Typical Vessel Research Articles

Gamma noise to non-invasively monitor nuclear research reactors

Autonomous nuclear reactor monitoring is a key aspect of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s strategy to ensure nonproliferation treaty compliance. From the rise of small modular reactor technology, decentralized nuclear reactor fleets may strain the capacities of such monitoring and requires new approaches. We demonstrate the superior capabilities of a gamma detection system to monitor the criticality of a zero power nuclear reactor from beyond typical vessel boundaries, offering a powerful alternative to neutron-based systems by providing direct information on fission chain propagation. Using the case example of the research reactor CROCUS, we demonstrate how two bismuth germanate scintillators placed outside the reactor vessel can precisely observe reactor criticality using so called noise methods and provide core status information in seconds. Our results indicate a wide range of applications due to the newly gained geometric flexibility that could find use in fields beyond nuclear safety.

A solution approach for decision-making on vessel fleet sustainability focusing on alternative fuels in a life-cycle basis

International Maritime Organization has launched a set of different regulatory frameworks focusing on maritime pollution prevention mechanisms and practicing different solution approaches. A multi-dimensional life-cycle analysis on vessels and maritime fuels (fossil & alternative low carbon fuels) can make an important contribution to the IMO's long-term carbon neutrality target for 2050. A typical vessel's operational profile contributes on approx. 80% of greenhouse gas emissions and 50% of total costs respectively during its lifetime. Therefore, the investigation of ships operational benchmarks following a lifecycle analysis approach could create suitable decision-making support tools for different optimization problems regarding alternative green fuels. This paper proposes a solution approach to evaluate current vessel fleet operational benchmarks for different ship categories and provide a decision-making support mechanism to tackle important operational problems during ship's lifetime. The proposed approach contains an evaluation mechanism to determine the suitable economic and environmental key performance indicators necessary to properly evaluate the multi-dimensional sustainability of the examined case studies with respect to the IMO (MARPOL) environmental regulations.

On the Thermoelastic Influence of Fluid-Gas Phase Transition Pressure on the Closed Structural Storage Container

The current paper presents a finite element method (FEM) axisymmetric solution based on commercial software for an isotropic closed-ended container filled with fluid, located in the triple point phase (liquefied gas) while being converted into gas through a phase transition to critical point phase by a simultaneously rapid change of pressure and temperature to their critical values. The whole chemical process will be simulated through thermo-elastic analysis that is controlled by temperature-displacement dynamic coupling and subjected to step function boundary conditions alongside liquefied triple point initial conditions. In the process, the maximum principal stresses will be determined and illustrated as dependent on the container thickness. In the process, investigation will be carried out for prominent parameters, like, container hollow geometry type (spherical, ellipsoidal, and cylindrical) and raw material of the container. Commercial software solution calibration against existing literature solutions has been performed. Also, the solution accuracy was examined by element size mesh analysis to be coherent. In conclusion, the best materials to use were Molybdenum TZM and Tungsten while the preferred shape is the ellipsoidal shape. However, a typical vessel that is still durable with sufficient thermal strength for gas storage purposes is a cylinder body container with spherical ended cups made from Aluminum 6061 T6.

Stroke-like presentation of acute toxic leukoencephalopathy due to capecitabine treatment with extensive intramyelinic edema.

Stroke-like presentation of acute toxic leukoencephalopathy due to capecitabine treatment with extensive intramyelinic edema.

МАНЕВР ПОВЕРНЕННЯ СУДНА НА ЗАДАНУ ТРАЄКТОРІЮ РУХУ ПІСЛЯ РОЗХОДЖЕННЯ З ЦІЛЛЮ

This paper proposes a method of decomposing a set of initial bearings into subsets, each of which corresponds to a type of vessel passing strategy based on their initial parameters and the nature of the close-quarters situation. The method aims to perform a vessel evasive action and return it to the programmed (given) course. The paper investigates the problem of collision avoidance between vessels during their passing using methods of the theory of optimal discrete processes. The paper determines the most hazardous initial vessel bearing in a situation of approaching a target (another vessel, hereafter referred to as the target vessel or TV) by decomposing the set of initial bearings into subsets based on vessel movement and distance between them in the case of a close-quarters situation. The paper examines in detail the process of vessel evasive action in a close-quarters situation with a target vessel using computer simulation models in various initial conditions to choose the most optimal safe vessel passing strategy. The paper discusses the peculiarity of choosing possible safe vessel passing strategies. The paper examines different types of vessel return courses to the programmed course, depending on the situation of close-quarters situation with a target vessel, using computer simulation models. The paper determines possible risks and hazards that arise when returning the vessel to the given course during the safe vessel passing process with a target vessel. The paper presents examples of typical vessel passing situations with a target vessel at short distances using computer simulation models, including the circling maneuver of a vessel during passing with another vessel and overtaking maneuver of one vessel by another. Keywords: safety of navigation, prevention of collision of vessels, passing of vessels by evasion, the maneuver of returning the vessel to the programmed track.

