Bruce Power Life-Extension Program ranked top infrastructure project of 2017 southwesternontario.ca TIVERTON The Bruce Power site is about has become an even busier place since its Life-Extension Program began on Jan. 1, 2016. Recently, the Top 100 Projects (top100projects.ca/2017filters/) ranked Bruce Power's Life-Extension Program No. 1 on its ... |
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Rio Tinto has thrown fresh doubt on the future of its Argyle mine in the Kimberley, slashing the resources at the iconic diamond mine as part of a review of its future.
The updated reserves and resources statement, released by Rio along with its annual report on Thursday, shows the global mining giant has cut Argyles resources by two-thirds from 44 million tonnes of ore at the end of 2015 to 15 million tonnes this year.
Rio said the cut follows the ongoing review of potential mine-life extension options and restricts reported resources to that component of the known mineralisation which may be developed, mined and processed within the current operational mine life.
Aside from depletion from mining last year, no cut was made to Argyles reserves ore Rio can economically access under current plans. The company also confirmed that its existing mine plans, taking Argyle production through to 2021, remain in place.
About 29 million tonnes of ore remains in Argyles reserves, after the company processed 5.1 million tonnes last year.
The decision to slash Argyles resources all but rules out any extension to the existing operations beyond 2021, and even that end date could be brought forward.
Rio booked a $US241 million before-tax impairment on Argyles value at the end of 2016, and chief executive Jean-Sebastien Jacques confirmed to WestBusiness last month that Rio was still to decide whether it would invest the capital needed to build a second underground block cave at Argyle.
500 local jobs in doubt as Rio prepares to cut deeper
Walshs $1.6m bonus on hold amid Rio probe
Rio has talked up Argyles contribution to its understanding of block cave mining, a technique it also uses at the massive Oyu Tolgoi copper and gold mine in Mongolia.
The technique, which involves mining under an ore body to allow it to progressively collapse under its own weight, lowers operating costs but requires substantial up-front capital.
Rio has not disclosed the cost of building a second cave at Argyle, but its 40 per cent share of pre-production construction of a new block cave at the massive Grasberg copper-gold mine in Indonesia is about $US200 million, according to Rios annual report.
Last year Rio Tinto booked net earnings from its diamond operations including Argyle and its 60 per cent holding in Canadas Diavik diamond mine of $US47 million, down 40 per cent from $US79 million in 2015.
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Artificial intelligence is already gaining steam as one of the most-talked-about tech trends of 2017.
Its one of those umbrella terms thats easy to throw around. But away from the big conferences and debates about techs role in society, the hard work to develop the predictive technology is happening.
One of those spots is theEastern Campus of the Emerging Technology Centers, where Insilico Medicine is working to develop algorithms that can help select and develop the right drugs. The company sees artificial intelligence as apath to reduce the use of animal testing in developing pharmaceuticals, and is even working on a virtual human to simulate how drugs affect the body.
The latest news from the company shows how itswork could help other companies pick out what works and what doesnt. Insilicos research on aging (one study was published in the journal Aging) showed how artificial intelligence could help show the specific molecules that influence the aging process.
This was interesting to 37-year-old Life Extension, a company that makes anti-aging supplements. The natural supplement, or nutraceuticals, market is big, but its a place where other research studies have questioned whether the supplements actually prevent disease.
Life Extensions Ageless Cell. (Courtesy photo)
InSilcos algorithms were used at the early stage of development of a new product to screen for the right compounds to help slow or reverse aging, said Insilico Medicine COOQingsong Zhu.
Some of the compounds they identified were used inAgeless Cell, a new product in Life ExtensionsGeroprotect line that was released this week.
Our collaboration with Insilico Medicine fostered a novel approach to formulating anti-aging supplements utilizing artificial intelligence and sophisticated biologically-inspired algorithms and resulted in the very first AI formulated supplement,Andrew G. Swick, Life Extensions senior vice president of scientific affairs, discovery research and product development, said in a statement.
Talk of AI and extending human life seem to go hand-in-hand around tech circles. Both are in play for Insilico Medicine.
Stephen Babcock is the lead reporter for Technical.ly Baltimore. A graduate of Northeastern University, he moved to Baltimore following a stint in New Orleans, where he served as managing editor of online news and culture publication NOLA Defender. While there, he also wrote for NOLA.com/The Times-Picayune. He was previously a reporter for the Rio Grande Sun of Northern New Mexico.
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How this Baltimore company is using AI to make supplements smarter - Technical.ly Brooklyn
Dec 4, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) reacts after the Raiders rushed for a touchdown against the Buffalo Bills in the third quarter at Oakland Coliseum. The Raiders defeated the Bills 38-24. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
The Oakland Raiders Should Move On From D.J. Hayden by Gagan Aujla
AFC West: Chiefs To Let Jamaal Charles and Dontari Poe Hit Free Agency by Nick Hjeltness
Oakland Raiders franchise quarterback Derek Carr recently made an appearance on Mad Dog Sports Radio on Sirius XM, hosted by Adam Schein. When asked about his future contract extension, Carr made his loyalty to the team that drafted him perfectly clear.
Im a Raider. Im a Raider for life. I dont want to play anywhere else, Carr told Sirius XM Mad Dog Radios Adam Schein. When I got drafted, this is where I wanted to be anyway. And so, I dont want to go anywhere, ever. They told me they dont want me to go anywhere, ever. Now its about two people who want to be together, and how do we make that happen? So well see.
Im a Raider for life is certainly a statement that will register loud and clear with Raider Nation, and will only further the love and enthusiasm that the fan base has for their franchise quarterback.
With Carr expected to receive a contract that will be on par with Andrew Luck somewhere in the neighborhood of $24 million annually that obviously will be the firststep in making that for life statement hold true.
McKenzie told CSN Bay Area back in January that extending Carr and Khalil Mack were priorities.
