclusion: The identification of critical areas for accidents caused by scorpions is vital for making decisions and implementing prevention and control measures.

Critical Area Identification of Potential Soil Loss in a Typical Watershed of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region

Identifying critical soil loss-prone areas is necessary to better control soil loss in the Xiangxi watershed, the river basin nearest the Three Gorges Dam. A crucial element of this scheme is the development of a risk assessment model that can identify critical potential soil loss areas for land use prioritization and soil conservation. An assessment model for the risk of potential soil loss based on the revised universal soil loss equation and sediment delivery ratio was developed in this work. The proposed model consists of five multiplied factors: the rain and runoff erosivity, soil erodibility, slope steepness and length, vegetation cover, and sediment delivery. The risk of potential soil loss in the Xiangxi watershed was assessed using the developed model integrated with the ArcGIS platform along with precipitation data, soil data, DEM, and MODIS NDVI images. The risk values ranged from 0 to 478.18, and were categorized into four classes. The classification showed that critical and sub-critical areas accounted for 4.48% and 6.05% respectively, of the entire Xiangxi watershed area. The results of the identification of critical and sub-critical areas were verified by analyzing the relationship between the variations of the agricultural land area and those of sediment discharge. Statistical relationship analysis between the distribution of critical/sub-critical areas and two parameters (the cell distance to the nearest river channel and the slope) showed that the critical and sub-critical areas for potential soil loss in the Xiangxi watershed assemble in the zone with a cell distance below 2,000 m, or in the zone with slopes above 25°.

Developing a PQ monitoring system for assessing power quality and critical areas detection

This paper outlines the development of a power quality monitoring system. The system is aimed at assessing power quality and detecting critical areas throughout at distribution system. Such system integrates a hardware system and a software processing tool developed in four main stages. Power quality disturbances are registered by PQ meters and the data is transmitted through a 3G wireless network. This data is processed and filtered in an open source database. Some interesting statistical indices related to voltage sags, swells, flicker and voltage unbalance are obtained. The last stage displays the indices geo-referenced on power quality maps, allowing the identification of critical areas according to different criteria. The results can be analyzed using clustering tools to identify differentiated quality groups in a city. The proposed system is an open source tool useful to electricity utilities to analyze and manage large amount of data.

Risk analysis in research environment – Part I: Modeling Lab Criticity Index using Improved Risk Priority Number

Current available risk analysis techniques are well adapted to industry needs since they were developed for its purpose. All hazards present in industry are also met in research/academia, although quantities of some hazardous substances are smaller. Still, because of its characteristics e.g., high turnover of collaborators, rapid reorientation of research programs, freedom of research, equipment often in development stage, difficulty to obtain accidents statistics, not well described processes, etc., research/academia milieu is an environment whose risks are difficult to assess by available risk analysis techniques. In the present paper, a new methodology, Laboratory Assessment and Risk Analysis – LARA, for research and/or complex environment is proposed. When multiple hazards are analyzed, the result of assessment is a risk ranking calculated using a Lab Criticity Index – LCI, providing identification of critical areas and prioritization of safety actions. LCI is conceived through two approaches: the Risk Priority Number – RPN and the Analytic Hierarchy Process – AHP. It is suggested to estimate risk as a combination of severity, probability, detectability, worsening factors and research specificities.

Geographic distribution of Rhyncholestes raphanurus Osgood, 1924 (Paucituberculata:Caenolestidae), an endemic marsupial of the Valdivian Temperate Rainforest

The Chilean shrew opossum (Rhyncholestes raphanurus) is the southernmost representative of the family Caenolestidae (Marsupialia : Paucituberculata). The species lives in temperate forests of southern Chile and Argentina and is currently known from <25 localities, spanning a latitudinal and longitudinal range of 2°44′ (~320 km) and 2°20′ (~190 km), respectively. Species distribution was analysed in a historical, geographic and biogeographic context, with the use of maps at different scales (region, subregion, province, ecoregion, forest types), and two potential distribution models were generated with MaxEnt. The models show a few isolated areas of high prediction values (>50%) in coastal Chile and the Andes from 39°30′ to ~42°S, and most of Chiloé Island, plus a northern and southern expansion of medium to low (<50%) prediction values. The most important environmental variables identified from the models include precipitation and some temperature-related variables. The species occurrence lies within the Andean region, Subantarctic subregion, and Valdivian biogeographic province. At a smaller scale, most of the localities occur in eight of the 22 forest types described for the Valdivian ecoregion, implying narrow ecological requirements. Identification of critical areas through potential distribution modelling may have implications for species conservation and identification of biogeographic patterns.