Leader-follower dynamics in real historical time: a Markovian test of non-linear causality between sail and steam (co-)development

ABSTRACT The most dramatic changes in modern shipping occurred with the application of new industrial-age technologies to oceanic transportation. In metal-hulled and engine-powered trading platforms, industrial-age steamers (especially tramps and liners) lead to marked increases in the average tonnage of a typical vessel crossing the seas of an expanding global economy. Some of the most important developments had to do with the substitution of traditional wind-driven ships by successive cohorts of vessels exploiting the comparative advantages of mechanization. In this paper, we deploy a set of both established and less-orthodox quantitative approaches to historical commercial shipping time-series so as to model the (complex) relationship between steam and sail performance. We find that, indeed, there is evidence of leader-follower dynamics during the later part of 19th century. This process of ‘creative destruction’ was non-linear.

Assessment of the Technological Maturity of Marine Autonomous Surface Ships

Abstract Marine Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) are gaining increasing attention due to the potential benefits of improving safety and efficiency. The paper presents the trends in the development of autonomous ships and reliability modeling carried out to assess the maturity of Guidance, Navigation, Control, Power and Propulsion (GNCPP) subsystems that are critical for safe and reliable operation of MASS. Based on the simulations with field-failure data as inputs, it is identified that a typical vessel GNCPP system can have a mean time to fail period of 1.2 years. The emergency shore support systems shall require a proof test interval of 22 days to comply with IEC61508 HSE Safety Integrity Level 3 of on-demand availability. The results could help in efficient maintenance planning and integrity management of the autonomous ship systems. The efforts required to realize situation-aware autonomous navigation technologies complying with stringent operational regulatory frameworks are also discussed.

Research Progress on Intracranial Lymphatic Circulation and Its Involvement in Disorders.

The lymphatic system is an important part of the circulatory system, as an auxiliary system of the vein, which has the functions of immune defense, maintaining the stability of the internal environment, and regulating the pressure of the tissue. It has long been thought that there are no typical lymphatic vessels consisting of endothelial cells in the central nervous system (CNS). In recent years, studies have confirmed the presence of lymphatic vessels lined with endothelial cells in the meninges. The periventricular meninges of the CNS host different populations of immune cells that affect the immune response associated with the CNS, and the continuous drainage of interstitial and cerebrospinal fluid produced in the CNS also proceeds mainly by the lymphatic system. This fluid process mobilizes to a large extent the transfer of antigens produced by the CNS to the meningeal immune cells and subsequently to the peripheral immune system through the lymphatic network, with clinically important implications for infectious diseases, autoimmunity, and tumor immunology. In our review, we discussed recent research advances in intracranial lymphatic circulation and the pathogenesis of its associated diseases, especially the discovery of meningeal lymphatic vessels, which has led to new therapeutic targets for the treatment of diseases associated with the intracranial lymphatic system.

Ambient Black Carbon Variations and Emission Characteristics of Typical Vessels in the Yangtze River Delta, China

Ambient Black Carbon Variations and Emission Characteristics of Typical Vessels in the Yangtze River Delta, China

WHEN IS WATER SHALLOW?


 
 
 A master of a vessel must at all times know where their vessel is operating. Traditionally this is only thought of in the geographical sense; however, there is a clear necessity, for safe vessel operations, that the master knows where their vessel is in the hydrodynamic sense. This knowledge is also of prime interest to designing naval architects and route planners alike. Water depth has profound effects on vessel performance and to know When is Water Shallow? is the key to successful vessel operation and wash mitigation. The authors propose a series of characterisations to aid the definition of shallow-water and hence provide greater operational understanding. These characterisations cover typical vessel performance indicators such as resistance, propulsion, manoeuvring, etc., but also wash-specific performance indicators such as wave angle, wave decay, soliton occurrence and spectral output.
 