You can say that, McKenzie said last week. The good thing is we do have time, but Im not the type to wait until the last minute. Those two guys are not only great players but they are great men. They are true Raiders and I want to make sure we do the best that we can to make sure that they stay Raiders.
Carr said that his agent, Tom Younger, and the team are working on a deal. But that he just wants it to be done and to not be a distraction:
The biggest thing for me is that I dont want it to distract my teammates. They know me, that I really dont care. I just like to play ball, but I dont want people asking them questions. I would want it done so they dont have to deal with it, but Im always going to do whats best for my family and whats best for the team all in one.
Carr has been asked about the possibility of taking a hometown discount in the past, and somewhat alluded to that in the final sentence of the above quote, when he said he is always going to do whats best for his family. Its unreasonable for a player about to enter his prime, especially a quarterback, to take a discount, so dont expect Carr to. Nor should he.
If he signs a new deal somewhere in the range of 6-years, $140M, hell deserve every penny of that. And itll be up to McKenzie to continue to find ways to keep the team competitive.
The full interview with Mad Dog Radio can be heard by clicking here, and is wellworth the 20 minutes.
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Derek Carr on Contract Extension: I'm a Raider for life - Just Blog Baby (blog)
Wednesday, March 1, 2017 Tiverton | by Craig Power
Project named number one of the Top 100 Infrastructure Projects in Canada for 2017.
The world's largest nuclear power generating facility is just over a year into their highly technical life extension program and they're already turning a few heads.
Bruce Power's Life Extension Project has been named number one of the Top 100 Infrastructure Projects in Canada for 2017.
Part of that is the major component replacement project slated to begin in 2020, something spokesperson John Peevers calls a massive undertaking and also an historic effort for Bruce Power.
The project is a $13 billion dollar private investment that remains both on time and on budget.
Peevers says Bruce Power's Major Component Replacement is extremely vital to not only the region and surrounding communities but to the province as well.
Bruce Power's Life Extension Program will sustain an estimated 22,000 jobs directly and indirectly across Canada, it will inject an estimated $4 billion dollars into the province's economy and it'll also ensure that low-cost, reliable and carbon free nuclear electricity is there for families and businesses across Ontario when they need it.
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Bruce Power Life Extension Project On Top - Bayshore Broadcasting News Centre
Derek Carr was emphatic abouthis loyalty to the Raiders in an interview Tuesday on SiriusXM.
Im a Raider. Im a Raider for life. I dont want to play anywhere else, Carr told Sirius XM Mad Dog Radios Adam Schein. When I got drafted, this is where I wanted to be anyway. And so, I dont want to go anywhere, ever. They told me they dont want me to go anywhere, ever. Now its about two people who want to be together, and how do we make that happen? So well see.
Carr is entering the final year of his rookie contract and Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie has expressed strong interest in signing the quarterback to an extension.
I think theyve been talking even since through the season, keeping a line of communication together and always keeping in touch with one another, Carr said of his agent, Tim Younger, and McKenzie. Now that its getting on down the line and getting serious, I think that theyre trying to figure out a way to (get) it done. If we can do that, great. If not, I can assure you Im just going to be out there playing football.
The biggest thing for me is that I dont want it to distract my teammates. They know me, that I really dont care. I just like to play ball, but I dont want people asking them questions. I would want it done so they dont have to deal with it, but Im always going to do whats best for my family and whats best for the team all in one.
I just want to play ball and I want to do it wearing a silver-and-black jersey.
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Derek Carr passionate about Silver and Black: 'I'm a Raider for life' - The Mercury News
Mount Tam With Anti-Aging Drug Is Secretly Preparing For Trump's New FDA ValueWalk The term geroprotection is replacing life extension among scientists. One reason is that many people associate life extension with pseudosciences and health fads. Many also assume it means prolonging the frailty and suffering that comes at the ... |
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Mount Tam With Anti-Aging Drug Is Secretly Preparing For Trump's New FDA - ValueWalk
Dr. Magdalena Kurkowska
Wind turbines are typically designed for a 20 years services life. In fact, many of them remain operational beyond this age. Industry experts believe, if carefully planned, the life of a wind farm can be extended even up to 40 years. Such an extension can increase assets value, maximize the revenue and reduce the Levelized cost of energy. In practice, the lifetime of the wind power project is most often determined by the length of the subsidy scheme which usually lasts 15 years.
Life extension may generate much less regulatory and permitting hurdles than repowering, which in many markets involves reapplying for a permit to operate.
Beyond that point, the decision what to do with the end-of-life assets must be carefully weighted. Dismantling and disposing of functional turbines does not sound like a good business practice, but on the other hand turbine components, as their age, are becoming increasingly failure-prone, resulting in high O&M costs, greater risks of structural failures, and associated health & safety hazards. How to minimize these risks and keep the project going? Lifeextension can be the answer. wind-farm-lifecycle.iqpc.de With the ageing fleet, an increasing number of wind farm operators face a dilemma which end-of-life strategy to pursuit. Can life-extension be the optimal option? What are the pros and cons? What is the market opportunity for life extension programs? What approaches can be taken to assess the suitability of wind farm for life extension?
In prequalification tests, commonly used standards are generally based on laboratory testing procedures, and it is important to know that these test procedures cannot often determine the true corrosion prevention potential of a coating system. No overall laboratory test exists which considers all the different stresses and includes the appropriate acceleration factor in order to relate an accurate number of hours in an accelerated test to lifetime in years in real file. Within a structure erected in a maritime environment (sheet pile walls, oil platforms or wind energy structures), there are generally different zones with different intensities of corrosive attack: bottom or sea floor, immersion and low water zone, tidal and splash zone and last but not least, the atmospheric zone. Therefore, it is necessary to consider different intensities of corrosion in any test procedure to be developed or applied.
Furthermore, a continuous mechanical stress from waves, floating matter and ice movement in winter that can attack coatings, and coatings also commonly suffer from mechanical impact during transport and erection, which can lead to localized damage and coating detachment.