Identification of Critical Areas for Mammal Conservation in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest Biosphere Reserve

This study was supported by BIOTREE-net - project funded by BBVA Foundation and M.J.T. Assuncao-Albuquerque was supported by the Brazilian Ministry of Education, through CAPES (Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior) Doctorate scholarship.

Avaliação da compactação dos solos em áreas de pastagens e florestas em Porto Velho-Rondônia

The different environmental impacts promoted by human occupation in the Amazon, may be better represented if the observed rates of deforestation in the region. Joels and Câmara (2001) estimated that these rates grew 10 million hectares in the 70s, reaching 60 million hectares by the end of 2000. Among the problems associated with such growth, is promoted by the degradation of soil compaction by cattle trampling in the areas of pasture, where factors such as the density of cattle per area, time of continuous use of pastures and lack of management of land, promote rapid deterioration of these areas. The verification of the strength of soil penetration (RP) with the use of penetrometer impact, allowed the identification of the limits of (RP) for pastures of degraded environments on the areas of forest, showing significant differences in compression for two environments and their land taken, and the use of an impact penetrometer was efficient in identifying the compression in depth, with the identification of critical areas.

Life Cycle Assessment of Common Plastic Packaging for Reducing Environmental Impact and Material Consumption

In order to sell production, the goods packaging must comply with the demands of the international market and the requirements of the corresponding legal acts. In accordance with the EU regulations, member states have to ensure that a particular production packaging is used only when it complies with all the environmental regulations laid down in the EU Directives 94/62/EB and 2004/12/EB and the elaborated document system. One of the basic requirements is to produce packaging in such a way that its volume and weight are restricted to the minimum dimensions needed to meet the safety, hygiene and packaging demands acceptable for the consumer. With this aim, the main attention should be first of all focused on preventive measures. These measures refer to the reduction in the waste amount and harmful impact on the environment. Research into that area was carried out in 2007-2008 within the framework of a joint Lithuanian-Ukrainian research and experimental development project Study of special printing and packaging production technologies, considering their ecological and operational qualities.. It was done by a research group of the Graphic Communication Engineering Department at the Faculty of Design and Technologies, Kaunas University of Technology, together with packaging and environmental protection specialists of the University, and in cooperation with the Department of Printed Publications and Packaging of the Ukrainian Print Academy. The present paper analyses certain basic findings of the study on the possibilities of improving the ecological level of packaging within the framework of the project. It is stated that appropriate investigation of packaging, its production and application has to be performed in order to prove that the packaging was produced in compliance with preventive and other principles; this investigation is related to a wide variety of package testing, some of which has not yet got methodology acknowledged at a sufficient level (the EU or groups of countries). Therefore, one of the research directions in the above mentioned project, discussed in the present paper, is related to developing a single system, recognized throughout the EU, which would enable researchers to perform the required tests confirming the packaging quality compliance with the environmental requirements. The paper analyzes the EU prevention regulations for reducing the amount of raw material and the system of checking the realization of the requirements based on identification of critical areas, aimed at reaching the lowest possible package weight and/or volume, consequently, the minimum waste amount, without increasing the amount of faulty products and product waste. The paper presents the findings of the research obtained in assessing the life cycle, when applying the Ecoindicator'99 qualitative analysis, concerning the impact of common plastic packages and processes on the environment during manufacturing, usage and disposal. Compression test results of common type plastic packaging construction are presented, which allow us to assess the impact of the package shape and construction upon the packaging reliability and minimization of its mass.

