NRC tapping tech for better analysis

 NRC tapping tech for better analysis of nuclear accidents

Nuclear Regulatory Commission's SOARCA project key to improving nuclear disaster response; report says
by Jaikumar Vijayan

Long before the nuclear disaster in Japan began unfolding this week, scientists in the U.S. have been trying to gain a better and more realistic picture of precisely what would happen if a similar accident occurred in this country.

For the past few years, researchers from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) have been engaged in a project called State of the Art Reactor Consequence Assessment (SOARCA), to better understand how a nuclear reactor would behave in a severe accident, as well as what sort of radioactive release it would cause.

Similar research on hypothetical accidents at nuclear power plants have been conducted by the NRC and international nuclear safety groups for the past 25 years.

What's different with SOARCA , says the NRC, is that it uses modern computing resources and modeling software to generate more accurate and realistic accident simulations. It also examines extremely rare, "one-in-a-million"-type accidents that could have a significant impact.

Such modeling and analyses of hypthetical accidents is designed to help stakeholders develop better protections and responses to nuclear accidents.

SOARCA models also take into account some of the new accident mitigation technologies and strategies that are deployed in nuclear power plants these days. The models factor in updated emergency preparedness measures and plant improvements that were put in place after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

The studies are receiving renewed attention in light of engineers in Japan currently trying to avert a full-scale meltdown of the country's Fukushima nuclear power plant.

The plant was damaged severely in last week's earthquake and subsequent tsunami . Concerns about the safety of the plant have been escalating sharply over the past few days.

Those concerns were further heightened today after a third explosion rocked the facility causing radiation levels to increase to potentially dangerous levels.

The NRC said on Monday that it has sent several nuclear experts to Tokyo to provide assistance to officials there.

Among other tasks, the team's mission is to better understand the potential impact of radioactive leaks on people and on the environment, the NRC said in a statement Monday

As part of SOARCA, the NRC has run computer modeling and simulation tools to study at least two operating nuclear power plants in the U.S over the last couple of years.

One of the plants that participated in the initial phase of the NRCs SOARCA project is the Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station in Pennsylvania. The plant features a boiling water reactor (BWR) similar to the most troubled reactors in Japan. The other plant is the Surry Power Station, a pressurized water reactor (PWR) in Virginia.

The commission did not respond to requests for comment on the status of its SOARCA project.

Google's license to operate Google.cn site still in limbo

Jul 01, 2010 06:24 am | IDG News Service

Chinese officials have not said whether they will renew Google's operating license, which expired yesterday

The status of Google's China-based website, Google.cn, remains in limbo as the search engine giant waits to see if China will renew the company's operating license.

The Internet Content Provider license for the site, which must be reviewed by the government annually, went up for renewal yesterday. And without such a license, Google.cn could no longer operate as commercial site.

The main issue at hand is Google's refusal to censor its search results, which has angered Chinese officials.

Google.cn was previously used as a search engine geared for mainland China that featured censored search results and complied with Chinese laws. But in March, Google closed down the site and instead redirected all traffic to its uncensored Hong Kong search engine at Google.com.hk.

To placate officials and gain renewal of its operating license, Google decided to stop redirecting search traffic from China to its Hong Kong page. Now when users visit Google.cn, they will instead see a link to Google.com.hk.

As offices closed late Thursday afternoon, Google spokeswoman Jessica Powell said the company had yet to hear back from the Chinese government. Phone calls to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, which regulates the operating licenses, were not answered.

Thursday also saw the blocking of a Google search function in China. Google Suggest, which provides probable searches as a user types in a query, was blocked for part of the day. But by Thursday afternoon, Google had indicated that its web search services were fully or mostly accessible.

While Google continues to wait for a decision, many users of the search engine in China hope the outcome won't affect their daily Internet search habits.

College students in Beijing noted that Google can act as a major study aid, especially when it comes to researching English language materials. Tsinghua University student Zhang Li, 27, said other Chinese search engines like Baidu -- which is the most used search engine in China -- produce less effective search results.

As for Google's move to provide uncensored search results, Zhang said, "I don't think Google was wrong, but I don't think the Chinese government was wrong either," she said. "Some information should be controlled right now. It can't be all open."

Others like Beijing Forestry University student Zhang Meng, 22, said one major reason he uses Google is because it offers uncensored information. "The government doesn't always allow you to understand the truth of what's happening," Zhang said.

But other Internet users say Google's presence in China is still limited. 35-year-old Wang Juan, who works in education, said most people in the country still opt to use Chinese search engines. A former Google user, Wang himself switched over to Baidu because his friends and customers all use it.

"If I can't use Google, it won't impact my life at all," he added.

Coinciding with the operating license issue is Google not getting a place on a Chinese government list of companies that will be able to offer Internet mapping services pending approval.

The State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping released a list naming 23 domestic companies to be granted a license to provide the online mapping services. Major companies like Baidu, search engine provider Sohu and e-commerce site Alibaba, made the list.

Top 10 companies to work for in India

The 2010 edition of 'India's Best Companies To Work For' by The Economic Times has ranked the top 10 companies in India on the basis of management, facilities, infrastructure, growth prospects, etc. After interviewing CEOs, HR heads and employees to gauge what it takes to be the best company to work for, this study reports on how companies have nurtured their human capital in the face of the downturn, while taking some bold initiatives to maintain growth.