Life extension exposes operators to lower risks than repowering, but there are also drawbacks. Replacing single components rather than full repowering seems to deliver less added value.
The study, conducted by National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Denver, Colorado, compared two scenarios: the full repowering versus replacement of the turbine drivetrain and rotor only using an existing tower and foundation.
Until recently, due to generous subsidies, market seemed to favor repowering over life extension. This trend, however, may change in the near future. As the governments gradually lessen or completely withdraws support for wind power projects, the life-extension option becomes increasingly attractive. A shift from repowering toward life extension was observed in Spain in 2013, when the government removed the feed-in-tariffs (FiT) support for wind energy developments.
Under a new scheme, the generators are offered 7.5% rate of return calculated over the plant lifetime. Many older wind farms have already received such amount through FiT and were not eligible for any further subsidies.
This change has left operators relying entirely on the sales of produced energy for their income, typically insufficient to allow investing in full repowering. Life extension can be achieved at a fraction of the cost the full repowering demands. Replacing a rotor hub or blades will obviously cost less than replacing the entire turbine structure. At present, the cost of extending the life of an operating turbine in Europe is about 100,000/MW comparing to one million for a new turbine required for repowering.
Moreover, life extension may generate much less regulatory and permitting hurdles than repowering, which in many markets involves reapplying for a permit to operate.
Register here and read the full report: http://bit.ly/Download_Report_Here
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A business case for wind farm lifetime extension - Windpower Engineering (press release)
The innovative packaging solution from Sirane has given diced beef two additional days shelf-life in recent trials with one major UK meat processing company, and the trade show in Birmingham will be a great chance to find out more about this unique product.
The independently-run trials showed a two-day increase from nine to 11 days on the shelf-life of the packs containing Siranes ABM pads compared to existing packaging. These trials are just one of many successful trials taking place using a variety of products.
Siranes Dri-Fresh ABM pads for meat/poultry, contain a blend of natural bio-flavonoids and organic acids which work together to extend shelf-life. Together with the absorbency within the pads, they offer an outstanding level of protection and significant shelf-life extension. The ABM technology is activated by moisture so only functions when needed.
Simon Balderson, Sirane MD, said: These results are great, and could result in significant financial savings for the processor in question as two additional days shelf-life is a huge step. At Packaging Innovations wed love to get the chance to explain more to people.
So much food gets thrown away, and Sirane has been trying to help companies with their food waste reduction targets ABM is one way meat and poultry packers can achieve this. ABM is a blend of natural ingredients which is incorporated into the absorbent pad.
The combination of flavonoids which are anti-oxidants and anti-microbial, with organic acids including citric acid and ascorbic acids is harmless, as all elements are found naturally within fruit. It is clean, simple, and effective. Nature itself often has the answers.
People have tried, and failed, in the past, to make anti-microbial packaging but the major difference here is the method of delivery. With the anti-microbial integrated into the pad, and activated only when needed, it gets efficiently to the heart of the problem.
Were encouraging all our customers to try our AB technology and run their own trials in their own unique supply-chain conditions, as this is just one of many success stories were hearing about, with many reports coming back to us of shelf-life extension.
Every processor and retailers supply chain is different, with different parameters, so we would never say to every retailer you will get two days more. Were saying you could get additional shelf-life by using a pad like this, you might even get more than two days extra.
Our Dri-Fresh ABM pads are part of a range of anti-bacterial and anti-microbial absorbent pad solutions; we also offer ABV pads for fruit and ABS for seafood. These pads work in the same way, but with the blend adjusted to help provide the optimum shelf-life.
Cooking bags are another area of specialism for Sirane and Bags of Ideas a new campaign from Sirane aimed at showcasing our varied cooking bag solutions will form the other main focus of our stand at Packaging Innovations which runs from March 1-2.
Sirane offers a wide selection of cooking bags from oven to microwave, BBQ to sous-vide and incorporating flavoured cooking bag options theres something for everyone.
Bags of Ideasbrings everything together under one banner, in one simple to use catalogue, and helps guide the customer through the process of choosing what works for them.
Simon Balderson, Sirane MD, said: Bags of ideas, bags of innovation and bags of possibilities. Siranes range of cooking bags has it all. Whether you want to steam cook in the oven or microwave, roast in the oven, or have a bag to throw on the BBQ, we can help.
We can help guide you through the many options we have to help you decide what cooking bag will work best for you. Whether it be a non-stick BBQ bag or a printed steam-cooking bag, a bag with a special vent or a bag with added flavours, you decide.
The choices can sometimes seem daunting, but were here to help you make the right decision, as the right cooking bag can have a hugely positive impact on sales
As well as BBQ/oven bags, Sirane manufactures a wide range of other cooking bags including steam-cooking bags for oven/microwave (including a new stand-up version), nylon roasting bags and sous-vide bags and even multi-compartment bags.
For more information, visit http://www.sirane.com or email jeremy@sirane.com. Sirane is exhibiting at Packaging Innovations at Birminghams NEC in March. Visit us on our stand E12.
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PACKAGING INNOVATIONS 2017: Anti-microbial absorbent pads ... - WorldPressOnline (press release)
The weather radar used by the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Amarillo will be down for approximately four days beginning Monday, Feb. 27 for technicians to install an important technological upgrade. The work on the WSR-88D has been scheduled to minimize any potential impacts to office operations and will be delayed if hazardous weather is forecast.
During the outage, radar coverage is available from adjacent radar sites including: Cannon Air Force Base, Frederick, Dodge City, Pueblo and Lubbock.
A crew will install a new signal processor, which replaces obsolete technology, improves processing speed and data quality, provides added functionality, and supports IT security.
This is the first of four major upgrades, known as service life extension projects, planned in the next five years to replace and refurbish major components of the 20 year old WSR-88Ds and to keep the radars operational into the 2030s. The $150M investment is being made by the three organizations that use these radars, the NOAA National Weather Service, United States Air Force and Federal Aviation Administration. The other service life extension projects include refurbishing the transmitter, pedestal, and equipment shelters.