Identification of critical areas for motor function recovery in chronic stroke subjects using voxel-based lesion symptom mapping

IntroductionPrevious stroke studies using fMRI or lesion characterization methods to study the preservation of motor performance have been limited in defining anatomical structure critical for functional performance. This study attempts to overcome this limitation by using voxel-based lesion symptom mapping (VLSM) to identify specific anatomical regions required for preservation of motor function. MethodsForty-one moderate to moderately severe stroke subjects (upper extremity Fugl-Meyer between 28 and 50, Arm Motor Ability Test >35) were imaged with a 1 mm isotropic T1-weighted volumetric sequence, and their motor performance was assessed. The T1 volume images were normalized to a symmetric template using SPM5 and oriented so the lesion appeared in the left hemisphere. The lesioned areas were manually segmented on the normalized T1 image. All 3D lesion maps were entered into the VLSM analysis. Areas showing significant correlations with functional performance measures were identified using the false discovery rate corrected at p≤0.05. ResultsThe areas most correlated with a decrease in motor performance were at the junction of the corona radiata leading into the corticospinal tract. The Arm Motor Ability Test scores produced the most significant results, while the other measures showed similar anatomical patterns. ConclusionThe use of lesion symptom mapping in conjunction with behavioral measures produced anatomically specific results demonstrating that the area leading from the corticospinal tract to cortical motor areas is critical for maintaining hand motor performance after a stroke. This area may represent the joining of parallel redundant tracts that, when damaged, limit recovery potential.

Soil erosion prediction in the Grande River Basin, Brazil using distributed modeling

Mapping and assessment of erosion risk is an important tool for planning of natural resources management, allowing researchers to modify land-use properly and implement management strategies more sustainable in the long-term. The Grande River Basin (GRB), located in Minas Gerais State, is one of the Planning Units for Management of Water Resources (UPGRH) and is divided into seven smaller units of UPGRH. GD1 is one of them that is essential for the future development of Minas Gerais State due to its high water yield capacity and potential for electric energy production. The objective of this study is to apply the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) with GIS PCRaster in order to estimate potential soil loss from the Grande River Basin upstream from the Itutinga/Camargos Hydroelectric Plant Reservoir (GD1), allowing identification of the susceptible areas to water erosion and estimate of the sediment delivery ratio for the adoption of land management so that further soil loss can be minimized. For the USLE model, the following factors were used: rainfall–runoff erosivity (R), erodibility (K), topographic (LS), cover-management (C) and support practice (P). The Fournier Index was applied to estimate R for the basin using six pluviometric stations. Maps of the K, C, LS and P factors were derived from the digital elevation model (DEM), and soil and land-use maps, taking into account information available in the literature. In order to validate the simulation process, Sediment Delivery Ratio (SDR) was estimated, which is based on transported sediment (TS) to basin outlet and mean soil loss in the basin (MSL). The SDR calculation included data (total solids in the water and respective discharge) between 1996 and 2003 which were measured at a gauging station located on the Grande River and a daily flow data set was obtained from the Brazilian National Water Agency (ANA). It was possible to validate the erosion process based on the USLE and SDR application for the basin conditions, since absolute errors of estimate were low. The major area of the basin (about 53%) had an average annual soil loss of less than 5 t ha− 1 yr− 1. With the results obtained we were able to conclude that 49% of the overall basin presently has soil loss greater than the tolerable rate, thus indicating that there are zones where the erosion process is critical, meaning that both management and land-use have not been used appropriately in these areas of the basin. The methodology applied showed acceptable precision and allowed identification of the most susceptible areas to water erosion, constituting an important predictive tool for soil and environmental management in this region, which is highly relevant for prediction of varying development scenarios for Minas Gerais State due to its hydroelectric energy potential. This approach can be applied to other areas for simple, reliable identification of critical areas of soil erosion in watersheds.