 

A BPM-based framework for the impact assessment of blockchain to the midstream LNG supply chain

PurposeThe current study addresses how blockchain can deal with the challenges that the midstream liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply chain poses combined from a management standpoint. Such challenges are: the volume of transactions, communication hurdles and the lack of contemporary management tools. The paper proposes a comprehensive framework to assess the impact of blockchain implementation in the midstream LNG supply chain in order to tackle those barriers.Design/methodology/approachThe basis of the research is the business process modelling (BPM), through which entities, roles, tasks, resources and transactions can be modelled and simulated. The modelling of the midstream LNG supply chain, via BPM, is based on guidelines of the Society of International Gas Tanker and Terminal Operators (SIGGTO) and common industry business models. A quantitative analysis is employed to support the motivation and the potential impact of blockchain implementation. The methodology is used to identify (1) inefficiencies related to large volume of transactions between stakeholders and (2) critical areas of an LNG shipping company, where blockchain can be implemented.FindingsProcess repeatability, numerous shared documentation forms, excessive paperwork and communication imbroglios are mapped from the modelling section. Up to 327 processes are repeated during a typical vessel voyage, and up to 122 shared documentation forms are exchanged. Excessive paperwork and communication imbroglios are tracked through, which correspond to 25 severe errors as detected. By implementing the methodology, stakeholders can quantify the possible impact of blockchain on the operational performance of each stakeholder's operations separately and the supply chain as a whole in terms of real-time monitoring, transparency and paperwork reduction, time and cost savings.Research limitations/implicationsThe research has certain limitations deriving from its conceptual nature. The business processes' modelling is based on standard procedures described in the guidelines by SIGGTO and may need further adjustment for specific use cases. A structured case study has not been realisable as corporate data for an LNG shipping company regarding processes and other commercial sensitive information are required.Practical implicationsPotential practitioners may exploit the proposed framework as a low cost and seamless tool to evaluate how blockchain could disrupt their operations. Thus, the blockchain implementation's improvements or weaknesses can be pinpointed, and enabling the interested stakeholder of the LNG supply chain with specific feedback, it can guide them towards informed decisions on their operations.Originality/valueThe research has a novel approach as it combines the creation of practical management framework, with a comprehensive visualization of the midstream LNG supply chain. Thus, the reader can identify in which parts of the midstream LNG supply chain can blockchain be implemented, and what impact it could have in terms of supply chain operations.

Deschmann’s pile-dwelling sites near Ig and the cultural-chronological attribution of the Late Copper Age Ljubljana culture

The contribution presents the results of a comprehensive study of the Late Copper Age Deschmann’s pile-dwelling sites near Ig in the Ljubljansko barje, central Slovenia. It opens with a history of research and goes on to tackle the main topics associated with the cultural attribution of the sites. A re-examination of the recovered pottery and available archival records, coupled with a new typological and chronological analysis of the small finds has enabled a cultural and chronological redefinition of the Ljubljana culture and its characteristic pottery. In addition to the typical vessel forms, usually decorated with whipped-cord impressions, the newly-defined Ljubljana culture includes common ware that reveals influences primarily from the Somogyvár-Vinkovci culture in the Carpathian Basin. Some of the vessels of the Ljubljana culture also follow the tradition of the Vučedol culture, while others reflect the influences and maybe contacts with the Corded Ware, Globular Amphora and Bell Beaker cultures.

A Bit of Assyrian Imperial Culture

Abstract A key find from the 2018 excavations at the settlement mound of Gird-e Rūstam (Gird-i Rostam) in the easternmost part of the Kurdish Autonomous Region of Iraq, directly on the border with Iran, is an inscribed pottery sherd that can be assigned to the Neo-Assyrian period, more specifically the late 8th or 7th century BC. Albeit small, the sherd certainly belongs to a “carinated bowl”, which is a typical wine-drinking vessel of that time, and preserves a few signs of a cuneiform inscription in Akkadian language and Neo-Assyrian script. It is suggested that the reconstructed text contains mention of the local toponym Birtu-ša-Adad-remanni “Fortress of Adad-remanni”. This place is located in the border region between the Assyrian Empire and the kingdom of Mannea, which raises the possibility that Gird-e Rūstam could be identified with Birtu-ša-Adad-remanni.

Context-Sensitive Prediction of Vessel Behavior

Research in the field of maritime anomaly detection and vessel behavior prediction primarily focuses on developing methods for extracting typical vessel movement patterns from historical traffic data. However, contextual information is currently not considered during pattern extraction by existing research. Combining contextual information with historical traffic data has the potential to produce both more accurate traffic patterns and more precise predictions of vessel behavior. This paper investigates the benefit of incorporating contextual information during the extraction of vessel behavior and the prediction of the most probable vessel behavior. A method is presented that combines historical vessel traffic data with information about the course of waterways. Typical behavior patterns are extracted by applying kernel density estimation, which are subsequently used for predicting the most probable vessel behavior. Using this approach, we were able to predict in which area the vessel is most likely to sail, as well as the actual track for a sailing time of 2:35 h. Additional potential applications of our approach can be derived from the results, which, in addition to behavior prediction, can also be used to detect anomalous vessel behavior.