The tri-agency Radar Operations Center, which supports the radars, estimates it will take about 10 months to upgrade the signal processor on all 159 operational WSR-88Ds.
These radar upgrades will continue to support the mission of the National Weather Service which is to provide weather, water, and climate data, forecasts and warnings for the protection of life and property and enhancement of the national economy, as well as NOAA's broader mission to understand and predict changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources.
Please join the National Weather Service in Amarillo on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube today.
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Forbes | This Company With Anti-Aging Drug Is Secretly Preparing For Trump's New FDA Forbes The term geroprotection is replacing life extension among scientists. One reason is that many people associate life extension with pseudosciences and health fads. Many also assume it means prolonging the frailty and suffering that comes at the ... |
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This Company With Anti-Aging Drug Is Secretly Preparing For Trump's New FDA - Forbes
--Press Release--
L3 MAPPS announced today that it has won a contract from Bruce Power to replace the existing Bruce B Unit 6 Digital Control Computer (DCC) system with all-new hardware. Three DCCs will be delivered to Bruce Power. The first unit (DCC-Z) will be used as a maintenance platform and is due to be installed in the first quarter of 2018. The other two DCCs (DCC-X and DCC-Y) are redundant units for plant operations and are expected to be delivered in the second quarter of 2019.
DCC systems are used to monitor and control the major reactor and power plant functions at CANDU* nuclear power plants. The new DCC system will feature the latest SSCI-890 CPUs and will replace the legacy Varian V72 computer systems and related equipment to ensure continuous, safe and reliable performance over the service life of the plant.
Our first DCC system, built in the early 1970s, was for the Bruce site. With this new project, we have come full circle, marking a new chapter in L3 MAPPS DCC business, said Michael Chatlani, Vice President of Marketing & Sales for L3 MAPPS Power Systems and Simulation. We are happy to continue our long collaboration with Bruce Power. Leveraging our record of on-time, on-budget performance, we look forward to our further support of the Bruce site for many years to come.
Replacing the DCCs at the Bruce site is an important element of the Life-Extension Program at Bruce Power, said Mike Rencheck, President & CEO of Bruce Power. Bruce Powers Life-Extension program will mean the Bruce site will continue to power the province until 2064, and this is good news for families and businesses across Ontario. Bruce Power, and the electricity it provides Ontario families and businesses, is part of the solution over the short and long terms to provide a source of low-cost stable electricity.
Bruce Power is Canadas first private nuclear generator, providing 30 percent of Ontarios power at 30 percent below the average residential price. The Bruce site, home to eight CANDU reactors in Tiverton, Ontario, is the worlds largest operating nuclear generating facility. The company is progressing with a series of incremental life-extension investments, including Major Component Replacement, to secure a clean, reliable and low-cost source of electricity for Ontario families and businesses for decades to come.L3 MAPPS has over 30 years of experience in pioneering technological advances in the marine automation field and over 40 years of experience in delivering high-fidelity power plant simulation to leading utilities worldwide. In addition, the company has more than four decades of expertise in supplying plant computer systems for Canadian heavy water reactors. L3 MAPPS also provides targeted controls and simulation solutions to the space sector. To learn more about L3 MAPPS, please visit the companys website at http://www.L3T.com/MAPPS.
Headquartered in New York City, L3 Technologies employs approximately 38,000 people worldwide and is a leading provider of a broad range of communication and electronic systems and products used on military, homeland security and commercial platforms. L3 is also a prime contractor in aerospace systems, security and detection systems, and pilot training. The company reported 2016 sales of $10.5 billion. To learn more about L3, please visit the companys website at http://www.L3T.com.
Safe Harbor Statement Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 Except for historical information contained herein, the matters set forth in this news release are forward-looking statements. Statements that are predictive in nature, that depend upon or refer to events or conditions or that include words such as expects, anticipates, intends, plans, believes, estimates, will, could and similar expressions are forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements set forth above involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from any such statement, including the risks and uncertainties discussed in the companys Safe Harbor Compliance Statement for Forward-Looking Statements included in the companys recent filings, including Forms 10-K and 10-Q, with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made, and the company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements.
# # #
*CANDU is a registered trademark of Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, used under license by Candu Energy Inc., a member of the SNC-Lavalin Group.
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Kambalda has run on nickel dust since it kicked off the base metals Australian boom in the 1960s.
It is now facing having virtually no nickel production in the town by February next year, with Independence Group saying reserve life extensions at the harvesting phase Long nickel mine have proved unsuccessful.
Long which delivered 2365 tonnes of nickel to the BHP Billiton Kambalda concentrator in the December quarter and RNC Minerals Beta Hunt, which is now largely a gold operation, are the only producing nickel mines in Kambalda, where a series of operations have been put on care and maintenance amid low prices for the stainless steel ingredient since 2015.
Independence Group managing director Peter Bradford, who is also grappling with lagging development at the companys flagship Nova nickel- copper mine 160km east of Norseman, said drilling at Victor West had proven unsuccessful.
It is now hoping to find extensions at Long North, but said IGO could not expand a $2 million-$3 million a year exploration budget in Kambalda unless realistic targets were found.
In the first half we were drilling at what we call Victor West, but that work didnt prove to be successful and were getting ready to do some work at Long North, he said, adding the company was revisiting 3-D seismic data from a decade ago with new technology.
So were doing that work, but being miners, we are eternally optimistic that were going to find the next Moran at Long, Mr Bradford said.
But while we continue to maintain that optimism and pursue some of these mining extension opportunities, were also pragmatic, and in parallel we continue to make sure we have closure plans and that sort of thing up to date as we are required to by law.
He told analysts on an earnings call this week IGO could spend between $5 million and $6 million on mine closure at Long if reserve life could not be extended in the next year.