Smart planner: radically accelerating R&D to combat a biothreat

AbstractConventional R&D processes are ill‐suited to biothreats and biothreat preparation because they are intended to support risk‐averse decisions for patients and are designed for longer expected development times. The Smart Planner tool is a risk visualization framework developed to help contingency and R&D planners quantify and balance risk, uncertainty, and time. The tool incorporates the following capabilities: (1) visualization of the risks of inaction; (2) identification of critical areas of uncertainty where new information can really make a difference; (3) decision support for (i) development and treatment options and (ii) optimization of tradeoffs given various timescales. The tool facilitates alignment of research planners' acceptance of risks with policy‐makers' strategic views of benefits in the context of apparent or overt threats. Policy and ethical implications for application of the tool are also discussed. Drug Dev Res 70:335–348, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

Measurement tools for gastrointestinal symptoms in radiation oncology

To review the use of measurement tools for reporting gastrointestinal toxicity in radiation oncology to highlight recent findings of potential interest to those involved in the treatment of tumors in the pelvis, assessment of survivorship issues or management of bowel effects. Multiple measurement tools are being used in radiation oncology studies involving both clinician and patient-reported outcomes. The increasing availability of accurate data on radiation doses and dose-volumes to normal tissues is enabling identification of critical areas where dose should be reduced to minimize organ damage. Measurement tools for gastrointestinal symptoms are important to highlight therapeutic benefit for the expanding investigations of treatment intensification approaches and methods for toxicity reduction. The increasing use of the CTCAEv3 scales is a step forward, but further research is required to refine the system and improve its ease of use within routine clinical practice.

Water-related diseases outbreaks reported in Italy

Water related disease outbreak (WRDO) statistics in Italy from 1998 to 2005 have been discussed in this paper. The true incidence of WRDO is not reflected in the National Surveillance System (NSS), although this study has provided information on pathogens associated to different water sources, incidence in Regions and inadequacy of regulations. 192 outbreaks and 2546 cases of WRD were reported to the NSS, an average of 318 cases per year. Cases were associated to shellfish (58.79%), drinking water (39.94%) and agricultural products (1.25%). WRDs have been detected in 76% of Regions: central and southern Regions showed lower percentage of cases (35.4%) due to under-reporting. Most of WRD cases in the North were related to drinking water; WRDs in marine coastal Regions were mostly related to shellfish. 49% of Districts (Province) notified WRDs, including only 101 Municipalities. Pathogenic microorganisms were identified in a few cases from clinical investigations. They included enteric viruses, Norwalk viruses, Salmonella, Shigella, Giardia and Campylobacter. There is the need to improve the existing NSS in relation to WRDs. An adequate WRDs Surveillance System should be based on connection between health and environmental authorities, priority pathogens and critical areas identification, response capability and contingency plans.

Regional Non point Source Organic Pollution Modeling and Critical Area Identification for Watershed Best Environmental Management

In order to implement best environmental management practices in agricultural watershed, it is necessary to evaluate non point source pollution loads and identify critical watershed pollution sources, which are regional management priority missions. Nutrient related non point source pollutant inputs can increase primary production and intensify water eutrophication. Not all watershed areas are critical and responsible for high amount nutrient pollution losses. Implementation of watershed environmental prevention is required to assess pollution yields. Further more, identification of these critical areas is essential for the effective and efficient implementation of watershed best environmental management. In this study, a geographic information system based Soil and Water Assessment Tool was applied in Bahe River watershed, a part of the Yangtze River basin. Land use, soil series texture and daily rainfall data for a 10-year period (1996–2005) was used in this study. The calibrated model system was verified to estimate average annual Organic Nitrogen and Organic Phosphorus yields in these 10 years. The estimated results were also tested and optimized by statistical software. Based on 10-year average yearly Organic Nitrogen yield and Organic Phosphorus losses, critical sub-watersheds were identified. The five sub-watersheds in the north part of watershed were under more intensive pollution yield, west group sub-watersheds contributed to moderate losses, whereas other sub-watersheds fell under slight loading classes. The research outputs developed a basis for an effective watershed environmental management plan. The study revealed that the Soil and Water Assessment Tool could be applied successfully for identifying critical sub-watersheds for watershed best environmental management purposes.