Check out the 10 best companies to work for -:

1) Google India: Located in Bangalore and founded in 1998, Google India's main work is in Online Search, Online Advertising & Online Applications. You cannot pinpoint at one thing that makes Google one of the best places to work for. It is a combination of values and operating principles to make the work more enjoyable and encourage innovations. Commitment towards finding talented people is not solely based on ranks and percentage, but on the inclusion of those who have a sense of mission and derive massive satisfaction from their work.

2) Make MyTrip: Located in Gurgaon and founded in 2000, this company's main work target is booking airline tickets, hotels, bus and rail ticket and holiday packages. The immense sense of empowerment at MakeMyTrip is drawing in top talent by the droves. For one, Amit Somani, the company's Chief Products Officer, has no hang-ups about leaving Google to join MakeMyTrip.

3) Intel Technology India: Located in Bangalore this IT giant was founded in 1988, this firm has also tried to ingrain a culture of being open and direct. It is very serious about having an open-door policy and reaching out to seniors is the norm. Coupled with periodic feedback mechanisms, this keeps every Intellite on the ball.

4) Marriot Hotels: Located in Mumbai, one of the best names in hospitality ranks 4th in the best place to work for in India because the company's employee policy rests on three main legs: an open-door policy, empowerment and fairness.

5) NetApp India: Set foot into NetApp India's headquarters in Bangalore and chances are ping-pong balls would be zooming past your head, this is a place definitely not for those who consider their work-life as part of a calibrated approach. Also you will never find people rarely complaining about pay and not getting a fair share of profits.

6) American Express: Founded in 2006 in Gurgaon and specializing in financial services, Amex has been working to building a Gen Next workplace as its 'ecosystem for the future', which is young, vibrant and diverse in the true sense.

7) NTPC: Located in Delhi with an employee strength of 24,708, the Rs 49,478.86-crore power major employs about 25,000 die-hard loyalists, who take pride in the 35-year-old brand and its empowerment attributes. It is one of the best public enterprises to work for.

8) PayPal India: Located in Chennai and specializing in e commerce, PayPal, which is a part of eBay, believes in empowering technologists, especially women. There is a dedicated group named 'eBay Women in Technology.'

9) Ajuba Solutions: Located in Chennai and specializing in Healthcare Revenue Cycle Management, this BPO believes in 'inspired people, inspired results'. Named after the hindi word of miracle, the company tries to live by its credo of "working wonders for our clients and employees.

10) SAS Institute: Located in Mumbai, this company offers a stress free environment and is flexible enough to give employees option to work from home.

CIBC buys card portfolio from Citigroup MasterCard business

CIBC said Monday it has signed a deal to buy a $2.1-billion credit card portfolio from Citigroup’s Canadian MasterCard business.

The portfolio includes accounts associated with co-branded Petro Canada (TSX:SU) credit cards that offer the Petro Points rewards program.

“This acquisition is directly aligned with our strategy to grow our core Canadian operations,” CIBC president and chief executive Gerry McCaughey said in a statement.

“With our scale, platform and operating synergies, combined with our expertise in credit cards, we are confident this transaction furthers our strategic growth objectives.”

The deal is expected to be accretive to CIBC’s earnings during the first year following its closing, the bank said.

Under the agreement, prior to closing, non-performing accounts will be removed from the acquired portfolio and from Broadway Credit Card Trust, which has securitized certain Citibank MasterCard receivables.

CIBC (TSX:CM) said it was its third transaction since early March including the acquisition of the remaining 50 per cent of CIT Business Credit Canada and the purchase of a minority stake in Bermuda-based the Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son Ltd.

Nitish plays perfect host to Pranab, talks business

Hosting a lunch or dinner by politicians is often seen as the perfect platform for a change in political equations.

However, the luncheon meeting between Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Congress leader and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee in Patna today came as a damper for those who were expecting Kumar to do a Naveen Patnaik in the run-up to the state assembly polls.

Just two days after Kumar cancelled a dinner for the BJP brass to convey his disapproval about an advertisement featuring him with Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, the luncheon meeting between Mukherjee and Kumar was seen as a possible platform that could change the equations in Bihar.

While Kumar played the perfect host to Mukherjee — following a meeting with the chiefs of public sector banks to take stock of the performance on the credit deposit ratio — the two leaders maintained a distance in public. The meeting was also attended by chief ministers and officials from eastern and north-eastern states.

The only time the two leaders were seen interacting in an informal way was when the chief minister was trying to convince Mukherjee to try out local delicacies, including litti chokha and baked fish and Mukherjee sticking to his choice of dishes.

Mukherjee was received at the airport by Deputy CM and BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi. When the cavalcade reached the chief minister's secretariat, the CM welcomed the senior leader and escorted him to the conference room.

According to people who were present in the meeting, Mukherjee listened to the chief ministers and CMDs of banks — their grievances and replies — very patiently. "Though they sat side-by-side, not for once did the two show signs of getting close or sharing a word between themselves. It was business as usual," said an official. Sushil Kumar Modi was all along by Kumar’s side during the entire event.

During a press conference after the event, Mukherjee refused to answer questions regarding the state government’s criticisms of the central policies. However, in reply to a question on the demand of a special-category status to Bihar, he said: "This will be decided by the Planning Commission. So, I am not in a position to comment on that. But, I am fully aware that a special package for Bihar had been articulated."

According to informed sources, Mukherjee had called up Kumar before the planning of this event. During the call, the CM was reportedly asked by the finance minister whether Kumar could schedule this conference in Patna and be free to attend the meet.

Kumar had obliged the senior leader by postponing his Pravas Yatra. "He enthusiastically agreed to organise this meeting and also postponed the yatra that was to be held today," the source said.