The glimmer of hope for nickel producers is a slight price rise over the past year amid an expected supply deficit. Mr Bradford is forecasting a supply deficit in excess of 100,000t by the end of this year, with recent mine closures in the Philippines cancelling the potential supply flood from the relaxation of Indonesias 2014 nickel export ban.
Panoramic Resources could bring Lanfranchi back if the nickel price, $US4.90 a pound yesterday, rose above $5/lb for a substantial period.
It would be likely to bring the Savannah project in the Kimberly online first, but Mincor will have a lead time of more than a year to bring Miitel or Durkin North into production if the price is right.
BHP Nickel West, which runs the Kambalda concentrator, the Kalgoorlie nickel smelter, and the Kwinana nickel refinery, is back in the black after delivering $US37 million in underlying earnings in the first half of the financial year, a $US136 million turnaround on the $US109m loss before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation it booked in the same period in 2015.
BHP chief executive Andrew Mackenzie said the company would hold onto the once ailing asset, just three years after it failed to find a buyer.
It continues to show examples to the rest of the organisation as to how we can drive even more safety and productivity and Im happy with it in its form within the portfolio for now, he said.
With hopes for a potential rise in the nickel price, Mr Bradford said near mine and regional exploration could become more attractive in 2018, even if Long did close.
We have not made any final decisions that far ahead, but my expectation is that in the event we werent successful in identifying reserve life extensions between now and February, we would pursue opportunities in a care-and-maintenance environment after the cessation of that reserve life, he said. The team on site is currently re-looking at some of the resource areas that may not have been viable in the past.
Continued here:
Kambalda faces future with no nickel output - The West Australian
--Press Release--
L3 MAPPS announced today that it has won a contract from Bruce Power to replace the existing Bruce B Unit 6 Digital Control Computer (DCC) system with all-new hardware. Three DCCs will be delivered to Bruce Power. The first unit (DCC-Z) will be used as a maintenance platform and is due to be installed in the first quarter of 2018. The other two DCCs (DCC-X and DCC-Y) are redundant units for plant operations and are expected to be delivered in the second quarter of 2019.
DCC systems are used to monitor and control the major reactor and power plant functions at CANDU* nuclear power plants. The new DCC system will feature the latest SSCI-890 CPUs and will replace the legacy Varian V72 computer systems and related equipment to ensure continuous, safe and reliable performance over the service life of the plant.
Our first DCC system, built in the early 1970s, was for the Bruce site. With this new project, we have come full circle, marking a new chapter in L3 MAPPS DCC business, said Michael Chatlani, Vice President of Marketing & Sales for L3 MAPPS Power Systems and Simulation. We are happy to continue our long collaboration with Bruce Power. Leveraging our record of on-time, on-budget performance, we look forward to our further support of the Bruce site for many years to come.
Replacing the DCCs at the Bruce site is an important element of the Life-Extension Program at Bruce Power, said Mike Rencheck, President & CEO of Bruce Power. Bruce Powers Life-Extension program will mean the Bruce site will continue to power the province until 2064, and this is good news for families and businesses across Ontario. Bruce Power, and the electricity it provides Ontario families and businesses, is part of the solution over the short and long terms to provide a source of low-cost stable electricity.
Bruce Power is Canadas first private nuclear generator, providing 30 percent of Ontarios power at 30 percent below the average residential price. The Bruce site, home to eight CANDU reactors in Tiverton, Ontario, is the worlds largest operating nuclear generating facility. The company is progressing with a series of incremental life-extension investments, including Major Component Replacement, to secure a clean, reliable and low-cost source of electricity for Ontario families and businesses for decades to come.L3 MAPPS has over 30 years of experience in pioneering technological advances in the marine automation field and over 40 years of experience in delivering high-fidelity power plant simulation to leading utilities worldwide. In addition, the company has more than four decades of expertise in supplying plant computer systems for Canadian heavy water reactors. L3 MAPPS also provides targeted controls and simulation solutions to the space sector. To learn more about L3 MAPPS, please visit the companys website at http://www.L3T.com/MAPPS.
Headquartered in New York City, L3 Technologies employs approximately 38,000 people worldwide and is a leading provider of a broad range of communication and electronic systems and products used on military, homeland security and commercial platforms. L3 is also a prime contractor in aerospace systems, security and detection systems, and pilot training. The company reported 2016 sales of $10.5 billion. To learn more about L3, please visit the companys website at http://www.L3T.com.
Safe Harbor Statement Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 Except for historical information contained herein, the matters set forth in this news release are forward-looking statements. Statements that are predictive in nature, that depend upon or refer to events or conditions or that include words such as expects, anticipates, intends, plans, believes, estimates, will, could and similar expressions are forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements set forth above involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from any such statement, including the risks and uncertainties discussed in the companys Safe Harbor Compliance Statement for Forward-Looking Statements included in the companys recent filings, including Forms 10-K and 10-Q, with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made, and the company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements.
# # #
*CANDU is a registered trademark of Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, used under license by Candu Energy Inc., a member of the SNC-Lavalin Group.
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In a collaborative project, the UOs Patrick Phillips tackles a problem of reproducibility while studying potential anti-aging compounds
Worms. Might they help us live a healthier and longer life?
Extending human life in ways that keep people both healthy and productive is a goal of many scientists, including the UO's Patrick Phillips.
His latest project, which he leads in collaboration with two other U.S. institutions, may not immediately move us closer to extending human life beyond the national average of 79. It has, however, opened a window on how basic research that which seeks fundamental knowledge about how something works should be done to harness robust results that speed progress toward medical advances.
In a new paper published Feb. 21 in the high-profile journal Nature Communications, Phillips and 33 collaborators got right to the heart of the challenge: Too many laboratory findings are not reproducible, and the genetic makeup of model organisms often responds differently to compounds thought to offer promise.
"Aging is universal. It is complex. Individuals die for many different reasons, so there is a lot of noise in the system," said Phillips, a professor of biology and acting executive director of the Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact. "It is a challenge to figure out the elements necessary to change the process. To do this you have to approach the question at a scale that has never been done before. That's what our paper is about."