The influence of heat load on Merino sheep. 1. Growth, performance, behaviour and climate

Context Annually, millions of sheep are exported from Australia to the Middle East, typically during the southern hemisphere winter to the northern hemisphere summer. During these voyages, sheep can be exposed to relatively rapid changes in ambient conditions within a short period of time (≤29 days); therefore, excessive heat load concerns can arise. Aims The aim of this study was to define the responses of sheep to incremental heat load under simulated live export conditions. The study herein describes (1) the heat load imposed, and (2) the effect of this heat load on the growth, performance and behavioural responses of sheep during periods of incremental heat load. Methods A total of 144 Merino wethers (44.02 ± 0.32 kg) were included in a 29-day climate controlled study using two cohorts of 72 sheep (n = 2), exposed to two treatments: (1) thermoneutral and (2) hot (HOT). Ambient temperature (°C) and relative humidity (%) for the HOT treatment were modelled from live export voyages from Australia to the Middle East in July. Climatic conditions within the climate control chambers were recorded at 10-min intervals, then used to calculate a temperature humidity index. Sheep posture, rumination, eating, drinking and demeanour (calm, agitated or depressed) were observed four times daily at 3-h intervals between 0800 hours and 1700 hours. Feed intake was recorded daily and water intake was measured using an automated meter. Sheep were weighed on Day 0 and then at 7-day intervals. Sheep were weighed at slaughter and carcass weights were obtained, these data were used to determine carcass dressing percentage. Data were analysed using a repeated measures model, with a compound symmetry covariance structure. Key results Climatic conditions in the HOT treatment increased incrementally between Day 1 (temperature humidity index ≥19) and Day 29 (temperature humidity index ≤34.7). Behaviour, feed intake, average daily gain (g/day), carcass weight (kg) and dressing percentage were not influenced by treatment (P > 0.05). Sheep in the HOT treatment group showed a 137% increase in water intake (P < 0.01) and on average consumed 2.15 L/sheep.day, whereas the thermoneutral group consumed 1.67 L/sheep.day. Conclusions These results suggest that these sheep were capable of maintaining feed intake and growth despite exposure to heat load, albeit with a 137% increase in water intake. Implications These results highlight the resilience of the Australian Merino genotype, as these sheep were capable of maintaining feed intake and growth during exposure to heat load. As the climatic conditions in this study were modelled based on typical live export vessel conditions, these results may suggest that the climatic conditions experienced by sheep during voyages may not be as critical as previously thought.

Short-term Estimate of Finfish Bycatch Discards in the Inshore Artisanal Shrimp Fishery of Guyana

The artisanal shrimp fishery in Guyana is important for livelihood and food security, involving around 300 vessels owned and crewed exclusively by Guyanese nationals. This fishery uses Chinese seines and operates in major river estuaries. It targets penaeid shrimp, but also retains some finfish and is known to discard a significant but undocumented quantity of smaller finfish bycatch. The lack of knowledge regarding the bycatch is a concern for fishery management and biodiversity conservation. In this study, we quantify for the first time the finfish bycatch discards through onboard observations (July—August 2016) of a single typical vessel operating in the Demerara estuary. Wet weights of the total catch, retained catch, and finfish discards were recorded separately for each of 76 seine hauls, and subsequently presented as catch rates per trip, catch rates per seine haul (kg/haul), and catch rates standardized per hour of seine net soak—time (kg/hr). A sub—sample of finfish discards was taken from every haul to determine taxonomic composition and species—specific length frequencies. Examination of 2,012 discarded finfish distributed among 32 species revealed high taxonomic diversity, none of which were considered vulnerable by the IUCN Red List. Most finfish discards were small (modal size class 5—7 cm fork length) and included juveniles of 15 species of importance to other fisheries in Guyana. On average, a standardized total catch rate of 14.8 kg was taken per hour of seine net soak—time, yielding 3.9 kg retained catch (shrimp and a few selected finfish), 10.3 kg of finfish bycatch discards, and 0.6 kg of miscellaneous invertebrate discards. This demonstrates significant wastage (finfish discards represent about 69% of the total catch weight) and potential for negative impact on biodiversity and other commercial fisheries. The information provided here addresses an important knowledge gap in the artisanal fisheries of Guyana.

Intracranial Artery Injury in HIV-negative Tuberculous Meningitis : AHigh-Resolution Vessel Wall Imaging Study.