In their study, Phillips nine-member UO team and researchers from the Buck Institute for Research on Aging in California and Rutgers University in New Jersey carefully carried out experiments using identical protocols. They simultaneously tested the effects of 10 different compounds on life extension across 22 diverse genetic backgrounds drawn from three species of roundworms.
"This is the largest aging study that has ever been done on an animal hundreds of thousands of individuals have been tested," Phillips said.
Our study indicates that even when following the same methods, insufficient replication of trials could account for failures to reproduce previous studies, the research team noted in the paper. Our focus on rigorously adhering to defined methods to reduce variability between sites necessitated making choices about specific methodologies for which there was no standard across the field.
Locations of worm strains
Across the labs, the researchers identified six compounds that extended the lifespan in one strain of worms. Overall, two compounds had positive results across the various strains, with an amyloid dye, Thioflavin T, being the most effective; two other compounds offered promise under specific conditions. Genetic differences among the species are comparable to those found in mice and humans, the researchers noted.
More details about the science and Thioflavin T are covered in a news release issued by the Buck Institute.
Future experiments, Phillips said, will test these and other promising compounds in genetically diverse strains of roundworm species to see how they perform. Eventually, the most widely acting compounds could advance into testing in other animal models and, eventually, in human clinical trials.
The research emerged from three-year grants to each of the three collaborating institutions from the National Institutes of Health. It is part of an extension of the National Institute on Agings decade-old Intervention Testing Program that has targeted aging studies using mice at three other institutions. The roundworm project is known as the Caenorhabditis Intervention Testing Program.
Roundworms, which have a lifespan of two to three weeks, have a simple genetic makeup that is similar to mice, which in laboratories can live up to three years. Thus, Phillips noted, more individual worms can be used more cheaply in the course of experiments that span the life cycle.
Compounds that have been found to extend life in worms and mice have proved so far to be limited to organisms with a particular genetic background.
Roundworms
This is a dark side of studying a model organism, Phillips said. You have genetic uniformity in worms and mice, but humans are not genetically uniform. We know that different individuals respond differently to drugs and that the cause of disease is often different in each individual. Overcoming those limitations is a big part of the push toward personalized medicine.
From the outset, he said, the roundworm project has been about reproducibility in a way that mirrors the approaches used by the institutions studying mice.
We've had to invest a lot of time in coordinating activities, Phillips said. That's often an unstated part of the difficulty of doing science. For this, we've written hundreds of pages of standard operating procedures to try to normalize the research process.
There is a history in aging studies where one lab finds a result but another lab cannot reproduce it," he said. "Cancer studies are the same. Only about 25 percent of studies can be reproduced with similar results. This is a big emerging issue in science now, so we feel like our study is one of the best on reproducibility that has ever been produced.
For the project, the leaders of the three labs brought different specialties of nematode biology to the table: Phillips is an expert in evolutionary genetics; Gordon J. Lithgow of the Buck Institute is a specialist on chemical interventions; and Rutgers Monica Driscoll is an aging and health expert.
Can we expect to see extended human lifespans soon?
What we find in this worm may or may not work in mice or humans, Phillips said. We're looking at things that affect fundamental cellular processes that are conserved genetically across all animals.
Carrying basic research forward is a goal of the Knight Campus, a $1 billion initiative designed to accelerate the cycle of generating impact from discoveries. The Knight Campus, which has seen some recent behind-the-scences progress on staffing and the selection of architects and general contractors, will foster exchanges of ideas among basic-science researchers with applied scientists and entrepreneurs to foster that translational process.
With this research, you are seeing the classic impact cycle, Phillips said. You have a guy working in a most esoteric part of evolutionary biology something that you'd generally think could have no general impacts just to gain understanding about something about the world. It is important, but in terms of affecting human health, who knows? Understanding genetic variation is being recognized as being more important each day. And so what once seemed esoteric is now important for understanding translational medicine.
As scientists expand into studying stress and aging in terms of natural genetic variation in different species, then my area's unique contributions fit into a broader scale. We're looking at compounds in a way thats never been done before. We are identifying compounds that can affect health and aging, he said. What do we do with that?
The point is not to make worms live a long time. It's how we use the information. How might this translate a decade from now into something that could go into human clinical trials to try to help people to live longer healthier lives? Can we turn this basic research into something that is relevant? Are there potential drugs that could?
That could be a Knight Campus story, Phillips said.
By Jim Barlow, University Communications
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A UO lab digs into worms in the quest to lengthen human life - AroundtheO
I have heard several variations of this narrative, however I have not been able to track down the source of this tale or its author.
I have heard several variations of this narrative, however I have not been able to track down the source of this tale or its author. I am sure that most of you have heard or read this story before. A teacher brings a large gallon glass jar in to the classroom. He sets it on a nearby table. Then, he pulls out a box of rocks and sets it next to the jar. He clears his throat, gestures to the rocks, and asks, Who would like to show us how much you can fit in the jar? Someone volunteers, he is summoned forward. He works quickly but carefully, astutely positioning rocks in the jar until it is satiated. Is the jar full? the teacher inquires. Yes! the students reply in strong unison. Can you fit any more in the jar? he asks. No! is the enthusiastic chorus. Next, the instructor produces a bag of pebbles, How about now? Somewhat hesitantly, another student raises her hand and is again beckoned forward. With greater care and less haste, she places a handful of pebbles at the top and by tapping, shaking, and rotating the jar, they make their way to fill the gaps below. Satisfied she has done her best, with hopeful confidence she returns to her chair. Is the jar full? the educator again inquires. Um, yes, is the students' cautious reply. Can you fit any more in the jar? he questions. No, they guardedly answer. Next, the instructor brings out a pail of sand. Many students begin to smile. How about now? he inquires. So another volunteer comes back to the table and using the same technique, filters the fine sand through the coarser maze of rocks and pebbles. The teacher gleefully asks, Is the jar full now? No one will venture a response. Whatever they might say, they fear it would be wrong. The professor ignores their silence, Can you fit any more in the jar? he questions. No answer. Without a word, the teacher reaches under the podium and brings forth a pitcher of water. Some students groan; others smile. Unable to contain himself, grinning he inquires, How about now? He doesn't ask for volunteers, but slowly he begins pouring the water into the jar. Gradually, it permeates every crack and crevice. He fills it to the top and then adds a bit more to overflow the jar. There is no doubt that the jar is now full. What can we learn from this? is his final query. Someone ventures to say, It means that no matter how much you've got going' on, you can always fit more in! No, the teacher exclaims, It means that unless you take care of the big things first, they will never get done!" I find myself dealing with the pebbles and sand in my life, topping it off with a large supply of water. However, I've discovered that it requires thinking and planning for me to handle the rocks. Those big and important things, are the ones that I find that without careful care I put off until tomorrow. Everyone is busy! All too often, our busyness distracts us from what is important, from what really matters, those things that could truly make a difference. Time Management doesn't usually bring relief or reduce stress, it just squeezes more into an already full day. Turn time management into how we spend our time, so that we do less. Multitasking is not really doing two things at once; it is merely quickly switching back and forth. Computers do this wellhumans dont. For us, it is actually inefficient and counter-productive. Keep a Time Log to fully understand what you do and how long you spend (or waste) on it; the results will likely shock you. Just Say No to some things even good things in order to protect yourself from over-committing and therefore being too busy to do anything well. Set Limits to how much you work, otherwise you will end up working as much as you are physically and mentally able, leaving no significant time for anything else. Know Yourself: I usually handle the pebbles and sand first and then attend to the rocks if there is time. This is not wise. I am handling trivial stuff at my peak, while reserving the important tasks for my low point. It takes an ongoing effort to do key tasks for times of peak energy, while doing lesser activities to slower times in the day. Do First Things First: Once you've taken steps to resume control over life's activities, there is then time to attend to the big things. Without the pressures of the little concerns, there is the freedom to focus on the important, removing us from the rut that all too easily goes from day to day, week to week, month to month, and even year to year without accomplishing much. Please join me today in putting first things first.
Submitted by Robert McNary, 4-H Youth Development Specialist
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Extension: Taking care of the rocks in your life - Lifestyle - The ... - Carthage Press
Rheinmetall Defence (Stand 09-A10) is marketing its capability to upgrade the Leopard 2 main battle tank (MBT) to extend its operational life, as well as enhancing its capabilities.
The German company has already won a contract to provide upgraded Leopard 2 MBTs to Indonesia along with Marder 1A3 infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs), as well as support vehicles including armoured recovery vehicles (ARVs) and armoured vehicle-launched bridges (AVLBs).
This programme will be completed in 2017.
A contract has also been won to upgrade Leopard 2 MBTs used by Poland, and Rheinmetall is one of the two contractors awarded Assessment Phase (AP) contracts from the UK Ministry of Defence for the Challenger 2 Life Extension Programme (LEP).
The Leopard 2 upgrade is modular to enable it to be tailored to meet the end users specific operational requirements. The existing 120mm L44 Rheinmetall smoothbore gun can be retained or the 120mm L55 smoothbore gun fitted, which extends the range of the weapon by 1,500m when firing kinetic energy (KE) ammunition. The 120mm weapon can also fire the latest DM11 programmable high-explosive (HE), as well as the latest KE rounds including the DM63+ new generation. A remote-controlled weapons station (RCWS) armed with a 7.62mm or .50 machine gun can be fitted on the roof to provide a close-in self-defence capability.
The existing hydraulic gun control equipment (GCE) can be replaced by all-electric GCE and new sighting systems can be installed, including a new commanders panoramic day/ night sight to allow for hunter/killer target engagements to take place.
Cameras can be fitted to provide situational awareness through a full 360, and an auxiliary power unit can be fitted to allow all of the key subsystems to be run with the main diesel engine switched off. A high-capacity air-conditioning system can also be installed, which is considered essential when operating in high ambient temperature conditions.
Survivability can be enhanced by the installation of additional passive armour solutions or an Active Defence System (ADS), which would neutralise a variety of incoming threats to the platform, including missiles.
As well as supplying upgraded Leopard 2 MBTs, Rheinmetall can supply Buffel ARVs based on surplus Leopard 2 chassis, and the Kodiak armoured engineer vehicle (AEV).
The Kodiak AEV has been developed in association with RUAG Defence of Switzerland and has already been sold to the Netherlands, Singapore, Sweden and Switzerland.
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Long life expectancy for Leopard [IDEX17D3] - IHS Jane's 360
More & more scientists are coming to the conclusion that aging is a disease and, as such, could be treated.
Picture: Freeimages.com
THE STREHLER-MILDVAN CORRELATRION
The scientific team of biotech company Gero recently published a study in the Journal of Theoretical Biology that debunks a long-held misconception regarding two parameters of the Gompertz mortality law - a mortality model that represents human death as the sum of two components that exponentially increases with age. The Gero team studied whats called the Strehler-Mildvan (SM) correlation and found no real biological reasoning behind it, despite having been held true for more than a half a century now.
The SM correlation, derived from the Strehler-Mildvan general theory of aging and mortality, is a mechanism-based explanation of Gompertz law. Specifically, the SM correlation uses two Gompertz coefficients called the Mortality Rate Doubling Time (MRDT) and Initial Mortality Rate (IMR). Popularised in the 1960s in a paper published in Science, the SM correlation suggests that reducing mortality rate through any intervention at a young age could lower the MRDT, thus accelerating aging. As such, the hypothesis disrupts the development of any anti-aging therapy, effectively making optimal aging treatments impossible.
The Gero team, however, realised that the SM correlation is a flawed assumption. Instead of using machine learning techniques for anti-aging therapy design, the researchers relied on an evidence-based science approach. Peter Fedichev and his team tried to determine the physical processes behind the SM correlation. In doing so, they realised the fundamental discrepancy between analytical considerations and the possibility of SM correlation.