The features of intracranial arterial injury in tuberculous meningitis (TBM) are of important diagnostic and prognostic value. The study aimed to elucidate the high-resolution vessel wall imaging (HR-VWI) manifestations of intracranial arterial insults in TBM. The clinical data, routine cranial magnetic resonance imaging, magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) and HR-VWI before and after contrast enhancement of intracranial arteries in clinically diagnosed TBM patients were retrospectively analyzed. In this study 27 TBM patients were included. Abnormalities in the intracranial arteries were detected in all patients using HR-VWI. Typical vessel insults included nodular or granular lesions, related thickness and prominent enhancement in the wall, and lumen narrowing or occlusion. The most frequently involved arteries were the C4 segment of the internal carotid artery and the P1 segment of the posterior cerebral artery. The lesions were consistent with disease stage and disease duration and correlated with infarction. The use of HR-VWI revealed that cerebral artery involvement in patients with TBM is much more common and extensive than in previous radiological reports. The use of HR-VWI improves recognition of arterial pathologies and has diagnostic value in patients with TBM.

A Comprehensive Study and Optimization of Magnetic Nanoparticle Drug Delivery to Cancerous Tissues via External Magnetic Field

Abstract Magnetic drug delivery to cancerous tissue as a noninvasive method is a promising cancer therapy. Several complex phenomena and parameters are involved in guiding nanoparticles to the targeted tissue and guaranteeing a predetermined distribution. A comprehensive Euler–Lagrangian method is utilized to simulate a realistic process of nanoparticle delivery and deposition in a cancerous tissue. Non-Newtonian and conductive blood flow in a typical vessel through a cancerous tissue in the presence of an external magnetic field is numerically modeled (both Lorentz and magnetization forces are considered). The cancerous tissue is assumed to be a multizone region with necrotic and live cell blocks. The effect of blood delivery to tissue cells via capillary vessels and blood drainage by the lymphatic system is taken into account. Particle paths and deposition are obtained using the contribution of all forces involved. The effects of Reynolds number (Re), magnetic number, addition of second magnetic source, and distribution of particles are also investigated. For all investigated conditions, the optimum magnetic number to maximize deposition is obtained.

Diagnostic Model of Coronary Microvascular Disease Combined With Full Convolution Deep Network With Balanced Cross-Entropy Cost Function

This paper addressed the vessel segmentation and disease diagnostic in coronary angiography image and proposed an Encoder-Decoder architecture of deep learning with End-to-End model, where Encoder is based on ResNet, and the deep features are exacted automatically, and the Decoder produces the segmentation result by balanced cross-entropy cost function. Furthermore, batch normalization is employed to decrease the gradient vanishing in the training process, so as to reduce the difficulty of training the deep neural network. The experiment results show that the algorithm effectively exacts the feature and edge information, therefore the complex background disturbance is suppressed convincingly, and the vessel segmentation precision is improved effectively, the segmentation precision for three typical vessels are 0.8365, 0.8924 and 0.6297 respectively; and the F-measure are 0.8514, 0.8786 and 0.7298, respectively. In addition, the experiment results show that our proposed can be generalized to the angiography image within limits.

ULTRASTRUCTURAL ORGANIZATION OF THE LYMPHATIC CAPILLARIES IN CONJUNCTIVA AND THE LYMPHATIC CHANNELS IN HUMAN CHOROID

The aim of this work was a comparative study of the ultrastructural organization of lymphatic structures in the choroid and conjunctiva of the human eye. Material and methods. Samples of the choroid and conjunctiva of the human eye, obtained perioperatively, were studied by immunohistochemical analysis using specific antibodies to endothelial cells markers of blood and lymphatic vessels, and electron microscopic studies, morphometric processing and statistical analysis of the results were performed. Results and discussion. Within simultaneous immunohistochemical staining of conjunctiva and choroid samples using antibodies to markers of lymphatic vessels (LYVE-1, Prox1, podoplanin) the positively stained typical lymphatic vessels have been revealed in the conjunctiva structure and positively stained channels with narrow elongated cells, fibroblasts and pigment cells in choriocapillar layer of the choroid and the transition zone between choroid and sclera. Electron microscopic study revealed that cells expressing lymphatic markers and forming lymphatic channels in the choroid have an ultrastructural organization that is differ from typical lymphatic vascular endothelial cells: they do not have stropic filaments, contain a greater volume density of the granular endoplasmic reticulum membranes, and a lower volume density of mitochondria and micropinocytotic vesicles. The data obtained indicate that the lymphatic pathways of the intraocular fluid outflow in the human eye choroid have organ-specific structural features.