We worked through the entire life histories of thousands of C. elegans that were genetically identical, and the results showed that this correlation was indeed a pure fitting artifact, Fedichev said in a press release.
HUMAN LIFE EXTENSION
Other studies have questioned the validity of the SM correlation, but in their published study, Fedichev and his team were able to show how the SM correlation arises naturally as a degenerate manifold of Gompertz fit. This suggests that, instead of understanding SM correlation as a biological fact, it is really an artifactual property of the fit.
This discovery is particularly relevant now as more and more scientists are coming to the conclusion that aging is a disease and, as such, could be treated. They are working hard to find ways to extend human life, and many of these anti-aging studies are yielding curious developments.
Elimination of SM correlation from theories of aging is good news, because if it was not just negative correlation between Gompertz parameters, but the real dependence, it would have banned optimal anti-aging interventions and limited human possibilities to life extension, Fedichev explained. In order words, human life extension has no definitive limit.
This article was republished courtesy of World Economic Forum.
Written by Dom Galeon, writer, Futurism.
Kristin Houser, writer, Futurism.
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No limit to how long we could extend our lives, say researchers - EWN - Eyewitness News
One of the rewards in life is crossing paths with a lot of good folks those whose enthusiasm, dedication, good works, and a genuine concern for community and their fellow man make them outstanding citizens and unforgettable.
In my 40-odd years with Farm Press, Ive found that agriculture has such people in abundance.One of them I first encountered a half-century ago. John Killebrew was serving as county Extension agent at Winona, Miss., when I arrived there to become editor of the local newspaper. Almost every weekly newspaper in Mississippi carried a column by the county agent, and in that era before e-mail and fax, John delivered his in person. His smile and enthusiasm were contagious, his energy and determination boundless. And we became friends.
Mississippi Extension could not have asked for a better example of what a county agent should be. Regardless of the project whether Extension related, school related, church related, community related, if John took it on, it was done right and on time.
In the process, he accumulated awards and honors galore, including, in 1973, the highest award bestowed by the USDA, the Superior Service Award, which was presented to him by Secretary of Agriculture Earl Butz in a Washington, D.C., ceremony.
John has been retired from Extension for almost 34 years, just a tad longer than the 32 years and three months he served the organization. But, he says, retirement just opened the opportunity for other development stages of my life Ive never been bored, Ive been blessed with good health, and it has been rewarding to continue to be involved in the activities and the progress of the community where Ive spent most of my adult life.
On Feb. 4, John was honored with a 90th birthday party, and for two hours people streamed through the Winona First United Methodist Church Family Life Center to honor John and his wife, Martha, who has been his strong support for the almost 63 years theyve been married. There was a lot of food, a lot of fun, a lot of renewing ties by those long-moved-away, and the warm, heartfelt appreciation of a community for two people whove given so much of themselves for more than half a century.
My purpose on this earth has been to be Gods hands to do His work, John says in the autobiography he wrote for his children and grandchildren. I have been happy in my journey with the people I learned to serve.
Well done, John! Now, on to 100
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John Killebrew: Honoring a life of service - Delta Farm Press
Physicians and patients like to believe that early detection of cancer extends life, and quality of life. If a cancer is present, you want to know early, right?
Not so fast.
An analysis of cancer screenings by a University of Virginia statistician and a researcher at the National Cancer Institute indicates that early diagnosis of a cancer does not necessarily result in a longer life than without an early diagnosis. And screenings such as mammograms for breast cancer and prostate-specific antigen tests for prostate cancer come with built-in risks, such as results mistakenly indicating the presence of cancer (false positives), as well as missed diagnoses (false negatives). Patients may undergo harsh treatments that diminish quality of life while not necessarily extending it.
Yet the benefits of early diagnosis through screening often are touted over the risks.
It is difficult to estimate the effect of over-diagnosis, but the risk of over-diagnosis is a factor that should be considered, said Karen Kafadar, a UVA statistics professor and co-author of a study being presented Sunday at a session of the 2017 meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. How many diagnosed cases would never have materialized in a persons lifetime, and gone successfully untreated? Treatments sometimes can cause harm, and can shorten life or reduce quality of life.
Kafadar is not advocating against screening, but her findings show that frequent screening comes with its own risks.
As a metric for evaluation, reduction in mortality is considered the standard. So if a disease results in 10 deaths per 100,000 people in a year, and screening reduces the deaths to six per 100,000 people, then there seems to be an impressive 40 percent reduction in mortality.
However, a more meaningful metric, Kafadar said, may be: How much longer can a person whose case was screen-detected be expected to live, versus a case that was diagnosed only after clinical symptoms appeared? This issue becomes harder to discern how long a patient survives after a diagnosis versus how long the patient might have lived anyway. Some cancer cases might never become apparent during a persons lifetime without screening, but with screening might be treated unnecessarily, such as for a possibly non-aggressive cancer. And some aggressive forms of disease may shorten life even when caught early through screening.
Kafadar and her collaborator, National Cancer Institute statistician Philip Prorok, gathered long-term data from several study sources, including health insurance plans and the National Cancer Institutes recently completed long-term randomized control trial on prostate, lung, colorectal and ovarian cancer, to consider several factors affecting the value of screening over-diagnosis, lead time on a diagnosis and other statistical distortions to look at not just how many people die, but also life extension.
People die anyway of various causes, Kafadar said, but most individuals likely are more interested in, How much longer will I live? Unfortunately, screening tests are not always accurate, but we like to believe they are.
Because the paper considers together the factors that affect statistical understanding of the effectiveness of screening, rather than looking at each of these factors in isolation as previous studies have done, it offers a new statistical methodology for teasing out the relative effects of cancer screenings benefits and risks.
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When Screening for Disease, Risk is as Important to Consider as ... - University of Virginia